Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

Ok, I am confused. I called Sonystyle Canada a few minutes ago because the docking station for the new Z is now available, and I wanted to buy one to take advantage of my online accessory coupon. I asked if a power adapter comes with the docking station, and he said no docking station comes with a power adapter. I thought there are docking stations in the USA website that comes with power adapters, including those for Z models. What is going on? Is this the right info?

 

Is it normal that the battery needs 3h30 for a full charge??

 

The cooler master output voltage isn't exact to sony power adaptor output specs. Does that cause any problems in the long term?

 

You got a link?

I searched for "Level 8" at the Apple store as well as Google turned up nothing with regards to laptop bags.

 

The Sony Z119 has expresscard slot as port3, with nothing occupying port4 as shown here. Means can switch it into x1E mode, which would probably get a HD5750 3dmark06 ~13k, HD5770 would be ~13.5k, HD58xx > 14k. These numbers do not reflect the 20% faster FPS you see in games that are not cpu-bound.

 

My docking station (model VGP-PRZ10) came with an AC adapter. I'm in the US, but it's hard for me to imagine there is a separate Canadian version without the adapter. I'd try another customer service rep to be certain.

-T

 

Are these the same as the Z 'phones? http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00007EDM0/ref=nosim/?tag=hotukdeals-21

 

nice...what were your settings to achieve that (on stamina I assume) ?

 

nice mini review! I am coming from an ibm x40 so I have very similar thoughts to you.

This one in particular I could not agree more. It's very confusing!

 

No, those look completely different. The Z ones do not have the control box that you see in that picture. I can see a model number of MDR-N0021 on them but google was not my friend this time.

Behind each earplug is a small oval rectange that says Sony
The part that goes in your ear is offset at about a 45 degree angle.
Most peculiar of all: From the junction point, the cable for the right ear is about 4 times longer than the one for the left

 

Hey

Just an update to my situation with the stuck pixels...i had to call into customer relations today and basically what they are telling me is im stuck with this computer and i cant return it since it is a cto and there is no way of me getting a replacement at all even though i only got the computer last week.

Their reasoning was that 3 or 4 stuck pixels on the screen is acceptable. I asked them if i had bought the laptop from the store they would have taken it back no problem and he agreed with me. So basically if you decide to buy it from the store you would be better off cause it would be easier to return.

The only thing they told me to do was bring it into a sony repair centre so a tech can check out the problem and see if it needs to be replaced.

This whole experience has left me disappointed and in the future i would only be buying from a sonystyle store where their return policy is easier. So word of caution to anyone in canada that wants to order a cto computer from sonystyle.ca. All sales are final on all cto computers...so if any problem arises you cannot return your computers only can be sent out for repairs.

Ive waited to long for this computer and i dont think i can wait another 2 or 3 weeks to have it repaired..i have settled on having it as is but am dissapointed on sonystyle.ca return policies.

 

Mate, don't get shafted like that! Whatever the online return policy is with CTOs, it doesn't mean it is the actual law in your country.

Every country has a consumer rights law of some shape or form. Research it and quote it. Most times retailers would buckle and provide you with options / resolutions.

No one, and I am positive 9/10 countries would have consumer rights to represent this, should accept a product that is not fit for its purpose. You never said to yourself, "I would like a laptop with stuck pixels" when you bought it, so you have every right to return it and get one that's not faulty (again, Sony's policy is not law).

Demand my friend, demand! Vaios aren't cheap!

 

OMG I feel for u.. And thx for advice not to do future purchases online...

 

Have you tried calling back and try talking to a different rep? Perhaps the person you got was not having a very good day... But I agree, I would expect a +$2000 laptop to have zero dead/stuck pixels.

 

Yeah i always get shafted when it comes to things like this its my luck..i wish i had just bought the basic config from the sony store

but they said that apparently their policy for stuck or stuck pixels is something like 10 or more or if they are in a cluster then they would deem it unacceptable....ive called in to every department at sonystyle.ca and they your out of luck...the really disappointing thing was that this system set me back alot of money and i feel that i got a subpar item...

and yes i called and talked to numerous reps and they all said the same thing ...item cant be returned and can only be sent out to the repair centre to be checked out my a repair tech and then depending on the repair tech it would be up to that person to authorize a repair...so in the end there are no guarantees that the repair tech would say this screen is no good ...they could very well say it is within the acceptable limits and wont repair it

 

Have you tried a stuck pixel fixer application like Jscreenfix? http://www.jscreenfix.com/ Give this a try and see if it can fix the stuck pixels.

 

What are the settings that contributed to your great battery life?? I'm really trying to figure this out.

 

I have changed my refresh rate to 40hz, and it has only given me an additional 20 min of battery. Any other ideas?
(Thanks by the way)

 

Hi guys, would a refresh rate of 40 be real bad for the eyes....?

 

I haven't noticed a difference.

 

«yeah ive tried using that program and it doesnt help the problem....

 

Question: Can you put a stop on the payment method (credit card, I presume)? Then you have some arguing room.

 

Yes I agree.

Again, I would recommend looking at your country's consumer rights / protection laws and quoting that during your negotiations with Sony.

It just wrong for them to ask you to accept 4 malfunctioning pixels on a high-end machine.

 

i didn't do anything fancy with the charge or wait until i ran it down or go through 3 entire cycles or whatever. just used it when i felt like it and charged when i felt like it.

in terms of the settings, i modified the "power saver" program when the computer runs on battery. it includes 16 bit color quality and a 40hz refresh rate. i could not discern any degradation in video quality while on the plane, though i bet it'd be obvious if one were to do side by side.

dvd drive was turned off, wireless was off, anti-virus was turned off since i didn't have internet on the plane. i'm also pretty anal about which processes are running.

the keyboard backlight was left on and i left the screen as bright as i wanted. since the plane was dark, didn't need much brightness though.

could also help that i only have the i5 processor & not i7.

 

I am answering my own question about why the right side wire is longer. It is designed to wrap around he back of your head so only the one wire hangs in front (below the left ear).

 

OK, i had a some hope that it would be possible to mod/unlock it, but I guess the ols Z (and others) don't have the same module so it's not possible tu use this guide for example:
http://forum.pocketables.net/showthread.php?t=1947

Are there any step-by-step guides for installing and unlocking Gobi 2000 (including physical and software/firmware work)?
-Do I just open the computer and remove the verizon module?
-Does it hold a simcard, or does that have to be soldered in somewhere? Can't see a sim card slot on my computer. Is there one inside, or does the US verizon not use sim card?
-What software should be used?

For now I just settle using 3G via my phone and bluetooth. The drawback here is it drains my mobile phone battery, and can be unstable if I'm using the phone to call (or receive/send mail/MMS).

Soldering is no problem for me. Have worked with electronic production and soldering quality control...

I cant' find this option anywhere. Where is it? Are there different options for laptops sold in different countries? Or has the fresh start got something to do with it?

Is it possible to turn it completely off, not just auto-off, and manually turn it on (or automatically on when opening and inserting disc)?

Any flash/ad block recommended for IE? (well, flash doesn't seem to work anyway with the 64 bit IE, but I need flash for some pages so I have to use the 32bit I guess).

 

You can give Privoxy a try.

(I guess you won't hear it but the easiest solution would be to change the browser).

 

Zamot what they have done with the P was a mod so i was hesistant to use the word unlock.
It should like something like this-
http://usera.ImageCave.com/rachuk/boardwansolder.jpg

^
Is a different board but on your board you should have the connectors where the pins/sim holder go. You need to buy a sim card holder with the same amount of pins and what would fit your board.

If you fit a new card you could try using the EU software.

You can try turning the dvd drive in the device manager.
The silent mode should be under the power option settings in the vaio control centre. Just look through them all.

Also try Firefox and install no script and ad block plus. It is much better than the alternative i find.

 

Short answer: no.

 

I actually went into a physical Apple store in Tysons Corner VA... but I found this link to the case on Level8 website.

http://level8cases.com/products/13sleeves.php

 

My CTO from SonyStyle Japan (via User's Side) arrived last week.
I got the Core i7, 8gb ram, 256gb quad SSD, 1080p, black color model.
After taxes, ended up about 3.5k. I opted to go standard DVD to save
the 500 bucks. I don't watch that much bluray anyway.

Like some others, I'm having some problem with the hinge pressing too tightly against the LCD and causing rippling effects when opening/closing the lid and even just typing normally on the keyboard. I've tried to loosen the bezel a bit by prying it away from the LCD using my fingertip, and it's at least eliminated the rippling when I type now, but it still ripples when opening/closing the lid. I'm rather disappointed by the lack of Q/A here for the fitting of the LCD.

The screen itself is pretty good, although vertical viewing angles are limited as expected of a TN screen. I wish they used an IPS screen. Also, I think I would have been fine with the normal 900P option, as 1080P at 100% DPI is a little tough to read. Maybe I'll get use to it over time. Seems like there's no dead or stuck pixels on mine.

As for the color, I just went with the basic black, but I think I should have opted for silver instead. Why? Dust is really obvious on black and is quite annoying. My old notebook was a silver Let's Note T4, so I guess I never realized the dust problem before.

Without knowing much about it, I opted for the "Stick" style AC adaptor. Bad idea - the DC lead is so short that it ends up tugging on your laptop and I feel like it might damage the port. I ordered the standard AC adaptor and will use the stick adaptor for desk use only.

Also, I'm having a hard time getting used to this chiclet keyboard. I could type very easily on my old Let's Note standard laptop style keyboard but I'm making a lot more mistakes on the Vaio - I guess my fingers are having trouble calibrating to the position of the keys.

Those are my major beefs so far. Personally, I think the fan noise is very manageable, but it might vary between models. Performance wise no complaints - very fast. I just wish it felt a bit more solid, but I guess that's the tradeoff of having an ultraportable.

 

Hi guys. Where can I read about current situation regarding new Z? (I mean problems, features, tips etc)

 

Maybe here?

 

www.mac-forums.com

 

I mean without reading 380 pages that are only useful for those who actually posts and reads it every single day. I stopped doing that @ ~280 page.

 

Humour detected

 

It might be good for somebody to review the thread and consolidate the major themes.

Here are the ones I think are true issues, but it is all IMO and these are off the top of my head.

Cons:

1. No TPM modules for US Z1's
2. Fan noise is a problem for some. I'm fine with the noise level
3. No USB 3
4. Screen is bendy; I don't think this is a problem as Sony designed it to be this way
5. Some people hate the fact that the SSD's can't be user-replaced (at least not yet)
6. Some have reported "wavy" line with the screen. I didn't see this on either of the Z1's I've had.
7. Expensive
8. Speakers are poor, at best
9. Loose battery (easy fix with foam tape)
10. Keyboard/glossy carbon fiber lid are fingerprint prone
11. FHD screen is very pixel dense, some have a hard time reading on it.
12. Battery life is all over the map, but if you do things correctly, you should be able to get @4.5 hours on the standard size battery.

Nothing is a deal breaker for me. I'm about as happy as I've ever been with a new laptop purchase, even at $5k.

 

Can anyone explain how to remove the keyboard keys without breaking it? My backspace key is acting funny (It seems looser than the other keys and the front of it sometimes scrapes against the aluminum when I hit it) and I think it needs to be reseated, but it doesn't look like the keys just pry off. Any advice?

 

Removing the keyboard is the easy part. Getting into the keyboard is another thing all together. I have removed the palm rest, but I haven't disassembled the keyboard assembly itself.

Check my unboxing thread for pics on disassembly (search for unboxing).

As for your problem, I think you are the first to report the issue. I'd just recommend pressing it down firmly and see if it reseats. I'm not sure taking the keyboard tray will help you all that much.

 

Yeah, the problem is kind of weird, notice there is a small gap between the top of each key and the aluminum panel? If you try to push the key up into this gap, they won't budge, but on my backspace key, it will move up to the top on the left and right sides. It pushes down fine, but it can move around from where it is supposed to be and scrape into the aluminum panel. I tried pushing on it but it doesn't seem to be wanting to go back where it belongs, so I figure if I removed that single key completely and reseated it, it would be fine. I'm just not sure how to pop the key off, and I guess I may have to disassemble it to put the key back in properly.

 

I want to create an image of disk c:, I installed Ghost 15 but it doesn't recognize de hard-drive ! Probably it doesn't support ssd drive in raid. Do you know if other program can support it like Acronis True Image maybe ?

 

You can see all the black tape on the underside of the keyboard lid in my disassembly photos. There are screws under each piece of tape. I'd recommend printing a photo of the keyboard and put each screw in its respective place on the printout to make sure you put everything back in the right place.

Long story short, the keyboard part of the keyboard lid can be disassembled, just be meticulous so you can put everything back together. If you don't, you could case more problems than your solve.

 

Hey Alamone

How quick did your order go from making the order to shipped to you from Userside? Also how much do they charge above the actual cost of the laptop?

 

Yes on both Ghost and Acronis. I use Ghost (both 14 and 15) and have had zero problems. I backup once a week.

Not sure why you can't see the drives. Mine works with out any special prep work. Just install and go.

 

Nice work, I think these occasional round-ups are very handy seeing how fast this monster thread moves.

I would add these comments/questions:

1. TRIM - has it been resolved?
2. Driver issues - black screen, blue screen, DPC latency spikes
3. Bezel causes screen distortion on lid open/close?
4. No HD screen on US CTO
5. SSD config better in Europe? (quad over dual)
6. Keys widely spaced compared to many other vaio chiclets
7. Some consider the palmrest ugly
8. Audio sockets poorly placed
9. Bizarre limitations of docking station and poorly designed connection port

 

Why you use both version of Ghost ?

I think I can bakup C:, but every time I start Norton, I have an error msg that it can't find harddrive1. I think the problem is with the hiddens partitions.

 

Does anyone have the link to the sony japan configure page for the vaio Z? thanks

 

It's @ http://www1.jp.sonystyle.com/Product/Computer/Vaio/Z/VPCZ11AHJ_VPCZ11AGJ_VPCZ11AFJ/

But if you want to order from japan, your better off ordering through conics.net, since they CTO it for you (using the japanese configs).

 

My config was 284,300Y (including 5% JP consumption tax).
Exchange rate was about 93Y to $1.00.

Quoted pre-tax total was about $3200, so about a $140 premium
over buying direct, which I think is very reasonable, especially considering
that total includes shipping from Japan to them and then to you.
California tax added about $300 to my total for 3.5k.
I think they charge much less than conics.net.

I preordered from User's Side early March but I didn't receive mine until
a week ago. I think I missed the pre-order deadline for getting your unit in March. They were doing some kind of special queue thing for that, I guess due to demand.