Official VAIO Z Core 2 Duo Series Owners Thread

Just ordered a VGNZ11WN/B in SonyStyle UK, they're saying mid August for delivery.

 

Thanks for the clear answer. If that's the case seems I won't need it for the moment, but will it be possible to add this feature in the laptop in the future when prices will be more reasonable?

 

Not completely true. T-Mobile and AT&T are both GSM-based carriers in the USA. Verizon and Sprint are CDMA-only. Sony chose to partner with Sprint. AT&T has 3G (i.e. CDMA) on different bands than the rest of the world.

 

Sonystyle UK posted the Z series but it lists it as DDR2 even though Sony.co.uk has corrected it to DDR3. Also the webcam is 1MP which is odd because no one else seems to have it. Japan has 0.3MP and I remember the US being different.

SonyStyle UK Here

 

Webcam is 0.3MP (video). Sony US is misleading, talking about 1.3MP, but that's interpolated resolution for stills.

 

What happened to the Sony Style US CTO page... everytime i click to goo to it, it takes me to the home page...Anyone have the same problem?? or is it just me??

 

I noticed that problem as well last night.

 

does anyone know how custom laser etching on the carbon fiber material will turn out?

 

@ fuzzielitlpanda: don't do it... in case you need to return it for some dents and etc- it'll give more excuses to sony's cs to muck around!

Re the possibility of installation: probably not..even if the do, they'll probably also charge for installation...if you open it up yourself then they'll say that ur warranty is void. As for the prices, the hardware will defnitely be cheaper- but not sure about the cost of bandwidth or how fast the price will go down. In EU countries mobile broadband is very expensive. Unless you are in desperate need of internet all the time, for e.g., you need access to stock market's live datastream*, it's not worth it

@FenderP: Thanks for the correction

 

cheers mate for that link, but its too expensive there :/ for Z notebook with 2.53 CPU and 4GB DDR3 and SSD OCZ 64GB about ~2477 pounds. If i buy one from sonystyle.uk then about 1750 for laptop and i saw OCZ 128GB SSD Drive for 370 pounds so... i think that ill wait few months and buy OCZ and maybe ill change HDD on my own, im not sure about it. I would like to have Blue-Ray RW in laptop, but we will see... But too bad that Raid 0 with SSD is damn expensive


Edit:

so English Z laptop has DDR2 or DDR3? I can't believe that he can has DDR2. Here (sony.co.uk) is DDR3 and on sonystyle.co.uk is DDR2. So?

 

You may want to stay away from OCZ Core anyway. Very slow random writes.
More info here:
http://www.alternativerecursion.info/?p=106
http://blog.laptopmag.com/in-depth-w...s-low-cost-ssd

 

thanks for info mate!

 

When anyone gets their Z, please check to see if it has any "tingling effect" when placing your hands on the palm-rest. I'm interested to see if Sony has gotten rid of this problem since the Z's palm-rest is also aluminum, like the SZ's.

 

Damn I talked to 2 SonyStyle stores in my city, and both guys knew nothing!!
One guy has never even heard of the Z-series. Toronto Guy...August 7-8 is when it will be available for preorder?

 

I use to own an SZ and I never realized the "tingling" feeling on the palm rest was an issue/problem. I thought it was just the sensation of the aluminum. Good to know. I had the chance to play around with the Z twice at my local Sony Store. I think I would have noticed this effect, but then again, I was never looking for it.

Do you know what was causing it?

 

lol the funy thing is, the guy I talked to didnt know either. So I got him to get his manager and they both looked in the data base. Lazy ass workers dont wanan do anything over there unless u push em. So yea I got my info from their data base. However sry I did not ask if it is for pre-order or actual order. My guess is very likey pre-order.

 

This thread is awfully slow. No one's really posting anything. It's been on page 11-12 for the past 3 days. Has everyone decided to opt for the SR because the Z is so ridiculously expensive and you can't get Blu-Ray and SSD all for under 2k?

 

I think it's because nobody owns the Z yet, and the only outlet to order one is through Sony. I'm definitely not going to pull the trigger until I see it appear in retail.

 

yah i don't have much to say until i receive my order hah. as far as i know, my Z has not even begun production yet because every time i call in, i still have the option of canceling it.

 

-=ToRoNtO-GuYY=- relax man, hehehe, the cto will be made available just like with the FW, the cto came later I was told shipping for Z series late august early september. My info came via a news site that got the info from sony hq in toronto. and I probably believe this is the case, with CTO/pre-order in early august and shipping in late aug/early september. Seems to follow the pattern of the FW. Pre order for CTO now and shipping in mid to late august.

If you compare the prices of the canadian FW to the ones in the US, you will see they are very close.

checking the US sonystyle site, the Z series starts at 1999 as well, also lowest model, and it comes with the 2.4 gig cpu, so my guess is that the same thing will be offered in the canadian Z series. The Z series was never meant to be cheap, so expect to pay a premium on it.

If sonystyle does not get the Z series as exclusive, perhaps london drugs (out west), or best buy will carry the z series as well.

If you really need one and money is no object, order one from some site that ships to canada, or hit up the US if you are close to the border.

 

confirming the tingling effect, and would like to point out that for me it happens when the fingers were running across the palm rest. The effect goes away when the finger(s) is resting on one spot

Anyway, interesting explanation from some users, and that this is due to the "protection" of hard drive scheme of the SZ and the Z series. Dont know how true this is.

cheers ...

 

But are you confirming you get this effect on the Z, or the SZ? It's already a well known phenomenon on the SZ I think. (And interestingly I get the same thing from my Samsung X10 laptop if I hold it around the edges sometimes...)

 

Well yea take SZ780 for ex. WHen it came out, it we only had one, just one lousy option in Canada. Aslong as they at least put one pre-config out at a minimum 2.4Ghz cpu speed ill be happy. NOT just a 2.26ghx option, and like i said before I wont go for a CTO most probably.

 

Everyone's out buying their FW!

 

Either that or the MAC. I think we should revive the other thread, what do you think? As slow as it was at the end, people were still posting. Do you have your certification for TPR (Thread Pulmonary Resusitation)?

 

dont know if anybody noticed but you can't pre order the Z anymore. if you click the customize or pre-order link on sonystyle, it returns you to the home page.

not sure if its a mistake or not.

edit:actually i think its just a site error. other links are doing the same thing.

 

the canadian market has never been such a large market for sony in the end, this is why we don't always get the selection such as US or europe.

 

I was struggling to choose between the Z and the SR because the Z-570 (the only Z I want) is $200 over my budget. However, none of the pre-configured SR's comes with the dedicated ATI graphics card. I really do care about the battery life, performance, and weight of a laptop, so I guess the $200 is somewhat well justified, especially when you factor in the other stuff that the Z has and the SR doesn't.

 

to be honest, I actually would have gotten the Z had it NOT been for the following:

1. Price. I mean yes, It's new. It will be expensive, but it's 1,800 base price is pretty crazy. Once you add decent specs and maybe even a warranty...Might as well put a down payment on a car. lol.

However, its benefits could be justified by the price: switchable graphics, carbon casing, aluminum palmrest/keyboard plate, duraview screen:best screen out for the most part, and scratch resistant, advanced cooling, higher resolution, HDMI, smaller form, faster Ethernet option (future proof), supposedly better keyboard, better USB and headphone jack placements, ect..

2. Release date. Way too late. Early september/late august? Most people I know need to go away for school by then. Plus, when Sony means estimated shipping...they mean that's when its going to be built. SO, add another week to that date.

3. Color. Okay, if you're going to make a slick laptop, at least make it black and dark. Not satisfactory grey/metallic. The SZ premium is darker I believe and looks better. The SR looks darker and more awesome black as well as the TZ with black option.

So... if you can stomach the above 3, if they even apply to you, I say.. why not just get the Z? I know if I had the money I would. Especially if it shipped earlier before I need to leave for school. Oh well. Bad planning on Sony's part, in my opinion.

Then again.. this is a professional business laptop, not a back to school deal

 

Where did you hear that? Last I heard the Z will be start shipping around mid august in the US.

 

Read that from people talking to reps. and sony style employees.

Nevertheless, even if it does "ship" mid august, you won't get it till late august, especially if you order CTO. They estimated the SR to be shipped 7/28 and this just began to build them. After building them and shipping... probably won't see them till a week later.

So, if you are thinking you're going to get the Z on 8/15, don't be disappointed when it comes in the 20ths, as far as the trend is going with the SR.

 

Here, in Ukraine the cost of mobile broadband (HSDPA) is around 60$ per month for 15 GB of traffic. It's not so expensive (as for Me)...

 

I was referring to the canadian market not US, and as you mentioned this is not a back to school laptop.

 

Good points!

1) Personally, if I'm going to spend 2k on a laptop, I won't really mind over-spend my budget by 100-200$.
2) I'm also going back to school very soon, but I don't mind using my old Intel T5550 laptop for sometime till the price of the Z comes down a little at other online retailers. My old laptop only has Vista home premium, but I can buy a copy of Vista Ultimate for $10 at my school.
3) I'm not really into the "everything-black" trend. I think the grayish sliver on the Z looks sweet. I thought the black on the SR is a bit too "flat" and "plasticky".

All in all, both the Z and the SR are undeniably awesome laptops when compared to Dell and HP.

 

Why not?

I know it's expensive. But it's light and powerful. It won't be a burden to carry it around, and it can be a pretty fast desktop replacement when you connect it to a external monitor.

 

it is geared towards business people, was even mentioned in the berline press conference, and the price along is a lot for a student if you ask me. Assuming the base price of 1999 is real for Can, then with taxes, depends where one is, (BC for me) comes out to 2200, that is some hefty change to fork over considering tuition is rising here all the time, and cost of living in BC is just ridiculous.

 

Ture, I totally agree. It really is priced to aim at business people.

 

I believe that later on in further refreshes, Sony will release a Z series that is all black. Just look at the SZ trend. The premium SZs started out with a "gunmetal/metalic brown" color & later on after a few refreshes & an Intel platform change (Napa to Santa Rosa), the premium SZs were changed to all-blacks.

 

I agree this was bad planning for Sony. Sony should have had these SR's and Z's available for sale prior to school semester, but what I don't understand is why some of you consider this a professional business laptop. Ok, I agree, the price is expensive for most students, including myself, but I don't think Sony will purposely gear the Z to just business people. Think of all the revenue they could loose. I consider the Z a student laptop as much as it is for business. The Z just has more features than the SR.

See, someone stated it again. I'm a student and I think it's the perfect school notebook. It's light, portable, durable, and well-performed. I must admit, it's over-priced, but how can you settle for the SR if th Z is really the notebook you really want. IMO, wait a few months until you can save the extra money. That way, you get what you want, unless you can settle for the SR or any other comparable notebook. I am willing to tote around a borrowed 15.4 laptop at 7lbs. just to get the Z. I'm not going to rush just because it hasn't arrived stores prior to school semester.

lol......I rest my case.

I saw the Z at the Sonystore. And at first I was hoping for an All-Black version, which I imagine may come out later this year, or early 2009 like Sony did with the SZ Premium, but after thinking about it for a while, I think this may be the best color combination. Why?, because can you imagine that hinge in any other color besides gray? Any other color may make it cheap looking. Do you guys like that black color hinge on the TZ? I personally think it looks cheap and you can tell its plastic. When I saw the Z, I had to tap on the hinge to see if it was plastic or aluminum. Sony did a great job designing that hinge to make it look expensive even though its still made of plastic.
I'm sure Sony will come out with a Premium Z. One can only speculate how great that will look.

Go for what you want no matter if you need to wait a few months. You won't resent it.

 

I don't know where you live but most students here at university rarely have 2 grand for a notebook, let alone a standalone pc. I said it's geared towards business people not only for business people. If one can afford it then one can buy it for whatever one wants.

 

That would work but if you don't have a laptop currently, you have to settle for something now.

TBH, the SR is not THAT bad compared to the Z. It's still miles ahead of other laptops in its price range, in my opinion.

Also, while I find the Z's resolution a bit more appealing on paper...I don't like the shape or ratio of the screen. While it may seem better for OMG TRUE HI DEF, I don't buy into it. I never liked widescreen TV's much because some seem odd and mis proportioned. I don't ever recall having an issue with my CR at 1280x800 resolution anyway.
BUT, if I had the funds and if it came out sooner, I would have probably opted for the Z and sacrificed the small, odd (in my opinion) shaped screen and just got used to it.

 

Many say that 1280x800 resolution on a 13.3" screen (SR) is perfect for a laptop.

 

My uncle is a CA (Chartered Accountent), he's currently looking for a laptop himself, so I suggested the Vaio Z but I said its gonna be pricy though. So I told him he;s loookin at around $2000 and up, so he;s like oh thats great, my budget is around $4000 lol. So as u can see, the Z is geared towards business users and is acutally pretty cheap lol. By the way, he wants a Toshiba eeew. By the way I dont understand why u guys are blaming Sony for the delay, its Intel keep that in mind. They delayed the Centrino 2 dont forget, thats why all new laptops comin out now are all set for mid-aug like Toshiba to.

 

not really intel. the SR and FW and several other laptops use the new intel chips and they are ready to ship now (even some of the SR pre builts just became available to ship tomorrow on sonystyle)

 

I don't think the students here in California are better off financially than where you or anyone is at. All I was trying to say is, if the Z is truly the notebook one is trying to aspire too, why settle? Some people, from another thread have said, they are only $200-$300 away from getting the Z. Saving $200-$300 is within reach and is possibly attainable. On the other hand if you were $700-$1000 away from your budget, then I would suggest to stick to your budget. There's are few people already who are getting the Z and they have went well beyond what they could afford for it, including myself.

I figured if I went and bought the SR, I would find myself still looking and hoping for the Z and probably would not put it to rest until I had one.

And I used the word "GEAR" to reply to your statement. I never intended to define what you stated differently. Actually, I agreed with your statement. I just didn't understand why some considered the Z "geared" to business people other than the fact it had a high price tag that was only affordable by business people. I know of a lot of other students who have 2-3 computers all totaling well over the price of the most expensive Z. They all want a back-up pc just in case one crashes.

 

That is precisely why I have not ordered an SR.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHmvkRoEowc @ 00:43

All you people want is MORE MORE MORE!



In all seriousness, I do agree with you guys somewhat. But, depending on whether you actually LIKE the Z or not is personal.

I personally prefer the resolution the SR offers as well as the overall screen size and shape. If I had the money and if the Z came out sooner, I probably would have sucked up the screen preference and just got the Z.

 

Thank you. So you know exactly where I'm coming from....

 

Absolutely. I have seen an SR, but to make a decision without seeing the Z just did not work well for me.

 

Can u guys not talk about the friggen SR, this is a Z thread. I dont want anything to do or know with SR!!!!!!!! Thank u very much, and good night.