Official VAIO Z Core 2 Duo Series Owners Thread

i asked them and they said yes

 

Hmmm, another question.

Why does the Z590 (1600x900) use Xbrite ECO while the other Z's (lower resolution) use Xbrite Duraview?

http://www.advizia.com/v41/Comparis...-Z540EBB|VGN-Z570N/B|VGN-Z550N/B|VGN-Z530N/B|

Anecdotally, I gather that Duraview is better. Seems strange to put ECO on the more premium model and Duraview on the normal ones?

 

I ordered my CTO Z590 10 days ago.
I got the $200 campus discount when I ordered it online.
I just checked the status yesterday, and saw that the campus discount was now $300.00.

So I called CS and explained that I wanted that extra $100.00
After a bit of him putting me on hold, and explaining to him that since the computer hasn't been shipped (or built) yet, I didn't see why there would be a problem. I said that if needed, I would cancel the order, and re-order it again.

He said that he would submit it, and there shouldn't be a problem.

Later in the day, I called up tech support (for a computer that I didn't even have yet!)

I wanted to verify that I could install XP Pro on it. I asked if I would be getting the downgrade disk. He said that I should be getting it, but he couldn't be sure.

So I called back CS and spoke with someone about it.
He said that on the preconfigured pc's that are ordered with vista business, they send a downgrade disk with it, but not with the CTO pc's. I asked him why, but he didn't seem to know. I have my own copy of XP Pro that I can install, so we'll see what happens when I get it......

He was able to check to see that "my" computer hasn't been configured yet. But it should ship out Friday (today) or Saturday....We shall see.....

 

You guys are so lucky, getting ur laptops shipped already, I wouldnt complain. Canada hasnt even got anything period. And thats IF at all. Never know!

 

Mine still says Aug 15, "processing." This wait is killer.....!!

Whaaaat? Well, I suppose I'm not bothered by this all that much, but I was expecting to see a copy of XP with my order of Vista Business. That really makes no sense to me.

 

there is a nice video on youtube about the z.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AbLc-S14bo

 

But according to the US site of sony, you have to have an american adress for the delivery ! they cant ship to france !

 

Hey guys. Is the Z worth spending $500 over the FW? I am really on the horns of a dilemma here, and need assurance that the more expensive Z is worth the extra cost. Please help!!

 

Hello all you Z enthusiasts!

I have finally decided to not wait any longer for any XPS refresh (seems unlikely now anyway before Sept)

Sooooooo I am set on Sony Z, but after reading couple of pages here it seems like ordering from P1 is a better option?? I want to go for the premium Z w/o the SSD - what is the logic behind ordering from P1 and not Sonystyle directly?

Thanks for your help!

 

In addition to their amazingly good user rating ( http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Portable_One_Inc), their prices are really good, you get freebies like a neoprene carrying case for Sony laptops, and they do bloatware removal.

 

oh ok, I was thinking some build quality difference between the 2..

I will check them out, thanks!

 

Well this is something u really gotta ask urself. What are you doing with the laptop? Do you travel? Im going with the Z cuz I like, not need, but like portability with a power kick to it. So the Z fits me perfectly. No one can really tell you what u need but urself. Maybe you prefer a larger laptop so you can view things nice and wide and you don't travel much? Don't forget though in the end what ppl tend to forget is this is aimed at a business class laptop with a kick to it. So we're lucky Sony decided to go all out and slap 2 video's cards.

 

I would say it's worth it if you need the portability. For me, I need the power AND the portability (even 13" at 3.xx lbs. is a bit larger than I wanted to go), so spending the extra money was tolerable. I'll have to sell one of my kidneys for it, and possibly sell one of my friend's children to slavery, but hey, that's the price you pay sometimes.

I just got off the phone with Sony (I was gonna cancel and order from Portable One.. cheaper, with bonuses!!), but the rep informed me that my laptop was actually in the process of getting its tracking number, and hence, unable to be canceled. But if what she said is true, that means my laptop should be getting shipped soon! Woohoo!!

 

Ok, after about 2 months of reading and searching, my search has come to and end. I just ordered via Portable One the VGN-Z590UCB!

- Intel® Core Duo 2 P9500 2.53GHz; 1066FSB 6MB
- 13.1" LED (1600 x 900) XBRITE-DuraView™ Display
- 4GB DDR3 1066MHz Memory (4GB Max Currently)
- Hybrid Graphics System: NVIDIA 9300M GS & Intel 4500MHD VRAM
- 320GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive w/G-Sensor Shock Protection
- BluRay Combo DVD±RW Optical Drive
- ExpressCard® /34, Memory Stick Duo™ & Secure Digital (SD™ memory card) slots
- Dedicated Hybrid GPU Switch
- 2 x USB, HDMI, VGA, Docking & Firewire Ports
- Integrated 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T
- Integrated Stereo A2DP Bluetooth® Technology (PAN)
- Integrated Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN (802.11a/b/g/n)
- Built-in Mobile Broadband high-speed EVDO WAN
- Integrated Global 56K V92 Modem
- Built-in MOTION EYE® camera and microphone
- Built-in Electro-Static touch pad
- Biometric Fingerprint Sensor w/TPM v1.2
- VGA and HDMI ports with Smart Display Sensor
- 12.4"(W) x 1.0~1.3"(H) x 8.3"(D); 3.3lbs w/battery
- Windows Vista Ultimate Edition
- 1 Year Limited Warranty

I also added the 3 year on-site accidental warranty. I had planned to order it via Sony Style with a weaker processor and without the ultimate vista, however after talking to the guys at Portable One, I decided I really would rather deal with them than Sony direct after my experiences with Sony over the past few weeks. I ordered it online about 10 minutes after.

Wow, this search started in the $1000 range and now cost me about 3.5k ... now time for a lot of overtime and eating peanut butter sandwiches so I can afford this dam* thing,

 

jpoe.. that is awesome configuration you got!!!! holy crap.......

 

Why is everyone getting 4gb ram? Are you planning to install 64bit windows? I understand the urge to max out hardware, but +$100 or +$150, isn't that overkill?

Edit: I don't mean to be rude, I'm just curious.

 

I guess it just feels good to have everything maxed out - since its your major + last (hopefully) big laptop purchase?

I personally will get 3GB RAM if I ever decide on which model to choose and from where to buy! Dammit +(

 

Thanks! ..I'm equally psyched, if only I can find a way to afford it ...

It's a fair question. Personally, I almost never use Windows, so I'm not too concerned about what Windows recognizes. I do use Ubuntu (Linux) 64 bit for my work related stuff (which is mostly microarchitecture simulation design, where I am frequently modeling 2-3 GB systems), however, and there I can take advantage of the 4 GB (although, in the end I probably won't be running too many long simulations on the actual laptop - but its nice for quick tests that won't thrash..). Primarily, however, the above model I ordered came with the 4 GB stock...

 

Yea plus you can install ram urself for only about $50 or less at ur local computer store. Sony overcharges, they charge you like what $100 bucks or something for 2 more gigs?

 

If it's from Portable One, I think I can understand why... You can get a 4GB configuration for the price of the 2GB config from Sony's site. And you get a free case, free theft assistance, etc.

I'm satisfied with 2GB for now, but will eventually upgrade to the full 4GB when more money rolls my way. More memory is always good, even if Windows won't let you use around a gig of it.

 

I am soo close to ordering it off P1. My only concern is how much I'll have to pay at customs since I'm from Canada. What is the max amount I would pay if I'm getting a $3000 laptop? P1 doesn't charge taxes.

 

I was just wondering if you noticed this... like someone mentioned here, for some reason all the 1600x900 resolution screens are marked as XBRITE-ECO™ Technology instead of XBRITE-DuraView™ Display on the Sony website. You can access the information from P1's website. On the product page, you can click on "Click here for detailed product information", and then go to the specification tab. If you look at the 1366x768 models, you will see them specifically state XBRITE-DuraView™ Technology. I know that on P1's website it states that all of them are XBRITE-DuraView™. Is there a reason for this discrepency?

 

I got the 4gb ram from Sony because even from NewEgg, 4gb DDR3-1066 is more expensive then Sony.

 

Are the 128GB SSD's offered by P1 worth $525??

 

Yeah, I'm still wondering the same thing. Thanks for bringing it back up.

From what I gathered, prior to LED's, DuraView was better than ECO. But I'm not sure if LED changed things or not.

 

Lemme ask you guys a QUESTION. Now that im seriously considering ordering the laptop from Portable One, do u all think I actually should just order from them reading and hearing all great things about them. Or you think wait and not only see what Sony Canada has to offer but also see'ing the laptop in person before I get it? Or ppl that have, u think ill be completely satisfied with it?

 

Regardless of hearsay, I always prefer to touch, feel, and (if possible) play with the notebook before I buy. It's just a personal preference though.

I hope it helps put things in perspective.

 

Yea thats a great point. I just wish at least Sony Canda would say what options we are to expect so I dont have to wait forever. Who knows, knowing Canada, we'll get it by Spt. IF AT ALL!!

 

If I ever get Sony Z on my hands................


The world may NEVER know what will happen between us!!!!!

LOL
(sorry guys, I am SO excited to order one and HAVE one that I have gone crazy)

 

Well, the Z is a very expensive purchase. From all the positive things I've been hearing about it, it doesn't sound like it'll be a purchase made in vain.

I've bought most of my laptops online, and while I have been disappointed with what I bought from time to time, they were all things that I discovered over a period of time that you'd never encounter on a showroom floor. Even if you do see it in person you may not find any of the bad things about any laptop until you take it home and use it for a while.

sonoritygenious: it's all good as long as you don't start throwing up all over the place.

 

Well my "Estimated Ship Date STILL reads 8-15-2008"
No shipping number. I guess it is not to be. And I live in San Diego!

The Edge

Z590 CTO FULLY MAXED OUT

 

Tj - its too late! - I am afraid I may bring about a Z-jr =( If I keep this up that is

 

At TJ, loll, well that I cannot guarantee.

 

Hmm, on the page thats directly linked from Portable One about the VGNZ590UCB:

http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/product/VGN-Z590UCB

Sony says that it has the "XBRITE-DuraView™ LCD technology with LED backlight for a brighter, crisper, tougher display." and its the 1600x900 resolution....

 

Right, they seem to have the same DuraView.

Someone posted a screen color comparison between the 2 different res Z's 20 pages back. They both have 100% color saturation, you can't tell the difference in the color comparison. However, the higher res screen is noticeably smoother in the gray scale comparison.

Not really... Remember the Z uses DDR III. The cheapest 2 gb DDR III ram stick goes for around $120 on Newegg.

Of course, it would be a lot cheaper if you decide to upgrade the RAM down the road when more DDR III laptop ram sticks become available on the market.

 

Guys, help me understand something. In all honesty, why are so many of you guys so overly excited about getting this computer? Seriously, and please don't get me wrong, I'm planning on getting a Z myself, but I don't think I'm as anxious as many of you. Every so often I'll call this retail store to see if they've got in (I'm planning on getting preconfigured), and 100% of the time they're response is, "not yet, maybe next shipment", and I don't get anxious or irritable. Am I missing something? Is this like the best ultimate laptop ever and nothing can ever surpass it?

 

Hype and anticipation is quite normal human behavior. Have you seen apple retail stores on iphone release days? Black Fridays? Ever read forums on highly anticipated movies 6-8 months before their release?

It's not something unique to this notebook computer.

 

alright, (lol) I guess I can accept that.......

 

Besides -- you seem to be pretty into the hype yourself if you are calling stores etc to try and get it as soon as it gets in

I'm interested in getting the z as well but haven't made any phone calls or anything -- I'll just wait a couple weeks till early september before I stroll in the store and pick one up.

 

Well if I myself threw up all over the place, and not even seeing the laptop yet, must be a pretty crazy laptop.

 

Funny thing is, "stuff" starts to seem less cool once you actually have it.

It's true!

 

Yea of course, it's just a laptop after all (too bad it can't be used as a %#$!@).
It's all about the hype.

 

I must admit I was excited up to the days that led up to the Z pics surfacing mid-July. But my reason for calling on a weekly basis is because I need a computer by Aug. 18th - I sold my SZ and I'm just using a backup in the meantime. I've already made my decision on the Z when I first heard about it and besides, there's nothing else out there that appeals to me. I made that comment because I sense, from what I read, that the majority of the posts indicate how overtly excited the majority are over this laptop. That's basically it.....I'm amused at the posts :yes: and I'm not picking on any one.

I agree that once you get this thing (Z), it's like, what do I want next? That instant gratification won't last very long.

 

Why did Centrino 2 had this delay, sickening, all new laptops will be out when it's going to be too late for me. I really want this laptop, but since I need it for next friday and it won't be at my home since then, I will have to switch my attention to older models or eventually the sr series unfortunately.

 

How come you can't wait another week?

By the way SR is not really a punishment in my opinion. You'll get more game power if you go for HD3470.

 

I don't know about P1 anymore guys. I'll end up paying like $600 just to get the notebook across the border. So sad. I guess I'll pray for SonyStyle.ca.

 

I'm excited because I'm in desperate need for a new laptop, and the wait is always killer. I had to wait a little longer than this for my other custom laptop (3-4 weeks) and that wait was long, too.

I liken it to a new car. It's something you're gonna use for a while, but the anticipation is all part of the fun!

 

$600 in taxes. That's beyond crazy. Why so much? Is that a Canadian thing? I can buy a backup notebook for that price.

 

Couldn't you get a CTO from the US, and since it would then be a Made in USA product you shouldn't pay any import duties because of NAFTA, correct?

 

Question for those who've already ordered through sonystyle.com

When you go to your order information, what are the amounts for "Paid" and "Open Balance"?

I'm asking because I think there may be a problem with my payment method. Thanks.