New Sony Vaio Z speculation/news thread

the sz changed to the sr and the z, the sr was the lower end, whereas the z was the higher end

the sr and z were then replaced by the s and the z, respectively, and now, both are being replaced and the s is keeping its name, and we can speculate that the z is keeping its name too

originally, the sz was meant to capture a wide market, sony split the sz into 2 products, the sr and the z, in order to capture a wider range and so that each product is more specific to their target audiences

if the current z were in fact replaced by the current s, then that would mean that they would lose the audience of the z, or another way to look at it is, they would lose "half" the market of the sz

therefore, because they kept the name of the s the same indicates that the s is not the successor to the z, and that there will be a replacement for the z in order to capture the higher end market

 

I'm wondering about the cooling for the GPU in the external box. Is there any fan installed in it to cool the GPU?

 

^lol of course there is

 

But with all those things included, how is the GPU/optical drive package going to be "very small"?

 

it's probably bigger than what you have in mind

 

LOL I hope it won't be THIS big... man... if only Sony made the external GPU/ODD optional (Beaups said it was bundled right?).

 

Any word on what else may be in the external unit besides the ODD and GPU?

 

Perhaps some extra ports? A fan perhaps for the GPU?

 

That's what he said...

 

hmm... we can mod it into a 5-day portable battery/power!!

 

Perhaps like this?

 

i hope they include a toaster in the external unit

 

You mean this ToasterDrive™? It's only the newest technology available, where when using the discrete gpu in the unit, you can just load in toast into the top and hot swap them out whenever they are done! (Please don't try the hot-swapping with hard-drives as they WILL melt and you WILL lose your data)

(sorry for the poor "photoshopping" it was more like paint using free select tool with my touchpad)

 

I know you guys are just joking around, but man I am really starting to hate this idea of "here is your portable computer that is really cool and light, except not all of it is portable"

That is fine for the X or the P but this is the Z we are talking about here. The reason I love the Z is because it "has it all"

Very unhappy, so typical of Sony to make something awesome then scrap it and NOT offer a better replacement. Like the UX for example, how about an updated version of that? Never happened.

 

I agree with you completely, but Sony will do what it will. Here's hoping that they'll go back to the all-in-one monster that the Z was . (Or somehow magically Intel will produce an IGP as powerful as the 6630m ) As for a UX replacement, wait til Win 8 which will support ARM architecture... those CPUs consume so little battery power too. I can't wait for quad core Tegras

 

ComputerCowboy, what specifically will you be missing? Do you game on the road and therefore the integrated graphics won't cut it? Is it because you want to play BDs while travelling? For me, I would always trade better battery and weight for high-end GPU and ODD, but it's a bonus that I can have those things as well just by plugging in the other unit.

(When I ask, I am not being in the least dismissive; I'm genuinely interested in your point of view.)

 

This toaster/GPU thing has me interested. Good way to utilize waste heat from the GPU

 

Hi, I'm new here, been lurking for a while and this is my first post.

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME THIS EXTERNAL GPU THING?

Sorry about the caps.

 

Expect a notebook similar to the current Z but with SandyBridge, on-board Intel graphics only, no optical drive and weighing in at about 300 grams lighter. On the side of the notebook will be a Thunderbolt port (formerly codenamed LightPeak). Since this port connects to the PCI interface, it is capable of providing a hot switched discrete GPU that's in an external box along with the the ODD.

This external box will probably have a Thunderbolt port of it's own, and allow control of an external monitor using the daisy chain ability of Thunderbolt.

Most importantly, though, the external unit will replace the function of the Intel onboard graphics when it's plugged in and drive the notebook's own screen with more horsepower.

Expect the unit to be slightly larger than one of Sony's old firewire external DVD drives:


The unit will also sport a Blu-ray drive and additionally more ports such as HDMI.

In this way, it provides function as a dock for the notebook, but sits to the side rather than underneath. We know there will be a power port alongside the Thunderbolt and probably a single cable with both plug ends integrated. We don't know if this provides power from Notebook to External Unit, vice versa or both.

This description is the culmination of insider info and speculation only.

Hope that helps.

 

You know what would really be cool? In addition to the external GPU being on the add-on, the keyboard is also on that. When the add-on is removed, the Z is just a single piece, aka a tablet.

 

It's not called lightpeak anymore. The official name from intel as well is thunderbolt.

Sandy bridge integrated graphics is very powerful, more than enough for bluray full hd.

 

that wouldn't be cool, that would suck! I don't want a tablet, i want a notebook!

 

I agree with this sentiment. I use BD drive several times a year and only external since I already swapped internal for 2nd hard drive. Having the best screen on the market combined with the best weight would make me upgrade from current Z.

 

beaups,

and..... which letter is reserved for this new laptop in production?

VPC-ZA?

VPC-U?

VPC-W?

VPC-R?

 

wow i'm assuming there'll be no fan on the external gpu thing given its miniscule size... Does that mean i'll be able to warm my coffee or fry an egg on that thing?

 

Why would you make that assumption? Even the macbook air has a fan. We're not at the point where mid-range+ GPU's can be fanless without massive heatsinks (relative). This external unit would have to have a fan, it would make it thinner and lighter having one vs making it larger and heavier to accommodate a bigger heat sink.

 

Beaups already said that it will be a Z. So VPC-ZA or VPC-Z2 (or maybe ZM, ZX?). My guess is Z2.

 

The Windows tablets are typically (not recently) the same as the laptop except that the screen can be folded and is a touch-screen. Compared to more recent tablets the notebook is more powerful in every way except possibly battery life.

Suppose the main body of the Z is a tablet. Given that some of its resources can be distributed to the add-on (e.g. GPU, battery, optical drive, additional ports), the main objectives the tablet Z needs to hit are (a) capable CPU and (b) slimness (always the goal with the Z). Without the GPU in the same body, there isn't as significant a need for cooling, which can contribute to the reduction in thickness. The optical drive is also absent, and, as in the current Z, the SSDs are proprietary without casings making them pretty slim as well. This makes the only component that can increase the thickness the battery. Which can also be partially moved to the add-on (e.g. move 4 of the 6-cells there). I'm not sure how much cooling a Sandy Bridge i7 core would need, and whether the cooling hardware will take up much space. But perhaps the software can configure the CPU to operate at lower frequencies, much like the thermal strategies we have on our Vaio Zs now.

So, I think theoretically it is possible to have a tablet-Z, expandable to notebook-capabilities with an add-on. I think Sony doesn't have a tablet (yet?), this may be a good path to investigate.

 

Windows tablets will not be interesting until Windows 8 comes out. At that point they will be very interesting.

Windows 8 will have an optional tile-based interface similar to Windows Phone, and will run Windows Phone apps. It will be like having a device that has the ease of use of an iPad, but can still run full Windows apps like Word and Photoshop.

There's a little leakage here.

I'm personally very interested in how the Windows 8 version of an eeePad will look, as it combines finger-touch and stylus.

Anyway, I doubt Sony (or pretty much anyone else) will be interested in doing a Windows tablet for at least a year, until Windows 8 is out. The current tablets based on Windows 7 are pretty awful.

 

I agree, on the software side of things. But on the hardware side, it's still interesting to see if Sony will take this path, and if the Z will be the lead.

 

I agree with Qwaarjet. I need a notebook, not a tablet. For me the only use of a tablet is to satisfy my gadget fetish. I don't see any reason why I'd prefer a tablet over a small, thin, light, powerful notebook with a real keyboard on which I can do meaningful things.

Furthermore, splitting a notebook in parts makes it more cumbersome to use. It'd be like playing Lego or puzzle, when you put all the parts together or take them apart. From a design perspective, it would probably be negative as well.

The external unit of the new Z is also something that makes the notebook less appealing to me. But I'll wait to see the real product, before making any judgements.

 

For me, if the Z can indeed be both a tablet and a notebook, even with a slight increase in thickness when it's a notebook, I would be completely sold. It would score really, really high on the 'executive wow-factor' test: two executives meet on the plane, one pulls out his Z, and the other looks at it and goes 'Wow'.

 

From this point of view, yes, it would be a nice toy for bragging But if you want to do some real work on it and use it a lot, then no.

It would sure be interesting to see such a tablet/notebook hybrid but in my opinion, it cannot replace a notebook like the Z.

 

Sure it can do real work: add the add-on on With that, it can replace the Z, except for the thickness part.

 

ToasterDrive™ design is very disappointing to me since it appears Sony will only be offering a dual slice toaster. I really need a quad slice.

 

I don't play games, the Intel HD is plenty to play blu-ray, do I use the blu ray drive when on the road? not really, I usually make MKV files out of my blu-rays.

Here is the thing, with everything and the kitchen sink built in, I don't have to carry around 2 extra things, GPU, ODD, just because I might want them.

Seems to me that there is not real incentive to keep the overall weight down for the whole package, or size for that matter.

Here is what I mean, current Z with everything built in is about 3LBS, lets just say that the new one is 2.5LBS, total speculation. But then we have GPU and ODD that maybe weigh a pound between the two of them, and are bulky, need more cables etc. So now you have more weight and size to carry just to get all the stuff that you had built in to the current Z.

I know some people agree. I think they already have the bare minimum light weight aspect covered with the X or the P (now discontinued)

I just like that the current Z is almost a desktop replacement in a sub-notebook format.

 

VPC-Z2 makes sense.
The new F is F2

 

I get what you're saying. The Sony Insider article had weight of the main unit pegged at 2.5 lbs, and 1.5 lbs for the add-on. So no question, if you carry both, you're carrying more than before.

But certainly for me (and it sounds like for you), there'd be few occasions where it was necessary to carry the add-on. I plan to have one at home and one at work attached to my mouse, keyboard and monitor, and use it effectively like a dock.

It's also really worthwhile considering the extra battery life. The difference between the current Z and the 8+ hours of the new one is often the difference between having to carry around an AC adapter or not. That's why I keep going on about the importance of battery life - it is a huge improvement in convenience not to have to go searching for an outlet in the airport, coffee shop, etc.

 

pretty much this.
getting scared of the costs though...

As is this machine is already sounding like it's going to be well above and beyond what I paid on my last z. (vgn)

With soldered on RAM and custom spec SSD even going CTO savings will be limited. I'll likely want to max out on RAM and CPU.

Guess you gotta pay the cost to be the boss.

 

beaups, can you confirm whether or not the new z will have the barrel hinge? Or will look more like the new SB?

 

What are the odds that when Microsoft releases Windows 8, Sony will also officially support Windows 8 on the new VAIO Z series by providing all the necessary drivers?

 

10% max. But like all MS releases, next one will most likely be a bomb and not worth the upgrade until Windows 9. Plus, the next one may be a cloud OS..

 

I have a 2005 Vaio and there are Vista drivers for it (Vista was released at the end of 2006). So it is possible in my opinion, that if Windows 8 is released next year, then the new Z will get the drivers.

 

Frankly. That's already the case with z13 (unless they both have it).

 

the first generation z was released 2.5 years ago and sony also provided windows 7 drivers, so it's safe to assume that sony is competent with driver support

 

Is there any view for what the release date might eventually be? I know its all conjecture but what is the rumor mill saying right now?

 

early july.. so it's possible to have one in your hands by the beginning of august... thats if you still want it

i'm going to sit back and see what other companies are putting out, maybe there's a better alternative to the z

 

Kidding of course, we all appreciate the help and informations you provide on these forums

 

fujitsu just came out with the LifeBook P771, 12.1, with ulv sb processor and 2.89lbs, 8.5 hours of batt life, in case anyone is interested

edit: thought it was full voltage, it's not.. guess it's not a competitor to the z

 

I am relatively new to this forum, and a new Z owner, so forgive me, as I couldn't find the origin of this information via search.

It seems, Beaups, as if you are a Sony employee but are authorized to "leak" certain information, that is not yet publicly confirmed by Sony, to NBR members among perhaps others. Yet it also seems that the amount of info you are permitted to reveal at a point in time is severely limited and sometimes you can do more than drop hints. I think it is great that there is a manufacturer's rep on every brand forum on NBR, and certainly great if they can provide some advance information, however limited.

My questions, though, are:

1) Can we post any question to you about future products, and you will just respond with as much info as you are permitted to provide?

2) Can we also post other questions to you - anything about product issues, service issues, etc, and get guidance from you as to how to resolve an issue, even contact info for where inside Sony to get help with a particular kind of issue?

3) Alternatively, is your role limited to monitoring the forums, occasionally, at your sole discretion, providing information when members speculate about something and you are permitted to confirm or deny a "rumor," but you do not want questions about anything else but future product information posed to you on this forum, and is it the case that, if you do not provide a response to a query directed at you, that you are indicating that you are not authorized to provide that particular information?

Just one more question. It seems that you sometimes post "teaser" posts, not quite confirming or denying, not quite fully describing (eg, the issue of the gpu "box" for the new Z and certain specs of the base computer of the Z13 replacement), but kind of telling us where we're on the right track or the wrong track. Is that by intent, essentially what you are asked by Sony to do?

Oops, I lied. One more question please? Can you say anything about why Sony seems to be more secretive than most manufacturers about product migration plans, new products, etc?

Thanks, and if this was all covered on an earlier post, I would be grateful for a link to it, as I imagine other newcomers would appreciate.

And please don't think me ungrateful for whatever information you can provide; I'm just trying to understand the ground rules.