Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

I turned on fingerprint login just because it simplifies to login vs. typing a password. Because of fingerprint logon, At work I leave the screen saver time period very short (like 5-10min) and I have it require password. No big deal because I just swipe my finger. But if I had to type in a password every time, I wouldn't bother with all that.

Also, it doesn't compromise security to have a windows password, especially if you choose a good quality password. I recommend "rosebud" that one is guaranteed to be secure against all possible attacks

 

may I get some help please?

 

Well, year, I was thinking of my external dvd which has a multiplex usb cable.
But the connector for notebook span only 5 cm, so I have to buy a new multiplex usb cable then, because one usb for the left and one for the right one....

Aha thanx! So I can form the point of connection buy any ssd around!?

Is there anyone who has replaced hdd with sdd so far?
Was it simple? Or were there any tricks?

Jon

 

Am I the only one that thinks the Z's display has poor viewing angles?

Especially in the evening under artificial light there dark / shadowy areas unless you're looking at the screen just at the 'right angle'.

Or did I maybe just get a bad panel?

Comments/feedback appreciated.

 

Hi guys I hope you can help me out please.

I actually owned a Z i5, but sent it back due to the keyboard which I absolutely hated. It was the backlit one and it picked up literally *every* bit of oil/grease (and I have quite oily hands, so this was a major issue for me).

I am revisiting the Z as I liked everything else about it, and wondered if you guys could help me.

If I go with the standard keyboard (not backlit), will they be like the previous VGN-Z (which I owned previous to the VPCZ) which were more plasticy and not "rubbery" and thus didn't have the oil magnet issue...

Thanks in advance for any help, I really appreciate it.

 

The docking station for the new VAIO Z11xx & Z12xx is the VGP-PRZ10.

 

hummm my mistake, I meant Z12X. it says compatibility with Z110 and I tought Z120 wasn't included.

 

I also think the same. The slightest variation makes areas of the screen appear darker or brighter. However, I haven't seen other non-glossy screens at this size and resolution to compare to.

 

I've posted this on another thread but I've seen a few other people have this issue on this thread so I thought I see if I could get a wider response...

I just got my VPCZ12 the other day and like a few other people I have found the colors to be oversaturated.

HTML links, look very neon blue, folders are too yellow... as an example go to Yahoo and their logo is bright purple, a lot more brighter/saturated than on any monitor/screen I've seen.

Trying to adjust the colors via the nVidia and Intel control panels is near impossible to get what matches on every other laptop/lcd moitor screen I've compared it to.

I've also used W7 colour calibration and not great.

Tools like Stryder don't help because they create icc profiles, it's my understanding that icc profiles are only used by programs that support them and usually just for things like images, so things like Windows desktop or IE(except images) don't (that's kinda what I meant by all of windows... excuse the generalisation)

Where this becomes an issue is say I'm building a website and I specify the color of a div to be yellow via hex code, the actual color on screen is not a proper representation of yellow even with calibration, it still comes out brighter/saturated than it should be.

I've also just tested the calibration with an image as a desktop background and it doesn't work, colors are way too warm.

Do we know why the colors are like this or what's causing it?

Has anyone else had any luck in getting the colors to be more natural?

I wonder if this is something Sony can fix?

 

Sorry to bump this but any ideas as I want to place an order soon

I also have an extra question if any if you have the glossy carbon fibre look.. Is it only the lid that's glossy?

Many thanks again.

 

Yes, only the lid that's glossy DanielUK.

 

Ok great, thank you. I saw a video of the glossy lid, it looks great!! I think I will go for that.

I'm just hoping someone here has the Z without the backlit keyboard to tell me if the keyboard is the rubbery one.

Thank you for replying

 

I had a similar issue with the oil on the keys one thing you might consider getting is a keyboard skin they come in different colors and protect not only the keys from oil but from spills and crumbs getting in between. However i would get the clear skin to still be able to take advantage of the back lit keys you may feel differently but its still something to consider. unfortunately sony doesn't sell them for the Z so you'll have to pick one up from ebay from an international seller, but it should get here before your Z does.

 

Hi TigerBone, thanks for the reply.

Yeah, I've seen those skins and I used one but I really didn't like the feel (I'm fussy, I know!). As long as I know the non-backlit keyboard is the plastic type keys then I know I'll be fine.

A quick question for you I see from your signature you returned your first Z and have ordered another one. Any reason why you went from Premium Carbon to Black?

Thanks.

 

I just phoned SonyStyle and they couldn't answer about the keyboard differences between backlit / standard. I am at a loss now so please, if anyone here has a standard keyboard rather than backlit please could you give me any information. It's much appreciated.

 

I understand since I can be fussy with certain things as well but the reason i went with black is because I'm not sure if it had anything to do with quality control, but i noticed the carbon fiber is more prone to scratches due to the nature of the material used and when i received mine it had a slight scratch which was really only visible at certain angles but left me confused since it went straight to my desk from the box, so i wasn't sure if it was done while being packed at the factory. I initially purchased the carbon fiber because i was misled on a review that stated the carbon fiber was more black in color than the actual black model (which is why its good to do your own research if possible). But going to the Sony store in the mall nearby i quickly found it to be the opposite and that even though the black is a paint it appears to be more scratch resistant than the carbon fiber. My credit was finally applied today and i was able to save an additional $250 off with the special offer for savings on upgrades so if you plan to purchase another i think the savings will be good until sunday as stated by the rep

 

Yep I saw the savings for the i7, I really want to get my order placed ASAP just need to know about this darn keyboard!! Thanks again.

 

anytime!

 

I have a couple questions when it comes to running VAIO One Click Care:

1) i keep getting a warning that there are errors in my device manager. But I've checked the device manager and can't see anything wrong. Does anyone else have that problem?

2) i've unchecked the disk defragmenter option on the systen tuneup window, but one-click care will still start the disk defragmenter--even though I don't want it to. We all know that degragmenting the SSD isn't really necessary. So again, is anyone having this problem?

Any solutions?

 

does anyone of you experience cracking sound when opening the lid?

 

From interest, was your scratch in the bottom middle portion, stretching from the battery to the vaio symbol? Curious, because both mine and a colleague' has a scratch in that exact spot similar to what you are describing - only seen at certain angles, indeed you can't actually feel it

 

It was actually on the lid and it went into and across one of the letters in the VAIO symbol, so i knew at that point it was a scratch. As superficial as it is, I feel its bad quality control and the carbon fiber is a more delicate material so its more likely to happen.

 

I will sometimes get the BSOD when Microsoft does an automatic update/restart in the wee hours of the morning. Do you have that option set? If so, turn it off and see what happens.

 

I'd love to use the fingerprint security but it turns out that as one ages, ones fingerprints become harder to scan. And, unfortunately, it's a real problem for me. I can only get about one out of every 3 or 4 scans to work and then only if I lick my finger ahead of time.

 

Yeah sorry I meant on the bottom middle portion of the lid. Mine goes from the battery to the Vaio symbol, it doesn't bother me but I totally agree about the quality control. I wondered whether it was something made by a machine during manufacturer.

 

Hey!!! That's exactly where my scratch is/was. Check the scratch thread for a picture. I originally blamed Sony. Then I blamed Microsoft since it got "signatured" by them but if yours is the same, then I'm back to blaming Sony.

I love my Sony equipment, laptop, camera, etc. But I absolutely hate Sony the corporation. Every interaction I've had with customer service has been horrible. I'll go so far as saying they have no customer service. They are just robots reading off a script. If you don't fit into a path on the script, they will just loop on you. I've looped so many times with some CSRs that they just hang up on me. My scratch was one of those type of calls. As much as I hate Apple, everyone of my interactions with them have been pleasant. Sony can learn a lot from them. It baffles me why Sony CS is so bad in the US, the Japanese in Japan are quite customer oriented.

 

Why do you hate Apple?

 

Hey guys, just ordered one and split the cost with my parents for college! Facken sweet! Was originally ordering the Asus u33jc but saw the Vaio Z and jizzed in my pants. Planning on making it last 4 years if possible. Ordered along with the Razer Orochi, Razer Kabuto Mouse Pad, and Case Logic 13 inch black laptop sleeve. Can't wait for it to arrive! Ships 8/3/10 which is too long dammit bahahah.

Customization Details
- Intel® Core™ i5-540M processor (2.53GHz)
- 4GB (2GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1066
- 128GB (64GBx2) Solid State Drive with RAID 0
- CD/DVD Player/Burner
- Black
- Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Price: $2100

 

How many hours a day do you look at the Z's 13.1" display. Or do you hook up to an external display often?

Do you think it's suitable to use a 13.1" screen 4, 6 or more hours day or would you go with a larger screen size, such as a 15 or 17" notebook if you're on it that many hours?

 

Hi,
Are you using the latest version 6.1?

As for disk defrag, I unticked this from the options as default was set on & now it does the clean up but no defrag.

I would suggest re-installing vaio care to see if that resolves your issue,

Cheers,
T

 

I scanned all my fingers and I have noticed that my index fingers do not get recognized as readily as the others. Maybe those are more 'beat up'.

 

It's not your fingers. It's the crappy fingerprint scanner on the Z. On my Thinkpad, 90% of the time it scans correctly. On the Z, I give up 90% of the time after scanning about 10 times. It's a waste of time on the Z. I wish I could rip out the scanner and replace it with a middle mouse button.

 

On the flip side, the Z's finger reader is so much better than anything I have used before (Viao SR). Hit rate is 90%+, nice and easy!

 

I too find the Z's fingerprint reader great - I'm probably hitting 95% accuracy, and every time it fails I know I didn't swipe right. Now my SZ, on the other hand, has maybe a 30-50% success rate.

 

No, really, it's the fingers/age thing. My wife became a notary here in California and had to go through an FBI fingerprint scan and everything and had a lot of trouble with it. They explained the issue and had her use some special cream that helped. But even with the cream it took two or three sessions before they could get a good set.

I have a much younger friend with a Thinkpad and where he got a 90+% hit rate on it, I could only get about a 20% hit rate.

 

anyone experiencing this?

 

Actually, I'm using 5.1.0.....

But apparently it's the latest version in the US. I looks like you're in the UK. Maybe you guys have a more recent version out there. I wonder if there would be any harm in installing that version if I can find it?

 

Yes it's been documented in the thread. I did a search for "lid" and found a discussion starting on page 520: http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...7-official-owners-thread-520.html#post6317878. I don't think this is the only discussion of this either.

 

I purchased a new VAIO Z a couple weeks ago and it is great except that it has bluetooth problems. My configuration is as follows:

 Large Capacity Battery
 4GB (2GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1066
 Blu-ray Disc™ Player/Burner
 Engraving
 Intel® Core™ i7-620M processor (2.66GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz (Reg. price $150.00)
 13.1" VAIO Full HD Premium Display (1920x1080)
 Premium Carbon Fiber
 128GB (64GBx2) Solid State Drive with RAID 0 Technology


I have installed Windows 7 Ultimate (I have an MSDN subscription) and gotten all the drivers configured correctly. I have tried various different bluetooth drivers also, the ones that shipped with the computer, the generic windows drivers, and the latest drivers from broadcom (using their update program)

The bluetooth issue is most annoying. I use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse in my office with the computer hooked up to a Sony BRAVIA HDTV via HDMI. The mouse and keyboard drop out every minute or two for about 15 seconds. Sony sent a tech to my house to replace the BT module to no avail. I have restored the system back to factory default via the restore DVDs and I get the same problem. The way I have fixed the problem for now is to get a $20 Targus USB to Bluetooth adaptor from staples. That works fine with the latest Broadcom drivers (dowloaded via their update program)

I have checked that the bios is up to date and it is. I really love the computer, it is fast, plays blu-ray perfectly on the 1080P screen. Everything is great except for this annoying bluetooth issue.

I only have one more idea to test the bluetooth functionality to detirmine if it is hardware or software... and that is to install XP 64bit and see if the problem with bluetooth remains. My theory is that if the bluetooth devices work in XP x64 then the problem is some sort of Win7 driver issue/conflict... but if the bluetooth does the same thing it is definitely some sort of hardware problem.

The tech has ordered a new motherboard for my Z and he is going to call me when it comes so that he can come and replace it. I want to determine if it is a hardware issue before he comes and tears the thing apart.

Way earlier in this thread there was some discussion about the resolution difference between 1600x900 and 1080P. I have a 1080P screen and I wouldn't trade for anything. The pre-installed software config has the DPI changed so everything is big on the screen. I installed Win 7 Ultimate clean and I have left the DPI at the default. I appreciate the high res when using Visual Studio 2010. The only time that it has been an issue is when showing something to a client. In that situation it is very simple to just knock down the resolution for the duration of the presentation or use an external device. The screen is dense and things are small at a high res but I am used to this, my previous work computer is a UX 490N with a 4.5" 1024x600 screen... and things are even smaller on that.

A couple other things to note with the BT issue. My A2DP heaphones don't work at all with built in BT, (work fine with targus adapter)
If I use only the BT mouse and the not the BT keyboard I still get a drop out but only maybe once every hour... not once every couple mins
The keyboard and mouse work flawlessly with my UX490N (never drop out)
I am using the Microsoft BT Keyboard 6000 and Microsoft BT Mouse 5000.
I am entertaining the idea of buying a different BT mouse to see if it is some weird conflict... although A2DP doesn't work at all so there is some sort of problem in there.

Any thoughts on my problem? Anyone have a similar problem with their Z?


[EDIT] I just tried installing XP x64 and I get a BSOD... I tried slipstreaming SP2 into the XP x64 disc and I still get a BSOD when it is "Starting Windows"
Not sure how you are supposed to install it. Perhaps I need to use the third party SCSI/RAID drivers step... but I don't have a USB floppy and I don't think XP supports USB sticks for loading drivers.
This is very annoying!
[/EDIT]

 

thanks a lot! i was looking for this thread as well...

 

Good Day

I am in South Africa and I have my Eye on the Sony Vaio Z127 and Z129

I like the fact that the Z127 has the built in 3G, But I like that the Z129 has the 256GB SSD and the i7

So I have 2 questions;
1. Can I install a 3G card in the Z129. Would something like this work (or similar) -

2. Could I upgrade the SSD in the Z127 to 256GB? I know it is that whole complicated 4 x SSD RAID thing...

Any and all help will be kindly appreciated

 

It looks like the SSDs us the small ZIF connector like the VAIO UX. I think you could upgrade them but I have heard that you can only upgrade them with proprietary replacements from Sony. I would like a clear answer on this also... If the can take regular ZIF SSDs then you could purchase them from RunCore or some other similar vendor and do it yourself.

I bought my Z with dual 64 GB SSD with the intention of upgrading them later. I decided to purchase the blu-ray drive, i7 chip and carbon black color since I can't change that stuff later. I plan to upgrade to 8GB of ram at some point also.

 

So after trying to install XP x64 and creating a slipstream disk with the Intel RAID drivers on them I got a message that the RAID drivers aren't for x64 Windows. It seems that the XP support for the Z is limited to XP x86... fine so I created an XP x86 disc with SP3 slipstreamed and the Intel RAID drivers included on the disc, but I still get a BSOD at the "Starting Windows" step after it loads all the drivers. I'm not sure how to get XP installed on this thing to test if Bluetooth works properly under XP. I've made about 10 install CDs so far and none are working... this is very frustrating.

I am curious to know if anyone else has similar issues with Bluetooth on their Z series laptop. Like I said above the issue occurs on the factory install of Home Premium and on the clean install of Ultimate. I have tried 3 different drivers, the ones that come with windows, the ones that Sony ships and even brand new ones from broadcom (version 6.3.5.430 from 4/8/2010)

Aside from testing it under XP, which I haven't been able to do, I am out of ideas on how to troubleshoot this issue.

 

When I first got my Z, I recall that I had this exact same problem with my existing Vaio bluetooth mouse (which I had been using for 4 years on a different Vaio).

Eventually I solved the problem by getting a different mouse. I got a Microsoft bluetooth mouse and it didn't cut out every 2 minutes.

I believe others solved it by upgrading their bluetooth drivers after Sony published an update.

 

Yes, it was fixed with a bluetooth firmware update

 

I found this link Sony VPCZ112GX Notebook Broadcom Bluetooth Firmware Update for Windows 7 64-bit

I have downloaded and installed the firmware from there. It definitely did an upgrade because I ran it twice and the second time it said that I would be re-flashing the same thing.

I guess now I'll wait and see if it happens again. I have the mouse and Keyboard Paired... now I'm going to try A2DP


[EDIT] A2DP still not working [/EDIT]

 

Just returned extended 2 years service plan by calling to sony. They also confirmed that CTO models are not a subject to price match. Not a big regret for me ($50 difference), but could be more significant to ones how ordered 512GB SSD and 8GB ram models.

As promised, some highlights on using my recently received Z laptop. Overall, I find it very good and so far no serious drawbacks.

1) FHD Screen is very good. no stuck or dead pixels noticed, at 125% DPI everything looks great with no blur. Images looks fantastic as they're not affected by DPI. I can always zoom in in browser or Office, and standard windows elements look big enough. View angles are enough for my personal usage and OK to view movies with my wife. Colors are bright and most probably over-saturated, but I don't care too much - no regrets at all about FHD option.
Auto-brightness works good for me - not sure why many guys blame it. It makes screen brighter or dimmer when it's appropriate, and I still can alter it manually afterward.
2) Speakers are also good enough for me. On max volume they sound quite loud and quality isn't as bad as I expected. High quality files play absolutely OK for my ears. No disappointment here.
3) CPU fan is audible, but quite. In silent rooms (you know what I mean ) this can be annoying for some. It's definitely not load or obstructive; when viewing movies, being outside or with opened windows I can't notice it. No problem here.
This is all about low CPU load. When I start Windows Index calculation in Speed mode, fan becomes loud and noticeable very quickly. It also blows lot of hot air to the left of laptop, so ensure no one is sitting close to you.
4) Screen is very thin and looks agile. It strikes the body sharply when I close the lid. Just read there is some magnet there. Doesn't want to use any padding between the screen and the keyboard, hopefully there won't be any serious tracks from the keys. Again, nothing actually bad.
5) Laptop is built very well, except for known feature with small vertical battery move. I read there are gaps for moments when battery getting warmer during charge; strange no such issue for other laptops. No practical problem, but can be discouraging initially.
b) Was a bit surprised to see tray-load DVD drive. I believed slot-load are used to save space.
c) Oh, the premium carbon fiber finish. It looks nice, but not super fascinating. Reading last posts about it getting scratched, I don't think it's worth $50. Haven't seen normal black in real, I still think I will go for it (or silver) next time. Metal Shield may be a different thing.
d) Charger pin that is put inside laptop looks like made of cheap plastic. Read it was much better on previous Z series.
6) Keyboard is very pleasant to touch and keys move is good. For me it's very inconvenient there are no hardware pagedown / home keys. I personally think there is a place where to put them.
7) Laptops is fast with i5 and DDR3, very quite due to SSD usage - that's obvious and true. Haven't tested graphics as I don't need it very much. Wireless works ok.
8) I got 1-2 blinks on laptop start, and they're very very rapid. Not a worry at all.

Thanks everyone who assisted me before the purchase; ahsan.mughal in particular.

 

^ Nice review Looks like you are loving the notebook .

I just don't like the speakers :sad:. My old Sony SZ speakers were way better. Other than that, this laptop is FAST and I absolutely love it

I gotta call Sony and return my extended warranty too, which I almost forgot until reading your review

 

Thought I'd mentioned this, this is very important, especially if you use VAIO Care.



Under System care, if you run the Tune-Up, it will do a disk defrag and as we all know is a big No no for SSD drives. So go into settings and under system tune-up, disable "Enable Hard disk defragmenter"

I really don't know how they could even enable this on a SSD based system, the average use will simply see tune-up and run it.

 

What's the difference between Hard Disk Defragmenter and Hard Disk Cleaner? Also, do you advice leaving a check mark on the rest of it as shown on your screen shot? Thx.