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

Anytime I plug or unplug my Z2, I can never predict what's going to happen with the screen brightness. Sometimes it goes dark, other times max brightness. Sometimes it doesn't change. I do have the auto setting turned on so I've assumed that it's making a brightness decision anytime the power state changes. But it doesn't seem to be consistent.

 

I've seen the same on my Z2. It may be related to disk usage and currently no trim support for raid 0 drives, but Intel have planned to support it in a future version of the driver:
AnandTech - Intel to Add TRIM Support for RAID 0

Maybe that will help, but I havent noticed any difference regarding performance during daily use on mine..

 

mine is working fine but i'm still on the original windows install. did you do a fresh install of windows?

 

Congratulations! Welcome to the brotherhood of Z2 owners.

 

By the way, for those who are interested, the Z series should fit comfortably into the Louis Vuitton 13" laptop sleeve (no sheet battery confirmed) but from what I can tell, there's probably more than enough room for the sheet as well if I had it with me. Opted not to pick it up considering its price lol.

 

I just noticed on my Z2 that i have the bluetooth drivers installed, but i have no idea how to "turn on" bluetooth. Is there a software setting i have to enable?

*edit* I just found it though the Smart Vaio connection software. odd that windows doesn't have an internal option to turn it on.

 

Normally, it would. But on Sony laptops, the normal way of right clicking the BT icon and disabling it is... well, disabled.

 

Usually I always do clean install, but this time I'm on OEM, maybe that's the reason, but to be honest I don't have time to do this now.

about BT, Sony is "famous" for over-complicating things, bunch of (useless) utilities in order no make things work (like Fn buttons, special buttons, BT...). My sister bought Acer (no OS or as they call it free OS), regular W7 installation plus 4-5 drivers from Acer support page and everything working as a charm, no need to follow any ridiculous order to make things right.

Cheers,
Miki

 

Does that mean there is nothing that I can do about it? Any other Z2 users who experienced the same issue?

 

Figured I'd update my question on what people expected from Sony at this year's 2012 CES expo:

Sony VAIO ultrabook prototype shown behind glass | The Verge

This looks a bit like a generic ultrabook model to me. Not sure if it has a GPU inside of it, but unless they're going to try to reverse time by having the next Z include an internal GPU again, this is probably, if anything, intended as an eventual refresh for the SA/SB models (I like the SA/SB's styling more than this prototype's, myself).

It's really not thin enough, imo, to be a possible successor to the 2011 Vaio Z, unless of course they are intending to bring back the internal GPU for the Z model, and move forward using the previous "X" moniker for their thinnest laptop model.

It appears that there were 2 other "tablet" concepts / prototypes shown after Sony's CES press conference last night, neither of which resembles anything remotely like a "Z" laptop. This is the only ultrabook concept / prototype I've seen thus far from the extensive coverage, so it seems at this point, if Sony intends to refresh the Z and SA/B/C models with fresh Ivy Bridge internals and all-around bumped up specs, an announcement will either come over the next week, or more likely towards the end of spring / summer (around ~April as I think that may be around the time that laptops with Ivy Bridge internals begin shipping).

 

besides the obvious PMD, is there any other actual docking station available for the Z2?

 

Works for me if I use VLC player. Won't work for MPC though. It's not a major issue really but I guess for quickness sake closing the lid is convenient.

 

I recently noticed that the fans are running slowly all the time, even when the machine is cool. I might not have noticed this when I got the machine, but I think there was no fan movement at all. Are your fans also always spinning, or is there complete silence from time to time or when the computer is still cool? Maybe I messed up a power setting...

 

An amazing machine, isn't it? Sure, there are countless quirks and compromises, but it really is an amazing machine. I doubt there's anything else even in demo at CES that matches what is already on the market.

Mine is silent most of the time it's in use. If the fans are spinning, I can't hear them. FWIW, my plugged-in power plan is set for performance.

 

^Try running Adobe lightroom. Been using it for RAW image support from my Sony a77. Kills the CPU and the fans get really angry. The Z2 rips through the files though. This is a fast beastie and the SSD's are glorious.

 

My fans are always running, but I can't hear them at all. I can feel the air moving out of the exhaust vent. I typically only know they are still running if I put my ear next to the vent to listen.

This is the case for normal usage. When the CPU is busy the fans are pretty noticeable -- but still quieter than the desktop fans my Z2 replaced.

 

Adobe products do love to use CPU. I was rendering HD video in Premiere Elements the other day and I think that's loudest and longest I've heard the fans running.

 

^Try an app with ATI Stream support. It will offload the processing tasks to the GPU. Cyberlink MediaEspresso does this pretty well

ATI Stream is similar to nVidia's CUDA

 

I recently bought Adobe Elements package (Photoshop and Premiere). I will confirm the fans come on full blast when either of these software is running. Other than that, I hardly hear the fans on other applications. I'm very happy with the power of the Z2, it blasts through all kinds of editing.

 

i was amazed at the sound the fans made when my matlab programming code for a fluid system simulation got stuck in an infinite loop. it sounded like the laptop was ready to take-off. i clearly understand the dual-fan setup now. either have one fan spinning fast and making a lot of noise, or two fans spinning slower therefore operating a lot quieter. although i wish i can alter the fan speed of the PMD...

 

I dont have the Z2 in front of me to verify it now, but I am pretty sure I was able to control the PMD fan using Sapphire Trixx (GPU overclocking tool).

 

Maybe i'm not using it correctly but I never hear the fan of the PMD, not when using photo or video editing, not when watching movies (x264/wmv/flash). I'm running a 4-screen setup (Z + 3 external screens).Maybe with gaming but I hardly do any gaming, I have a PS3 that does that just fine

 

I never knew there was a fan in the PMD. I've never heard it either.

 

inside PMD

 

thanks that helped a lot. i have my PMD against the corner of my desk and the sound bounces off the corner so it's loud compared to the laptop fans. i brought the fan speed down a 5% (from 45%) and it made a large difference. i just hope that a 3 degree increase in GPU temperature is safe. this is my first time overclocking a GPU so if anyone cares to chime in, i'd appreciate it.

 

Hi guys, I got my Z21 on monday morning ordered without the PMD. (thought i could output from VGA and HDMI on laptop(!) Looking to buy one? Anyone selling one? or put me in right direction for a cheap one?

 

I needed a 2nd PMD and found one through e-bay. Got the basic one (DVD only) for $225. I just needed it to add extra monitors. Keep an eye out on e-bay as they appear there from time to time.

 

Just saw these on e-bay from the Sony store, so it's brand new and comes with Sony warranty:

DVD PMD

Blu-Ray PMD

 

Thanks TraderJoe. But im UK based they wont post here!

 

Is it possible, using an adapter, to get a separate mic and headphone jack from the single jack on the Z2? If yes, what kind of adapter should I be exactly looking for (what kind of jack does the Z2 exactly have)?

Thanks very much!

 

Is the single jack capable of a microfon? I´m not sure...

 

of course you can as it's audio/mic combo jack, you just need something like this:

Microphone/Headset Jack - splitter needed for comb... - Lenovo Community


I have bought this one, working as a charm:
http://www.amazon.de/Hama-Audio-Ada...1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326447007&sr=8-1-fkmr2

Again, you need to buy new adapter in order to make it work, like Sony couldn't install separate mic jack.


Cheers,
Miki

 

Thank you, I'll look for something similar!

If Sony were Apple, they would be selling their own adapter for $50 Though Sony is not much better either...

 

hello today is my first day using the card reader, however when i put the SD card in, it is not showing up in my computer. i checked on device manager and found pcie reader already.

please help

TIA

 

Is anyone getting the message
"\Driver\amdkmdap" is preventing a device from being stopped right now. Try closing all applications and ejecting the computer later."

Even though all applications are closed?
It's starting to annoy me because I can undock with no problems whatsoever but the message is really bothering me.

 

Hi,

I just ordered a Vaio Z2 and its PMD two weeks ago. And I'd like to have a setup with an external screen, some speakers, wireless mouse & keyboard. I have some questions if you don't mind.

1) Where can we find something to put on the keyboard of the Vaio Z2 in order to protect it from dust and everything else ? I heard that maybe when you close the laptop and put it in a bag, the keys of the keyboard could make something to the screen... Is that true ? Where can we buy something very thin ? (see here New setup | Flickr - Photo Sharing! )

2) The HDMI wire should support an audio signal. Therefore, I assume that if you connect an external screen to the laptop with a HDMI wire, you could then connect a headset or some speakers to the screen and have some sound... Tell me if I'm wrong... But now, is it the same if you connect the external screen to the PMD with a HDMI wire ? Do you have the sound on the screen ? So if you plug a headset to the screen, do you have some sound ?
(I'm thinking of buying the Dell U2410... seems pretty nice, right ?)

3) Can you use the external screen while closing the laptop ? Or does the laptop shutdown if you close its screen ?

4) What the width of your desk in the way (Wall / Screen / Keyboard / You). Mine has a width of 60cm but I don't know if it's enough with the screen U2410... Wouldn't I be too cloose to it ? Please advise me...

Sorry for all my questions...
But i really like this setup !
I bought this laptop in order to use it on the road or everywhere and when I would come home, I would only want to connect the PMD but nothing else to the laptop. Everything else should be connected to the PMD (LAN/Keyboard/Mouse/Screen and speakers/headset connected to the screen)... Is that what you did ?
Is there anything I should care about if I want to have this setup ?

Thanks a lot !
Have a nice day !

Chris

 

Answered inline

I just ordered a Vaio Z2 and its PMD two weeks ago. And I'd like to have a setup with an external screen, some speakers, wireless mouse & keyboard. I have some questions if you don't mind.

1) Where can we find something to put on the keyboard of the Vaio Z2 in order to protect it from dust and everything else ? I heard that maybe when you close the laptop and put it in a bag, the keys of the keyboard could make something to the screen... Is that true ? Where can we buy something very thin ? (see here New setup | Flickr - Photo Sharing! )

The keyboard isn't going to mark the screen with the lid closed unless you have something on top of the lid while it's closed. If you want something in between the lid and keyboard anyway, a microfiber cloth works well.

2) The HDMI wire should support an audio signal. Therefore, I assume that if you connect an external screen to the laptop with a HDMI wire, you could then connect a headset or some speakers to the screen and have some sound... Tell me if I'm wrong... But now, is it the same if you connect the external screen to the PMD with a HDMI wire ? Do you have the sound on the screen ? So if you plug a headset to the screen, do you have some sound ?
(I'm thinking of buying the Dell U2410... seems pretty nice, right ?)

You will get audio in your external screen from either laptop or PMD HDMI port if the screen has speakers. You can still use the laptop headphone jack for sound as well. With both plugged in you may need to set the default in the sounds control panel app. On my laptop, HDMI becomes the default when plugged in

3) Can you use the external screen while closing the laptop ? Or does the laptop shutdown if you close its screen ?
By default, closing the lid puts the laptop to sleep. I've changed my power setting such that closing the lid puts it to sleep when on battery but takes no action when on power.


Sorry for all my questions...
But i really like this setup !
I bought this laptop in order to use it on the road or everywhere and when I would come home, I would only want to connect the PMD but nothing else to the laptop. Everything else should be connected to the PMD (LAN/Keyboard/Mouse/Screen and speakers/headset connected to the screen)... Is that what you did ?
I've plugged everything into the PMD except for my second external monitor which uses the laptop HDMI.

By the way, never let the laptop go to sleep when docked -- it's very likely to show the BSD when it wakes up.

 

^
"By the way, never let the laptop go to sleep when docked -- it's very likely to show the BSD when it wakes up. "

__________________

Even on hibernation ??

 

Thank you very much rrm998 !

1) Why didn't you use the VGA port on the PMD for your 2nd external screen ? I read somewhere that the image quality isn't as good as with the HDMI port. Screen is flickering... is that right ?

2) We can read so many reviews about the battery of the Vaio Z2. But, if we only use Word/Excel (without Wifi), how long does the battery last ? I mean... what about your own experience with that usage ?

3) I know that with very old laptops, having it plugged to the power cable for hours could be very bad for the battery. With my laptop (very old one Samsung X60, bought in July'06), the battery could last 3 hours at the beginning. But after 1 year, it only lasted 1 hour... Is that the same with the Vaio Z2 ? How could we effectively solve this problem ?

Thanks !
I'm really waiting for this laptop now !

Chris

 

I've never tried it with hibernation. I've never found hibernation to be that useful in any of my laptops but this one, with a boot time of less than 30 seconds, I'll just shutdown if I don't want the Z to be asleep.

 

1. I believe a digital (HDMI) connection is going to be better than analog (VGA). So I stick with HDMI.

2. Can't say. I tested the batteries when I first got my Z2 using HD video in a loop and got 4.5 hours on the internal battery and 8 hours with the battery sheet attached. I'm sure someone here uses the Z2 as their work machine and can answer that question. It's a shame search doesn't seem to work well on this web site.

3. No one's had a Z2 long enough to definitely know this but laptops and batteries have gotten pretty smart in terms of charging. As Lithium based batteries measure their useful life based on the number of charge cycles, I choose to keep my Z2 plugged in anytime power is available. Unlike almost every other really thin laptop currently on the market, the Z2's battery can be replaced by the user. So that's always a worse case option. But my advice: just use the device in the most useful way and don't worry about the battery.

 

AnandTech - Sony VAIO: Z with Dock, SE with IPS, and an Ultrabook Concept


While he is wrong on the Vaio SE IPS display...


The silver Z

 

I put my Z to sleep while docked pretty often (few times a day, sometimes for minutes, sometimes for hours), and never had a BSOD

 

For those who want to control PMD FAN speed: Install "Speedfan". Does it for me without any further configuration.

 

I installed an update fro vaio update to update something to do with the synaptics touchpad, and now all my settings have reset to default. When I try to change them back, there are no settings to change in the mouse properties, and I can't find the update to uninstall it

Can anyone help me with this?

 

So I am loving my Vaio Z just have a few inquiries on setup...

1) does anyone know a way to USE the PS3 to display the Vaio's screen? I fear I may need to also get a WiDi unit to do so

2) Anyone bought the Lexar 128GB SDHC card for more storage? if so any word on speed being fast enough for game file storage?

3) also I have been using my battery on the "Battery save mode" for ~2 weeks now and am noticing w/ 80% charge only about 4 hours of battery with normal use, how much more would I get if I took it off this setting, and will it be worth it?

Thanks!

 

Just an update to my issue: Uninstalling Notebook Utilities completely resolves this issue I know, even more crazy!

Can anybody please post image of items/options in Vaio Control Centre under Power Management?


Cheers,
Miki

 

Battery

• health graph
• Enable Battery Care
• Do not display Battery Health screen until....

Power Options
Balanced/Performance/Silent modes for thermal Control

USB Charge Settings - Charge usb device while asleep or hibernation.

 

Not sure how a PS3 would figure into this. You can certainly plug in your TV's HDMI cable to the Z2.

If you get a WiDi, I suggest buying it someplace with a good return policy. I have a Netgear and while it works, two notes:

The lag is very, very long. It's useful for playing video but you can't use it as a desktop. The cursor is always too far behind the touch pad.

Even though my laptop is 10 feet away from the WiDi unit with an unobstructed view, the image will still drop or freeze at times.

 

Thanks, that's what I have also. I thought maybe something went wrong with initial Sony OEM installation.

Cheers,
Miki