New Sony Vaio Laptops Coming?

I like the specs of the Z series but the 13 inch screen is a bit on the smaller side of what I've been looking for. Are there any new models in the near future that I should look out for? Where can I read about them? Thanks.

 

The Sony Z is basically their creme de la creme. There's not really anything comparable made by anyone else either with a larger screen. If you got the cash just get it. They're awesome.

The only thing I can think of that has a big screen and is thin and light is the Latitude Z that's 16 inches. The Thinkpad 410s has a 14.1" but it has worse graphics and the screen is lower resolution I think.

 

I really like the Z, I also like watching movies on my laptop. Right now I have an old Dell Inspiron that desperately needs upgrading, but that at 15 inches sometimes just seems like enough to enjoy the movie. Not sure how much worse it would be on Sony Z's 13 inch screen, especially an HD movie. I also watch alot of streams(Sports, movies as well).

Are you saying the Latitude Z is comparable to the Sony Z?

 

You don't need a powerful processor and graphic card to view a HD movie. It only takes a dual core processor and a 256mb graphic card to view the best out of HD quality. That is why the F series should be considered the best for viewing a Blu Ray movie in the Sony line up.

 

Watching an HD movie is not my only concern or sole use. I am just a bit concerned with the Sony Z's screen size. Anyone went from a 15 inch screen or bigger to Sony Z's smaller screen and noticed a big difference?

 

I did. @ 1600x900 it has given me a lot of real estate. I honestly don't miss my 15" at all.

As for the Z screens, I wouldn't go with the 1080p display personally. It makes everything too small. You would have to jack up the DPI, I sometimes get eye strain on the 16x9 display.

 

you could always get an external mon, thats what i do. Unless u like to watch movies during a commute

 

I'm concerned now with the 1080p screen comment. I'm pretty sure the 13" would be too small for my liking. How often do the Z's get refreshed? I would of hated to buy one in September if new models were coming in November. I'm hoping for similar specs and form factor of the Z with a bigger screen.

 

That is what I like about Apple. If that happened to your new Apple laptp, you can contact your local Apple rep to get replaced by the brand new model that comes out.

 

My best guess is that the Z isn't going to have a bigger screen option. It's designed to be high power in a small package. If you want a larger screen you're going to have get one of their larger screened and (imo) crappier models.

 

Are you serious? I didnt know that. You just get much less for the money with Apple, and I'm not the biggest Mac Os fan.

I have noticed that. I know this is a Sony forum but can you/anyone recommend a nicely spec'ed laptop similar to the Z from another manufacturer with a larger screen? Just curious to compare.

 

You're going to have to make some sort of sacrifice one way or another. If you're willing to add weight to the machine, the HP Envy 14 or the MacBook Pro 15 might fit the bill. They both have good graphics, nice screens, and are well built. They each weigh over 5lbs.

I'm not really sure what your priorities are. Screen, graphics, weight, etc. I'm getting to the age where a 13" screen is too small for me too btw, so I know how you feel.

 

I'm now looking at the Sony F series. Some have full 1080p and i7 quad core. Does this one have serious issues like fan noise and overheating issues? Battery life is not great I see. Screen and graphics are definitely in priorities.

 

You could get a MacBook Pro 15, as Corrid suggested. They have one with 1080p and an SSD. They're also nice looking and well built, and I think the battery life is better on them. Not cheap, though. Plus, if you plan to run Windows, I think there's a problem with driver support that causes you to have a shortened battery life (because discrete graphics stays on). The Macbook is also a lot heavier.

If you don't mind the 13" screen, the Toshiba R700 can be configured with an i7-620, an SSD, and 1366x768 for about $1500. It's also about 3 pounds and the entire body/screen is made of magnesium alloy. It doesn't have dedicated graphics, though. The keyboard is a bit small, but a lot of ppl got used to it.

Personally, I love the 1920x1080. I run it at 125% screen scaling on Win7 and everything looks fine, except the text and the Windows and icons are now super-sharp. I even turn Cleartype font smoothing off.

 

The screen on macbook pro arent near as bright, sharp, well balanced color gamut as Z..

 

VPCZ12AHX/XQ price is steep..... 4799.99USD..... almost 5k
if weight isnt the main concern. i will get alienware for that price

 

The HP Envy 14 and MacBook Pro 15 are probably the best bets in terms of what you are looking for. Macbook Pro has much better battery life, but you have to deal with OSX. The Sony F series would be good but for the crappy screens offered in the US. If you are in Europe, you get a much better screen option and thus maybe something you want to look closer at. I hope Vaio gets a refresh too. Would be nice to see them compete against MBP and Envy at more than just the 13 inch level, which is too small for me too.

 

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I'm just not in total agreement with what the MBP offers. It doesnt have hdmi out, mac osx doesnt support alot of streaming software and similar software limitations, I do not like the way it doesnt maximize windows.

I passed by a Bestbuy this morning and saw the F series, not the HD resolution one, and the screen did not wow me. I'm hoping the F series with the HD resolution is much nicer, if not maybe the Sony 13" is the way to go for me since I only have heard great things about the screen. I dont hear positive things about the envy as far as build quality.


Anyone have experience with this Sony F model. I can probably get it for US $1400? I guess my main concern is the screen and graphics performance?
http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VPCF127FXB/