Anything new coming out for sony laptops?

Is sony.com going to be making any changes to their laptop selection soon? I am looking to buy a new laptop.

 

F13, Z13 and probably other series. F series has newer graphics card series, but Z is most likely still the same (with some minor changes).

 

I have just been on the Sony UK website and looked at the new models that are to be released soon, I have to say that I am a bit disappointed with the new models, especially the EA3 Series, because they have lowered the screen resolution on them to 1366 x 768. Previously the screen resolution was 1600 x 900, a much better resolution for the size of the screen. The F Series has yet again been bumped up in price, for what I can see is very little change in spec e.g they have now included 2 x USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0(no e-SATA anymore) and the graphics card has now been upgraded to a slightly better one, the NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 425M.

 

Still can't customize it yet but just saw the prices on the preconfigured models. F13 is £100 more expensive than its equivalent F12. Thats quite alot for a slightly better graphics card and 2x USB3.0 vs 1x eSATA.

I'm still trying to work out how the top preconfigured Z13 has a pre order price thats £600 higher than the Z12 despite having more or less the same specs. Unless I'm missing something they look almost identical.

 

I was originally looking forward to the F13 UK model as well. But after seeing that price has gone up by £100 with just a slightly better graphics card and addition of usb 3.0, I have doubts. I am assuming that the configurable ones will be the same too (£100 up) when they become available. (sigh) I guess it's typical that people in the UK would cease every opportunity to raise the price for more profit. This is shame as prices in both Asia and America have stayed at roughly the same as was in the F12 model. I don't think I will get the UK model now, as price will go even higher after new year as VAT increases over here. Real Shame...

 

The top end Z13 has a slightly faster processor (i7 640) and Blu Ray writer which does not justify the £700 bump at all.

If I can I will try and get the top Z12

 

Well, if you try to configure Z12 you'll notice that having blu-ray writer cost £550 more But still there is no way for me to believe a blu-ray writer actually worth that much.

 

Exactly it is all a con. I am very disappointed with Sony bumping the price by that much. I would like a Blu Ray player but I don't £700 like one. I can get 2 PS3s for that money. There isn't even USB3!

Overall a very disappointin update. It makes even MacPros seem better value for money.

 

Not sure why but just noticed that the top F13 model in UK have switched from premium black to black ...and there goes the rubber palmrest (sigh)...Sony UK is really pushing the boundary at the moment obviously they kind of think we are as dump as we look

 

Yes I see, also the esata seems to be dissapeared.

I dont know if it will be mistake in all the pics there is no premium black finish!.

 

The rubberized palm rest is really nice. I like it so much that its hard to think that most laptops don't have something like it. Its really comfy.

 

Yes well Sony_UK pulling another weird one on the pre-configured, F13S0E and F13S1E. Really? Two versions of the midrange only one with a price? Hmm very odd. The S1E has a DVD RW and the S0E has a BD rom. Aside from that I see little difference apart from the way the screens are described when I swear they both have the same Vaio Premium display. On the few EU websites listing the F13 I see some listing it as having LED backlighting but I highly doubt Sony would put that in without advertising it like hell. I think it's the same premium display from the F11 and F12, only question in my mind is maybe the S1E has the glossy US 1080p panel and the S0E & Z1E have the premium matte. Just guesses .

To show what I mean the Z1E has an HD+ display where as the S0E and S1E have, "Full HD or HD+ VAIO Display brings your entertainment vividly to life". As they're preconfigured no idea where that choice would be coming from.

 

The self configured F13 is now available. Although it seems that the "base" price of an F(V) has gone £130 up and F(X) £180 up...not sure it's worth all that money...

 

Yeah its kind of...too expensive now.

My F12 cost £1,269.00 inc VAT and delivery with the free blu ray upgrade.

Same specced F13 only with the GT425M and 2x USB3.0 instead of 1x eSata costs £1,529.00 with the free blu ray upgrade.

So thats a £260 price difference. Also, Windows 7 Professional/Ultimate is no longer an upgrade. I paid £50 for the Professional upgrade so technically if you went with my F12 configuration with Windows 7 Home instead of Professional you would be saving £310 over the current equivalent F13.

They are also having a laugh with the 8gb memory upgrade which at £200 is double the price of the 8gb upgrade on the F12. The 128gb SSD is a £320 upgrade. Please bear in mind that you can buy a 120gb Vertex 2E for less than £200 now ex shipping and its almost certainly going to be faster than whatever Sony puts in the box. The old F12 was *barely* competitive with the Dell Studio XPS 16 in terms of value for money. Like many others who were shopping for laptops over the summer in the multimedia class, the F12 and the XPS 16 were two of the serious contenders at a similar price point. Now I think its hard not to go with the XPS 16 considering Dell UK are forever doing deals on it.

The Z13 base configuration has stayed roughly the same price. Some options are cheaper like the backlit keyboard (£55 down from £60) and the premium finishes (£49.98 down from £70.01) but the memory upgrades have doubled in price. The base configuration of the Z13 with dvd drive and ssd is more expensive than the old Z12 but the base configuration with the hdd is a little bit cheaper than the old Z12.

Edit: I think theres something messed up with Sony.co.uk. The promotions aren't being calculated correctly. i.e. half price memory upgrade on Z isn't workign and neither is the free blu ray upgrade on the F series. It might prove better value for money yet.

 

Unless I'm missing something revolutionary in the F13, I'm assuming the speakers are the same as the ones in the F12 and F11. i.e. very bad.