Sony VAIO E Series SVE15115FXS 15.5-Inch Laptop (2.5 GHz Intel Core i5-3210M Processor, 6GB DDR3, 750GB HDD, Windows 7 Home Premium) Aluminum Silver

I have to admit that I am a Mac user by heart, but I do accounting work and need a windows machine for some of my software (not fond of the virtualization software or bootcamp). Since I purchased my MacBook Pro over a year ago, I have been through 4 PC laptops trying to find one that has a comparable feel. I purchased an Asus first and was totally disappointed. I struggled with it for a month or two and then sold it. I then tried an HP. The keyboard was ok and the machine was substantial, but I kept experiencing issues with it overheating and locking up. I ended up practically giving that one away. I then purchased a Dell Inspiron. The computer works good, but it just feels and looks so cheap - and it didn't have the numeric portion of the keyboard (which I should have considered prior to purchasing it). I have been struggling with the Dell for about 6 months and with tax season coming up just couldn't think of using it without the numeric keyboard. Last week I purchased a Samsung N series - with the numeric keyboard. I brought it home and started using it. I closed it to run an errand and when I opened the lid back up, it had shut down. Every time that I closed the lid, it would shut the computer down - which would prompt an error message from Windows when it restarted. The other issue was the narrow numeric keys - which seemed to be cramped. I returned it for credit. I then saw this laptop on the amazon website and read the review - most folks seem to like this computer - so I ordered it yesterday. I received it today, opened it up and immediately tried out the keyboard - yes prior to powering it up. The keyboard is a dream - it reminds me of my Macbook Pro. The keys are spaced very well and are extremely responsive. I then decided to try out the numeric portion - which is equally as fine. After power it up and completing a few setup steps, I was up and running! This is a wonderful computer that I can see myself owning for quite some time. I'm not sure that I will ever find a PC keyboard that I will enjoy as much as this one. Thank you Sony for a great product. I still love my Macs, but this is a very fine PC which satisfies this Mac user!

Received my new Vaio yesterday, these are my impressions:Fit and finish: The first thing that struck me as I un-boxed my new Vaio was that it is a very handsome machine. This computer is not for Rocket Boys - it has a distinctly adult look to it. The lid is dark, almost pewter-toned brushed aluminum with the deeply engraved Vaio insignia. The inside deck is hard gray plastic that closely matches the exterior aluminum in color and texture. The hinges have a solid, high quality feel, just enough resistance. The Vaio was completely free of dust, fingerprints, scratches, gaps, misalignments and rough edges, with one exception: the upper left quadrant of the keyboard was not completely seated into the deck. A little finger pressure around the edge of the keyboard and it literally snapped into place.The trend among higher-end laptops these days is toward a seamless machine, one that appears to have been carved out of a single block of aluminum. This is not one of those machines - it is made of many pieces of plastic and metal but they all fit together well and look great.Keyboard: All of the keys worked well, they have a softer and shallower touch than I am used to but the feel is just fine. I don't use the touchpad so I can't comment on that. The keyboard backlight is quite bright with no brightness adjustment. The control panel menu offers several options for the backlight - on all the time, off all the time or it will turn on when you touch any key and turn off after 15 seconds of no activity (my preference). It is a little brighter than I am used to but lighted keys are essential so, once again, no problem.Display: I really like the display. Colors are rich and accurate (reds are deep red, blues are true blue). The screen is plenty bright for me. Script is sharp and clear. The screen is glossy which helps to ensure a vibrant picture but also reflects ambient lighting so I wouldn't advise outdoor use. I belong to a tiny minority that believes 1080P is too many pixels for a 15" screen - everything, especially script, gets very small with full HD. 720P works just fine for me. The new Intel HD 4000 graphics are also a major improvement over the older 3000 version.The 4000 control panel offers more picture quality adjustments and (most importantly) allows you to save a list of presets for various uses such as browsing, streaming, DVD, etc.Performance: The new i5 Ivy Bridge CPU is very quick. It is noticeably faster than the first generation i5 in my 3 year old HP. I'm not a gamer so I can't talk about high performance issues but then this is not a gaming machine by any stretch of the imagination. The sound quality is better than I expected, fine for spoken word but not for music (hey, it's still a laptop).And the bad news...I use my laptop mostly at home with an ethernet connection and the RJ45 (ethernet) port on my new Vaio is defective. The ethernet cable connector is very loose in the port and the slightest movement causes loss of internet connection. Unacceptable. Rather than bang heads with Sony (their nearest repair facility is 200 miles from my home) I am returning the Vaio to Amazon for a replacement. Otherwise, I really like the computer and I hope everything works out.Update: Amazon got my replacement to me within 4 days. I have had time to uninstall the bloatware, set up the computer the way I like it and, quite honestly, I couldn't be more satisfied with this product. I ordered a keyboard cover from Sony - expensive but it contours perfectly to each key and it allows the keyboard lighting to shine through. Of the 4 laptops I have owned, this Vaio is the most quiet and cool running.

I bought this Sony Vaio E-Series Laptop from Amazon and after using the laptop for sometime I have realized that when the laptop is handled or held in a particular way (not in any wrong way) it shuts off automatically resulting in the lost of information I was working on. On restart, it prompts for safe mode/normal reboot. Clearly this points in the direction of manufacture's defect. I would have return this item for a refund or replacement, but as we all know the headache and inconvenience the come most times when returning defected items.I keep hope the Amazon addresses this and any other problems their clients may encounter. Amazon is an amazing website that provides exceptional services and products most times and inspite of my feedback on this product I will still continute to urge the public at large to continute shopping on Amazon.Thank you!N.S.

I purchased this computer on 10/1/12 and it was one of the more expensive mistakes I've made. I have gone through 3 hard drives in 1 year and both of my previous laptops lasted me between 6-8 years each so to have one fail after barely a year is a disappointment to say the least. I have other Sony products I love but I will never buy another Sony laptop after this. I bought this one thinking it was worth the investment and would allow me to complete my school work and be reliable and it isn't. I never know when the hard drive will fail or if it will even start and now my choice is to buy another hard drive or give up and buy another computer- not what I expected to have to do a year later.