I just got a Sony BX560B from buy.com. I was going to order from Sonystyle, but I was kind of in a rush.
This will be short, and I will post a more extensive review after I get a chance to load some software on it. Right now, my only use has been to copy 40 gig of data to it and do some surfing.
The reason this laptop appealed to me was because of the trackpoint and the 15.4" XBRITE ECO screen. My comparisons will be to a Thinkpad T43p. In my opinion, the top business laptop on the market, but you pay out the nose for it. Mine was in excess of $ 3500. The Sony BX560B was less than $ 1900.
First off, I was amazed at the similarities between the Thinkpad line and the BX line. Fingerprint reader, mute button, function key combinations (like for screen magnification), etc.
I had it running last night for 8 hours while I copied the contents of the hard drive off my Thinkpad to it. Almost 45 gig of data and application development folders.
The big thing that I think the Sony folks messed up on was the heat dissipation. The right underside of the laptop gets very, very warm. I don't think you could use it on your lap. The palm rest on the right side is not to bad, but I will be able to evaluate more closely when I start doing installations - Office, Photoshop, etc.
While the Thinkpad remains relatively cool no matter how long you run it (and I have a 2.26 CPU and a 100 gig 7200 RPM drive with 1 gig of RAM), the Sony heats up after a couple of hours.
On the plus side, the WXGA screen is beautifully bright and easy on the eyes. Hence the reason for my purchase. The XGA+ on the Thinkpad gets a little tough on the eyes and seems somewhat washed out compared to the Sony.
There is lots to like about the Sony - I think they have an excellent shot at being competitive with the likes of Lenovo and Dell in the business market, but they will need to get the heat issue resolved. Right now, they have something that neither Dell or Lenovo can offer, a 15.4" business laptop that is lightweight (amazingly so - the Z60m and D810 is almost 8 lbs., while the BX560B I would guess is around 6+), has a fabulous screen, and excellent build quality.
I will be taking pictures and posting a more extensive review in the Sony section in a day or two. For now, based on the cost, I'm very happy with my purchase and it was exactly what I was looking for. I'm only afraid I will fall in love with the screen so much that I will start using it instead of the T43p.
This will be short, and I will post a more extensive review after I get a chance to load some software on it. Right now, my only use has been to copy 40 gig of data to it and do some surfing.
The reason this laptop appealed to me was because of the trackpoint and the 15.4" XBRITE ECO screen. My comparisons will be to a Thinkpad T43p. In my opinion, the top business laptop on the market, but you pay out the nose for it. Mine was in excess of $ 3500. The Sony BX560B was less than $ 1900.
First off, I was amazed at the similarities between the Thinkpad line and the BX line. Fingerprint reader, mute button, function key combinations (like for screen magnification), etc.
I had it running last night for 8 hours while I copied the contents of the hard drive off my Thinkpad to it. Almost 45 gig of data and application development folders.
The big thing that I think the Sony folks messed up on was the heat dissipation. The right underside of the laptop gets very, very warm. I don't think you could use it on your lap. The palm rest on the right side is not to bad, but I will be able to evaluate more closely when I start doing installations - Office, Photoshop, etc.
While the Thinkpad remains relatively cool no matter how long you run it (and I have a 2.26 CPU and a 100 gig 7200 RPM drive with 1 gig of RAM), the Sony heats up after a couple of hours.
On the plus side, the WXGA screen is beautifully bright and easy on the eyes. Hence the reason for my purchase. The XGA+ on the Thinkpad gets a little tough on the eyes and seems somewhat washed out compared to the Sony.
There is lots to like about the Sony - I think they have an excellent shot at being competitive with the likes of Lenovo and Dell in the business market, but they will need to get the heat issue resolved. Right now, they have something that neither Dell or Lenovo can offer, a 15.4" business laptop that is lightweight (amazingly so - the Z60m and D810 is almost 8 lbs., while the BX560B I would guess is around 6+), has a fabulous screen, and excellent build quality.
I will be taking pictures and posting a more extensive review in the Sony section in a day or two. For now, based on the cost, I'm very happy with my purchase and it was exactly what I was looking for. I'm only afraid I will fall in love with the screen so much that I will start using it instead of the T43p.
