Official VAIO Z Core 2 Duo Series Owners Thread

im from Canada... i just figured it would be much less of a hassle to go through Canada...especially since the warranty will actually mean something now...

 

I really hope there are 64-bit drivers aswell... I am also curious if you can swap in a blu ray drive yourself? If it is easily doable, and if you can use any one you want, or do you need a special sony one?

I definitely want to put one of those new Micron SSD's in it

 

Well assuming the new drive fits, then you could probably use any brand with the right connection.

 

It looks like one VAIO Z configuration is now in stock at Amazon:
VGN-Z520N/B.

Does anyone know who the manufacturer of the 13.1 LCD panels are for the Z? For those of you who have already gotten yours, you can run a free software called PC Wizard 2008 to check for the manufacturing code of your screen.

 

faberge, i phoned up quite a few Sony Centres today as i wanted to also pick one up but with the 5% discount SonyStyled offered but no one would do it so i bought mine from Sony Style.

However, if you want one, pop down to Baker Street Sony Centre. They are getting the top model on Friday. Thats what the guy said when i phoned today.

 

I would also like a answer to this since a Blueray drive is the only thing lacking in my Sony Z laptop and would like to install one in the future ..... well, and also a Backlit keyboard too

 

Hey Toronto-gay how old are you really? You make fun of someone that asks a simple question...hey maybe other people have a life and not spend all their life in the Z owner's thread like you...After you ask PhilFlow where is coming the Z, in Canada? Didn't you see that Phil is from Holland? I bet you don't even know where are the Netherlands, lol

 

Er, guys, if you want one, pop down to Tottenham Court Road. They have all of the models right now. Why wait?!

S

 

Amazon has one guarenteed delivery date of thursday (21) wow.. I wonder if I can cancel my order with sonystyle.. dammit

 

Thanks for the tip. Did you just ask Sony Style for it or did you have to beg on your knees?!

I'll call on Friday to make sure before I go

 

That's as good as a CTO as you can get, unless you start opting for BD and SSD. This is about $2449.00, I assume? At P1, I priced your exact CTO, but with 3GB Ram @ $2349.00.

 

Lolll, Brother, enjoy life, chillax, relax, no one's trying to fight here on the forums. I was jokin around. U got ur panties to high up ur *** there chief. And yea, im spending over 2 grand on this laptop, so yea im gonna be on this forum 24/7 my friend.

 

Delivery Date:

I checked up with Sony and they say shipping is likely to be 8/29 even where shipping was promised earlier on the order.

 

You know I would feel so much better if the ****ed estimated ship date on the order status page, would just change to the accurate date...it vexes me!

 

I just called SonyStyle.

The "work-order" for my CTO was just opened today and my notebook should ship in 5-7 days. Isn't it amazing how Sony always manages to open work orders on the day you call? Coincidence?

 

For Canadians, The Sony Store called me and said they are getting preconfigs for Aug 31th, most likely only one option though. But yea.

 

aug 31st? darn it thats too long, especially if its only 1 preconfig. Did they tell you whic preconfig it is? I need a laptop before september 1st :|

 

Unfortunetly not.

 

I completely agree. As far as the whole buying experience goes, I'm pretty annoyed with Sony's service at the moment. I couldn't email them from the site because the email form doesn't work properly, then I couldn't locate the live chat until I logged out and logged back in because I could only find it on the login page. Shipping date changed I dunno how many times now, and it STILL says "8/15/08" and "processing" on my order status page, despite them telling me this past Friday over the phone that it's in the process of getting its tracking number and that I should get that in my email within 24 hours... never got it. I was gonna cancel and get a better config for the same price over at P1, but since it was "getting its tracking number" the order couldn't be canceled.

I just hope their tech support isn't this bad, otherwise this might end up being the first and last Sony laptop I own.

 

I'm having health problems. So I wanted my wife to be able to handle her computer problems as best as possible in the event I am not here anymore. I stayed in the San Diego Fashion Valley Sony Style store for a while and watched customers coming in to get their laptops, PCs in for service. I picked a few at random. Each person I asked said that service was smooth. They were all satisfied and in a couple of conversations, complimentary.

I just think we are irritable because we want our toy. I know I feel like that. I bought a CTO z590 totally maxed out with the exception of SSD. I keep checking the order information almost hourly looking for any change. I check my credit card to see if a hold or any charge has taken place. It's just plain old Z Jonesing. All we need, those of us so close yet so far, is a blues riff!

The Edge

 

Thanks! That sounds about right, I wish I could have picked the BD or SSD (just one of the two, I wont be greedy! lol) but..

I just couldn't - but hey atleast I got 320GB HD + 2.53 cpu I am not compromising on performance

 

Let me throw something out there. My soon to arrive z590 (if there is a God it will be soon, PLEASE) will have a wireless WAN through Sprint. This is a NON-GSM technology. I will not be able to use this laptop overseas because of the Sprint technology. Is there any known way to change out the existing wireless connection to a GSM system?

 

You mean we will be seeing Z's on display in stores on the 31st?

 

This was discussed in that thread where everyone was speculating on the design and configs. of the Z. From what I recall, it won't be an easy task, it requires replacing the Sprint WAN module within the Z for one that is GSM-compatible - something to that effect. You may have to thumb through 215 pages of posts to locate it. Inquire around, maybe someone might remember the thread name so that you can PM that person directly. He knew exactly what needed to be done. I don't think this guy has placed a post on this thread, otherwise I would recognize his username.

 

Yeah, that's been discussed quite often. Short answer: no. You'd be better off just getting an expresscard or USB WWAN from your provider.

You could try cracking it open and replacing it with a GSM-based module, but there's no external SIM slot so I have no idea how you'd put a SIM in.

Good luck.

 

Just a guess, but previous LCD panels were from Toshiba. since Sony is not using a run-of-the-mill LCD panel in the Z, it is probably from Toshiba again, or Sony itself.

 

Question: If I were to connect the Z to a TV using the VGA port, would the TV only be able to display what was on the laptop? Or would I be able to watch TV shows and see what was on my laptop at the same time?

I've never connected a PC to a TV before so I'm kind of clueless...

 

By the way, u guys should note that if you order from P1, and you want to return the laptop within 30days wether u dont like it or its just simply defected, they actually charge u shipping fee;s to ship it back. Thats pathetic if u ask me, as far as a defected unit goes I mean. Why should I have to pay for shipping for a defected unit.

 

Well, I finally ordered a custom-made one here in Tokyo. My specs are as follows:

*Black (I don't think the custom finishes are too professional looking)
*P8400 2.26Ghz
*1600x900 display (pretty much a no brainer)
*1x2GB memory (I'll upgrade it myself to 4GB later)
*200GB 5400RPM drive
*DVD drive (no interest in Blu-Ray)
*No WAN
*No fingerprint sensor (my experience with the fingerprint readers has been bad; every time Firefox gets updated, the fingerprint software gets broken and is therefore useless for me)
*No FeliCa Port (I use the RF payments systems all the time on my mobile phone but don't need it on the PC)
*Web Camera (a definite must IMO)
*Japanese keyboard (I need that)
*Regular battery (I was thinking of the extended battery but decided the 50% extra battery life wasn't worth the extra bulk and weight)
*Sony bluetooth mouse
*VGP-CP22 carrying sleeve
*Sony cleaning kit

I'm going to buy the OCZ Core 64GB drive based on all the reviews I saw of it. I don't need lots of speed, but I want it for the quietness, longer battery life, and cooler temperature. If anyone has any other suggestions, let me know. I can't wait for it to arrive!

 

Any Canadians order a CTO from sonystyle.ca yet?? and also anyone know if there is a difference between the 2.26 processor and the 2.4 cause appearantly the 2.26 will be shipped earlier than the 2.4...

 

The SIM goes behind the battery. It's just a push-slot lik a memory card slot. But you must remove the battery to insert/remove it of course.

S

 

Hi,

I phoned SonyStyle and was put through to the Sales team. She asked if it's for personal or business use. I told her it's for personal use and then asked what can you do on the price and I will be buying it outright, no finance.

She said she can offer 5%, thats it. I also then tried for a free case\sleeve but she would not budge. I asked for her direct dial number and name and told her i'l call her back when I get me new cashback card. I then called her back yesterday and ordered it. She also honored the 5% .

I can PM her contact details if required or anyone else wants it.

 

If you connect the Z to your TV, your TV will only be able to display whatever it is your playing on your cd drive. That one is a given.

However, in order to watch TV on your Z, what needs to be done is you will need to purchase a TV Tuner like PC-TV for example, usually for $59-$89. Your wall cable gets plug into the PC-TV tuner which then plugs into your Z via USB. If you order Vista Home Premium, best for this kind of thing, you have the built-in application and ability to watch programs as they appear and/or record programs directly to your Hard Drive and watch them at a later time or when your on the road. Vista Business or XP Business requires you to purchase or find an free application online to download in order to watch and record TV programs.

 

TaDaaa!

http://www.novamedia.de/order/e_order_gtm_378.html

159 Euros (previously we couldn't find it for sale anywhere except for a DevKit over $1,500)

I think this is it for the Z too (just a guess), can anyone confirm what the 3G module is in the US or an other Z?? I know that this GTM378 is the one in the UK model that accepts a SIM card.

7.2MBps HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM and GPS

BUT, does it fit in the WWAN bus of the Z? dunno yet. Personally, well I'm tempted to grab one and try fit it in my SZ where my useless Sprint thing resides, but a pricey experiment and I'd rather not be the first to try (has anyone??). Also, I'm thinking to sell my SZ691N/X while it's still worth something and use the proceeds to get me a Z

 

My suggestion would be to wait a couple of months for the OCZ Core IIs to filter down to retail. The problems that some people are having with the first gen Cores should be resolved, performance will undoubtedly be better and also the new models will have a mini-USB port (to enable easy firmware updates for improved future algorithms for wear levelling or performance enhancements).

 

I second what InfyMcGirk said. It may be better to wait for now. Intel and OCZ are coming with promising new drives.

Or buy a Samsung Sata II SSD like benchmarked here: http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/flash-ssd-hard-drive,review-31258.html

 

Again, remember that the Z has no SIM slot, so I have no idea how you'd get your SIM in there. So even if it fits in directly, you're going to have issues with Zs made for the USA. As I said, you'd be better off with a USB or expresscard.

 

only 2 days left. hope i will have mine at latest friday afternoon. keep your fingers crossed.

 

If I connect my Z to a TV using the VGA port, and DON'T use the optical drive (cd/dvd drive), the TV WON'T display what is on my Z? Sorry I am confused. The reason I ask is because when I am at home studying, I would prefer studying from a larger screen than the 13.1'' of the Z. Thus, I would want to connect the Z to the TV and just use the TV to do general surfing, work processing, powerpoints etc.

Is there any way I can watch TV shows on my TV WHILE connected to my Z?

 

Hi Geeee, maybe you're referring to my post here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3634421#post3634421

In fact, I've done since more research on the subject, and discovered that the main problem is that replacing the SPRINT mini-pci module is not enough, as the antenna will probably not be compatible. So for the US models, the only solution is external (ie either expresscard, or USB)

 

Got my Z11VN from Tottenham Court Rd in London.
Nearly broke the battery compartment when fitting in the battery. Not impressed for a £1500+ piece of kit! The compartment is very flexible, hopefully the paint will last...

 

I am pretty sure Sony has HDMI out.. but with the screen open how do you expect to do surfing on TV )

This reminds me of the failed ads of MSN TV lol

 

This is very interesting, as this module SHOULD fit the internal mini-PCI slot in the Z (should be exactly the same in the SZ), but it may work or not depending on which Z you try to install this on (as you can see in your link, it requires an internal 2100hz HSDPA antenna fitted in the laptop):
- If the Z is bought in the US, whether there is a Sprint module or not, chance are that it won't work (or won't work well), since there will not be any compatible embedded antenna. So it's VERY unlilkely it will work for your SZ with an internal Sprint module.
- If the Z is bought in Japan, it won't work if there is no WWAN module (again, no antenna are embeded on Z ordered without a WWAN module). IF you order a Z with the locked Japanese WWAN module, then the antenna will be embedded and MAY be compatible with this module.
- Of course, if you buy your Z in Europe, you won't have an antenna either if there is no built-in WWAN. And if there is built-in WWAN, well, then you're a happy camper and don't need any replacement module!

So, to summarize, the only way to POSSIBLY use this module is if you import a japanese Z WITH a locked Japanese WWAN module, chuck it and replace it with the mini-PCI module you have found (or, more safely, with the European mini-PCI module bought as a part from Sony).

Last thing to keep in mind, these module are useless without the appropriate software (and ideally the Sony one, which is well made and allows to control all the network options, ie 3g, ethernet, wifi, bt). Unfortunately, even if you manage to find it, it will probably not work with this module.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm waiting for the december refresh to see if the model I want (with Blu-Ray, WWAN and T9600) comes to Europe, if not I'll import a japanese model without WWAN and will go on using my phone as a 3G bluetooth modem (HTC Tytn II at the moment, soon moving to HTC touch pro), which remains the cheapest option for occasional use (no expensive contract, just a 10$ add-on to my phone contract)...

Hope this helps!

 

Sony style UK tell me the HSDPA modem is locked to T-Mobile, or at least only comes with T-Mobile software, not sure if it is actually provider locked or is just missing any other software/drivers?

I would like to use it with Three Mobile Broadband which I currently use, does anyone know if this is possible on the Z?

 

If it's anything like the TZ series in the UK, the hardware isn't locked, but the configuration software is. So you can use another SIM card OK, as long as you find some third party software to control it (i.e. connect, disconnect, log usage, etc, etc). Hopefully the Z series will use the same scheme.

 

i heard about the battery fitting. is it very loose? any other owners who can tell the same?

 

omg no!!!!! Z better NOT have a loose battery or its going BACK stat!

 

I guess I hadn't thought about that as my SZ has a plug-in antenna on the side. One of the module options comes with antennas and stuff, so you'd have to hope you could either:
a) stuff their antenna inside somewhere! OR
b) make some kind of frankenstein antenna (coathanger??)

Yeh, it says it comes with software, I don't really know what their software does, but you'd think you'd be able to get it going one way or another...

Overall, a bit too scary a project for me

 

are there already any words regarding the built quality all over the book (screen, battery, flexibility, touchpad etc.) and the speaker quality? didn't read anything about it.

same to heat, noise, screen brightness and quality, battery time? sorry if I read over it...

 

Please tell us more. Heat, battery life, battery drain?, what harddrive (brand) did you get. etc. etc.

Thanks in advance.