Got a SZ-23...are things meant to be like this =/? (WARNING: 1 mb worth of pics)

Well, i recently got a SZ-23 (non premium) from Hong Kong. Functionally it runs wonderfully and is by far my favourite laptop ever, but it seems that in terms of build quality it is much inferior to the other Vaios i've had.

The frame seemed much weaker; even picking up the laptop will produce funny cracks and i felt a bit of flex in the main body; there was none on the S as far as i can tell.

The plastic parts of the laptop also seemed to fit very poorly together. Many of them are misaligned and some seem to be loose and splitting apart. Note that this laptop is brand new (owned for only a few weeks with very light use).



As you can see here the bottom left and middle arrow is pointing to a gap that is developing between two plastic pieces that make up the LED lights area at the back of the laptop. This gap is wide enough to just make out the LED lights inside. A similar sort of gap also exists between the two pieces of plastic that make up the hinge (not as wide tho).

On the top right arrow, you can see where the plastics that make up the corner of the laptop is completely misaligned; that too is coming apart (on both corners). A gap is also appearing in between the two plastics that makes up the back of the laptop.

Another pic of the problem:


Virtually all plastic parts don't fit well togther and seem loose and creaky. Even the two large silver plastic pieces that make up sides of the laptop.


Now, i bought this expecting sony quality, and given the price and its "made in japan" label i really did expect much more. So is it just a one off thing on my unit or did sony's quality really drop this much?

 

Man what's up with that picture. It looks like a nebulae or some black hole. Not mentioning a rotating neutron star. Anyways, what I'm trying to say here is that I can't see the picture you pointed out clearly to tell if there's anything wrong with your new notebook. Can you make a smaller version of that picture this time?

Thanks

 

here does it work now?

 

Works now.

 

so...is it meant to be like this?

 

That's it?? That's nothing. I would consider that less damage than a scratch. Yep, that's no major problem. Your good to go.

 

what if the plastic bits start falling off ?


will sony replace that?

 

YOu can do something about it though. Just remove the the battery and there you will find 4 screws to remove. this will you take the speaker grille out where the top half of the that problem area is located. After taking the speaker screws out you also need to the remove the keyboard to get acces to the grille thats clipped to the bodyof the laptop. after that just realign every thing and tight the 4 screws to where youwant it to hold. It sound harder than it actually is. Hope this helps. P

 

anyhting i can do about the hinge plastics?

 

I just wanna say that I know exactly what you mean about the creaking and flexing. I have the premium version and I am not impressed by the build quality. I've actually had one of the hinges pop out, which I had to snap back in.

 

the bottom half of the problem all theway across is fixed and you can do anything about it other than slightly bend it inward gently

 

I dont think that's anything to worry about, mine's like that too, and I'd assume most SZs are the same in that area.

 

quite wide gaps now =/


What shame...Vaios used to be so solid back when i had my X505

 

I guess thats the tradeoff you get with such a light model. I'd rather the lesser build quality than having to haul around a few extra pounds through the airport.

my powerbook of over four years is just now starting to crack and fall apart, I can only imagine how long this one will last.

 

don't be too serious with the build quality of non-premium sz models.

 

i personally would rather go for better build quality. What's the use of a light laptop that's portable, but which you would be too scared to take around with you should it break apart in your hands?

 

carbon fibre or no, the price of any SZ is premium, full stop. PLus, its made in japan. Given these two facts, there is simply no excuse for the abysmal quality of the fittings.

 

If the price is "premium" on either model, then you should have just gone with the carbon fiber model, right? I have the "premium" version and I have no such problems with the seam at the back of the laptop. My laptop does not creak or feal like it's bending out of shape. I think this is where you need to make compromises.

Either, you pay extra money for the carbon fiber materials(they are more rigid and lighter than plastic) so that you get a light laptop that doesn't flex on you and will stay together well or stick with a bigger and heavier laptop where you can use cheaper plastic pieces and still have it feel "solid."

Too bad Sony didn't offer a customizable version of their premium SZ until the SZ3 series. It might have given you the flexibility to get the options you needed without paying extra for features you don't need.