Wootalyzer's Pricing Post! - The price of today's woot item is saved here for future reference
------------------------------------------------------------
Sony Dual-Core Laptop w/ Blu-ray
$499.99 + $5 Shipping
Condition: Refurbished

*DISCLAIMER* Wootalyzer! is in no way affiliated with Woot!, and this post may not always be here!

$500 for an older t6600 seems way out of line, particularly since it's a refurb.

Sweet! Blu-ray! Now, I have a legit excuse for not writing my Physics report!

Wow, someone found a very dusty box in the back corner of the warehouse if this thing has a Intel Core 2 Duo t6600 processor...

Here's the link to download the drivers just in case you do a fresh OS install (only Win 7 64 bit and Win XP drivers are provided).

http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-home.pl?mdl=VGNNW350FB&template_id=1&region_id=1&tab=download#/downloadTab

Is this device DRM Removal Ready?...

500 for this crap? lulz

Support page:

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/model-home.pl?mdl=VGN-NW350F/B

including quick start guide:
docs.sony.com/reflib/docget.asp?manualid=1071314&template_id=1&region_id=1&DL=

and user guide:
docs.sony.com/reflib/docget.asp?manualid=1071129&template_id=1&region_id=1&DL=

This laptop was easily worth $1000+ when it first came out about 2 years ago.

Back then, Blu-ray was still in its infancy, which explains the weird old processor with relatively new blu-ray drive configuration.

But this deal is definitely not worth it.
HP dv6-6135dx from tigerdirect is in the same price range and runs rings around this laptop.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1306296&sku=M975-156305

This computer should be about $100 less. Then it's a deal. The blu ray drive is a great selling point in this price range, but only if it was coupled to a current processor.

You could easily get a new Sony that's way better than this for the same price. No deal.

No SD card reader?

Sucker in Wolverine Country must not read comments.. even for a Sony this is a bad deal. Much better performing price/performance/power can had. I predict this one will not sell out.

Junk.

Junkjunkjunk.

Bought 2 of these Vaio's a couple of years back - one for myself and one for my girlfriend.

The internal dongle for the AC adapter broke in both of them within 6 months. Both of them developed cracks in the case near the touchpad because there is an incredibly thin, incredibly flimsy piece of plastic near there where the card insert is. The ridged surface of the touchpad itself wore off on both of them - from then on, periodically the touchpads just decide they aren't going to respond to finger movements. My girlfriend's monitor cover developed a huge crack in it. The enclosed Blu-Ray playing software is absolute garbage - won't scale when output via an HDMI cable to a widescreen TV. And it wasn't like we were dropping them off of stairwells or anything. Search online. EVERYBODY has these problems with them.

And Sony support? Absolutely useless. Spent a combined (approximate) 4 hours on the phone with them at various stages trying to get them to send out a tech to repair the power dongle and the cracked cases before finally giving up and just filing a small claims action against them.

That's right - they were so inept I ended up having to sue them. And won.

Absolute garbage. NEVER again will I buy a Vaio. They're generally fairly fast for what you get, but they are constructed like trash. And keep in mind, I'm a senior level network security engineer, so it's not like I'm some techno-Luddite who doesn't understand how to use a machine. These things are just worthless.

Hmm.
Strike 1: Knowing it broke before.
Strike 2: Sony laptop
Strike 3: Outdated and overpriced.

I got a refurbished HP dv6 with an I5 for around 480+taxes. This price is ridiculous for a t6600. At $350 it might be a deal - only because it has a bd player. I feel that Sony products are often overpriced like apples.

C'Mon woot! Bring those Rowentas back. I've been waiting to see them here. Mine has been dropped too many times and has developed a leak. So before I accidentally electrocute myself, let's see the Rowentas again.

This is the same laptop as the one I am currently typing on at this moment. I bought it for the same price, new, at BestBuy two years ago. I also think it was a huge mistake. Unfortunately, at the time I was using a combined $200 in gift cards and this was the literally the best laptop under $750 in stock at the time. As someone also experienced, the internal power dongle broke on mine literally one day after the warranty wore off and I've had to wiggle it and tape it for the past year and a half in order to charge it, rendering it virtually immobile. The worst thing for me was that I originally got a pc in order to play games and after looking up the graphics card model on nvidia's website, it said it had 512 MB of RAM, which is great for most games. However, what is actually installed is a custom, inferior version of the same model which only has 256 MB of RAM. Such a thing seems terribly dishonest to customers. I can't wait to get a new pc as soon as I can.

CPU Benchmark

The processor is two generations behind state of the art, but most machines have a lot more CPU horsepower than 90% of the population need, and this would do fine for them.
Unfortunately, the integrated graphics are similarly old and though that would also be fine for most folks, it's another tick against.
Sony's machines are notoriously overpriced, and as others have said, the only distinguishing characteristic spec here is the BluRay drive. With the standard resolution LCD monitor, how much difference does high-def make here?
I'm not sure that you couldn't do better than this with another newer notebook for $399. In fact this would need to be $349 to be a deal.
Or maybe not:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/en_US/pd/productID.237487800?siteID=isIkAyUyNbM-8gRdbvZOuHTxe3gCPR4u9g
Oops.

I vowed never to buy a Sony laptop again, and this woot definitely won't make me change my mind. I stay away from Sony laptops like the plague, and I'm happy to make good on my promise to trash Sony laptops whenever and wherever possible because their products and customer "service" are awful awful awful. They treat their customers worse than dogs. Mistakes you can make on this woot: 1. Buying a Sony Craptop, 2. Calling them for support when it breaks.

P.S. Is there a term for woots this bad? I mean if you refurb crap it's still crap, right? And this is refurbed old crap to boot.

So what does a newer Sony go for? Alot more. I'm not sure what this should be but $499 doesnt sound bad.

this is just a personal opinion on this particular laptop.. but the keyboard keys/mouse are definitely lacking...

you're going to want a separate mouse and to disable the touch-mousepad. Trust me on this one

thesliver wrote:The processor is two generations behind state of the art

You sure? T series, then P series, then first-gen i3s and i5s, now Sandy Bridge i3s and i5s... I'd say more like four generations old, really.

This is somewhat underpowered and relies on outdated technology, but hey, it's rare to find a Sony for less than $500. Heck, Sony's are often compared to Macs: overpriced but you do get good aesthetics, good hardware, and status with your friends. But seriously, this looks like a very old laptop updated with a BluRay player, HDMI port and Windows 7.

PROS
- It's a Sony
- Can play BluRays
- Has HDMI output

CONS
- Outdated CPU. Current laptops use Intel i processors. At this price, you can get a laptop with an i5. Laptops with an i3 can be found for less than $400.
- Screen is probably very generic. The description only says "Energy-Efficient LCD." WHAT??? Passive LCD screens from the late 1980's can also be described as "Energy-Efficient LCD." Based on that description, I don't expect stellar graphics, despite the reputation of Sony TVs
- Based on the LCD description, my guess is that this is backlit with fluorescent tubes. That makes it less energy efficient and more fragile (since the tubes can crack on impact). Contrast ratio may also be less. If this really does use fluorescent tubes, it's an indicator of how old this laptop is since virtually all current laptops use LEDs. This is especially telling, given that Sony is usually a technology leader meaning that they were among the first to switch over to LEDs.
- Small slow dard drive. 5400rpm is actually normal for laptops, but I've seen 7200rpm drives too (like my HP). On the plus side, a slower drive uses less energy but 320gb is too small. I'd expect at least 500gb.
- THE ONLY MEDIA SLOT IS FOR ITS FAILED MEMORYSTICK!!!! Seriously??? It is arguably the least popular of all flash media, and for good reason. Even Sony gave in many years ago and started supporting SD cards in their devices. MemoryStick is more expensive and more buggy than other formats. MagicGate is marketed as a feature but it's actually copy protection that adds overhead and can cause problems. The exclusive reliance on MemoryStick really indicates how incredible old this model is.
- No USB 3.0 and no eSATA. All the other ports are standard
- No special multimedia features, i.e. remote control, premium speakers, multimedia buttons, etc.
- Chiclets style keyboard may be a problem for some touch typists who prefer full travel keys. Apple tries to market it as a feature but in the early 80's, it was the sign of econonmy models. In fact, the IBM PC Jr ("Peanut") failed mostly because of the chiclets keyboard.,

Intel GMA HD (Up to 1759MB)

This "belows"

No Thanks. Good luck on this one.

Mistakes you can make on this Woot:
1. Buying a Sony laptop
2. Calling them for support when it breaks

start axegrinding: This woot gets you an abysmal laptop from an abysmal company with abysmal service and support. end axegrinding

woncoolone wrote: CPU Benchmark

Good stuff. Thanks for this.

thesliver wrote:The processor is two generations behind state of the art, but most machines have a lot more CPU horsepower than 90% of the population need, and this would do fine for them.
Unfortunately, the integrated graphics are similarly old and though that would also be fine for most folks, it's another tick against.
Sony's machines are notoriously overpriced, and as others have said, the only distinguishing characteristic spec here is the BluRay drive. With the standard resolution LCD monitor, how much difference does high-def make here?

A better CPU and GPU (graphics card) can make a huge difference even if the LCD screen can't display it. That's because the CODEC needs to decompress videos before playing. That takes processing power. So if you play high resolution videos with modern CODECs, especially 720p or 1080p videos, this machine will choke, regardless of whether the LCD has the resolution to accommodate the video's full resolution.

=====

EDIT: I just realize that I misread your post, and my reply didn't exact address your point. Anyway, I agree with you that a BlueRay disc cannot be adequately played on this machine so having that feature may be pointless. Still, if you have a BlueRay movie from your home collection, it is nice to be able to play portably, even if it's jerky and at lower resolution.

rowanator wrote:You sure? T series, then P series, then first-gen i3s and i5s, now Sandy Bridge i3s and i5s... I'd say more like four generations old, really.

Fair argument, but I was keeping it simple
Core 2 Duo > 1st gen "i" Arrandale > current gen "i" Sandy Bridge

I suppose either your breakdown makes more sense, or mine would if I just said it was just a generation old, since Arrandale to Sandy Bridge isn't a major design evolution.

Anywhere, a T6600 is a three year old processor

http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/Core_2/Intel-Core%202%20Duo%20Mobile%20T6600%20AW80577GG0492MA%20-%20AW80577GG0492ML.html

and even then is as much or more processor than most people need. Heck, an Atom or a Pentium M is as much as the majority of people need for a notebook CPU. The CPU is not the major issue here. The price is.

brucedoesbms wrote:Is this device DRM Removal Ready?...

I doubt it given SOny's history on copyright protection. Their MagicGate copyright protection is one of the downfalls of MemoryStick. Since Sony own a huge catalog of movies and music, they'll probably be the last technology company to remove DRM

I have a old school Vaio- it's great. vgn - n130g

but it was damn near free. LOL I don't think i'd buy one on purpose

Why does this tablet have hinges?

I just need to toss out that the write-up for this product is a lie. You get a Reflex save with a target number of 12 against a cube's Engulf attack.

Also, if you're a person who'd want to look that up, you'll want a better laptop.

Wow, I've never seen another Woot so universally trashed by both owners and non-owners. In fact, there are no positive posts about the product.

I'd be very interested in hearing from someone that actually pulled the trigger on this Woot. Why did you do so despite the outdated technology, and high price vs. performance?

bought the same laptop (minus the blu-ray) 4 years ago for $800. when you can get i5 laptops for $500 not sure of the appeal at this price point.

brucedoesbms wrote:Is this device DRM Removal Ready?...

You do know that Sony is one of the leading companies pro-drm, do you? :-)

Someone may remember Sony putting a rootkit inside their musical cds, to take partly control of buyer's pc. It was 2005.

Do a search about "trusted computing". Dark times could come, when even pcs would loose their "all-purpose machines" quality.

Ok. I've owned two of these within the past three years, and I advise everyone to NOT buy this. For both laptops, the hard drives have fried within a year of owning it. I purchased both laptops at black friday for their deals, and it turned out to be a huge mistake. I consider myself to be pretty knowledgeable in computer maintenance, and I can assure you that the failure of the laptops were in no way my fault, but rather due to poor construction and the use of cheap materials. I hope this helps guys. On a brighter note, it DOES have a blu-ray player built in, so there's one thing it has going for itself.

I personally love Sony laptops for their build and design quality.
This deal has at least two things making it a poor buy, First, it's a refurb unit. Second, the older by today's standard Core 2 processor.

With those two things in mind, I would buy and take the risk of a Woot Refurb for around $300 top.

sadsephiroth wrote: ...I predict this one will not sell out.

Can you tell us what the DOW will be at on Dec. 31, 2012?

bowiebulge wrote:I just need to toss out that the write-up for this product is a lie. You get a Reflex save with a target number of 12 against a cube's Engulf attack.

Also, if you're a person who'd want to look that up, you'll want a better laptop.

That may be, but I know Warriors of Chaos when I see them.

Shame you, Woot!, for baiting me with painted Warhammer figures and switching them with a laptop. ;)