First Time Sony Purchaser Questions, Z590

Hi all,

I am a long-time Dell user, and I have ordered my first Sony laptop (the Z590 CTO)! I originally had an order placed for a m1330; but when the issues with the Nvidia card overheating came up and Dell's solution was to release a BIOS update that turned the fan on 100% on an ultraportable machine (essentially hurting the battery life and increasing the noise in a makeshift fix to get the hardware to last long enough to make it out of warranty), I decided that it was time to move on and canceled my order.

I've been reading these forums for a few days now (thanks for all the helpful advice everyone!), but I still have a few questions I was wondering if I could get your opinions on:

1. I use Linux about 95% of the time (both for work/pleasure), so it will be necessary for me to install Linux on the machine. I've looked at the hardware, and I think most if it will function properly (plus this won't be my primary PC, so I can wait a bit for some of the extra drivers to develop). But I will likely need to format the machine, repartition it, and then reinstall both Windows/Linux on it. I'm not worried about the bloatware as in some other threads, but will Sony provide me with a CD to reinstall the OS? Or some method other than just an image on a backup partition so that I can truly reformat/repartition the drive, and then reinstall Vista?

2. From what I've read, it seems as though everyone just assumes these laptops will ship with 32 bit Vista (even with 4 GB of RAM), is there a reason behind this assumption? If they do, can you request a 64 bit install? Dell has a policy (or so I've been told), that even on machines initially shipped with the 32 bit version, you can call them and request a 64 bit install for the same version of Vista (i.e. Premium, Business, etc).

3. Unfortunately, it took every penny I had to get into the Z series, so I wasn't able to get a few of the features I wanted. The only one I think I am likely to REALLY want to upgrade to in the future would be the Blueray drive. Do you think it will possible in the future (when prices drop) to swap out the drive for a blueray drive, and if so, will I have to have Sony do it?

4. I'm new to the Sony world, and I ordered a 3 year extended "Express Ship Service Plan with ADH" that covers accidental, etc. Was this a good idea? Have most of you been happy with Sony's warranties in the past?

5. I've noticed that for other models, extra batteries are about $200 and $300 for the regular and large capacity versions respectively. Also, port replicators run around $200. Is this the price you all normally pay for these accessories, or will I be able to find them much cheaper elsewhere ? If I can't find the port replicator for cheaper, I was thinking of just using a bluetooth mouse/keyboard and an HDMI to DVI cable, and so I would just have one cable to plug in anyway - does this sound like a good idea to you?

6. Finally (Feel free to ignore this question because honestly I haven't researched this one yet, but I thought I'd add it in case any of you have a quick answer), as a home user would I be missing much by installing the "Business Vista" over the "Home Premium"? I read on the Microsoft website that the differences are things like, "All-in-one media center" and "Have more fun on your PC"; but I'm not sure what that really means ... The reason I ask is that through my school I have access to a free, legal copy of Windows Vista Business (either 32 or 64 bit) through MSDNAA.

Thank you all for all of your advice/help throughout the forums. It's much appreciated!

All the best,

James

Ps. I assume you're all happy Sony customers? =)

 

As far as I know Sony is not shipping Vista 64 bit at the moment. They will not install it for you as far as I know.

But it would be better to ask Sony, because maybe their policy has changed.

 

personally i don't get extended warranties. Just manufacturer warranty for 1 yr + extra yr of warranty under assurance program from AmEx card. Depending on whether you feel you may mess up your Z, it was a good or bad idea to get the extended warranty.

 

Regarding your reason for leaving Dell - the issue is impacting several companies. The Z has a 9300M in it. With your history I'm surprised that you didn't consider the SR (with the ATI).

1. You'll get a partition that contains the recovery data for Windows Vista. You should burn a DVD of that partition as soon as possible. (when you partition for Linux you'll probably want to reclaim that space) A DVD for a Windows XP downgrade should be included if your model includes Windows Vista Business. It's important to note that these are not the same as retail copies. They're OEM versions with custom drivers and application slipstreamed in. I personally prefer to do a fresh install from a retail disc and then install the drivers (from Sony's support site). You might have some issues (under Linux) with the Nvidia drivers and possibly some of the other hardware (fingerprint reader, camera, etc..). You're going to be trailblazing since this is a new model so be ready to tinker. Linux support from Sony is almost non-existent.

2. Their track record with x64 versions has been poor. Check the driver site. The best resource has been these forums so you'll definitely want to do a search here as well.

3. Absolutely. I would have recommended waiting on the drive as well. You'll need the part number for the drive (when the time comes). You can get that from the Parts & Services site. I would highly recommend ordering the service manual for your model; it contains important information about disassembly and lists all of the parts for the various configurations. You'll need to use their Parts Request form to ask for the part number of both products.

4. I haven't really been thrilled with their customer service or support. In my experience Dell has better customer support. The Parts & Service team is an exception - they're always very helpful when I call. You'll probably get different responses from different people. The region you live in also seems to factor into it...

5. I don't see any issues with that. You might run into a HDCP problem later when you upgrade the drive (depends on your hardware). Most Sony accessories are over priced (through their site and stores). I almost always get them from 3rd party retailers.

6. I'm not a huge fan of Vista. There was an article (I'll try to find it for you) that describes the differences beyond what is mentioned on Microsoft's site. One thing that (may or not be important) is backup; the article points out that the backup solution for both Home and Business almost seems reversed. Maybe someone else can comment. As far as media Ultimate is the way to go but I suspect you'll be using Linux for most of that.

 

Don't worry about loosing Vista, but burn the back up disks just in case. From my experience in using Ubuntu on two VAIO's (an SZ and a BX) most everything worked out of the box just fine. I had to do a bit of fiddling to get the webcam working. The only thing that I wasn't able to get working was the fingerprint reader. So, while there is no support from Sony, I found that you didn't really need much, other than Google.

Support isn't bad, and extended warranties can be hit or miss, but when you call, make sure to call their Tier 2 line. You'll find it on their B2B website, and not on their consumer facing sonystyle.

 

I am also going to install Ubuntu on the Z....

I wonder how Ubuntu respectively the X server will handle the on-the-fly switch option from stamina to speed mode...
Well when it comes down to restarting X and having a script update the xorg.conf for whatever card is used it will be quite comfortable....

 

I think if you wait a while, you'll see other retailers selling the accessories for lower prices.

Yes, Sony charges far too much for their accessories, especially the batteries, those better be some high quality cells in there. Maybe so, my TZ's battery is about 6 months old and RMClock reports no wear on the battery so far.

 

IT also says on Sony's site that only 3.5GB will be usable = 32 bit

 

FYI - So far the only model I know of that Sony will be offering a 64-bit version of Vista on is the FW170J/H - Vista Home Premium (64-bit). None of their other offerings at this time in the US will have a 64-bit version of Vista.

 

First of all, thanks for all of the great responses so far. You've already helped to clear up a ton of issues for me! I'm going to save this entire thread for when I can afford the blueray upgrade, or need to call up the Tier 2 service line, .

I'll just respond to a few points,

personally i don't get extended warranties. Just manufacturer warranty for 1 yr + extra yr of warranty under assurance program from AmEx card. Depending on whether you feel you may mess up your Z, it was a good or bad idea to get the extended warranty.

Yeah, I know that for me personally, if the extended warranty is a good product I am happy I bought it (if nothing else, it saves me from constantly keeping all of my friends at an arms length out of fear they will drop something on it). I was really more interested in how Sony treats its warranty customers (for example, I've heard Dell is pretty good in general to their XPS customers). From the other posts, it looks like it can be kind of hit or miss depending on which region you live and how much patience you have for placing multiple calls.

Regarding your reason for leaving Dell - the issue is impacting several companies. The Z has a 9300M in it. With your history I'm surprised that you didn't consider the SR (with the ATI).

Yeah, I wasn't really mad at all at Dell for having the issue (it easily could have, and did happen, to a lot of other companies). I am just upset at how they "resolved" the issue (by applying a patch that really only protects them at the expense of many of the features their consumers paid a premium to have in a higher-end ultraportable). As for NVidia, I too am not that upset with them either - as far as I know, they are doing what they can to fix a bad situation. Additionally I don't think that at least the current problem effects the Nvidia cards that will be installed in the Z (plus, I must admit a special fondness for Nvidia cards as a long-time linux user).

Also, when I was originally putting together my thoughts on the model I wanted, whether or not to include a discrete card was probably the single hardest descision for me to make. So when I saw the Z's Stamina/Speed switch, it was a match made in heaven (even if it does turn out to be more of gimick).

 

Hi All,

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'm considering buying a Z590 as well, and similar to jpoe, I will run Ubuntu on it 90% of the time. jpoe didn't specify, but I'm considering getting the Z590 with the dual SSD drives and RAID controller, but am hesitant because I know that laptops typically use a software style RAID that is very specific to the laptop and requires very specific drivers that aren't likely to be provided for linux.

Has anyone purchased one with this option? If so can you provide me the details of which RAID controller is used? If you have experience running Linux (or ubuntu on it), can you let me know if it works at all?

I don't mind fiddling, and have been using linux for quite awhile. But I'm not about to drop 1.3k on an option that will prevent me from using my preferred OS.

 

I just read a massive SSD research thread (somewhere linked to from here) and of the external review sites had Dual SSDs RAID 0 getting HALF the same write speed as a single 64gb SSD..

So I just reconsider shelling out that much $ for dual SSDs.. we dont *yet?) know if Sony uses mlc or slc based SSDs.. (or do we?!! lol)

 

The following link has some good information about the speed of the Drives that Sony uses.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=285019