Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 (VPCZ1) Official Owners Thread Part 2

Why after a year and a half am I only getting a little over 2 hours on my standard battery. When I first got the Z12 it was closer to 4-4.5 hours. I should not have seen that much drop off in that amount of time. Anyone else had battery life issues? Any ideas to improve it beyond buying a new battery?

 

Just curious, but what is battery wear as reported by BatteryBar or HWMonitor?

 

I would think that's about normal for any LiIon battery. That's about my experience on my Z11 as well.

I've also experienced worse degradation than that before, with other laptops/batteries.

 

The vaioZ in my sig is still is capable of providing me 3 hours of battery juice after nearly 18 months of continuous use..
Anyway...
This article might get you interested...
Upgrade Your Life: Revive a dying laptop battery | Upgrade Your Life - Yahoo!

 

Mine it states 15% wear, after 1 yr and 4 months. I can still make more than 4hrs for light web browsing. But most of the time I take it off, so that the heat of the notebook while on desk does not deteriorate it. And when I stay at home and move around I charge it up to 80% and only while travelling I I have it at 100%. So I would say it is full time on the laptop only 1/3 of its life.

 

Has anyone purchased a Z off ebay? I found a couple for a resonable prices but i've hesitant to use ebay for something that expensive that could potentially break without any warranty. I also found a Z13 on the sony outlet but it says that it has a 1080p screen (I figured it was a mistake but you never know...). Oh, back on topic, purchasing one from the sony outlet would cost about $300 more but is it worth it for the protection from a defective product?

 

What about warranty and such regarding eBay vs Sony Outlet?

 

I mean is it safe to purchase something like a Z from ebay, because i've always been hesitant about buying laptops from there.

 

Hello guys!

HDMI connection peculiarity

Lately I connected my vaio z to my Bravia 32 inch FullHD flat screen teevee and while viewing a 480p video through it( from the Vaio Z) I noticed that once in a while the pictures just vanish fromthe teevee screen once in every 5 minutes this takes about 2 seconds at a time....
Does anybody have experienced this peculiarity and what was the solution to this?
Thanks!

 

I've purchased used/refurbed Zs from eBay, Sony Outlet, other refurb companies and all have been excellent. Puchasing from Sony is the "safest" because you have up to 30 days to return it for a full refund. Ebay has pretty good buyer protections too, but you have to go through a process, and you will do best to only buy from a seller with over 1,000 transactions and a 100% positive rating, and make sure they either offer to take units back or that they describe the unit as being in mint condition, cosmetically and operationally; then you will be successful getting your money back via eBay if the computer is anything less than as represented.

As for warranties, you can buy coverage for used computers purchased on Ebay via Square Trade, and they are an excellent 3rd party wtty co with superb ratings. You can buy a warranty from either Sony or Square Trade on a refub purchased from Sony. The only edge of the Sony wtty is that you can purchase one that covers Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH), but experiences with Sony warranty claims for operational problems is not very good. Square Trade has a near perfect record for fixing or returning your entire purchase price for the computer within 5 days of making a claim.

The main reasons to purchase from eBay vs. Sony Outlet are:

1) There are still some new, sealed in box Z's for sale on eBay, none from Sony.

2) You can often get a much lower price on eBay, as much as $300-$400 less.

3) You might find a configuration not available after weeks of checking the Sony Outlet - but this can go the opposite way as well

Again, the big advantage of buying from the Sony Outlet is the right to return for a full refund within 30 days.

The best news is that once you have your Z1, wherever the source, if it looks and runs well, it will likely provide you excellent service for a long time to come; these are very reliable computers, and a joy to use.

Good luck.

 

Quick question, I have a z1390x that came with windows 7 pro, upgraded yesterday through windows anytime upgrade and now intel rapid storage tech and vaio care no longer working, they just continue to read the error stopped, and I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling, but no good. Do I need intel rapid storage tech, any help well appreciated.

 

Try downloading and installing the intel rapid storage from intel's site.

 

It is the hinge on my right (while typing at the keyboard).
so this sounds like the right one to try a self repair

 

Just as a point of curiosity, does anyone use their Z as a main computer? I ask because i'm moving into a dorm next semester and I can't bring my desktop with me.

 

^
Yup I use my Z as my main computer.

 

Yes, I use it as main as well (who needs a desktop anyway 'cept maybe the gamers...)

Doesn't mean one can't plug in an external monitor and keyboard tho

 

So do I. It's been brilliant so far.

I see no issue as long as the hard drive your VPCZ1 has is enough space for you, and no hardcore gaming as above.

I found the keyboard surprisingly awesome to type on for such a small computer, and the ambient light sensor for the screen will be good for you as well.

With the high resolution screen, it's easy to become immersed in the computer environment. It's hard to believe that this is all in such a small and portable laptop.

Don't forget to bring headphones or IEMs.

 

Why do you use the Z as your main computer? (I'm not the person who asked above, just curious). Is it the high screen res? Touchpad being decent? KB being okay? Heat output okay (this is one reason why my SC is uncomfortable to use on my lap [hard to find a desk on the go])?

I cannot get myself to use my SC as my main comp so far, mainly because of desktop space (screen res); is the 1080p screen good enough for business users to effectively side-by-side multitask? Is the 900p display good enough? It seems like an unusual resolution to me Either way, I haven't actually used 1080p much, and 900p at all (desktop or laptop), so I don't really know how well those fare in busy situations.

If the Z2 is that much better, I'd be willing to sell my SC and spec a Z2 out. I've seen them in stores, just never actually got to find out what they really were like.


Thank you!

 

To put it in a short way, for me, I can basically say that there's nothing that I need that the Z1 can't do. For one, I'm not a gamer at all.

The high resolution screen would be a big reason why I jumped on the Z1. To say the truth, I nearly jumped on a Dell L502x with it's 1080p screen which I've heard is very good. I just happened to coincidentally find a VPCZ1 at around the same price.

(Did you mean to post in the Z2 thread?)

Something of note about the Z2 unlike the Z1 is that the Z2 doesn't have an inbuilt optical drive or graphics card. (both are available in the "Power Media Dock") Neither model uses a standard 2.5" hard drive if you want to upgrade. It's completely up to you if you feel your VPCSC doesn't work the way you want it to.

By the way, the Z2 costs $3999 in Australia which puts it completely out of my reach and original consideration.

 

Ah, I thought this was the Z2 thread

Thank you for your reply, though. The Z1 is what got me interested in Sony Laptops again (well, and the TZ, but I didn't know what it was at the time).

 

I'm not 100% sure I understand the question. For me I see no reason not to use a laptop as your main computer.

My particular preference for a light powerful machine, like the Z, is that when I am at my desk I use a 1920x1200 monitor and usb keyboard. So in that case there is no awareness that it's a laptop (because fast processor, fast hard drive...).

But when I am on the road, I want the smallest lightest most portable thing I can have, that's where the 13", 2.5 pound, form factor becomes a big advantage.

Given that, I see no disadvantages. I just have 900 line screen by the way. I find it to be just fine for me (especially considering most alternatives are 768 lines anyway).

 

Thank you! I was more curious as to why use the Z as a main computer, and not any other setup (like, can it replace a decent desktop for multitasking?)




=-=-=-=

I had a large post typed here, but I decided to look for the info instead of pestering Z owners

Thank you!

 

I do use it for multi-tasking. With 8GB of memory, 256GB HD, and core i5. It is able to keep up with whatever 200 things I happen to be doing at any one time. I imagine most computers nowadays can handle multiple tasks well enough though.

 

Well, I was more curious on the screen size, but a few searches already answered that for me

Thank you!

 

Is there any way to recalibrate the battery? HardwareMonitor shows a wear level of only 4% on my roughly 1 year old Z12. But I have the problem that there seems to be a huge battery drop at the last 15% remaining. It somewhere between 12 and 15% simply shuts completely down. No controlled shutdown or anything else. Seems that it is completely empty then.

So is there any tool I could recalibrate so I get the actual remaining percentage?

 

I use the 'Z128GG' as my daily computer as I do not have a desktop. It's fast, reliable (so far) and powerful enough to do everything from Lightroom3 + adobe elements, play Dragon age 2 at reduced resolution although it's a little bit slow on framerate, but still playable.

The only problem I've had apart from a new screen (dead pixels) and requesting locktite on the hinges at the same time is that with one of the updates (either Sony or Windows), I have the dreaded nVidia Display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding, but has succesfully recovered error, particularly when using internet explorer. Mostly use stamina mode now which avoids the problem

 

Which nVidia driver version are you using?

 

I don't seem to have the Intel Rapid Storage software installed anymore - must have forgotten to do it when I reinstalled Windows. Is it too late to install it? And if not, is this what I get: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...duct=Intel®+Rapid+Storage+Technology&lang=eng

 

In Device Manager, what items are listed under "Storage controllers" and "IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers"? Also, what hard drive configuration does your VPCZ1 have?

 

I'm running the latest 'Sony' official version that supports dynamic switching.
nVidia 188.80

 

You could try use the official 190.24, but honestly I couldn't see any difference between the two besides the fact that the desktop doesn't change when you close the lid and have another monitor attached.

Sony eSupport - VPCZ13GGX/B - Drivers & Software

 

Anyone with an idea? This really annoys me...

 

Storage: Intel(R) ICH8M-E/ICH9M-E/5 Series SATA RAID Controller
IDE: Ricoh PCIe Memory Stick Host Controller, Ricoh PCIe SD Bus Host Adapter
Configuration: 3x64 SSDs

 

Today I'm gonna pick up a ridiculously low priced Z11 with i5-520M en 128gb SSD. Is there anything in particular I should know about the Z11? Are the SSD's the same as the Z12/13?

 

Pretty much identical other than more cpu options in 12 and 13 and TPM only available in 13.

How low is ridiculously low? can you verify its condition?

 

1/5th of the original ERP. Only have to change keyboard to US keyboard. Will check out condition in person in a few hours before I buy it.

 

The Z11 SSD is not as easy to upgrade as tehe 12/13
the Z11 uses proprietary FFC
the Z12/Z13 use microSATA

that is with the exception of the quad-raid models, all quad raid models use the proprietary FFC

If you want to upgrade the Z11 with after market SSD you can, but you need to buy a different cable.

 

Ok, thanks. I picked it up! Some minor traces of usage on the lid but the rest is mint!

 

Hi everyone, i recently purchase a Sony Z122GX22, basically with 128gb SSD and was wondering if it was possible to replace it and upgrade to a 256gb SSD, without having to remove the optical drive of course.

If yes, how much will it cost me and where to buy it ?

Thanks a lot !

 

If you do not want to remove the OD you need Sony-specific SSD's which you will need to buy from them. Guessing it will be pretty expensive...

Edit: will keyboards from a VGN-Z also fit my VPC-Z?

 

No, the keyboard is glued to the panel and that one is different between VGN and VPC models. I am guessing keyboard is also glued to the panel in VPC - I never checked that.

 

I also found out it has a _slightly_ different form. Looks like I'll have to find a keyboard somewhere else...

Something else. Trying to add the recovery partition to the rest of my SSD drive but how do I do that? It's unallocated space at the moment but I can't resize my main drive? There is 100mb system reserved space between the drives, graphically, in a partition manager. What can I do to get this fixed?

 

I've never been able to readd recovery partition back properly. That's why the first thing I do is make an exact copy of original drive with all partitions intact for backup purposes.

The 100MB partition is added by Windows 7 and it adds that one where it pleases. For instance, with 2 HDs present in the system it may add it on the second drive (so won't be able to replace it without reinstalling the whole system or reimaging the new drive with exact copy of existing).

 

So, if you're looking at a $2k - $3k original retail price (the normal range in the US at least), you paid around $400 - $600? Was there only 1 for sale? Seriously, do be careful as to condition and, frankly, have your eye out for fraud at these prices.

CC: are you just referring to the Zif cable when upgrading SSDs to replace stock ones, or are there other components that use that funky connector? Any other upgrades more difficult on the Z11?

 

Lawl, so I have 9,5 useless gigabytes?

Lol, only 1. She got it from her ex friend and she wanted it cause she likes Sony and loves the design. She didn't even know it had a WWAN modem for example. And she even asked me wether I was paying a good price. She had no idea what she was selling On the other hand, I have to find a US keyboard and I have no idea where to find one. And refurb Z's are available for ok prices too. There was one for 2/5th of the original price, but with 8gb upgrade.

 

I don't think it's that hard to find US Keyboards - I would try eBay first, or start a thread here. If you are finding Sony Z refurbs from Sony at 40% of their original retail price, it would be a great service if you could provide a couple of links; I have never seen one for less than around 60% of ORP.

Sounds like she got herself a real steal. But, knowing what you do, don't you feel a tad guilty not telling her friend what her computer was worth?

 

Can't find any keyboard Not on Ebay USA, UK and Germany. What do you mean by starting a thread here? A "want to buy" thread?

You'd have to look in European outlet stores.
http://outlet.sony.nl
http://outlet.sony.be
http://outlet.sony.fr
http://outlet.sony.de
http://outlet.sony.it
http://outlet.sony.co.uk

But most don't ship outside the home country.

I told her that I got a good price, but that I still have to find a keyboard and install it and also lose my warranty through this. She didn't put in the ad that the keyboard was German, used a Sony pic from the Z21....no, not really feeling guilty

 

Try disabling "wake timers".

My one and only.

How's that palmrest coming along. I remember you were the very first to have posted with that issue.

 

You're right - even, at the least.

By "start a thread 'here'" I mean in the Sony Forum of NBR here. Start a new thread entitled: How do I get a US Keyboard for a German market Z1? Guarantee you will get great help.

 

Hi fellow Vaio Z pros! Recently joined the club with a refurbished 1290. (So far so good).

A couple of questions:
1. Any recommendations on accessories for Vaio Z? Was looking at the cover CVZ2, but the glue sounds painful.
2. The model I bought did not come with the wireless mobile broadband chip, anyone has any experience with installing it via ExpressCard/34?
3. I bought it from Sony Style USA, but am now based in Singapore. I was trying to PURCHASE support for it, but was told that they only provide support in USA. Sony Singapore directed me to Sony USA. What next?
4. What are some of the more common problems/things to look out for?