Sony Vaio

VR3
VR3 Posts: 28,615
edited January 2012 in The Clubhouse
I want to go ahead and give props to where props are due...

I have a Sony Vaio F11 that is just a little over a year old and around the time I got the laptop I also got a dog. That is significant.

This laptop has gone through more help because of me and my Dog than I care to think about as this was an extremely expensive laptop...

My dog has kicked it off the couch multiple times, on to the power adaptor and on to the power button side. The power button would lock up but it still turns on and off now without issue...

The dog knocked a cup of tea out of my hand (full) and it landed on to the laptop, dumping the contents on to the keyboard. I am replacing the keyboard but the laptop still functions as it should (I am using it now) keyboard is only 28 dollars.

I have accidently stepped on it - screen first, full weight and the screen looks perfect and functions flawlessly...

The CD drive I have set my hand down on when sitting - breaking the end piece off. I super glued it back on and it has worked perfectly.

So yes, I am rough as hell on laptops but this one has taken a beating for sure!!!
- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,615
    edited July 2011
    Changed out my keyboard and I am back in business like new! 28 bucks! woo hoo!
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    This thread got me thinking as my hard drive just died -

    I used to have a $1400 laptop that I eventually sold to treitz3.

    Now I buy $300 laptops which I can take with me everywhere.

    The hard drive on my current laptop is clicking, will be $60 to replace. I don't feel so bad because it was only a $329 laptop. If it were the old HP, I would be devastated because a hard drive on a performance laptop is anything but cheap. In fact, I would keep any "high performance" laptop on the desk at ALL times!!

    So it looks like Sony builds tough laptops for sure but I would highly recommend getting a basic machine to carry around. No worries about losing/dropping/having your main laptop stolen anymore!!
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  • Drenis
    Drenis Posts: 2,871
    edited January 2012
    Panasonic Toughbook
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,615
    edited January 2012
    Laptop in the OP still kicking, upgraded the ram to 8 gigs the other day...

    Replaced the power connection the other day... but other than that all good :)
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited January 2012
    I've used the Dell Latitude line from D600 > D610 > D620 > 6400 > 6520. I've dropped them open face down from 4ft onto an office floor (hard), kicked them, had them rained on, and generally abused them. Only faults? Dead hard drive, and occasional tightening of the hinge screws (since it is the part that gets the most torque during usage).

    Now my Inspiron...that's a different story.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    Why not keep your high performance / desktop replacement laptop for home use, and then pick up a $399 laptop or $299 netbook for portable use? Saves wear and tear on your main laptop, and not have to worry about it getting dropped, etc.

    Either way - looks like your Sony Vaio is one tough laptop.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,615
    edited January 2012
    All of the abuse my laptop sees is at home - heck when it is being transported it is usually getting better care...

    My dogs are the source of all my, errr, its problems! ;)
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • BeefJerky
    BeefJerky Posts: 1,320
    edited January 2012
    Serendipity wrote: »
    Why not keep your high performance / desktop replacement laptop for home use, and then pick up a $399 laptop or $299 netbook for portable use? Saves wear and tear on your main laptop, and not have to worry about it getting dropped, etc.
    Why not? In my case that means having to regularly sync data and media between the two, which is a giant PITA that I don't want to deal with. It would also mean that I would have to invest in large storage for two laptops; my current one has a 120GB SSD OS drive and 2x 1TB drives for storage (all internal). Neither the SSD nor the 1TB 2.5" 9.5mm drives are cheap. In addition, a low-performance netbook wouldn't cut it for me, even for portable use. Besides, if I were to get a computer dedicated for home use, why would I bother getting a more expensive laptop for that purpose?

    I'll stick with my "desktop replacement" laptop that I can use at home and on the go. In addition, I've had the same experience with the Dell Latitudes and Precisions that nguyendot has had; they are very rugged. Therefore, I have no fear of taking it with me when I'm on the go and using it as a portable computer.
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  • timalan
    timalan Posts: 106
    edited January 2012
    Ditto on the Latitude -- takes crazy abuse without flinching.
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  • Glowrdr
    Glowrdr Posts: 1,103
    edited January 2012
    Yep - I'm hoping my Elitebook lasts even half as long as my D630 did. If it does, I'll be a happy camper. Although, my laptops are generally religated to couch duty, or the occasional trips for fantasy football.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    VR3 wrote: »
    All of the abuse my laptop sees is at home - heck when it is being transported it is usually getting better care...

    My dogs are the source of all my, errr, its problems! ;)

    I see. In that case, keep your laptop and buy an inexpensive tower in case something goes wrong with the laptop.

    Personally, I think it is better to have two machines just to be prepared... that way if one breaks you can continue working on the other. And back up regularly, just in case. This has saved me a good deal of headache when a HDD decides to do the "click of death".
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  • Upstatemax
    Upstatemax Posts: 2,664
    edited January 2012
    I have an old Sony Vio desktop and it has been great. Now that my 3 year old HP laptop is dying, I'm busy backing it up to my much older Sony that still works like new...

    Matter of fact, I just used the Vio to pull a ton of info off of a friends HD that I pulled from her dead Dell that's half the age of my Vio.

    Not as flashy or as fast of the newer stuff, but it just will not die.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    Oh and for those who use their laptops plugged in all the time -

    Unplug it from the AC adaptor once in a while to let the battery charge and discharge.

    Right now my battery life is down to a whopping 17 minutes, because of short cycle charging.

    It was always charging from 95 - 100% and therefore ruined the battery. Argh...
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  • Glowrdr
    Glowrdr Posts: 1,103
    edited January 2012
    Serendipity wrote: »
    Unplug it from the AC adaptor once in a while to let the battery charge and discharge.

    :redface::loneranger::redface:

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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,114
    edited January 2012
    Serendipity wrote: »
    Oh and for those who use their laptops plugged in all the time -

    Unplug it from the AC adaptor once in a while to let the battery charge and discharge.

    Right now my battery life is down to a whopping 17 minutes, because of short cycle charging.

    It was always charging from 95 - 100% and therefore ruined the battery. Argh...

    Yep guilty of that myself my laptop says on the battery icon that I should consider replacing my battery, it holds a charge 20 minutes tops.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    gudnoyez wrote: »
    Yep guilty of that myself my laptop says on the battery icon that I should consider replacing my battery, it holds a charge 20 minutes tops.

    Just did a full charge/discharge and only got 16 minutes before the machine went to sleep.

    Ordered a new battery - total came out to just 31 bucks. Of course this is on a cheapo laptop.

    If I had to do it all over again, I would get this Acer for $279 and then buy a serious tower for FCP:
    http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0382600
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    Last year I brought an entire desktop on site to my video production job and it clearly outperformed any laptop I have ever used. Which is why I prefer laptop = portable, desktop = serious computing needs. Of course the photographers on site were using 17" Macbook Pro's with the TOTL specs. YMMV.
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  • Syndil
    Syndil Posts: 1,582
    edited January 2012
    Why get a high performance/desktop replacement laptop at all, if you're just going to leave it at home? Get a desktop. Much cheaper and much easier to keep going if something breaks.

    I've got a desktop machine that could run a small country (dual quad-core Xeons), but my laptop is a tiny Lenovo x120e. Windows Live Mesh keeps the things synced that I need synced.

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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,615
    edited January 2012
    Eh I see no point to own a Desktop unless I was to setup a small server - I like the ability to take it and go if I need to
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited January 2012
    I kill batteries like no other with docking/undocking. At least I'm getting my money's worth! I think I get 6 hours undocked right now on the 9 cell. If I get the battery slice and bay battery i can probably top 24 hrs... Ouch thats a lot of $$$ in batts to replace later.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    nguyendot wrote: »
    I kill batteries like no other with docking/undocking. At least I'm getting my money's worth! I think I get 6 hours undocked right now on the 9 cell. If I get the battery slice and bay battery i can probably top 24 hrs... Ouch thats a lot of $$$ in batts to replace later.

    When I dock my laptop, should I remove the battery before docking? I have an external monitor/keyboard/mouse/speakers, so the laptop isn't really using any of its onboard stuff.

    Also is it bad to keep the screen closed when docking (heat)?
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  • Glowrdr
    Glowrdr Posts: 1,103
    edited January 2012
    I would generally not recommend removing the battery. Some laptops will not even function without the battery (must run in series for the power adaptor). You can certainly do what you want though, it certainly won't harm anything if it does work. (although the battery will certainly save you should the power go out or fluctuate)

    As for keeping the screen closed - I wouldn't worry about that either. There is some minor added heat, but it's just residual. The laptop isn't meant to dispurse heat upward in any way - it just happens. Keeping the screen closed probably keeps the heat down more than leaving the lid open anyways by turning the display off. This uses less power, thus saving on video processing and the extra voltage used.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    Picked up a 60GB OCZ Vertex Plus SSD today to replace my old failing hard drive.

    Got it for 65 bucks, almost same price as a regular mechanical hard drive. I am happy.
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  • nguyendot
    nguyendot Posts: 3,594
    edited January 2012
    I'd remove it if you dock it permanently... But then again if you leave it permanently docked, the battery will go bad anyways.
    Just use it normally.
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  • Serendipity
    Serendipity Posts: 6,975
    edited January 2012
    nguyendot wrote: »
    I'd remove it if you dock it permanently... But then again if you leave it permanently docked, the battery will go bad anyways.
    Just use it normally.

    Thanks. Learned my lesson here, "Consider replacing your battery" displays on the icon in the system tray, so purchased a new battery.

    Funny thing, after changing my HDD to a SSD, but keeping the old battery, the battery life magically went up to 20 minutes.
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