Buying an old (2010 model) Vaio Z - advice?

Hello! Been a full two years since I last logged on which can only mean that I'm after a new notebook and would greatly appreciate any advice on the following situation

I've been getting into photo editing, Lightroom and Photoshop, lately and generally spending a lot more time at my computer but the screen on my current Vaio CW (specs in signature) is a real pain after a while. Low resolution, absolutely hateful glossy finish, slightly artificial looking colours and poor vertical viewing angles are my main problems with it. After spending the past week or two catching up on what developments have occurred in computing - Ivy Bridge imminent and all that jazz - I've decided to go for a 2010 Z11 (or Z12/13), probably from eBay because my budget is limited. But there are few things I'd like clarifying before I start hunting:

1) After reading notebookcheck.net's Z series reviews, countless other reviews/opinions and seeing pictures in this forum showing how weak the newish Vaio SA screen is against a Z11, I'm convinced that the 2010 Z screen is way better my 2010 CW screen; higher resolution, better colour gamut and a non-gloss surface. I was wondering if anyone here has compared the Z and CW or similar screens and can confirm that there is indeed a sea of difference?

2) I'm satisfied with my current performance, running 15+ tabs in Chrome, iTunes, Adobe Reader and various Word files without hiccup, though PDF's can be laggy when scrolling. The few things that could be better are Photoshop and Lightroom taking ages loading RAW files (HDD related I presume), zooming in and certain editing actions, and shoddy fps in Team Fortress 2. I'm not interested in playing the latest games so given that I'm already happy with a piddling Core 2 Duo, am I correct in believing that even a Core i5-520m and Nvidia 330m would be nice improvements for my usage?

3) Is there a way to make the optical drive into a external one, connected via USB perhaps? I'd probably swap it out for a large capacity HDD but it would be shame to have a superfluous component lying around.

Slightly wordier than I planned but it hopefully gives you a bit of a background. Any advice or opinions would be great. Thanks!

 

In brief:

1) Yes, oceans of difference!
2) Your analysis sounds spot on
3) Not sure what it would take to re-use your DVD drive externally, but you can buy one in a case for $30, so probably not worth the bother. Swapping out for an HDD is a cinch. You need a caddy by Newmodeus.

 

Arguably the greatest notebook Sony have made. Best laptop I've ever used/owned. My advice is simple: Buy it!

 

I agree completely with Steve, but I wouldn't have been so modest with my praise. Seriously.

 

Great notebook. Only one downfall in my opinion: Don't expect ultrabook like battery life out of it, if you need it. Realistically, I would say 3-5 hours.

Awesome screen though!

 

Cheers for the quick replies, much appreciated.

I have just two more queries concerning the Z1:

1) Comparing the viewing angles of the (links to notebookcheck.net) Z11 against the Z12 the Z12 seems to be much better, though they tilted the Z11 screen farther back in their picture. Is there actually a difference here?

2) How is the fan if you're not doing anything intensive e.g. internet browsing, listening to music, watching videos and word processing? I'm aware it becomes quite loud under high loads which is acceptable.

Thanks everyone, this is probably all the information I need before I decide on a purchase.

 

1) Other than variations in manufacturing, my understanding is that the panels are the same.
2) Obviously, it depends on your hearing sensitivity and background noise in the environment. In my experience, in a silent environment, the fan is noticeable when idle, due to the constant hum. However, this seems to vary from unit to unit, as some people say their Zs are silent when idle. But I have used three different Z1s and they have been identical in terms of noise - perhaps I've been unlucky! Even so, it's such a great machine, I don't regret the purchase one bit.

 

I tend to turn off some services and optimize Windows 7 so my Z1 is quiet. Somehow setting automatic Windows update to check but let me decide when to download and install makes the world of difference. If I let Windows download stuff in background, I get all manner of CPU spikes, disk activity, and invisible things stealing window focus. Even when there are no updates in the pipeline. Nasty. I also tweak Balanced power profile for best results.

 

1. I have the 900p its amazing can't help on the other screen

2. no fan sound at all on the internal graphics but you will hear it if you play a game with it and the graphics on.

 

Best Foot Foward.

I bought a Z13, and swapped out the DVD for a stock 256 Crucial SSD. I now the have all the speed and storage I will need on a laptop for some time. But to be honest, this is not a laptop, It's the successor to the road warriors x505 TZ and TT. I'll admit if you hammer it, you get three hours, but get the extended battery and have anywhere between 3hrs and 7.5 hrs.

Personal use, just browsing and nothing major running in the background, 9 hrs.

Buy A Z13.

 

Is there any Z1 with FHD display any were on stock?
I might wanna buy one for sister! I'll be glad if you share links to websites!

 

you should check eBay. also, Sony Outlet used to bring some from time to time.

 

An update. Well I finally got myself a Z11, a 'basic' model with 1600x900 screen, i5 520m and 128GB SSD. IT IS AWESOME! First impressions are:

- Screen is amazing. It's vastly better than the CW screen in every respect. I'm seeing much more colour and new details that were completely missing in old edited pictures like shadow noise/grain. And there's no retina-destroying glare coating and viewing angles improved. I feel like (tortured analogy coming up) I've stepped outside of the cave for the first time and seen the light, it's that good. Good riddance to bog-standard 768p screens. I have no idea how some of you guys handle full HD resolution on this size screen though

- The SSD is the other showpiece. From cold to a fully working desktop takes about 40 seconds, Photoshop opens to a working state in 5 seconds which is four times as fast before and everything else is almost instantaneous. Dead silent, just superb. Question now is do I ruin the peace by sticking a mechanical drive in the optical bay? 128GB is plenty for Windows and applications but far from sufficient for media storage.

- Sony used some voodoo because this thing is feather light yet without comprising performance. You could comfortably carry it around all day and feels pretty strong, no flex in the keyboard. Keyboard is nice (and fancily backlit) though I think the CW is better only because the palmrest area is bigger thus more comfortable.

- So far it's silent when running on stamina mode and reasonably loud when at full tilt. It quickly adjusts according to load so the fan dies down when you exit intensive apps unlike other computers I've used where it remains noisy.

Eienkei: in the few weeks I scoured eBay UK I never saw a full HD Z1 appear.

For adding a 2nd drive in the optical bay, should I get standard 7200rpm HDD or the Seagate hybrid momentus drive? I would like SSD but 512GB is far too costly.

Overall, it's almost the perfect notebook for me. Cheers for the advice everyone!

 

Best Foot Forward: it's cool to see someone discover the virtues of this rather legendary laptop for the very first time, even now, two years after it was introduced. It's no longer the lightest or most powerful ultraportable out there, but it is still extremely light, lightening fast for almost all apps you throw at it and it remains the most fully featured, beautifully executed, versatile laptop with the undisputed best screen(s) and, as a used model in great shape for around $1,000 or less, there is nothing you can buy new that comes close to doing as well in so many areas. Even though there are SB/IB powered notebooks with SATA III SSDs that have faster specs, you would never feel a difference in 95% of apps anyone uses.

You made the right choice. You will get 2 years or more out of your Z11 and you can always add the Momentus XT if you want lots of storage or, increasingly, you will find 256GB SATA II SSDs (still plenty fast) for prices approaching $200. Also, consider getting an AKE ExpressCard USB3 port - adds a 4th USB port to this tiny powerhouse and gets you full USB3 speeds to further future-proof your Z1.

Only caveat: go easy on it physically. It doesn't sustain internal damage easily, but the lid scratches easily and all the exposed metal dents with relatively little force. Use a good neoprene sleeve when transporting it and, if you're a little OCD like many of us, use the felt bag it came with (didn't get one? Pm me, I have several extras) and you will not scratch or dent it. You can also get various skins for the lid and palm rests to prevent wear on surfaces, "metallic" paint from coming off of plastic palm rests (this model's single worst design issue).

Don't mean to end on a down sounding note; just want to advise you for best long term enjoyment of your very smart purchase.

 

The Z1's display man, it is the bees knees. I'm now seeing for the first time subtle colours and accents on websites and applications that I didn't even know existed, photos in higher fidelity and rather good viewing angles for a non-IPS screen. It's quite astonishing how much computer hardware has improved yet display quality has remained virtually static apart from LED backlighting.

Thanks for the offer of a felt bag but I already have a Belkin neoprene sleeve, that and shipping costs would probably be exorbitant (assuming you're from the USA). I have noticed slight fading near the scroll zone though only obliquely visible. A skin for the palmrest and lid is something I'm considering.

I have one tiny niggle so far. Every so often, the mouse cursor freezes for about 2 seconds before resuming operation. Nothing else locks-up and audio doesn't stutter, just the cursor. It seems to randomly occur when I move to or away from aero peeking windows and apps. A drop in the ocean really.