Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

They are both from the same materials. The aluminum from the keyboard part is just a little darker ''gray-ish'' instead of the regular aluminum look.

Same materials are used, it's just (premium) black vs. silver outside color.
A picture from the premium carbon version (mine actually ^_^) http://tinyurl.com/vaiozpremcarbon/

And picture of the silver Z (from ZoinksS2k) is available http://img717.imageshack.us/i/dsc00770q.jpg/

 

[How does one delete a post?]

 

I assume you increased RAM from 4GB to 8GB. What improvement in performance did you find? Thanks.

 

How are your keys holding up so far? Mine is like an oil refinery - daily spills and daily cleanup. The oil is really going to polish the heck out of these keys.

 

I ordered my Z on 4/27 (i5-540m). Due to a system error on Sony's end they couldn't process the order until 4/30. My estimated ship date is 5/18. They told me the reason for the delay in the ship date was because the Z was currently out of stock. Maybe that's what has delayed yours too, but your delay does seem excessive...

Call and complain some more. I gave them hell for the process error and managed to get free express shipping out of them.

Also, for what it's worth, I ordered a Vaio F too and it arrived 5/7, three days BEFORE the estimated ship date. So that one came as fast as lightning. That kind of makes me think there really is a big delay with the Z...

 

The weight on the new Envy is what is the deal breaker for me. Too heavy. But it will probably outperform the Z in terms of graphics power with the ATI 5650. Still though, don't regret my Z purchase, even in light of the new HPs. I like the size and weight of the Z and am willing to trade that for the slighly lower performing graphics card.

By the way, the new Envy 17-incher is able to use three monitors at once.

 

Some pictures of silver Z11 (mine ) Silver is metallic (Aluminium) except palm-rest zone.

 

Sorry Zoinks, there was a misunderstanding I didn't mean/say difficult to remove. I meant for us in Canada it was difficult to get or find the RAM at the time of the release of the Z the local computer stores didn't have it and I didn't want to buy RAM that was incompatible.

But thanks for the links you provided for getting the RAM for the Z.

 

After handling both in person at the Sony store I have to say I much prefer the "carbon fibre" finish.

Does anyone know if there are any retailers besides Sony that sell the carbon fibre finish? I can only find silver and I'd hate to have to pay tax ; )

 

so about the daily spills, an empty pop can fell on my keyboard and now it is making my F4 key stick (very annoying since its volume up) and i was wondering what is the best way to clean this. do i have to remove all the screws on the bottom side of the laptop to get a the keyboard or is there an easier way? thx

 

I couldn't get it in my update(US) do you have a link so I can manually update it? Thx

 

Sony eSupport - VPCZ114GX/S - Software Updates & Drivers

this should work

 

Wildkid and I both owned the Envy15. I returned mine; I am assuming wild did as well. The Envy was fine; but the Z is just leaps and bounds better, in every facet. I haven't had a machine like it.

Z >>> Envy

 

You click on the post: "Edit Post"
You replace the words in there with something like: "This post deleted"
(You can't physically remove the post itself but you can replace its contents)

 

Same here, although to be fair, the Envy was a faster machine. Faster chip, faster memory.

 

You better watch out with that lid it scratches easily and also i really wish this notebook was built better its very sad that it wasn't built the way it should of been built. I find it pisses me off to the fact that the price i payed for it and it could be made of more than just plastic!

 

hi u might wanna try this

http://forum.notebookreview.com/6230035-post454.html

 

Pls dun flame me but have y'all read this? I worry that this would be the Z killer (or all 13" killer)....

Toshiba Prepping World's Lightest 13-Inch Laptop - Toshiba ultraportable - Gizmodo

 

That might be to thin, the z is at just the right thickness that which they can cool the components, Looking at how thin it is I could see the heat also penetrating onto keyboard leaving you with a uncomfortable surface

The z is a awsome machine, and that is a toshiba which will likely not meet the build quality of a Sony, I used to not like Sony computers but the z is a great product which I want, but am waiting for the refresh

 

Hey, I posted this update as soon as it was released, some pages back. Come on, how hard is it to read a mere 4500 posts to find the one you need?

More seriously, the update has completely solved the Bluetooth mouse issue for me.

 

The toshiba will be fantastic, but the Z is a powerhouse. Expect the toshiba to run a single SSD, a low power processor and onboard graphics... Not bad, just not what the Z is about.

 

ya hopefully so, dun like the feeling of splurging on a Z only to be outdone by a Toshiba so soon

 

From the photos, the skin doesn't look transparent. Is it easy to see the letters from all that whiteness? I like the idea, it just takes away from the design. I'll just deal with the grease marks. I'm at the point where I only clean the keys every few days. I'm not too obsessively careful with it anymore.

My keys happens to look like I ate a bucket of fried chicken and decided to type away before washing my hands.

 

it is easy to see, just that it isnt totally transparent. Think prolly we can't have the cake & eat it... But at least now I dun have to wash my hands b4 each use and use some cloth to clean each individual keys i had touched after each session.. And from the looks of the way the letters are 'printed' on the keys, they dun look like they will last many cleaning sessions..

Of cuz, if there's one in the market that is both transparent & fits this nicely, i would dump the current one

 

I had to post this, but these were a few comments made on that Toshiba Laptop.

Talk about a tough rowdy crowd. The Blaze Mountain Concept is based on the CPU Cooling System according to that site.

 

Oh well, I am going change to Vaio Z soon anyway. I think Ill compare Vaio Z to other laptop this way : if Envy is a BMW 7, MacBook Pro is a Mercedes S and the new Toshiba is Audi A8 then Vaio Z is a Bentley lol......

 

Naw, the Z is a M3. Small, expensive, fast and somewhat impractical.

I own both

If anyone ever wondered what the S2k means in my username, it was for a S2000 I got back in '99. I'd switch my name to ZoinksM3 if I could

 

@ZoinksS2k

Which M3 do you drive? E92? I'm currently driving an E60 M5 and thinking of getting an E92 M3 but I keep reading everywhere that's it's underpowered compared to the M5. Though a few mods could sort that out.

 

Nope E90, MDCT SGM.



While I love the Z1, this is my favorite computer.

 

In a few days my Z will arrive (i hope so) and now i'm looking for a new mouse. What cordless models using internal bluetooth can you recommend? I dont want to use an external usb adapter, that has to be pluged in always.

One possibility may be the vaio mice but i dont like their style...

 

I used to use Logitech V470 but I feel like it's too small, does not have side buttons and goes through batteries too fast for my taste. I am actually thinking of getting regular wireless mouse, disassembling adapter and connecting it to the internal USB socket that Bluetooth occupies now (need to find a matching plug to solder to wireless circuit). If I am correct and wireless on/off switch breaks power on that connector, this mod will keep Z airplane-friendly. If not, I may have to abandon the mod.

 

Is teh vaio mouse good comparing to Logitech ? And which is better, bluetooth or wireless, in terms of battery life ?
Wireless mouse takes up another usb port and bluetooth draws more power ?? Should I get a pair of rechargeable batteries ?

 

I use a Microsoft bluetooth mouse. Works fine, batteries last seemingly forever in it. I used to use the Vaio BT mouse (in my previous Vaio). It was fine also but a bit larger. I prefer the feel of the Microsoft mouse.

I use a bluetooth mouse so that I don't need to plug in an adapter.

 

Actually in addition to their mainstream cannon fodder, Toshiba used to be one of the elite producers of world class ultraportables of impeccable build quality. Those were Japanese made, unlike their current Chinese-outsourced product lineup.

The question is whether this unit will be Japanese made or not. Looking at the specs I think they will be making this one in-house themselves and its probably gonna be pretty dam solid.

Its good for the market - will spur others on to up their game some more.

 

I drive the 2008 M5 as well, but with a stick shift, I prefer it over the SMG paddle shifter. It's hard not to love the V10 with 507bhp.

 

The Logitech performance mouse Mx has a look and finish that matches the carbon. most comfy mouse ever and love that it works on clear glass.
the micro receiver is realllly tiny.

 

My Z has too many issues so I had to finally return it. I don't think I'll be buying another Sony laptop again.

The screen on my laptop used to shake (even with reinstalling the Nvidia driver). The laptop died with connected to AC power. Did not work properly on battery mode. And not a major issue but the fan noise was really loud. One thing good about Sony is that they took it back even after 40 days of purchase after the technical support couldn't fix the problem(s).

 

I had a question regarding extended warranties:
If I buy a Sony Z from Microcenter, can I buy a warranty (with Accidental Protection) from SonyStyle for it? I'm asking because I'm not reading good things about MC's extended warraty service.

Also, what's the price on a 2 year extended warranty with accidental damage protection? I can't find anything about accidental protection when I try to buy a stand alone warranty from Sonystyle.

EDIT: After some searching, I found the answer. Sonystyle won't sell plans with ADH unless you purchase the laptop from them, and you get the warranty at the time of purchase. However, you can get the same warranty for cheaper and after you purchase the laptop from bhphotovideo and provantage.

 

Someone using the noise cancellation regularly? If I activate it I can hear some crackle and noise, especially in the right bud.

 

About the upcoming refresh:

Back from Paris SonyStyle store. Told me they would have the new model around mid-June, replacing the current i7 model which is completely out of stock everywhere. But they don't know anything about the new model... I asked about the FullHD display since it's my obsession, some guy told me they would probably dump the FullHD display, some other told me they would certainly keep it. Well, as said before, they don't know a thing about it...

I also got a "confidential" info from another seller, who told me the new model would come around end-June-beginning-July, would pack 8GB instead of 6GB RAM and a slightly more powerful processor as well, but would cost more. Don't ask me who this seller is, as I was asked to keep this info for myself...


On a side note, I've been come to the SonyStyle store to see by my eyes if the FullHD display would be OK for my eyes. Too bad, they didn't have it on display, so I couldn't compare. Of course since for them the model is completely out of stock!

So right now I know that 1600x900 on 13.1" is completely fine by me, but I still don't know if 1920x1080 would. I think it would be but not being sure before buying such a pricey device gives me headaches!

 

I have done a search and I find conflicting options, but do the SSD's take care of themselves or do you guys have any applications/utilities you use to keep them performing well?

 

some models already have 8gb and i don't believe Intel has released anything more powerful that the i7 620m in the dual core family. Sony would never put a quad core in the Z.

 

1080 FULLHD in 13.1" is just too small. Sony may put LM processors in next Z

 

New i7-840QM & i7-740QM chips are coming, but I do agree with you, I can't see Sony putting a quad core processor in the Z...

 

I had the same concern about the screen, and nowhere had the FullHD on display. I got it anyway and the font can be a little small (if my eyes are tired), but if you put them up to 125% they look fine.

 

To you, yes. To me, it's perfect. I was just on my Dell SXPS16, and the machine looks freakishly huge now.

 

i agree, i have once tried it and when i go back to my 1600x900 OLD Z, it seems to big for me now.. missing my FHD new Z

 

i hope the FHD will still be around

 

quad core would be good, but would the Z melt down without beefing up the cooling system?

 

don't they have to redesign the motherboard if they put a quad core in?