Dont Buy SONY - Page 2

**matthews** · 01-21-2008, 05:02 PM

We had a Sony Vaio laptop, it was great until I dropped it...piece o' crap can't withstand being dropped

TitanBlue · 01-21-2008, 05:38 PM

Sony didn't make the harddrive, os or fail as many of us do (myself included), to make backup disk when we get the computer. Doesn't have much to do with Sony...

I bought some 250 GB Ext HD's last week for just $90 each, for workplace. No Rebates either! I'll be getting something this month to serve as a backup for both of my systems. Backups are getting easier and cheaper than they used to be. It's built into the OS now, should be easy (famous last words, I know).

Pops · 01-21-2008, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitanBlue

.... I'll be getting something this month to serve as a backup for both of my systems. Backups are getting easier and cheaper than they used to be. It's built into the OS now, should be easy (famous last words, I know).

I got a second HD for my desktop, moved My Documents over to the Second Drive, and wrote an XCopy batch file to copy it all back to the Primary drive and scheduled it using Task Scheduler to run after 20mins of sitting idle. I leave the machine on most of Saturday to make sure it backs up. It saved my booty a couple months ago when my primary drive died.

Laptop has the same batch file scheduled but it backs up to the My Documents on the second drive of the desktop over the LAN then gets copied to the desktop's primary drive with the rest of everything else.

Patchwork but it works. Laptop died 3 weeks after the desktop (both bought at the sametime) but I haven't bothered getting a replacement drive for it yet.

Still have everything left after both machines died back-to-back so it's all good.

**walleeme** · 01-21-2008, 08:43 PM

I bought a HDD for a laptop for 40 bucks. Took 5 mintues to install it and about 20 to make it load up.
Go get the CD's or the required info off the net.
Then, use the Titan to go on a beer run.
Start the install, drink one. Help it finish. Drink another one.

Krodad · 01-21-2008, 09:05 PM

Some come with discs, some don't.

Most of the systems that do not come with discs do come with a separate sheet that explains the recovery process, and strongly suggests making a set of reinstall/recovery discs. On a laptop that I just purchased, it takes 17 cd's or 4 dvd's just to make the discs, but you need to do this as soon as the unit is up and running.

As for backups of your data, it is silly to not have an external hard drive anymore. They are cheap and can be set up to automatically back up anything you want. Now, to take things a step further, what if the house burns down? now even discs and hard drives are gone...so I just got a subscription to Carbonite. Fifty bucks a year for unlimited storage backup, and it works great. I have 58 gigs of backup with them that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, and recovered to any computer. Will probably never need to access this, but it let's me sleep at night. The only thing a total system crash can cost me is the equipment itself.

stlblues · 01-21-2008, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roy365

I dont think that would deter me from ever buying Sony again.

Almost every Sony product I've bought in the last 3 yrs has developed problems. And then to have Sony say the disks aren't available, your screwed isn't right when the damn thing was over $1300. When the Sony CTR monitor went out, I didn't mind that much because it gave me an excuse to buy a flat panel, spiffy 22" Samsung wide screen High res. But the pic tube should have lasted for years, Had the tube in my XBR go out after only 6 yrs. Power supply on the 27" after 3 yrs.

I bought the computer because it was maxed out with the processor, mem, etc....it was still decent by todays standards. 2gig ram, 160 gb HD, full video capture, Super DVD-r multi format with extra DVD-rom, card readers, DVI, even though the processor was a 3.0 Pentium with HT, it would still move pretty good on Adobe Photoshop.

And not only is a quality issue, they won't even try to assist even though the damn thing wouldn't burn backup software to begin with. If your tranny goes out after 3 yrs and they tell you no replacement is available, your screwed, would you be happy?

albonismo · 01-21-2008, 09:50 PM

my 5 yr old HP has been running like when i first bought it. no probs whatsoever. only had to do recovery once only because my sister got a hold of it.
You should change that thread title to read "Don't ever buy a SONY computer...because of the price"

MuskyHunter · 01-22-2008, 12:01 AM

Get yourself something like Symantec Ghost and create an image of your system and update it regularly. If it crashes, you can image your system back to original state, OS and all. I keep images of all my systems and can bring up a crashed system to where I left off in about an hour.

dragonhead08 · 01-22-2008, 12:41 AM

I dont buy sony anymore because of one word....rootkit.

**roy365** · 01-22-2008, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stlblues

Almost every Sony product I've bought in the last 3 yrs has developed problems. And then to have Sony say the disks aren't available, your screwed isn't right when the damn thing was over $1300. When the Sony CTR monitor went out, I didn't mind that much because it gave me an excuse to buy a flat panel, spiffy 22" Samsung wide screen High res. But the pic tube should have lasted for years, Had the tube in my XBR go out after only 6 yrs. Power supply on the 27" after 3 yrs.

I bought the computer because it was maxed out with the processor, mem, etc....it was still decent by todays standards. 2gig ram, 160 gb HD, full video capture, Super DVD-r multi format with extra DVD-rom, card readers, DVI, even though the processor was a 3.0 Pentium with HT, it would still move pretty good on Adobe Photoshop.

And not only is a quality issue, they won't even try to assist even though the damn thing wouldn't burn backup software to begin with. If your tranny goes out after 3 yrs and they tell you no replacement is available, your screwed, would you be happy?

People have replied to offer you help for the disks right? So there's no issue there. As far as the luck you have had with the other, well it sounds pretty bad. Maybe not their best models or they were being replaced??

The phone help issue is common with ANY electronics company these days. Sad to say but you might as well expect it from most people. I don't like any more than you.

As far as the tranny going out comparison, it's not much of one. But, to answer your question yes I would be pissed because the warranty would cover it.

There are just some Sony products I will never not buy. My PS3 and games for one. I guess I am just screwed. I do my research and homework before I buy stuff and try to make sure it's a good buy.

stlblues · 01-22-2008, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roy365

People have replied to offer you help for the disks right? So there's no issue there. As far as the luck you have had with the other, well it sounds pretty bad. Maybe not their best models or they were being replaced??

The phone help issue is common with ANY electronics company these days. Sad to say but you might as well expect it from most people. I don't like any more than you.

As far as the tranny going out comparison, it's not much of one. But, to answer your question yes I would be pissed because the warranty would cover it.

There are just some Sony products I will never not buy. My PS3 and games for one. I guess I am just screwed. I do my research and homework before I buy stuff and try to make sure it's a good buy.

I research the hell out of stuff before I buy, and I buy the top, not base models so I don't have to replace them every year, it was rated the top media center on the market. The computer was thier top model, fastest processor, most features, the camcoders were thier top models, the tvs were XBRs, Sonys top CRTs....so don't give me the shouda bought higher models, these were the tops for Sony. I haven't gotten any help from Sony on the disks except "they are no longer available". As far as just loading windows, I havent found any XP Media Center disks anywhere. Everything is that crap Vista. And if I find one, it has to be the full version since I will be loading it on a new hard drive with no previous version to upgrade from.

And my son reminded me we had a PS2 go down too. We have two, or had two.

**roy365** · 01-22-2008, 07:20 AM

I hate it for ya. You have bad luck with electronics, I have bad luck with other stuff. I will continue to buy Sony products.

dodson914 · 01-22-2008, 07:25 AM

I recently purchased a computer and was looking at the one you had and the HP all in one also. After researching for a couple weeks I went with an iMac. Couldn't be happier. I don't think I will ever go back to pc. This computer is so much faster than any of the others I have had. You also don't have to be as worried about viruses or spyware. Something you may want to look in to. Also, if you need a pc because you have programs that only run in windows. Macs can run windows and most of the new ones do it more efficiently than a pc.

bestatchess · 01-22-2008, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuskyHunter

Get yourself something like Symantec Ghost and create an image of your system and update it regularly. If it crashes, you can image your system back to original state, OS and all. I keep images of all my systems and can bring up a crashed system to where I left off in about an hour.

Ditto. If you get the right version of Ghost you can restore and image over a network which makes it easy to save all the images on a central server with big mirrored hard drives. This saves alot of agony as you can count on hard drives failing every 2 or 3 years.

SATXTitanXE · 01-22-2008, 06:49 PM

Honestly, I got tired of seeing the "Blue screen of death" so I went over to the Mac side.. Couldn't have made a better choice. My Macbook Pro has been a savior. You can still use windows if you like (why would you though). Not bashing Microsoft or the PC bubs.. I had a Gateway Desktop for years running Windows 98 that I finally got rid of about 4 months ago; I had to update the drivers and do some fancy work to get it to read a memory stick to download all my old family photo's and bootleg music (oops, did I say that out loud).