HUGE disappointment with Sony Z at Mill. Mall Orlando..

..guys, I'm very sorry to say what you'll be reading down below especially since I had given the vaios always a cult status similar to what the mac fraternity enjoys and being a happy (more or less) owner of a FZ190 that I have for a year now..

.. I must say that I couldn't believe my eyes and more so the feeling my fingers were having while checking out the Vaio Z at the Millenia Mall in Orlando yesterday.

Honestly people.. if you've owned or even thought of owning the SZ series and got super excited ever since the Z was announced and came out, I can't tell you how DISAPPOINTED you're gonna be if you get one of these.

Its one of those rare instances where a newer flagship model coming from a company who is the sole torch bearer for the Windows platform when competing with the "innovative" and "style" factor that the macs bring to the table... is actually a huge step backwards.

I'll quit being philosophical now and state the gory facts as to why I'm rambling the above:

- The Lid is actually a smidge thicker than the SZ's - this is with Sony having good 2 years to work with while designing the Z series (If I'm not wrong, the SZ is been around for that long). Strike One.

- Don't cry when you see and feel your Z's Lid material - why, I don't know what some of these Z owners are saying about that but just feel the whole LCD casing and you'll have a chill go down your spine. This thing feels PLASTIC like no other notebook. There ain't no fun suger coating this peeps.. If Sony calls this some advanced form of carbon-fibre.. then we may as well drive cars with bodies made of Jello and memory-foam and call it some advanced crash-absorbing breakthrough material. BTW:, I've played extensively with my bro's SZ-491N so I had the look, feel, dimensions of that thing pat down. The SZ's carbon-fible lid casing is literally a piece of art. Awesomely sharp in looks, crisp edges and that cold metal touch.

- I haven't even gone to another part of the notebook yet.. - I'll keep this one short and hardcore.. the lid is gotta be the FLIMSIEST piece of material that I've honestly EVER seen/felt on any notebook. Ever heard of the word "Flex" while describing a notebook? This one redefines that word. Get ready for a jello-dance while trying to checkout its rigidity. Trust me, I'm not exaggerating. I seriously am not. Again, the material may be tough or made of that wolverine bone material on paper.. but its not gonna exude any confidence whatsoever when you try and play with it. Comparison? the Sony SZ-491n is like a Lenovo armoured notebook - if one ever existed, when it comes to screen flex. More tears flowing now as I type..

- keyboard's key spacing gone wrong - This one is surely from my own perspective as someone who is short (5'6") with average hands. The keys of the Sony notebooks was one of the primary reasons that I actually bought my FZ for last year. As that keyboard is just plain FANTASTIC. The SZ's keyboard although looks the same but doesn't have any key "bounce-back" at all and feels a lot musshy. This one had an EXCELLENT button feel and responsiveness, but the key spacing killed it for me. I actually had to "stretch" my fingers a bit to type (50wpm touch-typist). This was a new motion I had to accomplish as the keys don't naturally fall under your fingers. Again, this may not be an issue for someone with larger hands/longer fingers and I don't know if after a while one will get used to them or not.

- Final negative observation - The power connector on the left of the notebook protrudes out a good 1 inch and is HUGE in diameter by itself. Forget about the fact that is very distracting and unneccesary space consuming, but when I tried to wiggle it to feel its sturdiness, it actually flexed the whole notebook casing directly in front of it and all the way to the hinge and battery joint. When is the last time you've seen a power connector actually causing the whole casing/housing which has its "female" adapter inside it, to flex to the point that it WILL snap or atleast damage with moving around your machine and getting it to hit the end of the table/chair or whatever. totally UNACCEPTABLE.

ONly positive.. the 1600X900 resolution is perfectly readable and more then compensates for loosing half an inch of screen height while gaining the width over a 1280x800 SZ or other.

Before one starts defending their Z's and flaming me, let me again remind you that I've spilled this much blood on the floor only because of getting so much disappointed with the so called SZ replacement, being an extreme Sony lover over these years that I want to lookout for people here who resonate the same feeling for the manufacturer and hopefully someone at Sony will also read this and do something about not loosing their ground as a technology and innovation leader.. forever.

I WILL NOT BE BUYING THE Z series... can't believe that I'm gonna have to give a shot at getting a Dell Lat E4300 or 6400 now..

 

It's funny to see so many people believe the screen flex is a problem. If someone could post the picture of our Czech forum member holding the z by the the lid that would clear it out.

Keyboard spacing? I think you need some time to get used to that.

 

So what?

Yeah, it flexes. The carbon fiber mainly helps reduce weight. I assume the flex was a design choice, not a side effect (flexy screens are less likely to break).

You must have been used to a nonstandard pitch keyboard, because the Z's keyboard pitch is absolutely standard. I had no problems typing on it in the store where I tried it, although I know some people take a while to get used to it.

BTW, I have an SZ myself, but I still think the Z is better in many ways. I do agree that the Z seems to flex more than the SZ, but that doesn't mean the Z is any less durable. What happens when you drop a rubber ball? Now what happens when you drop a glass ball?

 

I think that perspective is a great thing....for me the Z does not come from SZ heritage, but that of the TZ. It is basically a TZ on steroids.

Compare the casing, look and finish and it is similar, yet greatly improved. The keyboard style is one to get accustomed too (same as the TZ) - but the pitching and feel is a vast improvement from the TZ. Screen design is also greatly improved.

Mine has the botanical garden pattern on it and looks uber cool.

to me the SZ is far more pedestrian. And under the hood the Z has real grunt an light to boot - the TZ weighing in at jst under a kilo, the Z at 1.3kg and the SZ at 1.88kg.

The screen is excellent - feels bigger than it actuall is (maybe due to the screen ratio).

My Z turns alot of heads when I take it out....and now with my WWAN unlocked it is just a dream.

 

how did u unlock ur wwan ? sucks how mind didnt come with wwan ..

 

Is flexing in the lid, chassis, or keyboard really that important?

I didn't even notice these things on my work laptops until I started reading these forums. And now that I notice them, it still doesn't make me dislike the units any less.

With so many tangible, real world, considerations to be made with all of the different options and models, hardware and software, I rate the above qualities at less than trivial and wasn't even something I considered.

 

I made a post on a separate thread about the WWAN. I ordered ine custom made from sony Japan.

 

i went SR and never looked back.....

 

lol, he clearly has no idea of what he's talking about..

 

Haha, I agree. The screen flex will definitely scare some buyers if they didn't do their research on the Z.

ajfloridian, the screen flex is by design. Take a look at the videos here:
http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/gb/en/vaio10/flash.jsp

There's one instance where the more rigid screen was broken accidentally by the guy there comparing the flexible material with the rigid material. There's also a review where the tester held on to the Z by the display to demonstrate it's sturdiness. I can't seem to find it right now though.

Same here. I didn't realize flexing was an issue to take into consideration until I joined the forums here. Now I do look for notebooks that exhibit not a lot of flex but it's not an important issue for me.

I'll give you this one. It's one of the first things I noticed when my Z arrived. Wiggling the power connector does seem to wiggle the housing near the left screen hinge a little bit. But I don't think it's too much of an issue as the power adapter itself is reinforced on the internal chassis (there are photos of it in this forum). You are just wiggling the housing surrounding it. If there any improvements to made to the Z, one is to make the cylindrical housing a bit stronger. But as it is now, I think it's fine and it should cause no worry for potential buyers. Let me emphasize that I'm talking about the cylindrical housing, not the hinge. The hinge itself is very strong as demonstrated in a review where the Z was lifted by the display.

 

Here is the picture PhilFlow already mentioned:

 

Haha, that's awesome!

 

wow thats a bit dangerous...

 

It was a review unit.

 

that's interesting, i've seen both in person and initial impressions are that build quality isn't an issue. people usually equate flex to poor quality, but i learned that's not the case necessarily.

i like the glass ball vs. rubber ball analogy

 

That's truly incredible... Anyone know if the SR screen has the same durability? (I'm not brave enough to test it...lol)

 

what's up, am i the only one that can't see that picture?

 

I think so. Try another browser.

 

uhm, I agreed with original poster about the lid's material. It's the cheapest looking lid I have seen. I was a bit shocked after placing my order and realized that the lid is not going to come with those carbon fibre look at all.

Anyhow, I disagree on the rest of his points, specially keyboard spacing. If he's using the FZ then no way in hell he's gonna have to stretch his fingers while typing. Also, the lid is truly a bit thicker than Sz's lid, however, that doesn't mean anything.

I'm stick with my order, but getting pissed off for why it's not here NOW.

 

hehehe, what's more important, that the lid is carbon fibre, or that it looks like carbon fibre.

Honestly, I need to stop looking at these critiquing threads.

Is it an age thing? Im 36, and the way a notebook looks is the last of my worries (second to last if I had considered flex to be a problem). I even considered the inclusion of a remote of more importance, even though I knew I'd probably never use it (HP).

 

This reminds me when I got my SZ (before I had FZ). SZ71 lid was so tiny and "fragile" comparing with robust FZ lid. However Sony said that in Z they have used "multiple carbon layers" to make even stronger than SZ. I guess time will tell. Also some people say flexi=flimsy, but I think more like flexi=more durable. Another thing is that we have got used to (during the past years) to sturdy lids, so qualify Z lid as "easy to break", which I doubt to happen, but I agree it will take us some time to adopt this new type of flexi lid.

I don't see any advantage in 13.1 vs 13.3 (except obviously being a bit smaller) as I am pretty satisfied with SZ size, and also 16:9 will take some time adjusting to comparing to 16:10 aspect ratio. IMO I don't think this was necessary, so nothing to shout about (I would also be happy with 13.3 1600x900 resolution).

Also don't forget that whole Z housing is made out of single piece of molded carbon which is really something.

Only time will tell (how original ) but from construction point of view, and considering material used, Z should be more durable/tougher than SZ.

BR
Miki

 

well, getting a permium laptop like a Z, everything will be taken in accounted even small details. I personally think the lid should somehow look like it's carbon fibre. I went to the mall with 3 other friends who are just like any other average computer user and they did commented on the look of the Z's lid. Anyways, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the one piece keyboard and its look and all other aspects.

 

Im not sure whether its because mine is the botanical garden patterned lid or if its the same as the plain black lid....but mine definately looks and feels like carbon fibre.

I think its a great looking machine and the build quality is great - such a powerful pc at 1.3kg is a feat in itself. 2.8ghz processor, 4gb ddr3 ram, blueray, 320gb hd, WWAN and fingerprint reader. Its classy all round and a rather special notebook which is going to take quite some time to be beaten.

 

Without picking one specific reply to my post.. I'll throw in 2 more cents..

I will totally agree with the numerous replies of flexi-lid = flimsy theory being flawed and infact am sure that the screen and the lid must be able to take some beating. But, at first glance and subsequent ones I see myself unconsciously always handling it with "care" thinking its fragile. My brother's SZ's lid is a lot firmer and I still open that with a lot of care.

The picture of the reviewer where he is holding the notebook with the lid and its bent a good amount, to me is worth a 100 words if not a thousand... just looking at that is giving me pain mentally that its just gonna snap any second. Think about it.. how does one know that upto what "degree" can you bend the lid and not damage the screen in the process or after how many times of doing that will it eventually kill the LCD? Just assuming that since its Sony's flagship model made with "multiple layers" of carbon-fiber that it must be able to hold a Hummer H1 on it could cost you dearly.

Again. I didn't start this thread to diss the notebook but honestly, to just vent out. I went into 3 SonyStyle stores last month in different cities just to see the Z only to not find it on display and then finally when I got to see it, I just couldn't hold it together.. LOL.

Someone's right when they say.. eventually we'll get used to these new breed of machines with the "soft" tough nature to them. Also, the keyboard plate and the bottom of the notebook are truly exceptionally handsome. Yea.. even the bottom. There weren't random scattered screws around and the whole machine does infact flow together very well.

As for the 13.1" display with the 1600x900 resolution, I can say with authority that the screen real estate looked visibly bigger than a 13.3" 1280x800. Its ironic that that's the part I was skeptical about before checking out the notebook that I'm gonna find the display to be too small.. and turned out to be the opposite.

 

If you don't think they've thoroughly tested the toughness of the VAIO Z design then please view the videos here:

http://www.sony.com.sg/microsite/vaio/products/vaio_z/f5.html

The open/close test is repeated 65,000 times!

Random thought: these tests remind me of the "Poang" chair display at IKEA.

 

I don't know, but I bet if I did the same with my SZ, it would snap in an instant. I don't care how you think about it, from everything I've seen, the Z seems to be a lot more durable, even if it's not 100% rigid.

I would also strongly recommend you take a look at the videos linked by gr00vy0ne above if you haven't seen them.

 

You got the 2.8ghz???? man, if it's available in the US then that's the first option I will get on my CTO.

I don't trust though. Any company has some kind of test similar to that in their lab n I had experience work in those lab so I know. It may be big to some in public but to my eyes, that doesn't mean much. Check out Vertu's site and their tests on the TI version (retail for $7,500). Those are tough tests but by the end of the day, they're just gonna be a phone With many scratches if you don't pay enough care.

 

This is true; however, it's just to show people that Sony did put some thought and testing behind the decision to design it as it is. If you watch the European introduction video over at Club VAIO, they directly discuss why they made the design decision. Click V for Visual and start watching at 4min 25secs. The representative explains that the flexibility makes the screen more durable (because it can withstand more pressure and torsion) compared to the SZ screen. It's humorous to note that the interviewer accidentally cracks the SZ screen when he applies the same sort of force as he did on the Z screen.

Rigidity doesn't always mean stronger or more durable. Just ask anyone who lives in an earthquake zone.

 

This seems a silly debate to me.

The TZ screen is even more flimsy in feel, but its a tough screen - had one for 8 months and loved it without any problems - as usual from Sony......The Z is a TZ on Steroids.

I havent seen such a good build quality in years - bearing mind Im typing on mine now..not looking at it in a shop...and have had quite a while to play around with it.

Shopping priority 1 - rigid screen - are you serious?
Reassuring to know the screen is durable, I expect that from Sony as standard, but come on, how many people are going to pick any laptop up by the lid. Its not going to fall apart..... (Im pushing my screen around as I type this and its pretty firm despite the flexibility and most importantly does not mishape the screen at all). Just look up the word carbon fibre....if you are still in any doubt. Thinner, lighter whilst retaining durability - fantastic.

Its also somewhat missing the point that the screen is to die for. I watched a blue ray on it last night and its awesome....feels bigger than it is....so bright, clear and detailed. Thinner, lighter whilst retaining durability - fantastic.

Im half expecting someone to point out that it isnt waterproof. What a huge dissapointment that is....and still no mention of those fantastic specs, light weight and styling.

yes mine is a 2.8ghz, 4gb ram, WWAN, 320gb HD, Blueray recordabledrive, security reader, oh and botanical garden pattern on the lid - icing on the cake.

Ive just noted someone cracked there FZ screen...............

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=298428

lol

 

only just noticed this thread btw

edit: virtua - i'm really intrigued with your notebook pattern - do you have any photos of the design to share? i've looked on conics but can't seem to find any proper images of it
edit 2 - in that i mean apart from the current small thumbnail type image on conics

 

here you go


BR
Miki

 

^yup i saw those images, i just meant proper photos or close ups etc

thanks

 

I agree with the keyboard assessment.

I've owned a VGN-S360 and loved it. However, earlier this year I dropped it while running down the stairs, and now sometimes it doesn't boot up. When the Z came out, I was excited because it was everything I was looking for:

+ New Montevina Chipset
+ Graphics card switch
+ HDMI
+ Nice screen
+ Web Cam with Mic
+ 3.3 lbs
+ Made In Japan, excellent build quality

However, after using it for a week I decided to return it. The main reason is that I type fast, up to 90-100 WPM, and even casually I can zip it up above 40 WPM easily. I never had a problem with my S360 or my wife's MacBook Pro, but when I used the Z, sometimes letters just don't show up and I end up needing to do too much backspacing. After a week I still couldn't get used to it, even when typing really slow in the browser's location bar! I don't know if it's because of the bigger spacing or the flat keys that prevent me from getting a good feel of where the keys are, but it wasn't something I wanted to put up with for the next few years.

Well, okay, there were other reasons such as the potentially defective nVidia graphics card, the battery issue, and the SD reader. The defective graphics card issue we all know about. For battery drain I ran a test for fun by shutting down completely, and when I booted it the next morning, it drained by 14%! Not believing this, I tried just rebooting and the battery drained by 1%, so 13% of it just vaporized over night! Also, I was hoping that I could use the SD reader, but it took 3-4 times as long as my SanDisk SDHC reader to read my Transcend 8 GB SDHC card. The colors of the screen is beautiful, but the screen size is definitely smaller than my S360. Many of these are just small peeves, but when I factored in the price and for how much I'm paying for it, I decided returned it and do a little more research.

I do miss the Z because it's so gorgeous and come so close to what I want. At this point MacBook Pro comes closest to everything I'm looking for, but my wife already has one and I really want a different dedicated Windows laptop. Sigh...

 

Hey Six, Check it out!

 

oooooh that is nice virtua! i really do like it.
if i ever did one of these Z's (import) i'd go for that gothic pattern myself, i can just imagine how great that would be. the flower pattern on the TZ looks quite lovely to from what i can see of it. so fantastic to have that little something that stands out so well

thanks for posting the pic!

 

i asked a question about the graphics card in the z in another thread and was told that the z isnt gonna hav the graphics problem as they only happen 8XXX models.

can someone clarify this?
if the z has a potentially defective graphics card, i mite hav to rethink abt it....

 

Regarding the lid:
- I would have preferred if there was no gap on the edge, I had bits of paper wedged in there...
- Sony says it's made of Carbon, well..it doesn't look like it does it ?