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    Official VAIO Z Core 2 Duo Series Owners Thread

    Discussion in 'VAIO / Sony Owners' Lounge Forum' started by DiscCollector, Jul 15, 2008.

  1. rizzobox

    rizzobox Notebook Guru

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    I'm buying a model called VGN-Z11VN/B from the Swedish sonystyle.se. Is this a "bad" CTO or a good build?
     
  2. exetlaios

    exetlaios Notebook Evangelist

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    Yeah, Conics has an excellent customer service. Also the prices doesn't seem so bad...for sure better than in Europe and also comparing with P1 is cheaper.

    Specs that I'm looking:

    Large Battery
    2.53 ghZ
    4 GB RAM
    Blu-ray Drive
    1600x900 (256MB vram)
    320 GB HDD
    TPM Fingerprint sensor
    English Vista Home Premium
    3 years Accidental Warranty
    Price: 3570$ in Conics
     
  3. stevod

    stevod Notebook Evangelist

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    Does anyone know if there's an official launch date for the intel x4500 graphics chip?

    Stephen
     
  4. Tomassi

    Tomassi Notebook Consultant

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    This definitely is far more expensive than sonystyle and P1.
     
  5. -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=-

    -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=- Notebook Evangelist

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    for CTO"ers, Just look back a few threads and u'll see what I wrote about CTO laptops.



    -=FuNkY HoUsE DiScO JaZZ MuZiK FoR LiFe=-
     
  6. roycer

    roycer Notebook Consultant

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    Hey Toronto Guy, have you ever considered ordering a Z from P1 or Conics?

    To all the future Z owners, are you going to downgrade to XP or are you going to keep the Vista? I'm really not sure what to do!
     
  7. MegaMan X

    MegaMan X Notebook Evangelist

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    thinking about going to 64bit vista ultimate when i get it.
     
  8. stevod

    stevod Notebook Evangelist

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    It'll be a 'downgrade' to XP immediately for me.

    S
     
  9. swisstoni

    swisstoni Notebook Enthusiast NBR Reviewer

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    Just ordered my Z11MN/B - should be a step up from my SZ2VP.

    I'm planning on seeing how vista copes with 4 gig, but more than likely downgrading to XP, or running a hackintosh!
     
  10. nickzx6rr

    nickzx6rr Guest

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    What about the drivers for win XP on the Z? Will they be offered on a seperate CD-ROM when downgrading toXP or will they be available on the sony website for download, like with the TZ for example?

    Maybe quite a specific question, but is there somebody who knows where they would have a Vaio Z on display in a (sony)store in The Netherlands? PhilFlow any suggestions maybe?
     
  11. Yeeze

    Yeeze Notebook Consultant

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    I will definately be downgrading to XP, and installing Ubuntu =)
    I also thought about installing Leopard, but will the current Leopard run on Centrino2?
     
  12. swisstoni

    swisstoni Notebook Enthusiast NBR Reviewer

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    I guess I'll try the Vista drivers first, then go from there. Without opening the can of worms again, I can't get over how slow Vista's been from my experience!

    I'm currently using Mac OSX, and I'm really starting to like it - just a shame Apple don't make a 13" Mac Book Pro, I'd be tempted! Or perhaps an air with meatier specs.
     
  13. -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=-

    -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=- Notebook Evangelist

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    No, ill only buy directly from Sony, just my personal preference I guess. I don't like getting delicate items such as laptops shipped, as they get banged and tossed around during shipping. And like P1 said, you gotta pay all that duty tax's and bullshi. If I were you guys, just avoid shipping stuff, and stay away from CTO's, my advise to you from me.


    Yours truely,

    Toronto Guyy
     
  14. rizzobox

    rizzobox Notebook Guru

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    I guess CTO stands for something like Custom.... so if like I said I buy a VGNZ11VN/B.CEK from sonystyle.se (It can't be configured there) I should be allright yes?
     
  15. -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=-

    -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=- Notebook Evangelist

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    Yea u'll see different options as a whole package without it saying 'Customize' on the side. Then you know its a preconfig.
     
  16. roycer

    roycer Notebook Consultant

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    Will the downgrade dvd be all I need to properly run XP after downgrading from Vista? Or will I need other drivers/downloads to make XP run smoothly? I've just been reading some posts in this forum saying the downgrade DVD isn't enough.
     
  17. stevod

    stevod Notebook Evangelist

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    I think someone already wrote - either in this thread or the other big Z thread - that all the drivers are available in two zip files from Sony as a download.

    Does anyone have the link to this?

    (It's what I want to do too)

    S
     
  18. -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=-

    -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=- Notebook Evangelist

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  19. ac500

    ac500 Notebook Evangelist

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    -=ToRoNtO-GuYY=-: Nice. That video shows perfectly how it's like opening the Z with one hand (it's hard to describe) - possible, but it's so light you kind have to do it slowly. Also you may notice the extra button above the top-right of the keyboard - that's a secondary CD eject button, although when I tried it, it had a ~1 second delay compared to the actual eject button on the CD tray, probably because it's done through software.
     
  20. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    I'm really happy that I decided to go with a Z because the other review on the SR is not looking so look IMO, especially the screen.
     
  21. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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  22. duffyanneal

    duffyanneal Notebook Deity

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    The screen on the SR is actually very good. The reviewer was comparing the SR screen to an MVA/IPS screen, which would put any TN screen (including the Z) to shame for viewing angles and contrast. IMHO the SR display compares nicely to my TZ display. From what I've been told the Z display is as good if not better than the TZ. If that is true I can't wait to see one. FYI, as a reality check even the cheapest VAIO display is better than the majority of notebooks on the market. It's a good problem to have.
     
  23. The-Edge

    The-Edge Notebook Enthusiast

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    Man I am SO with you on this! When I go overseas I use a different sim chip in my phone that I use in the US as well. I have an old TZ that had the cingular-then-at&T option. Works great! Now I am literally going to PAY for a modem I will never have any use for.
     
  24. SoundsGood

    SoundsGood Notebook Virtuoso

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    Which review is that?
     
  25. SoundsGood

    SoundsGood Notebook Virtuoso

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    And which laptop uses an IPS panel ??
     
  26. duffyanneal

    duffyanneal Notebook Deity

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    It was an older Asus V6va. The display was probably similar to the unit that Lenovo phased out on the T60 due to the manufacturer ceasing production. I'm not aware of any current production notebooks with IPS/MVA displays. There are some hybrid BOE-Hydis displays on some tablets but that is a totally different technology.
     
  27. SoundsGood

    SoundsGood Notebook Virtuoso

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    Too bad. That would be very nice.

    I'm looking forward to seeing the Z's screen. Personally I found the SR's screen to look outstanding. If the Z's is better, it will be impressive. Small, but impressive. ;)
     
  28. duffyanneal

    duffyanneal Notebook Deity

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    After spending all day working on my work issued T60 the SR is like a little bit of heaven. I don't doubt that the display on the Z will be superb in comparison to what is available on the notebook market. I somehow doubt the 100% color claim. IF what Sony is trying to claim is that the display will be able to reproduce 100% RGB output I would find that very hard to believe. There are displays used by professionals that cost thousands that have difficulty displaying 100% RGB. Maybe, Sony is referring to 100% NTSC or PAL color. Anyone?

    For comparison, here is a test of the TZ display. The ideal display will cover the entire color gamut. The larger the triangle the better.

    [​IMG]


    Here is the wonderful display on my Thinkpad.

    [​IMG]



    Last one..here is the SZ display which has received good reviews.

    [​IMG]
     
  29. roycer

    roycer Notebook Consultant

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    Does anyone have the link to the zip files with the drivers? Are these drivers specific to the Z series?

    Also, if I had a copy of XP Pro, would it be better for me to erase the Vista all together and do a clean install of XP Pro?
     
  30. Geeee

    Geeee Notebook Deity

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    Just linked to Conics; though I plan on purchasing my Z through a retail store here in the US (preconfigured)which I'm sure will offer a variety of options, I was curious to find out the price of my 2 ideal Z's. My budget is about $2100. I may splurge and go up to $2500 (but, absolutely no more than that). As you can see, it won't get me nearly everything I want in the Z. WOW!

    $3382.81 USD BLU-RAY DRIVE, 1600x900
    1st Battery Sony 7-11 hr Standard
    - Colour Black
    - CPU Core 2 Duo P9500 (2.53GHz)
    - Hard Drive 320GB 5400RPM
    - Keyboard US English
    - LCD WXGA (1600x900) 256MB VRAM
    - Memory 2x 2GB (4GB total) 3GB under 32bit Vista
    - Optical drive Blu-Ray Multi-Burner
    - Security Fingerprint sensor & TPM
    - Warranty 3 year warranty
    - Web Camera 310K Pixel Motion Eye Internal
    - Windows Version English Vista Home Premium
    - WWAN (HSDPA) Not required (good choice)

    OR

    $4238.37 2x64 SSD (Raid O), 1366x768
    1st Battery Sony 7-11 hr Standard
    - Colour Black
    - CPU Core 2 Duo P9500 (2.53GHz)
    - Hard Drive 2x 64GB SSD (RAID 0)
    - Keyboard US English
    - LCD WXGA (1366x768) 128MB VRAM
    - Memory 2x 2GB (4GB total) 3GB under 32bit Vista
    - Optical drive DVD multi-burner
    - Security Fingerprint sensor & TPM
    - Warranty 3 year warranty
    - Web Camera 310K Pixel Motion Eye Internal
    - Windows Version English Vista Home Premium
    - WWAN (HSDPA) Not required (good choice)

    After looking at these prices, I'm not sure what to do. I may just buy one at my allocated budget, or wait for the next Z, maybe Z6 or Z7 or even the Premium Z which may be a year from now.

    Z7, Premium Z - maybe not that long. Decisions! Decisions! Decisions!:cry:
     
  31. duffyanneal

    duffyanneal Notebook Deity

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    Very pricey for sure. Newegg will probably have a couple pre-config models for sale. Guaranteed they won't have everything you want, but the price may be a bit easier to swallow.
     
  32. SoundsGood

    SoundsGood Notebook Virtuoso

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    Wow... now that's expensive! :eek:
     
  33. lithium

    lithium Notebook Consultant

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    http://www.sony-europe.com/pressrelease/id/1215514458989"...the panel delivers 100% colour fidelity – equivalent to 100% of the NTSC format colour space." It seems like they're claiming it can do it all.
     
  34. iceman2654

    iceman2654 Notebook Enthusiast

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    I visited the Sony Store at Eaton's today. No VAIO Z yet...but since I'm at Ryerson alot I'll be sure to check often!
     
  35. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    Yea I know the difference between a TN screen and a IPS screen, I'm quite picky on computer monitors. However, I still expected more of the SR's screen.
     
  36. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    They are going to come up with a premium Z? I thought the 590 IS the premium Z.

    So what kind of extra stuff do you think the future premium Z (if there ever will be one) will have? I mean, unlike the SZ, the normal Z already has carbon fiber lid, LED backlit screen, and high resolution. I don't see any other stuff they may possibly add to the already existing Z other than newer processors and graphics card.
     
  37. ac500

    ac500 Notebook Evangelist

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    The Z is already "premium" - carbon fiber, full brushed aluminum palmrest and backplate, super light, amazing screen, etc., etc.! How much more "premium" can it get?

    And isn't it a little early to start speculating about future Z models when the first one isn't even in stores yet??
     
  38. Geeee

    Geeee Notebook Deity

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    I guess what I mean by Premium is a refresh of the Z. I've always been a big fan of 13" screens. My first 13" was a Sony "S600". It was first introduced as an S4, but it wasn't until the S6 did Sony refreshen that series. Thereafter, the SZ Magnesium was introduced. But not far behind it was the Premium SZ Carbon. I think it would be safe to assume, based on previous 13" series, that Sony will refresh the Z to be more appealing rather than old and boring. I think I used the word "Premium" too loosely. Your right, the 590 is premium to other configurations, however, would you agree that 1 - 1/half years from now that the Z will have at least some cosmetic enhancement like the SZ with it's Carbon casing and all black look.

    I think there will be a lot more that can be done with these laptops in the near future. Did you ever think 5 years ago that you would ever see the kind of technology in these Z's. I think 5 years ago, I had the Z1 (14.1) when Intel Centrino M was introduced, right after Pentium I, II, III, and IV. It's a given that technology is never-ending, and something will always surpass even the most expensive and premium Z later on.

    I think it would be ok to assume and speculate that there will definitely be a refresh on the Z based on Sony's previous behavior with these models. But your right (lol), why even discuss this any further when the Z hasn't even hit our laps as of yet.
     
  39. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    Yes, I do agree that the Z will get a small facelift in a year or two like the SZ. However, I do not think it will be anything more than a change of color since the current Z already has carbon casing. But for these kind of stuff, we may never know for certain what's going to come next.

    Lol. I was thinking of a SUPER SUPER PREMIUM Z when you used the term "premium" because there was a HUGE difference between the premium SZ and the normal SZ IMO. You know, I also like the idea of Sony announcing a premium Z (with cosmetic enhancements), but I just can't imagine what more "bling bling" can they put on the already super sweet looking Z.

    I actually like the current grayish silver keyboard/palm rest. I'm not really into all that "all-black" trend.


    PS: Actually...you may be right about waiting for the next Z... Remember how the SZ 1 got all kinds of small but really annoying problems (non-responsive spacebar, battery leakage, Sony logos got robed off by the stamina/speed switch)?
    They solved all the problems by SZ6/7. But again, I can't wait to get my hands on the Z! I just hope Sony had learned from all their problems before designing the Z.
     
  40. roycer

    roycer Notebook Consultant

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    Does anyone know what would happen if I did an XP downgrade from Vista and did not install the subsequent drivers?

    Again, anyone know the link to the drivers needed after the downgrade?
     
  41. Geeee

    Geeee Notebook Deity

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    lol...nah, sorry 'bout that. I meant to say cosmetic change. Did you ever consider maybe titanium can be a material Sony Can use on these laptops. Not only is titanium durable, but it is ultra lite. Interesting to find out which material is better, titanium or carbon? I'm sure titanium is so EXPENSIVE!
     
  42. ac500

    ac500 Notebook Evangelist

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    Well, I guess they could make a SUPER SUPER PREMIUM Z with titanium chassis, gold trim, diamond encrusted buttons, and cut ruby keys.

    But seriously, how else could the Z be improved, other than just cosmetics like a change in colors or a carbon fiber weave? Other than cosmetic changes, the Z is about as premium as it gets.

    The SZ was different - it came in a magnesium model (low end, corresponding to the SR now) and carbon fiber (high end, corresponding to the Z now). The Z is the new premium SZ.
     
  43. wc2810

    wc2810 Notebook Consultant

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    So, um, why is the P8400 -> P8600 upgrade $50 on a CTO SR and $100 on a CTO Z? Just seems illogical.
     
  44. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    Interesting point!

    hum...I haven't heard of any cars made out of titanium...

    IMO, if Sony ever come up with a titanium Z, the raw material cost of titanium probably isn't going to be a big contributing factor to its price. In other words, it's gonna be expensive not because the titanium is expensive, but because Sony's aggressive pricing (in the other direction) for their premium goodies.
     
  45. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    It's actually pretty logical from Sony's point of view.

    If you can REALLY afford a Z, you won't care about the price difference. If you can't afford it, you would get a SR.

    Also, remember that you almost always have to pay a premium for a premium item, especially if it's made by Sony.
     
  46. Jparity

    Jparity Notebook Evangelist

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    I totally agree.

    I guess from Sony's point of view, the SR is like the normal SZ (other than being a CR successor), and the Z is like the premium SZ.
     
  47. uniquestco

    uniquestco Notebook Evangelist

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    does anyone have an idea of when the Z may be available in Canada?
     
  48. Elemido

    Elemido Notebook Enthusiast

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    So today I went to the Sonystyle store at Copley Place in Boston and took a photo of the 1600 by 900 px Z next to the 1280 by 800 px SR. IMO, The Z reproduces colors more accurately and has a brighter backlight. Click here for the photo. I hope it's clear enough as I used just a 2.0 mp phone camera
     

    Attached Files:

  49. roycer

    roycer Notebook Consultant

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    I don't think anyone knows for sure. The wait is absolutely killing me. Toronto Guy stated that a SonyStyle rep said August 7-8 is the day we can preorder.


    Question: Any reason why so many of you will be opting for the XP downgrade? Hasn't Vista been improved with SP1?
     
  50. Hybr1dz

    Hybr1dz Notebook Consultant

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    Great comparison pic! Gives me a better idea what the 1600x900 screen would look like relative to the SR's native resolution. Thanks!
     
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