Just a brief caution regarding Sony machines (quoting myself from another site):
"Just a brief caveat emptor for prospective buyers : one would be hard pressed to find a more poor example of customer service than what most desktop/laptop users receive through Sony (on other electronics-related product lines, their service seems to be at the very least acceptable). Couple said service with proprietary, low performance, high failure-rate parts, and it can often be a difficult road for an end user. I do however conceed their displays (including the new XBrite models) are some of the most eye pleasing in the market today.
A bit of research on the web will find more than one would ever wish to know regarding customer service. With the inherent complicated nature and usage habits of a notebook, it is to be expected that, on occasion, parts and products fail; and when this occurs, you will want to have purchased from a company who not only (1) knows the hardware in their machines (technical support from Sony is typically limited to information only found in the user manual. And only for the first year. After such time, $19.95. Per call, mind you.), but (2) is willing to stand behind what they produce - or in the case of most notebooks, what other manufacturers produce for them.
I unfortunately waded through the Vaio world once (actually, more than once, as the original machine was replaced four times), and would hate to see another discover that neither of the above two statements apply to Sony."