I got this excellent laptop (the FZ240, sold by Circuit City) for my birthday and I love it. This is my third Vaio laptop, and each one just keeps getting better and better (and cheaper and cheaper). If you get it from Sony, you can configure it to your favorite specs; I got impatient and ordered a preconfigured one from Circuit City and had my husband pick it up on the way home from work for my birthday. :-) Mine has 2GB of RAM and a 250GB, 4200rpm hard drive. The FZ series has a great-looking wide screen, and the thin-and-light profile is sleek, beautiful, and comfortable to use. Sony laptop keyboards have always been really nice, and this one is no exception; the good-sized keys have a low profile and a slightly firm touch.

I am a big fan of Sony because of the excellent customer service I've received from them over the last 10 years. Twice when I've had problems out of warranty (once with my first Vaio laptop, and once with my CyberShot camera), Sony has sent me a postage-paid mailer, done the repairs, and sent the item back to me in less than a week. For free. I like Sony's style, but it's the customer service that has earned my loyalty.

My Vaio FZ came loaded with Vista Home Premium, which isn't quite as odious as I expected from having tested Vista out within a few days of its initial release. I had no problem connecting to an existing network and sharing resources, which was a problem last time I tried Vista. One caution, though: recovery disks are no longer included, although you can learn to make your own with a little Googling. I suggest doing this before you do anything else, just in case.

I'm a web designer/developer and it became clear I needed a laptop. I opted for sony because I've always liked the vaio products (my dad is still using a vaio desktop he bought in 1996 or so, and loves it). The HP and gateway laptops seem to offer more features for your buck, but when it comes down to quality I trusted S-O-N-Y. This laptop is excellent. Looks and feels great, and even turns those weird macbook people's heads. Just kidding, I'm alright with you mac folk.

My only complaint is that it comes loaded with excessive bloatware. I spent a night uninstalling all of that and now the thing screams.

Get it and don't regret it. (via Sony)