MBP looks in a Windows machine? Yep!

[dparm]

Sony's newest FZ line of notebooks are sure to give the MacBook Pro's styling and aesthetics a run for its money. It's virtually the same size and weight.

I'm speaking strictly from an aesthetics stand-point, not features and performance (though the FZ line offers good performance).

Thoughts?


http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/img/718x407/VGNFZ190CTO.png

[dcv]

That's a good looking laptop (all Sony laptops tend to be quite stylish), but, to be honest, it doesn't look anything like a MBP.

http://a248.e.akamai.net/7/248/2041/1279/store.apple.com/Catalog/US/Images/macbookpro/img/product-15in.jpg

From a design perspective, Apple favors rounded corners, no external indicator lights (save the sleep light), having the laptop be a single color, symmetric, flat (no bulging or uneven areas), etc. Apple's design in the MBP is very, very minimalist.

I've always thought that Sony laptops (including the FZ series) looked good because they emphasize flare - bold contrasts, defined lines, shiny cases, etc. While good looking, it is a far cry from Apple's aesthetics.

To get off topic and plug one of the FZ's features, I must say it's nice to see a laptop with HDMI out - that's pretty cool.

EDIT: Also, from the Vaio SZ's product page on Sony.com, it appears this laptop doesn't sit flat (in the sense that, when put on a table, the top of the laptop isn't parallel to the tabletop):
http://b2b.sony.com/images/category/notebooks/fz-series/FZ_B_close_R.jpg
That is another big differentiator - all Apple products sit flat.

[bgwinkel]

It has a very similar size and shape.

And the fact that it doesn't sit flat is a good thing :P

[dparm]

I think it's actually easier to type on a machine that's slightly tilted. It may be better for your wrists/fingers too...I'm not a doctor so I don't know.

The Sony definitely stands out compared to most other PC laptops -- I walked by it at Best Buy yesterday and did a double-take.


HDMI ports are becoming commonplace on the Santa Rosa laptops. You can actually get that Sony notebook with a Blu-ray drive for $2000, which is a steal.

[dcv]

It has a very similar size and shape.

I beg to differ (as I did in my previous post) - it is no doubt a good looking laptop, but it has taken no design cues from Apple (which is in no way a bad thing, mind you). Just because a laptop is 15.4", square-ish, and weighs under six pounds, it doesn't mean it looks anything like the MBP.

And the fact it doesn't sit flat means that it doesn't really have a similar shape as the MBP.

And the fact that it doesn't sit flat is a good thing :P

I didn't say it wasn't.

[dcv]

I think it's actually easier to type on a machine that's slightly tilted. It may be better for your wrists/fingers too...I'm not a doctor so I don't know.

Most desktop keyboards have the little feet to raise them up a bit, and this does tend to be more comfortable for me as well.


HDMI ports are becoming commonplace on the Santa Rosa laptops. You can actually get that Sony notebook with a Blu-ray drive for $2000, which is a steal.

That is awesome. If this laptop can run headless (lid closed, just plugged into HDTV), then that's an awesome value add - in addition to your computer, you get a Blu-Ray player for the living room as well.