Decision: New Z890 or Z119 when Z890 is HALF ($2000 less)?

I know that this is ultimately a decision that depend on individual user need and budget. No one can make the decision other than the buyer. However, figure I'll throw it out here in case some of you care to interact and I may get a bit more clarification.

We are running Sony TZ and TT. I picked up a Z last December but promptly sold it when the new Z was announced simply because I could get everything out of what I paid - so it was a no loss sale. I never got to really try it out since it was an immediate turn around. I wanted the new Z for the higher speed for video editing and the 1080p screen. However, the 1080p screen is not readily available and we must have a unit in our hands by May 27 latest for scheduling reasons. Not delayable. So it is back to the regular 1600x900 screen, which opens up a question:

Do we get the old Z or new Z when the old Z can be had factory sealed for 50% of the price of a new one?

I have a new factory sealed Z890 coming. (BluRay, 500Gb/7200 rpm, 6Gb Ram, P8800-2.66 Ghz, Win 7 Ultimate, premium carbon, Verizon Wireless) Pretty loaded. Sub $2K delivered. (Vendor only had one so I can't get more than one.)

To get an EQUIVALENT top end Z119 will be $4000 delivered without tax. (i7, Silver, 512Gb SSD, BluRay, 6 Gb, Windows 7 Ultimate, Premium Carbon, Extended battery, though NO Verizon Wireless) (Even with 10% off, that will be $3600.) And it still does not have the 1080p screen.

That's a whopping $2000 or $1600 differential. In other words, I can get two Z890 for one Z119.

Question: WOULD you go with the Z890 or the Z119? Why? Is the Z119 build a whole lot better?

I've played around with the new Z at the stores and think that it is a beautiful design, and seem substantially nicer than the old Z in design but I can't really tell as I have not had both side by side.

The old Z does have the advantage of having the HD upgradable to newer larger HD sizes - presumably a 1Tb notebook drive in possibly 12 months.

To add a wrinkle, if I stay with only the absolute essentials, then I can get a Z119 for $2950. (i5, silver, 512 Gb SSD, Win 7 Pro, 4gb Ram, DVD) Figuring 10% discount, that would be about $2760. $760 more for a much faster, lighter and better design, but loosing 2Gb Ram, Win Ultimate, Blu-Ray, and Extended Battery and the $760. Of these, the Blu-Ray probably matters the most as this machine will be kept for 4 years when Blu-Ray will presumably be ubiquitous.

(Yes, there will be a 4 year Sony accidental damage warranty so the machine is expected to last through 4 years of hard use and travels.)

Thanks for any of you patient enough to wade in with your opinion!

UL

 

I would get the Z890. Upgrade the RAM to 8GB now and in 12 months the price of a good SSD with higher storage capacity will be available. While particular things about each model are subjective and really boil down to what you like more or less about each. I dislike the plastic palm rest, the weak speakers, and the placement of the headphone jack of the new Z. I went with the Z820 and upgraded to 8GB of RAM, replaced the DVD optical drive with a Blu-ray one, and am waiting for the right SSD to come along to put in my Z. I've spent $2550 on my Z so far and a Z119 would be so much more. In your case spending $2950 for a Z119 without Blu-ray would add another perhaps $400.00 to the cost when you do get it and add another $150.00 to $200.00 to max the RAM out will then make the Z119 estimated to then cost at least $3500, or $4000.00 as you stated with the top end Z119. So to me at least the Z890 offers as much performance with good future upgrade capabilities at a reasonable cost.

 

I think your presumption is wrong, and that shiny media is on the way out.
When similarly sized USB fobs and SDHC cards are far faster, much smaller and way less error-prone than BDs, and network backups are easier, there's no imperative to use them for other than watching movies without having to deal with a large download.
In a way, BD is like 1.44 MB floppy drives -- they prolonged the inevitable, but the decline had already begun back when 720/880 MB drives were ubiquitous.

4 years is a long time. Add the year that the Z890 has been on the market, and you get to 5 years. Will technology that's five years behind be good enough for you four years down the road? Only you can answer that, but keep in mind that Sony is not known for bringing upgrades to existing models, neither hardware nor software. You're basically stuck with what you bought.

 

"I wanted the new Z for the higher speed for video editing and the 1080p screen. However, the 1080p screen is not readily available and we must have a unit in our hands by May 27 latest for scheduling reasons. Not delayable. "

Doesn't this tell you enough? Did you really need the higher speed? If yes then you should wait since you seem to be doing fine with what you have now. But if you don't need it then there really isn't and reason to get the new one if the price difference is that much.

And on blu-ray what do you need it for? To watch the movies?

 

I totally agree with arth1 on the BlueRay. Given other options with the FHD screen, I wouldn't have purchased it.

I got the BR drive in the 1st Gen Z and used it for BR like 2 times. The write speeds are insanely horrible.

If you plan to use the laptop as a media center or don't have a BR player anywhere else, it might make sense.

Also, I've seen rumors about games being delivered on BR media, but I'm not aware of any right now. Heck, since I've used Steam, I haven't purchased a game on physical media in years.

 

That goes both ways. The new Z as of now seems to have non-replaceable SSD's so if in fact performance speeds do decrease, then you are stuck or they must be replaced by Sony at a perhaps high cost. The Z890 can have the fastest and latest SSD that does not require a Sony intervention.

As for Blu-ray media and hardware being on the way out, consumer adoption has been somewhat slow due to high cost but now that prices become more " consumer friendly " I think it will stick around for a few years as the technology is still being refined with greater storage capacities and improvements in the hard coating of the discs, and with the new Blu-ray 3D standard being implemented it's not going away anytime soon. So in the meantime I have an unlimited source of Blu-ray media via Netflix and usually only buy Blu-ray concert media of my favorite bands that either are enjoyed via my home theaters or on the go via my Z820. I also use Blu-ray recordable media for video footage shot from my Full HD camcorder ( JVC GZ-HM550 ) that I want to create as a finished product so for me it's more than just about watching studio movies. Embrace it and enjoy now and in 4 years, adopt the new tech and then embrace and enjoy that as well.

 

Thanks everyone. Welcome any additional comments/thoughts.

Anyways, the speed WOULD be useful as I run some software that will be faster with the new chips - the questions of course is if it is a vast diference given the price differential. Since I can't wait beyond May 27, the 1080p screen is not an option.

Blu-Ray is for:
1. This will be how our team access any BluRay content on the road. Currently it is only movies but in a year or two??
2. We are planning on burning HD for others to use as 'masters' of our presentations. We are already running HD camcorders. So BluRay is nice, though not an absolute necesssity as we can always get an USB unit for much lower cost.

Is the new build quality really a whole lot better than the old?

UL

 

Build quality isn't improved enough that it should sway your decision over new and old.

Right now you are asking things that only you would be able to tell yourself. The cost difference is huge but you need to ask yourself in what cases will you use this faster speed. Is any bit faster worth it for you? 5%? 10%? 50%? When it comes down to work, buy the best laptop you can get and it will last you the longest. Even something as long as a 10% is worth it when you compare it to the time you save over a lifetime.

500 hours of work over the lifetime 50 hours saved
1000 hours of work over the lifetime 100 hours saved
ETC... How much are these hours worth to you?

 

Ultimately, the main thing you're paying for in the new Z is the price of the SSDs. If you need 500GB and you don't think it's worth paying $1000 to get it in SSD form, then don't bother with the new Z.