Review of Sony VAIO E Series SVE17137CXB 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black)

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There are many things to like about this computer. They include a nicely lit keyboard, great high definition screen and speed that will be more than adequate for most tasks with the possible exception of gaming. Then there is Sony technical support which is as good as it gets. The Blu ray DVD is a nice feature to have as well. The only thing I could not get used to was the touchpad which lacks the usual two press down portions in the front. There is probably a name for them but I am not as computer savy as I would like to be. Unfortunately my computer showed an issue that could be either hardware or software related. For no particular reason, I got several messages that read " driver_irql_not_less_or_equal...." with no blue screen of death. After a short while the computer resumed working without additional efforts on my part. I called Sony and got through to tech support promptly. Using a remote program the tech checked hardware and concluded it must be software related. So I did a reset to original factory settings. Shortly after this (within minutes) the warning reappeared. I called Sony and a tech support visit to my home was initiated. I think Sony should be commended for its efforts. Since I had the computer for only 20 days I contacted Amazon and as expected Amazon came to my rescue with a speedy return label. Why did I opt to return the computer that I really liked? Many electronics companies reserve the right to replace a defective device with a refurbished one and with regard to this policy Vizio immediately comes to my mind. I don't know if Sony subscribes to this policy but I was not about to take a chance that the computer could not be repaired especially when Amazon was gracious enough to allow a return. Although I have three Vizio televisions I would not be happy if a refurbished one was substituted for mine because I take good care of my electronics and I don't know anything about the history of the refurbished one. So, flame me if you wish but that's how I feel. If you can return a recently purchased defective item, I say you're better off. Since the hardware checked out, I have my own theory that there is a glitch in Windows 8 as it was installed and that this will eventually be corrected with an update. However, that is just a supposition on my part. I found Windows 8 to be somewhat cumbersome but workable. And this review should not be about the operating system but rather about the computer anyway. I still consider myself a Sony fanboy and I would not hesitate to buy Sony in the future. Stuff happens. It's nice to have Amazon there when it does.

Addendum: The press down portions of the keypad referred to above are called simply enough, mouse buttons. This computer lacks them. It is supposed to be an innovation but calling it an innovation is like calling Windows 8 an inovation over Windows 7. I much prefer mouse buttons to one smooth keypad that lacks them.

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I'll lead with the minor negative and that is Windows 8. I cannot in good conscience hold the failings of Microsoft against the Sony Vaio ... this situation has been happening since Windows 98. That being said, I am cautiously optimistic that the announced Windows 8 patch from Microsoft will remove some of the counter-intuitive elements and return the Start button. It's a very fast, stable operating system but it is clearly designed for a touchscreen device, of which the Sony Vaio is not.

That being said, I love the hardware. Tons of memory, huge hardrive, a lighted keyboard, HD display with a dedicated video card, and a BluRay player for under $1000. I was lucky and there was a small price drop ($939.00) for a few days so the tax applied (thanks, Texas!) was basically a wash.

Here is a more specific breakdown:

PROCESSOR/MEMORY/HDD: Speed is outstanding, especially when waking from a sleep mode state. No crashes or serious hangups after two weeks of use. I'm impressed with the stability of this build but Windows 8 does provide some challenges so far. Love the 8GB of RAM ... tons of programs running simultaneously and no real decrease in speed. 1 TB of HDD space is a big plus, though it is much slower than I'd like.

DISPLAY/VIDEO CARD: Screen is clear, even in moderate sunlight. Graphics are impressive and have held up well to all the demands I've placed on it to date. Minor graphics editing tasks (cleaning up video, photos, etc.) don't seem to burden the video card or processor.

INPUT DEVICES: Keyboard response is solid and the lighted keypad is a very nice option. I'm not thrilled with the clickpad (I prefer real buttons, not simply pressing a corner) but I use a wireless USB mouse so this isn't a drawback for me. The 17" laptop has the luxury of a numeric keypad which is absolutely essential for my work tasks.

BLURAY: It does what it needs to, though I'm not thrilled with the software included. I've since upgraded so I have more fine control over watching movies without sucking up processing power.

BUILD QUALITY: It's plastic, but it's sturdy. Yes, all things considered, I'd rather have an aluminum chassis but the build is on par with most other laptops on the market. As someone who has had 17" laptops exclusively since the early 2000's, the weight isn't bad in a decent computer brief or backpack.

SOFTWARE: Office 365 is a nice minor upgrade from Office 2010; if you're associated with higher ed (whether as faculty, staff, or student) you can get a 4-year license for less than $70.00 so after the 30-day free trial is up I'll upgrade. The standard Sony bloatware is easily removed. Other than that, there are no real bells and whistles here.

MISC: No problem attaching to home, work or public WiFi. The Bluetooth connectivity is a nice perk. Sound is a bit flat but I have never expected audiophile speakers on any laptop. USB ports are nice ... I absolutely love the 3.0 connection for use with my 3.0 External Drive. Please note that this laptop is a beast to keep clean; oils from fingerprints linger even after wiping with a computer-safe cleaner and a microfiber cloth.

OVERALL: I am thrilled with the purchase so far. While I can't attest to long term quality yet (and I'll update if anything changes) I am very happy with the Vaio; I was toying with both the Dell and Toshiba offerings in a similar size and this one was $400 cheaper than their offerings for similar specifications. All in all, if you want a top flight laptop for productivity and light gaming then this is the top choice for budgets under $1000.

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I bought this for work only, I could care less for live tiles, Facebook, or anything else Metro related.

I have had this laptop for six months for work. For a laptop, it has all the power, decent sound, and great hard drive space. Plus a very nice screen. Also the sound from the usb to my board is incredible. It's really noticeable, and does sound excellent.

With Windows 8, and work related use, I have had daily crashes. It's buggy for audio. I have also had video crashes, audio crashes, usb issues while transferring large files, wifi issues goes off and on, mouse freezes, Blue screen crashes. Error reports that an "unknown issue" caused the crash. Also, I have software that will not work properly, and it's a wait and see approach to see if Microsoft, or software companies address this. One seems to blame the other, but it's minor.

Once I downgraded, It came to life. Headaches are gone for the most part, and it's been an excellent computer. I hate windows 8 because of its issues, and stability. I had a Sony tech online controlling and "repairing" it, it crashed. He suggested downgrading, he made a great choice.

In creating an all in one ecosystem, imo, Windows 8 has caused more issues for *me* in a desktop mode. I ran Classic Shell, tried Start 8, and a few others, Metro was gone, but issues lagged on. Microsoft was not much help, same reformat, refresh, update.... Never admitting an issue, but online searches provided me several sites with people having the same issues.

I know Windows fan boys will dispute this, but Microsoft and Sony, plus sound card tech, have no current remedy for the latency issues, or audio crashes. Just rinse and repeat, reset, reformat, update......

When clicking the wireless icon, and blue side bar came up, it spikes the network, and causes audio issues, and yet, you can't disable the screen. Chronic wifi issues plagued this before.

I like Sony and it's Vaio, and it's all we run, but until windows 8 was removed, this laptop was not trusted to play live. Now it's with the main system now.

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LOVE the size of the screen for watching videos and gaming....LOVE IT!!! The ease of operating around the new laptop is awesome!

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I just received my computer yesterday. I've been using computers for 30 years. I have to tell you that Windows 8 is probably one of the worst operating systems I've ever experienced. People complain about Vista but at least there's something familiar about it. My old laptop was a Vista PC and I was okay with it. For whatever reason I thought it was a good idea to jump Windows 7 and get the newest and best out there. I regret that decision. Windows 8 is so unfriendly and unfamiliar.

And that's a shame because this is actually a nice PC. It's fast, it has the power, it's pretty. I like the backlit keyboard, I've never had that before. I which I could find volume controls on the keyboard like my old PC. Maybe it does have those but I can't find them if it does. But all that aside there's really only one issue I have with the Sony part of the laptop. It's with the mouse touchpad. It's SUPER sensitive. I'll be moving the mouse and suddenly something gets activated. Also, there's no mouse buttons. Let me rephrase that .. they are there, but not in a dedicated space. Clicking accurately is a major problem. And then sometimes I want to click and I have to do it several times to get it to register the click. I'm starting to feel like I'm going to have to add an actual mouse to be able to use this laptop properly.

At the end of the day, I wish I got a Windows 7 PC. I do like some of the things I've seen so far but it's just not a user friendly laptop because of Windows 8. Maybe I'll feel differently over time here, but I don't know. I really don't like it.