Official VAIO Z Core 2 Duo Series Owners Thread

I keep my fingers crossed for you...

Sony just called me to confirm my order. They actually asked me what I ordered. I assume they did that in order to verify that I really wanted ordered the Z45x. Since I placed the order at about 4a.m. last Sunday (local time), they probably wanted to make sure that I was in a healthy mental state when I ordered it... lol... at least that is what I think

The "bad" news was that I have to wait about 2-3 weeks for it to be delivered... :/

 

It wasn't quite easy by the first time, but meanwile I need 15 minutes to change the HDD. Go step by step as in that manual here and take your time.

Atm I use Samsung MMDOE56G5MXP-0VB and I get it directly as a test sample from manufacturer. As I already wrote I have no warraty issues with my service point.

 

Well, they don't have power over other departments as far as I understand it, but they might just send you some stuff from their own stocks.

I'm sure you've dealt with them already but Customer Server for the rebate center might be able to swing the rebate for you.

[email protected]

Also, If you so choose you could carpet bomb some sony execs, that might give you another path toward a resolution.

[email protected],
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[email protected],
[email protected],
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[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
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[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected],
[email protected]

 

Hmmm... do you think they might even consider giving me a rebate or a spare dockingstation if I start whining loud enough? ...

 

Wow, InspecterJones, how did you get all those email addresses? Do you work for Sony or something?

Back to the topic of rebate. I've more or less given up any hopes of ever getting my rebate approved so I think I wouldn't be too disappointed if Sony do not change their minds. It sucks but this is life. Life is not fair sometimes.

To the topic of the mouse. I'll also seriously consider the Sony BT mouse that you guys have been raving about. I have the Logitech V470 BT mouse & I honestly feel that one will not like it that much if one has previously used a Logitech VX/VX Nano Revolution mouse. The only reason I bought that Logitech V470 is because it comes in white & I got it to "color match" with my MBP & Apple wireless keyboard.

 

Thanks for the well wishes & I appreciate it.

I still think that you will not really have to wait that long to receive your new Vaio Z. I hope I'm not wrong on that. Good luck.

 

You just described me: I used VX Revolution and Nano before and moved to V470. But then again, we most likely have different hands. You would wonder what people may choose over other things, almost anything is possible.

 

In FireFox you can use Space and Shift-Space. Perhaps other apps have simple keys for scrolling too.

My 15" Asus has Home, End, PgUp and PgDn keys at the right hand side. Really handy. I wouldn't mind two extra keys near the directional keys on any laptop.

I have a Korean keyboard, but use it only as English. That means I still have the Hanja key doing nothing. I wonder if I could map that to Fn. But I guess I need a whole new keyboard driver to do that. That key is right next to the directional keys.

 

I had the microsoft bluetooth mouse, still do, after about an hour of using that thing my hand hurt like hell. I don't understand what they're thinking when they design these things.

Oh and I got the emails from consumerist.com, great site.

 

perhaps we have different opinions. HAHA
i love having the two finger scroll since i've been accustom to it. the new EEE drivers for the multitouch mouse pad made life much easier.

does sony Z have multitouch capabilities?

 

another quick question. does the Z come with a backup/system restore disk when you purchase? or do you have to burn that yourself?

also, if i do get my Z here in Asia, can i just do an clean install of vista and than only install the necessary drivers?

What kind of SSD does sony use if you purchase the model with 128gbx2? How does sony setup the partitions? If I decide to repartition the two drives, do i need to do alignment for the ssd after i delete or repartition the disk?

thanks

 

The design isn't all that great, but unlike many of the Logitech mice, the Microsoft mice usually work great with other operating systems too. Like when dual-booting to Linux.
Strangely enough -- you'd think that anything labeled Microsoft would be the least compatible with non-Microsoft, but Logitech mice (and keyboards) have far more compatibility problems.

 

Ok so i stopped by the Sony store today again. (To check on the new 7xx series). Now i dont know if this was a problem before, or maybe its the new palmrests... The right palmrest, if i pick up the system from there, i can feel myself squeezing the plastic/whatever material it is inwards. (At first i thought it was emptiness in the system then realised i was squeazing the systems cd tray.

Did the older series with the burshed aluminum palmrests have this issue? cause the new black ones seem more fragile...

 

I'm not sure on the MX Nano, but some if you had a VX Nano there would be a possibility you could get lucky and have the VX Revolution work with the existing receiver. It still may but you will need to test.

I've just sent the instructions to Jorlin but figured I'd also post here. Again, I can confirm this works.

First get the VX Revolution. You will need to check the specific part number you have. Only certain combination work. Below is the thread where you can verify particular part numbers of VX and nano receivers that work.

http://forums.logitech.com/logitech/board/message?board.id=general_mice&thread.id=17163

I can say for certain that this combination works.
Nano Receiver with P/N 993-000057
VX Revolution Mk2 (P/N 810-000570)

Now if already have a nano receiver from the Nano or MX I would definitely give it a try before purchasing a new one. If not you can purchase the correct receiver direct from Logitech here.

http://www.buylogitech.com/store/logius/en_US/DisplayCategoryProductListPage/categoryid.11524300?WT.ac=sc|downloads||dd

Word of caution, there are different version for BOTH the nano receiver and VX Revolution. You need to make sure you get the right combination. Again, I can verify the combination above indeed works.

Once you have the right combination its a simple matter of going thru the pairing process. I've listed this below.

Good Luck!

1. -After replacing the new nano receiver...wait the popup that tolds "device is ready to use"

2. -Launch the Connect Utility.

3. -Just press and hold the left mouse button down and while the left mouse button is down, click the right mouse button 5 times. Thats all...

 

I have a z690 and I def feel flex but its nothing that I've ever felt as being cheap or worry some. It doesnt creak or make noise or anything, it just flexes in if squeeze, but I have to press a decent amount.

 

On a slightly different angle -- is it harmful to the battery if you hotswap it while the notebook is plugged in? I always shut down and unplug the notebook before removing or swapping the battery because I assume it might not be good for the battery. Hopefully this is an unnecessary worry.

 

trying to get osme answers for the question above.
also, i would like to know the speed of the read and write speed for the SSD that sony uses

 

Under the right palmrest is the space for the DVD drive, so I would assume it'll feel more 'fragile' when picked up on that side versus the left.

 

I am dangerously close to getting a Z now. What have you guys found to be the best/most snug-fitting case for it? I am thinking about getting Sony's 13.3" neoprene sleeve. Any experience with that? Also, how is the Vaio BT mouse? I neeed to accessories plus an extended warranty plan to qualify for the $250 discount.

Thanks!

 

I've not used the Sony BT mouse so I cannot comment too much about it. However, it has got very positive reviews here at NBR. Many Vaio notebook owners have got those mouse & they have nothing but good things to say about it. I guess it is a safe bet to go with that Sony BT mouse. I personally have been seriously considering buying one myself. Good luck.

 

It does not come with any recovery discs even in the Asia market. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. You'll have to burn the recovery DVDs yourself, which is very simple to do.

Yes, you can do a clean install of Vista with the necessary drivers. I do want to urge you to remember to make at least 2 copies of the recovery discs before you re-format your notebook & do a clean OS install. Good luck.

 

Thanks for the update...

Unfortunately the European Logitech Store only offers one type of nano receiver:
P/N993-000136

And apparently only one VX revolution with P/N 931690-0914


I cannot find any reports on these parts..

 

I was using V470 Logitech Bluetooth mouse and I experienced pauses and stuttering problems. It happened so often that it really distracted me. How come no one else experienced similar problems? What did I do wrong then?

I switched to VX Nano and has been happy ever since. I'm still hoping that I could get a good quality bluetooth mouse minus the pauses and stuttering though. That way I could free up at least one USB connector.

I would jump to Sony BT mouse if I didn't experience any stuttering and pauses.

 

I'm going mad waiting for the Z4x series to come out in the UK. Argh! Any ideas as to when it'll be available?

 

Well everything is up to what one can use to. I can get use to such key config but I don't really feel like I want to in scope of buying top-most notebook for lot of cash while staying unsatisfied with uncomfortable keyboard design. Besides maybe your friend use external keyboard (continuation below).

I think key could be remapped in windows registry. I did some time ago such a remap to disable win keys at all in my desktop as they bugged me during gameplay (drops me to desktop if hit accidentally).

(continuation from above)
Pro or not basically you are right. I'm also using external keyboard most of the time for work but sometimes I do not. Even if it's only chatting on IM I'm so used to text editing with shortcuts like [ctrl]+shift+home/end/pgdown/pgup that it would be hard to change (and changing each time I'm switching to external keyboard). Well first of all I don't want to change this habit because it is good and I feel comfortable with it. Still when I'm looking perfect rig for my needs I mean PERFECT. I though Z will be such but for now I'll stay with SZ and wait for some new models/brand and Win7 also.
I'm disappointed a lot especially because Z is a successor of SZ which has very nice keyboard layout. Sony made nice improvement with Z but this feature is regress and I don't really know why they redesigned making it worse. I don't see point for this


EDIT:

Someone mentioned about big space between keys.
Sony gets back to the roots Current keyboard design reminds me my first computer:
ZX Spectrum 48KB

I bet I could get use to it easily but lack of home/end/pgup/pgdown keys is kind a pain in the . It is like buying luxury car with uncomfortable steering wheel or chair.

 

nice specs!

 

I don't have any comment on the Sony Mouse other than that it is over-priced. I bought a Microsoft Arc for my Z ( http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2333230,00.asp), and I love it. It's super compact when stored and comfortable when used. Read the review.

 

I think its actually worth every penny. Having gone through several bluetooth mice, finding one that not only doesn't suck but is also comfortable and looks nice, is a pretty big deal.

Then again, I got mine for free. If I didn't I totally would have bought it if the pictures of it weren't so misleading.

 

Thanks for input on the mouse. I'll probably get it as one of the two accessories I need to pick out.

So, it appears that if you get the Z now with a 128GB SSD (my plan), it is actually 2x64GB 1.8" SSDs RAIDed. Does anyone know what SSDs they are using, how it compares to the Intel X25-M (when RAIDed), or Intel X18-M for that matter. Does the RAID give a significant performance increase?

Can anyone with this configuration run HDTACH or similar?

Thanks!

EDIT: And is it SLC or MLC?

 

Oh and also, is it so that there is a spare harddrive bay on the Z that can house a second HDD? Or am I completely off?

 

Yea, the more people that check this thing out the better. Its rare that I'm truly impressed with the design of something.

All of this talk about mice just makes me keep thinking about how the main thing about the Z that makes me a bit sad are the USB ports. I thank sony for the crazy assortment of ports this thing has, but I just feel like I could have traded one for another USB port. Two ports is just really too low for a high end notebook (*cough* MBA *cough*), they should really have found a way to squeeze another one in.

That being said, I think everyone using wireless mice is crazy to take up a port for a mouse. It might just be me though, using this as my work machine those USB ports get used up pretty quick. Would be annoying to have to disconnect the mouse everytime that I'm tethered and need to use a usb drive or something, especially when you can just go bluetooth.

Also, does anyone use their expresscard slot? Its just a giant freaking waste of sace right? Am I alone here? I mean the only usefull cards out there are eSATA cards, so why not just include that port plus another USB?

 

Hello there guys,

Would someone be kind enough to upload the Z version of this wallpaper:
http://www.clubvaio.org/2009/03/vaio-p-series-glossy-mat-black.html

That would be greatly appreciated. The one in that link is for the P series and therefore it has a different resolution that I can't use. If any of you have a higher resolution version (1080p or 1920x1200) that would be even better. Thank you very much and have a nice day

 

i would like to know more about harddrives also.
i'm interested in specs for their 256GB (128GBx2) Solid State Drive with RAID. what kind of read and write speed does this give? how well does it perform when compared to other companies if I was to upgrade to SSD myself?

 

I thought I'd post to let the US folks know - if they didn't already - that the 790 CTO is now listed on the SonyStyle site as available, including the signature series.

Actually, both the 690 and 790 are currently listed (7/2/2009 @ 1:59 PM Eastern Time).

 

Completely agree. I would trade VGA port (I never use second monitor in stamina mode) for one more USB. Thanks to using BT mouse and adding Echo Indigo IOx (ExpressCard that I use instead of Line 6 external USB interface for ASIO music work) I can live with 2 USB ports. I occasionally connect external HD, scanner, Wacom tablet, music player but never more than two items together. So it works.

Getting USB hub might help too. There are pretty small ones out there. I think, getting a powered (external power source) USB hub for office work and connecting scanner, HD, Wacom to it is the way to go. On the road, two USB sockets is probably fine.

 

YAY I just bought a Z series!!

Z-790 CTO

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P9700 (2.80GHz)
Standard Capacity Battery
320GB Hard Disk Drive (7200rpm)
DVD +/- R DL / DVD +/- RW / DVD-RAM Drive
Premium Carbon Fiber
Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit
4GB DDR3-SDRAM (DDR3-1066, 2GBx2)

$2499.99 CDN

 

I don't agree with VGA thats a pretty important one.

My top choices for throw aways are Firewire/Expresscard/MemoryStick

Oh and standard modem jack...I mean...Really? Do people even have phone lines anymore?

Anyone spending $2000+ on a notebook should not be using Dial Up anyways. Thats what WiFi and Tethering is for.

 

Congrats! You'll enjoy your new toy

 

Im so excited
a big dent in my wallet but im sure it will be worth every penny

 

Congrats - waiting for it to be shipped and deliverd, too...

 

Yep, I am in favour for this too
Can anyone do it please?

 

When I bought my Z36 last March in Korea, it did come with the XP downgrade disc. Vista still had to be burned.

 

with great pleasure, I had to crop the image to keep a proper ratio



click on image to enlarge

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/510/vaiopglossymatblack1920.jpg

 

saw this in my other post. could someone confirm the read and write speed?
also, if i do end up with the 2x128gb, when i repartition and reformat for a clean install of vista, do i need to do SSD alignment like OCZ ssds?

 

Thank you - so you edited it? Do you have the original?

 

Hey everyone. Just wanted to put in my little update ... since getting my Z690CTO I've been REALLY happy with it. I get *loads* of crap for owning a Vaio believe it or not, but it has been just what I figured it'd be ... the best choice right now for ME. I'm still in love with the power/performance and size/weight, and the look.

I had a tinge of envy over the new release, of course, but it's going away. I'd LOVE to find a different lid ... maybe the red, or the Gothic Arabesque would be fantastic, and install it myself ... but I'm not really seeing this as an option anywhere yet. As for the black vs brushed aluminum pal wrest, I guess personal preference ... I still love the silver look, it's slightly more unique/different than all the black-black notebooks to me.

Still finding this keyboard really comfy to use, the screen is great, everything is treating me well - knock on wood.

Next up for my Z? I caught myself up (finally) on recent posts and I'm now considering the Sony bluetooth mouse. And finally I'll get myself a cloth, instead of using that stupid packing material that came between the screen/keyboard, LOL.

I think for those who do their homework and feel like a Z is worth it to them should really trust their instinct. I know all notebooks have their pros/cons, but I knew all along this fit my needs the best, and it has completely come through for me. I'd do it over again.

 

I can't confirm that at all. Sony uses (Z6xx/Z3xx) Samsung MLC ( datasheet) with max. sequential write rate of 90 MB/s and 70 MB/s write.

From technical point of view it's quite unrealistic, that a raid setup of two such ssd could achieve easily over 300MB/s read and 250MB/s write.

My benchmarks with Sony raid setup were very similar to that



I wasn't alone:

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The slow speed was the reason why I've replace Sony raid ssd with Samsung 256GB ssd (datasheet). IMHO the overall ssd speed is now noticeable faster.

 

Thanks a lot for sharing. This makes me even more comfortable that I made the right choice

Looking at the specs of your Z, I doubt that you miss anything...
I ordered the Z45x (Europe) which is the latest model here. I chose a custom order setup with a 2.53Ghz CPU, 4GB of RAM and 400GB HDD.
I simply do not see any reason to have a faster CPU or more RAM in a notebook of this size. Only if you heavily rely on a docking station and an adequate desktop setup there might be conditions where more RAM and CPU power might come handy.

BTW: I am still wondering if the Z45x comes with a 5100 or 5300 WLAN module.

 

thanks, but how does the OP from mobile01 get benchmarks like this?
http://attach.mobile01.com/attach/200906/mobile01-3ca6405ef31176eb66f141012bdb382d.jpg
so your saying that buying my own SSD would get me better read and write speed compared to the ones that sony puts in?

also in windows vista, what is your windows rating on the computer? i see on mobile01's screenshot it shows 3.8 only! WEIRD

 

Where did you find the Samsung SSD? Is it available in the states? The closest thing I can find is the Corsair 256 GB SSD on newegg, which uses the samsung controller.

So far, I've only seen the Japanese Z4x CTO has the option of upgrading to the 5300. Please let us know which one comes with your Z.

Has anyone upgraded to the 5300? It would be greatly appreciated if someone can post a step by step instruction on how to mod the wireless card. The service manual doesn't seem to have it. The 5300 is only around $30 on ebay.