Laptops Laptops Laptops

One of the requirements for bschool is buying your own laptop. I don't understand how I "need" a laptop, because I got by perfectly fine with a desktop during my undergrad experience. I prefer desktops because they seem more stable and you can get a big monitor with a normal keyboard and mouse. I find cafe's too distracting to get any real work done, and do most of my work at home. Regardless, since I have to get a laptop, I started doing research. A great online resource for comparing laptops is: http://www.notebookreview.com/.

After checking out all the latest specs on the laptops, I found almost any new laptop these days suits my needs. The only things I would use my laptop for are: chatting on aim/email/internet/MS Office. I don't need fancy graphics or the fastest processor. The school offers some discounted deals on Dell's, but after reading online reviews, I definitely would never buy a Dell. After further research, I narrowed down my laptop search to either a Sony Vaio or IBM thinkpad. Both are great brands with good reputations, and would sufficiently meet my needs.

Then I ran across the Sony Vaio S series (older generation to the current SZ models). The Sony Vaio S series used to be the top laptops in Fall 2005, but after the new SZ models came out earlier this year, prices for S series laptops dropped. I think the S and SZ are comparable (SZ has built-in camera/microphone which I don't need), and with current prices, the S series is a tremendous value. What used to cost $2500 last Fall now costs around $1500 online. What really sold me on the S660P/B model, was its sleek design (you have to see how the monitor curves around the hinge), size (around 4 lbs and slim to fit in my backpack), and price ($1399). Even though I really liked some IBM thinkpad laptops, I fell in love with this Sony Vaio S660 because of it's sleek design. Because they were last year's model, they stopped manufacturing this particular laptop. After froogling my way around the internet, I found one website that still has some in its inventory: www.costcentral.com. Most websites and ebay are out of stock, but costcentral still has over 100 in inventory. I would recommend this laptop for anyone interested in a laptop with cool style/size (specs are sufficient too).