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

Realistically, probably only direct from Sony.

I bit on the Microsoft Store deal. This laptop is amazing, even coming from a VPC-Z1. Love the form factor, size and convenience of the dock. Just wish the external GPU was at least somewhat powerful.

 

Ah ok, thanks. Never mind though as I opted for another Z2 and that has no problems so far

 

Notice some on another thread have used the SVZ13 ATI drivers successfully on the Z2. Should I go with the latest ATI drivers for the Z2 or the SVZ13? thanks

 

Hi guys. I am about to order a Z3 but would like to have your opinion on the following: I am a consultant who must often show what I am doing (in Excel’s pivot tables and graphs) to one or two clients sitting by my side. Since I’ve always used a 15’ display, I worry the 13.1’ display might be stressful for those not directly in front of it. Of course, I could connect the Z3 to a large display but this won’t always be possible. Please let me have your opinion on that. Do you think the Z is typically a one-viewer laptop??

PS: While working on a Z3 with customers by my side I would probably use a 1660 x 900 resolution.

 

Guess I will let you know. Just got my copy today.... it was one reason I held off (plus it seems to click happy...I'm a guy that plays Street Fighter, not clicky games).

 

Ok so Windows 8 final release is about 3 months away. I'm assuming Sony will not give a flying flip about providing us with updated drivers for the Z21 for Win8, but do we need updated drivers? How's everyone's experience with the latest Win8 beta? Do gestures work ok on the touchpad for example? I'd love to try Win8 myself right now but I rely on my Z21 too much for work.

 

13.1 inches seems small to me for use as a presentation machine. If clients are sitting next you the viewing angles would be OK but if they are standing, the vertical viewing angle limits will start to show. On the upside, you do have a VGA port without needing a dongle.

If I would looking for an impressive machine to demo materials on to potentially paying clients, I'd go with the Macbook Pro with Retina display. A larger display that will knock their socks off!

 

So a SVZ PMD should work on the Z2, great I'm about to buy a SVZ PMD.

 

Thank you rrm998. I did think about the MB Pro Retina but unfortunately some of the programs i use won't be fully compatible. I would otherwise have no doubt in choosing it. I will then possibly choose the Vaio S 15, which also has an IPS display. Not as nice as the Z, but I think it makes more sense considering what you said.

 

Installing Windows 8 Release Preview on my Z2 was cakewalk, all drivers were installed and all hardware working fine, and btw, way smoother than Win7.

So I don't think we need any drivers update once the Windows 8 Final is out, but if Sony provided updated ones, then .. Ok!

 

I saw the S15 in a store and I immediately noticed two things: it's the lightest 15" laptop I've held and that it seems "big." Not sure why other than maybe the Z2 was next to it.

The IPS display would be good for client viewing, provided you aren't doing photo proof work or something that requires exact colors. IPS panels (including the rMBP) aren't as good color wise as the TN panels Sony uses in the Z. You can see the "orange gate" thread for yourself.

The S15 does have both quad-core and RAID 0 SSD so it should, in theory, be very fast. Unfortunately there have been no professional reviews of the S15 yet.

 

I read somewhere that the PMD will not work properly with Win 8. Can you confirm that? Is tehre a fix?

Thanks

 

Great news! And the trackpad worked ok for gestures such as swiping in from the left and right? I know someone commented about the PMD possibly not working correctly but that doesn't bother me since I don't have or use one ;-) Looking forward to everything Win8 offers.

 

It's still not available in Dutch shops for me to see this orangegate limitation. So, I am going to order it from Sony and, if I find this to be an important problem, I'll have 28 days to return the laptop. (I don't need high precision in color but red and orange should at least differ on screen, so that I can tell when it's red.)

 

If I were to purchase a Vaio Z from the Microsoft Store, would I be able to redeem both the Xbox 360 and PS3 offers?

Also, are there any chassis changes between the Z21, Z22, and Z3? Is the battery life improvement from Ivy Bridge significant?

 

Yes Windows 8 installs perfectly except for the PMD, there is a thread attempting to figure out what works but nothing so far. http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/668807-vaio-z2-windows-8-release-preview-pmd-issues.html

I have windows 8 setup as a VHD at the moment, its great, but have to wait for PMD drivers before i can switch over entirely.

 

I was playing around with this again this evening and i think i might have gotten the PMD working with windows 8. See post on this thread.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/668807-vaio-z2-windows-8-release-preview-pmd-issues.html

 

Does anyone get issues with videos having horizontal lines on the top third using the PMD (driver 8.961.1.0)? I don't get this when the PMD is disconnected so kinda confused by it.

 

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Are you seeing this on all videos? Is it a specific app? Flash? Media player? Perhaps if you post some more details (perhaps a screen capture) it will strike a cord with someone.

 

Is there a skin out for this thing yet?

 

When you try to play Diablo 3, the dock goes glowing hot after just 1 or 2 minutes, leading to the whole computer shutting down.

Has anyone tried the new gfx drivers to see if it helps?

 

Search for "KH Z2 skin" on Ebay. It includes bezel and palm rest coverage and it looks great.

Sent from my Galaxy Note

 

Finally received my laptop! Now I know what people mean when they say 1080p on a 13 inch laptop is overkill! Everything is so small,, will take some time to get use to it but overall, I love the laptop!

 

Is there a way to get the PlayMemories Online for VAIO setup for my 2011er Z21 without this software preinstalled? I would try this but i´ll find only a little update, not the setup

 

I have a VPZ-1190gx (so not a Z2), but I had this exact same problem with my old router/modem setup. Very weird. As soon as I got AT&T Uverse, which comes with it's own router, I've been fine. If memory serves, I think it might have had something to do with the N type router. I think the G router was fine.

 

I do not know if someone can help me.

I am searching for a Keyboard TPU Skin for my German Z21. Are these Skins out there or just produced for US Notebooks?

 

Think for only US... Tried to find one since my Z11 and no luck...

 

Is there any way to enable two finger tapping as right click on Z2? Thanks

never mind. I just found out the program twofingerscroll provides such function.

 

Has anyone disabled RAID and ran their SSDs in simple ACHI mode instead?

 

are the latest Z series with ivybridge offering better gaming performance than my current Z217?

any possibility to use dual graphics card for starcrafting?

 

Hi,

Does anyone know if an upgrade of the processor in a Z2 is possible ?

I actually have a 2620m and i would like replace him with a 3612qm, (For the HD4000.)

 

It would not be possible. This isn't a case of just dropping a different chip into a socket. Many parts of the motherboard change when moving from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge. Also if memory serves, the graphics chip is a separate component on the motherboard.

 

If you are using the Z2 with the PMD then the Intel HD 4000 graphics would be similar to the graphics card in the PMD. If you are not using the PMD, then moving from HD 3000 to HD 4000 would definitely improve game performance.

MobileTechReview.com did a gaming review video for the Z3.

 

Does the PMD in the Z3 really have a different GPU compared to the Z2? Or is it just a rebrand?

I happen to be having some "sticky keys" with my Z2. I suspect its cause I spilled a hair of liquid into some of the keys. Is there a replacement guide for keyboard keys. Additionally, what would the repair cost be of replacing the keys if I brought it to a Sony store? Or is that a terrible idea (I've hear some pretty negative things about Sony support).

Is anyone having an issue in which, upon boot, USB devices on the PMD are not recognized until undocked and redocked? I'm using leshcat drivers if that matters.

Lastly, I've been hearing the Z3 drivers work with the Z2 PMD. Could someone point me as to where I might download these?

 

Ok, thanks.

 

The PMD is basically unchanged. I've heard that it will report the "old" GPU name if plugged into a Z2 and the "new" GPU if plugged into a Z3.

Several users have successfully installed the Z3 drivers with the Z2. You can get them from the Sony download site for the Z3. I've not tried it myself.

 

Are you really sure about that ? According to notebookcheck benchmark list, there's a gap between Intel HD Graphics 4000 and ATI Radeon HD 6650 M
Knowing that new Z3's PMD include a rebadged 6650 M with up to date drivers, in fact there should be only a difference between Z2 and Z3 without PMD. Though, Z2 owners really lack some up to date drivers for the PMD...

 

I've not done a test myself but that's what Lisa said in her mobiletechreview.com review of the Z3. The 6650 and Intel HD 4000 are supposed to be pretty close according to her. Surely someone over in the Z3 owner's thread has done that comparison and can show some hard numbers.

 

I couldn't find a comparison between Z3 and Z2 PMDs in her review, she only stated that given the little gap between Intel HD Graphics 4000 and the PMD perfs, many ppl won't feel the need for PMD. Moreover, she seemed to test Z3 with the "old" PMD as she said.

Lisa's also stating this :

Isn't it known that the 7670M is a 6650M rebadged ?

 

They are the same.

Someone tested the ´new´ PMD on the Z2 and the Z2 states it is the 6650M. On the Z13 it is the 7670.

Other question: Does the ´Vaio Gesture Control´ software works on other Vaio´s? Can someone extract it for all the others who do not have a Z3?

 

Really interested in (Vaio Gesture Control) for my Z2, Hope that someone from Z3 can help us getting the required files/app, and that we start modding it for our Z2.

 

I just picked up a used Z22 and though it looks to be only lightly used it has a problem I thought was a thing of the past in the post-Z1 world: loose hinges! The screen wobbles under heavy typing and in your hand there is too much play - much like a Z1 that hadn't had its hinges tightened in over a year. As I cannot find service manual for the Z2, I'm not even sure where to go to look for a place to tighten these.

Am I the only person to experience this on a Z2? I searched and searched and the only results were for the Z1. Does anyone know:

1) Where/how to tighten the hinges on the Z2?
2) If anyone has found a link to a service manual for the Z2?

Many thanks.

 

How hard are you rocking your Z2? It's not the solidest hinge, but it shouldn't wobble noticeably unless you are really shaking it, like you just bought a $3000 VZ11 and then saw you can buy a similar equipped Z22 for $1500 in the Outlet. :laugh:

You might want open the bottom cover again and make sure your hinges are still screwed tight on the palmrest.

 

Haha! Anyone you know? If so, don't feel badly - these sales are like lightning strikes; no one could have predicted it. Look at me: I bought a used Z22 w/o a PMD and with a wobbly screen for $715, thinking I got the deal of the century. I knew the bottom needed to be replaced and that's turned into a $250 debacle. Seems like I could buy it now from Sony for about $1,400, sell the PMD for $400 and have a brand new, warrantied, non-wobbly Z22!!

As for the wobble, it's right at the cusp of being a less-than-tight Sony (we make them this way so they'll be stronger, lol!) screen and the too loose way the Z1's got to be. So, you're saying the location where the hinges can be tightened is under the bottom cover? I assume when you say "on the palmrest" you mean on the other end of the keyboard deck, where it meets the screen - duh! Kinda handy that I have to replace the bottom anyway...hey, maybe the small crack on the side of the bottom assembly - where the ports are - is related to the looseness of the screen...

Thanks, you've been a great deal of help, really. Now just enjoy that gorgeous SVZ with the awesome IB quad core cpu and HD4000 IGP that wipe up the floor with the Z2's anemic HD3000!

 

No, I didn't jump on VZ11, really wanted to though, mainly for the 15th Anniversary LE logo on the premium carbon casing.

There are basically three layers that make up the keyboard/bottom half of Z2: Palmrest, double-sided motherboard, & bottom plate. The hinges are screwed on the palmrest (the backside of it).

Once you have taken off the bottom plate (and I can't find the post that gives good instruction on it now), you will see the hinges and their screws, one near the power button the other on near VGA port.

You can see the one near power button on the first picture of ZoinksS2K's http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/603509-sony-vaio-z2-photos-teardown.html

Try to see if your screws are set properly on the little plastic female side by inspecting from the sides or gently screw/unscrew the screw. Don't ever attempt to flip open the screen to check the hinge or suffer my fate of breaking one of the plastic female sides (the one near the power button, BTW, where you already had a dent that may suggest previous impact).

If that bugger is broken, then the screen would wobble more than normal. Hinge will still open and close the screen fine, though, as the bottom plate, once put back, will sandwich the screw and allow it to function. That bugger is an integral piece of the palmrest, so you would have to replace the full palmrest to get it truly fixed.

This is another reason I wasn't very keen on jumping VZ11, even though it's my fault by giving my wife an SA290 thus allowing my wife to sit near me and spill her coffee on my Z2, then was somewhat careless when trying to clean it.

Good luck!

 

Let me think...you were the one who said replacing the bottom plate would be a cinch, but good luck finding it in gold, and for a reasonable price...right? So, I found it easily in gold, and it's around $209, not as bad as "we" feared. But now, if I read you correctly, my installation of the new bottom plate may not be so easy after all, with risks of breaking something delicate (as always when taking apart a laptop, especially a Sony!) Finally, my loose-ish screen may be due to the impact which caused the cracks in the sides of the bottom plate near the power button.

Two questions:

1) Bottom line: do you think I'm likely to end up with a good-as-new look and screen tightness when this is done, with reasonably low risk of causing as much harm as benefit?

2) How much would you charge to Skype with me and "assist" in the surgery? You think I'm kidding??!!

Thank you, sir. You're a gentleman and a scholar - well, a nice, helpful person anyway. +1

 

Replacing the bottom was a breeze (much easier than any of the previous VAIO I owned), you just need to find the post or youtube video that shows you how -- I thought I subscribed to the post but can't find it now. There really isn't anything that can be broken when you are opening the bottom.

After I took the bottom off, I was holding the laptop (without the bottom) with all sorts of angles to try to drain more coffee out and then was checking whether the coffee was drained out of keyboard but onto the screen, that's when the accident happened.

As long as you don't do that and just let your bottomless Z2 laying on the table safe and sound, you will be ok. You can easily visually inspect whether the hinge screws are loose when you have the Z2 on the table.

 

Was looking for an ultrabook to replace the wife's UL30VT, and being a Z snob, I just couldn't find one that made me happy. Then as luck would have it, I found an "open box new" Z2 @ Amazon warehouse. i7 2620M, 128gb, 4gb (good enough for what she does with it) and best of all for her, Indigo! She loves the color more than anything... women :\ Went on and on about how amazing the 900P panel is, but she just kept raving on about the color

I was happy getting it for $1000 even as it was, extra happy once I found out they also included the blu-ray PMD and the extended battery slice which I was about to buy for my SVZ Now I have a PMD for the office and one for home.

I must say I'm very fond of the 900P screen. I kind of wish I had that option instead of being "forced" (1st world problems, i know) into the 1080P screen in my SVZ. It's a little brighter and looks better due to not having to mess with DPI scaling. Hopefully Windows 8 does a better job with scaling and makes my 1080P easier to use on a day to day basis. Another thing I'm jealous of, you guys have a wifi hardware switch! SVZ's don't :\

 

Carbon Indigo (e.g. "blurple") is cool. I grew to like the color. Having the keys a different color than the case makes it easer to see them I think.

Want a second high end 900p Indigo unit? I'm selling mine. I've fallen victim to the siren call of the Apple Retina display.

 

Has anyone able to add 3G/4G modem into their Z2? what part do we need to get it there? If someone can help this thread that would be great.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/682549-how-add-3g-wwan-gps-z2.html#post8795120