Official Sony VPC-Z2 (VAIO Z 2011) Series Owners' Thread

From the Sony Blog:

VAIO Engineer Tears Open VAIO® Z Series Just in Time for Shipping (Video)

I do not work for Sony; I'm just sharing this with forum members.

 

Nice video! Thank you for sharing!

 

Who is that dashing young man at the top of the video teardown montage?

 

Some Observations on Wireless Display...

Someone noted recently that they thought the usability of WiDi was reduced because they had to jump through hoops to disable the AMD Graphics accelerator since WiDi only works when the Intel graphics are active. I think that I found a simple solution to this although I have not had opportunity to test this. If someone has a chance to test, that would be great, otherwise I may have time in the next few days.

I have noticed that when you open the AMD Catalyst Control Center under Desktop Management / AMD XGP Docking Station you can chose either "Allow Additional Desktops" or "Accelerate Notebook Displays". If you chose "Allow Additional Desktops" then you will be running from the Intel Graphics (Internally at least). So in theory, WiDi should work just fine now AND your Blu-Ray player / Recorder will still be accessible without the AMD graphics getting in the way.

 

Another observation, this time on fan noise.

I've noticed that to a lot of people the amount of noise put out by the fan is a very important issue to them. I've found that I can have very simple control over the amount of noise that the fan puts out. By simply changing the power scheme between "High Performance", "Balanced", and "Power Saver", it completely changes the amount of noise put out by the fans.

First, I'll note that I'm running then i7 CPU in my system, and that most of time the system runs very quiet unless I'm doing something that really puts a load on the CPU. As a test, I ran a video conversion, converting an entire Blu-Ray disc to another video format. In high Performance mode, the fans really crank up with this kind of load. Now, switch to "Power Saver" mode and the system drops back down to wonderful quiet again.

You can also go into the VAIO Control Center and under Power Management / Power options pick Balanced, Performance, or Silent for the thermal control strategy.

Yes, running silent will reduce performance if you are running something that is placing a high demand on the system, but it's nice to know that you do have control over this should you need it.

 

That was me. Your recommendation works to get WiDi working while attached to the PMB, but you still can't watch BluRay movies because WiDi isn't HDCP compatible. I used Slysoft's AnyDVD to bypass this. Still not practical for bluray playback IMO.

Netflix movies seem to work ok now that I've separated a AmpedAV Wifi extender from the WiDi receiver by several feet.

Edit: WiDi sure does make the CPU unhappy

 

I briefly tried the Z2 in a store today. The styling was generic, I wouldn't have noticed one way or another if it hadn't been a topic of discussion here. The short keytroke travel wasn't bad, I could get used to it pretty easily. The lid/screen flexes under stress, just the way it should. I can't comment on the display quality since the in-store one wasn't working even though the power was on (it wasn't hibernating). I'm not sure what the issue was but I didn't have time to sort it out, I figure it was something with the store set-up, I have no reason to think the machine itself was defective.

One issue did come to my attention, perhaps because the display was off. Irrespective of the 900p versus 1080p issue, 16*9 just isn't a good format for a display this small. I prefer more vertical space. I'm not sure why the wide-screen format has come to predominate everything from movies to TVs to computers, but it has. I saw Citizen Kane not too long ago in a movie theater with a screen configured for the print. Wow. It was pretty much a square format and the cinematography took advantage of the vertical. The movie would look awful in a wide-screen format.

We've lost the vertical. And it is a loss.

 

Hey guys, I sincerely apologize to everyone in advance.

Although I started this thread, I've been very busy lately & haven't had the time to check in these past 2 weeks or so. However, if anyone has got any links, info, pics, etc. that you think will be useful & want it to be included in the first post, please kindly feel free to send all those info to me through PMs & I'll be very happy to include whatever you guys think are essential to the opening post.

Thanks & once again, I'm sorry about not having more useful stuff in the opening post up to this point in time.

 

^ There's been a lot of good posts on sleeves and bags for the Z2. E.g., this post and a few following it. Would be great to start collecting those!

 

So today drove to Wretham MA to see the difference between the 900 versus the 1080 screen but to my surprise the Sonystyle store had none in stock...will wait till they get in to decide which one fits my eyes better...also Microcenter although saying they had the Z2 available on their online site was also a no go...expecting them next couple of weeks...

 

Those look really nice, but it seems that they dont have one for the z2 yet?

 

LEVEL8 13" World Sleeve for MacBook Air case fits perfectly. Available in any Apple store.

 

Nice little problem just popped up. During a reboot cycle, I removed the PMB. Windows booted fine, but the ATI GPU wouldn't activate.

Multiple reboots were ineffective. Power cycling the PMB got everything working again.

 

^
Good to know.thanks

 

I'm really starting lean towards the new Z over the SA. Has anyone done any SC2 gaming on the Z without the PMD, and see if it's playable at 1600x900 in the lowest settings.

 

Are you sure its a perfect fit? Its designed for the macbook air, and the length of the computer is off by .69inches (8.25 Z vs 8.94 air). The width is reltively the same (12.8 air vs 13 Z). But .69inches is about half the size of the gap in my current sleeve. I was unaware the air size fit that well. Ill definitely have to go to the apple store and try out some.

They won't be mad if im testing putting a vaio z in their apple sleeves will they?

 

so...any canadian owners yet?

i'm wondering about the left-shift key in particular. are we getting french/international keyboards with the half-sized left-shift key or is sony canada being smart about this?

 

It's a triple channel jack. If you look at your regular headphones, it'll be stereo (two black bands on the plug dividing the metallic areas). If you look at a mono device (e.g. a microphone) then there is only a single black band.
This thing has three channels: two for audio out, and one for audio in (it has a microphone embedded somewhere in it). The audio in is used by the noise cancelling software to do it's work.

So, unless your other device has the three inputs, it'll just work like a regular set of headphones.

 

Hi I did a fresh install. Everything works really well.

..But i forgot to save the wallpaper. Cant't find it online. Can someone Please post a full res picture here. I'd love to have it

Thank you!

 

Mine (Canadian, CTO) has the standard keyboard. I'm liking the keyboard more and more. Really like the fn key right next to the arrow keys - fn-pg up/pg down/home/end with one hand works really nicely.

 

Has someone of the owners tested if upgrading to newest Realtek HD audio driver package works?

 

Yes the level 8 13" is a great fit for me. It is slightly tight in width and a drop higher than needed, but I like the handles and quality. Sits in there nice and snug.

 

Today i´ve run my first futuremark benchmark on the new machine. Here i´ll post the link to the results.

Two things - there´s an error message about the gpu driver - and the gpu is listed again as ATI Radeon 6770...

 

I can verify that Starcraft 2 and Civ 5 are both playable on the i5 version in Full HD on better than the lowest settings. So you should be fine in 1600x900. I didn't check frame rates and didn't write down the settings but it plays better than my core 2 quad office machine with some 2 year old ATI card.

 

So you got no driver issues while playing WITHOUT the PMD? Nice to read

 

anybody? I think this will be the deciding factor for me lol

 

imgur: the simple image sharer

@luxaflex thanks! ill have to check it out then.

 

Thank you very much!

 

I agree completely. I was highly interested in the Z2 and planning to get it as an upgrade from my Samsung S9, so have been following this thread closely. However, after seeing the black version at a retail outlet (Westfield mall, London), I have to say I was very disappointed. IMHO it does not look like an especially premium product, and frankly I would have expected a bit more "bling" for a product at this price level (OK, call me superficial). The salesman said quite a few had gone out the door, but there were also a lot of complaints in comparison to the previous Z generation, and I would have to agree.

A few things I didn't like include the keys (which I found too small), the trackpad (ridiculously small, and I didn't like the texture), the finish (already looking stained and worn after a couple of days), and the overall generic look similar to the S series.

Perhaps the gold version would look much better, and in fact I suspect it would, but that's online only in the UK, so I'll take a look at it when I go back to Singapore next week.

However, I have to say that overall I feel let down by the Z2, and actually much prefer the design and feel of my S9 (drawbacks such as weak wifi and lower res screen aside).

I really don't get the comments about the Z2 being "gorgeous", at least in the black version, and I would strongly recommend that anyone considering the Z2 make sure they see it in person first. The form factor will appeal to some, but definitely not all, and if you are hoping for admiring glances at the coffee shop I would say don't hold your breath. Don't hate on me, just an honest opinion from a Sony fan (previous Viao recently stolen).

 

In my opinion, we're talking about tastes. For example, I can assure that the finishing(s) in new Z are better (in quality, non talking about aesthetics) then old one. I admit that I cannot see how it's possible say gorgeous about black color (even premium carbon) but they're really classy. And I think it's right. S9 it can be gorgeous in his finishing, but not classy in my opinion.

And talking about tastes, new Z it's classier then old one.. talking about design of hinge, palmrest and finishing. It's now more towards business field IMHO.

 

^^
I agree with pretty much everything you wrote. Its a matter of taste, and the new Z (at least in black) really seems to be a move toward the IBM / Lenovo visual, which will be elegant and ideal for many people but generic and boring for others. I'm still hopeful the gold version will have the "wow" factor I had anticipated, so I am keeping an open mind until I get my hands on it.

 

The earbuds that come with the z2, they have mdr-nc033l2 marked on them. Googling that doesnt turn up much. Are these based on a model that sony sells? looking to see if I can find a comparison to other earbuds. I have never used these type of headphones, only over-the-ear headpones, and I am just wondering how they compare, how much they would sell for, etc

 

Yeah but this laptop is refined, fine, elegant (a lot more then before)... while IBM or Lenovo still look .. rough. In fact I don't like IBM's way.

 

I cant directly answer your question, but i have a pair of klipsch image s4 to compare them to and i can tell you that the s4 is very noticeably better.

 

After spending some time on testing the open gl capabilities for the intel part of the new z, i can say it´s truly only open gl 1.1 supported - you can see it on the following picture.

My old z is full open gl 2.1 supported - this is a very big step backward!

 

There's something completely wrong.. HD 3000 in SB supports OpenGL 3.1

Drivers seem to be completely messed up!

 

If you are concerned about black, then beware the "blue" (picture in link)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/7820418-post635.html

 

Yes - it´s a big step backward for me! Missing Open GL Support is not a problem for games, also the photoshop acceleration is not working.

What can we do? Give back the machines or hope for a better driver? The official Intel GPU driver is much newer, but we cannot install as its a "special" driver set...

 

^ but for those who have NOT the PMD ... is it possible to install the official?

 

Don´t know - maybe some functions will be lost, brightness controll for example. For me it would be great if i can update the intel part of the driver...Nautis, you are my hope

 

I don't have the PMD and I've installed the latest Intel driver 15.22.1.64.2361 (8.15.10.2361).

No problems found, HD-playback and brightness control works fine. But I don't know how it will work with the ATI part (PMD).

 

As for me, since I don't have PMD (and I'd need only a powerful egpu) good news.

Waiting for substitutional Z.

 

I was watching a movie in bed one night when my dad came into my room and said that using a computer on my lap can make me sterile from the heat. I kinda laughed it off but after doing some research it seems that what he said is pretty valid. What do you guys think?

I noticed the Z only gets hot on the back portion, the area after the battery. I usually have the front end of the Z a little below my crotch, while the back part that gets hot is usually slightly above my knees. There is at least a good 6 inches from my testis and the part where it starts getting warm. Does this make it safe?

Should i get one of those laptop pillow lap things with the hard surface? Had anyone else used one of those before?

 

Well, at the risk of getting slightly off topic, here is the abstract of the relevant paper:

Hum Reprod. 2005 Feb;20(2):452-5. Epub 2004 Dec 9.
Increase in scrotal temperature in laptop computer users.
Sheynkin Y, Jung M, Yoo P, Schulsinger D, Komaroff E.
Source

BACKGROUND:
Scrotal hyperthermia has been identified as a risk factor for male infertility. Laptop computers (LC) have become part of a contemporary lifestyle and have gained popularity among the younger population of reproductive age. LC are known to reach high internal operating temperatures. We evaluated the thermal effect of LC on the scrotum.

METHODS:
Right and left scrotal temperature (ScT) was measured in 29 healthy volunteers in two separate 60 min sessions. ScT was recorded from thermocouples on a digital datalogger every 3 min with the working LC in a laptop position and in the same sitting position with approximated thighs without LC.

RESULTS:
ScT increased significantly on the right and left side in the group with working LC (2.8 degrees C and 2.6 degrees C, respectively; P<0001) and without LC (2.1 degrees C, P<0.0001). However, ScT elevation with working LC was significantly higher (P<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS:
Working LC in a laptop position causes significant ScT elevation as a result of heat exposure and posture-related effects. Long-term exposure to LC-related repetitive transient scrotal hyperthermia is a modern lifestyle feature that may have a negative impact upon spermatogenesis, specifically in teenage boys and young men. Further studies of such thermal effects on male reproductive health are warranted.

----------------------------------------------------
The short version of this is that there is indeed evidence for a sufficient temperature rise to (in theory) reduce spermatogenesis, however, unless exposure is chronic (hours per day and over years) it would be reversible. So if you trying to start a family and it's not working, you could consider your pillow idea.

 

Yeah, heat drives to sterility ( that's why testicles are "out" of main body, to reach lower temperatures ) but this comes in very long time, with very long exposure and till teenage period. After teenage period it's hard to get sterility due to heat.

By the way, it's better to avoid it. 6 inches I don't know if it's safe: if you position you hand at 6 inches far away, do you feel it warmer or not? If it's warmer, it's not ok.

By the way, avoid to use you laptop on your lap cuz tissues are enemy of cpu fans (dirtiness, dust, fibers which are in tissues). If you want to use it one tissues, use something an hard surface as coverage.

AUTOPHAGY has been faster and more precise. XD

 

Anyone know if the Blu-ray player in the PMD (or any of the three choices that are available for the PMD) is lightscribe enabled? I can't find any explicit references one way or another.

 

^
Nope...all without lightscribe

 

Thank you very much for that information! Can you please have a look at the Open GL Extension Viewer and give us a screenshot of the supported Versions - i´ll call sony europe today.

 

just got my z2 today greetings from indonesia

a few first impressions :

1. the keyboard is not that uncomfortble, in fact I get used to it just in a few minutes

2. boot up is fast, although I haven't removed the bloatware

3. trackpad is small, I wish it was bigger

4. the bezel is thick, but I think sony made this for robustness

5. sheet battery is so awesome, this thing is easy to attach, and it still light and keep the uniformity with the main unit

 

You're welcome. See attachment for the screenshot.