Hmmm. They both look really nice. Here are the things that caught my attention while looking at the links:

1. How easy is getting one repaired vs. the other. For instance, I think you don't think Sony has any direct support and you'll have to find an authorized dealer to service it. I could be wrong about that though. I don't know about Toshiba.

2. Sony has a larger screen, but as a result is probably heavier. Also double check the maximum screen resolution. I didn't see what the Sony was though the Toshiba's max resolution looks good.

3. Sony has an ATI Radeon 7500 video card while the Toshiba has a Geforce 4. I don't know what your preference is, but I'm a Geforce guy

4. The Sony has extras so you can interact with other Sony products (digital cameras and stuff) such as a memory stick port and a firewire port. I don't know if this is important to you.

5. The Sony has a battery life of about 2.5 - 3.0 hours. The Toshiba has a battery life of about 1.7 hours.

6. The CPUS's memory and hard disks seem equivalent.

So, sorry Treetog, I dunno I want them both

My first advise would be not to get too aroused by paper specs. Although they might seem to be great deals on paper (or screen ), it doesn't mean they offer the level of quality you would expect. That why I would recommend first to verify about customer support. I know many people overlook this aspect but don't make this mistake. Take the time to get informed on this point. If you happen to have defective parts, like Toshiba got me used to from my own experience with them in a corporate environment, you'll be glad you have checked this point out before making your choice.

Also, check about memory. Sony is using 2x256 which should leave no spare slot for future expansion, if any (not mentionned on their pdf). Toshiba doesn't specify the setup but since their 512MB module will only available in fall 2002, I assume the 512MB they provide also uses 2x256. If so, no expansion slot available to reach the 1GB supported.

Battery. Did i read correctly? 1.68 hours of battery life for the Toshiba? Sorry to say but, gosh, it sucks! If paper specs are that low, it means that under any above-normal-use (lot of disk swapping or cpu intensive apps) you'll get out of juice quicker than you can think of. Important thing to think about if you're a roaming type of user.


Heating. I would advise also to look for overheating problems. Also, it would be good to check where and how much heat is dissipated. I'm myseld a laptop user for the past few years and nothing is more annoying than feeling your thighs being toasted by heat dissipation when working elsewhere than on a desk

Weight. Both portables weight quite a bit. I currently have an Inspiron 8100 which weight around 7 pounds and it shows! If you plan to move a lot with your portable, you may want to consider the weight factor.

LCD/graphic quality. Not all LCD look the same. Check for any blur, lack of brightness/contrast, lack of crispness, etc. I currently have a 15.1" 1600x1200 LCD on my laptop but I don't find the brightness and contrast to be as high as it could have been, although quality wise, it is very crisp. Since 16" LCD is quite new, I would make sure it has been well designed. And don't take for granted that since it's a Sony, it is also s Sony LCD. Toshiba for example uses Fujitsu LCD in some of their laptops.

I would have some other thoughts to share but I think it's enough for now

or listen to Flippy hehe

I can only say both my DT and my Lap are both Sony's & have been faithfull and I ride all my stuff very hard...

my other machines are Compaq, Dell and forgot the other one collecting dust because they choke on me, my kids use them to play on...

Well,

Thank you so much guys! Without any "doubt" this will help a lot for me to to make my choice.

As far as I know, here in Brazil, Toshiba have a much better support service then Sony.

I will keep you guys updated about what I am going to do.

Once again, thank you guys for the advise.

'advice', Renato....

hehe treetog

Jafo you be quiet and go try and fix that broken down machine of yours you're having troubles with!

Doreen is VERY much correct on all she has said. Just do this, check on support, "Yes, Sony and Toshiba's will break down" and look at BOTH of them and use them as much as you can in the store. Bottom line, they are BOTH great machines from Great companys. Doreen, I used to work for Compaq and Dell as a Configuration Eng., and I WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER ONE, either Compaq or Dell. Just keep us going on what you get, and is that BLUE look sooooooooo nice?????? Oh Yes........... Just like your skins that I LOVE...

Mike

If it's blue I wouldn't buy it. Go for a black one.

Adni, I know nothing about laptops, but I do know (well, "know", I expect) that they have an optimum resolution. So altering it via software would result in a decrease in display quality.

When buying expensive items such as computers, I am pretty conservative, I don't take chances. Toshiba has been making lpatops for a great number of years and always had a good reputation. Sony only entered the computer market recently, and not with a lot of success at first. When it first entered the market 2 years ago, the VAIO was considered a very cool looking computer, but otherwise a piece of s... It may have changed since then, but I wouldn't chance it myself... A few thoushand dollars is a lot of money to gamble.

Adni18, no you can't go beyond the "physical" resolution of your LCD screen (doesn't work the same way as a conventional CRT screen). It can do lower res but not higher. But, if you have a good enough video card (with enough video ram on it), you should be able to break the 1024x788 barrier by using an external monitor.

To complement the reviews links paxx kindly provided, I would also personnaly check the opinions users gave and particularly *negative* opinions so I can see what some users disliked about the portables. IMHO, positives opinions are more than often useless because they offer not much than "WOW. Great machine. Incredible deal. Surpasses my previous P2 300. It looks so cool. etc." Negative ones though tend to be given by people who have experienced the hardware and forged a stronger opinion. Not all opinion of course worth something but still gives you an idea for recurring problems, if any (ie, heating problems, noisy hd, tech support, etc.)

Indeed, this is sad for you treetog. But, if this can comfort you in some way, I would recommend you take a look at Dell's Latitude C840. Here's the link :
http://www.dell.com/la/br/pt/dhs/products/series_latit_notebooks.htm

I personnaly appreciate a lot Dell's products. They also have a strong service support (even in Brazil!) Not the most flashy laptop but certainly a well built/supported one.

Ouch! Sorry, didn't knew about it! 4300$US is way too much indeed!!! This is the price in CDN for a very well equiped portable here in Canada!

You could always move over to Oz, Renato...