Sony recalls nearly 500,000 PCs worldwide

[Noreen]

Shares in Sony plunged today after the firm was forced to recall hundreds of thousands of Vaio laptop computers amid reports that some models have caught fire and injured their owners...............

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/05/japan.sony

[Inactive]

Now that is interesting Noreen, I read somewhere else that UK models were not included.

Sony really needs to get it's act together.

[Rik]

Perhaps they should re-brand to Arsony? 

[Inactive]

 

[Simon]

By the nature of the product, I dread to think what the injuries might have been! 

[Rik]

They do seem to to be prone to it, though, don't they. 

Remind me to wear my Nomex sporran.

[john]

Now that is interesting Noreen, I read somewhere else that UK models were not included.

The Guardian article quotes :

Sony said it would offer free repairs in the 48 countries, including the US and the UK, in which the potentially faulty model is on sale.

I'd be interested to know which, if any, UK models are affected as my daughter has had one for about 12 months.

Presumably they will be repairing the machines rather than replacing them and this doesn't sound like a moments job like simply replacing a battery so people may be without their laptops for a while.

[Rik]

I agree, John. I don't see how they can ramp up their local repair facilities to cope with the rush either.

[Inactive]

Models affected here John :

http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2225425/sony-gets-recall-headache

[john]

  Thanks In, I'll check it when I get home from my gainful place of employment (I don't want to mention the word "work"  )

[Inactive]

Thanks In, I'll check it when I get home from my gainful place of employment (I don't want to mention the word "work"  )

You just did John.. 

[madasahatter]

It all just goes to show that you can't rely on anything, even on a brand name with an excellent reputation anymore 

[Rik]

I'm not sure Sony has an excellent reputation anymore, sadly, Mad.

[john]

I think Sony still do produce quite good products but it seems they have been cutting corners where quality is concerned and are not as high a quality as they used to be.

[madasahatter]

it seems they have been cutting corners where quality is concerned and are not as high a quality as they used to be.

It certainly looks that way John 

[Inactive]

I think they produce mediocre products these days to be honest John, sadly they don't charge mediocre prices.

Great shame, they used to be right up there at the top.

[madasahatter]

I think they produce mediocre products these days to be honest John, sadly they don't charge mediocre prices.

Great shame, they used to be right up there at the top.

I do think that's a bit unfair In - usually Sony products are very good. However I do think they have been resting on their laurels a little, and where as they were that much better than rivals to justify the price difference, rivals have improved their product more than Sony

[john]

Their TV's seem to do quite well in the reviews, not sure about the quality of their audio equipment and their laptops have taken a hit lately with their batteries and now this new problem. I do agree that they are trading on their reputation though In.

[Inactive]

I do think that's a bit unfair In - usually Sony products are very good.

Disagree Mad, they were very good, not so good these days, they are living off of their history these days IMO.

Much of their stuff is made by others anyway, just badged Sony.

[madasahatter]

Disagree Mad, they were very good, not so good these days, they are living off of their history these days IMO.

Much of their stuff is made by others anyway, just badged Sony.

I suppose it's down to personal preference and experience. I bought a Sony TV only last year, and the quality of picture is outstanding (though to be fair it wasn't anywhere near the "base" models), and most of my friends with other brands (including Panasonic, Hitachi, Toshiba, and Phillips) think that my TV is way better than theirs picturewise.

[Inactive]

Fair enough Mad, as you say, we all have different perception of company's.

You quoted Hitachi in your list, they don't make TV's any more, havn't for years, they just re-badge mainly cheap TV's in order to charge an increased premium. 

[madasahatter]

You quoted Hitachi in your list, they don't make TV's any more, havn't for years, they just re-badge mainly cheap TV's in order to charge an increased premium. 

Now that I didn't know. I wonder how many peeps are still buying their products because of the brand name then? That's totally underhand and sneaky - especially if they don't make any of their own at all 

[Inactive]

I think that they do the same with their camera's as well Mad, indeed sneaky.

They are not alone, there are many brand names that have been purchased over the years in order to live off of their track record.

Wharfedale, Grundig to name just two.

[madasahatter]

Wharfedale, Grundig to name just two.

Yeah - I knew about those two - was almost duped once by the use of the Wharfedale brand myself until I found out 

[Rik]

Then there's Bush and Leak (though I've never seen that one used).

[madasahatter]

Then there's Bush and Leak (though I've never seen that one used).

Never heard of Leek, but I remember my parents having a Bush radio with the big round tuning dial on the front - I seem to remember seeing that there were replicas of it going about a couple of years ago

This is the one I mean 

[Rik]

Leak were a leading British hi fi firm in the 60s, the first to bring a transistor amplifier to market. I had on, and several of its successors - they were based not far from me, so any problems and I used to pop over. They were bought up about the same time as Wharfedale, and the brand continued for a short while with Japanese innards, then faded away.

There's an example here.

[Ray]

Rik do you remember the Armstrong Audio range of amplifiers, receivers and tuners?  I used to have one of their 621 Amplifiers and a 623 AM/FM Tuner during the late 70s and early 80s very good they were too.

[Rik]

Indeed I do, Ray, I also enjoyed using them.

[john]

Rik do you remember the Armstrong Audio range of amplifiers, receivers and tuners?  I used to have one of their 621 Amplifiers and a 623 AM/FM Tuner during the late 70s and early 80s very good they were too.

I nearly bought the same Armstrong Amp and Tuner but the only thing that put me off at the time was that the cases always looked to me to be done on the cheap compared to Japanese equipment. I bought one of these instead. I wasn't able to compare the sound of them both side by side but was very happy with the Yamaha which I've still got in the loft.

Another British name of decent HiFi was Rogers, a friend had one of these which also sounded very good with some homemade speakers from a Wharfdale kit (when Wharfdale had a good reputation).

[Rik]

I always felt the Rogers was heavily influenced by the Leak, John.

[john]

I think you may be right Rik but I've never heard a Leak or even seen one in the flesh as it were but the styling of this one is quite similar to the Rogers.

[Rik]

It was the first to market, John. I owned that, then the Stereo 30+, then I think it went to Stereo 70, and finally the Delta range. Happy memories.

[john]

And I bet they still sound good today even compared to modern equipment at a similar price.

One of the Engineers at work was given a rogers valve amp by someone who was clearing out their garage and said it sounded wonderful.

[Rik]

The early Leaks were excellent for their time and price, the later one suffered in build quality, daughter boards with tinned contacts which wore badly. Gold would have helped them a lot.

[john]

Actually I once read that gold contacts usually only have a very thin layer of gold (measured in microns) and that silver would be better as it still conducts well after it tarnishes. I'm not sure if silver would be better though, I'll have to investigate later.

[Simon]

Would that be a leaky bush?   

[Rik]

 

[Rik]

Actually I once read that gold contacts usually only have a very thin layer of gold (measured in microns) and that silver would be better as it still conducts well after it tarnishes. I'm not sure if silver would be better though, I'll have to investigate later.

These were just solder-bath tinning, John, they 'dented' in no time and worked loose.

[Sebby]

I read this story on the way home. As well as the huge financial impact, it's terrible for their name. Everyone knows that Sony notebooks are expensive compared with the competition, because they're supposed to be top quality (which actually, given that they're made in China just like everything else, I don't believe).

[john]

Whilst I'm not sure about the quality of Sony Laptops I don't subscribe to the idea that everything made in China must automatically be of low quality.

[Sebby]

I don't mean that, I mean that it's of the same quality as pretty much any other brand, and thus it's not worth a premium.

[Den]

Then there's Bush and Leak (though I've never seen that one used).

I notice that you had a Leak behind a Bush, Rik. 

These days there are very few companies making all their own products and most are re badged (even cars).

[Rik]

It was nice when I could pop round to the Leak factory to get the amp sorted while I waited (same for the Vortexion factory). It wouldn't happen now.

[john]

The other well know manufacturer of the time that is still in business is of course Quad, I've not heard much about their amps/tuners (probably a bit too expensive for all but a few) but their electostatic loudspeakers seem to get very good reviews.

[Rik]

I remember Quad well, John, one of the first minimalist amps.

[madasahatter]

Must admit, I didn't realise that Quad were still going

[Rik]

http://www.quad-hifi.co.uk/

Yet another Huntingdon-based hi fi company.

[madasahatter]

Thanks for the link Rik

I am assuming that if you have to ask the price you can't afford them 

[Rik]

Almost certainly. Comparable Meridian products are in the £5K+ bracket without CD deck etc.

[madasahatter]

Almost certainly. Comparable Meridian products are in the £5K+ bracket without CD deck etc.

think I'll have to cross them off my shopping list then 

[Rik]

They are a luxury, Mad, but if you like music, they are worth it. I haven't tried a Quad in years, but the Meridian sound is the nearest you can get to being there, at least imo. Of course, it helped that I didn't have to pay for most of it.

[Sebby]

Now you're just bragging.

[Rik]

More explaining my penury, Seb.

[Sebby]