New Sony Vaio Z speculation/news thread

except the need to be happy

 

I was really looking forward to the Z2 and in HK they have a good pre-sales promotion but....

What do the experts here think? I travel a lot and must edit Full HD pictures and videos while I am on the road. I travel with two different laptops (one dedicated purely to editing and rendering HD video the other for my normal work) and an external HD for backups etc.

The new laptop would be used for the HD video editing and rendering and so it needs to be as powerful and fast as possible.

I would like the Z2 but the PMD bothers me as it means I need to carry something extra. I am also looking at the Dell M11X R3 with 16GB Ram, 2X USB 3.0 etc but the glossy screen and lack of HD as well, plus its weight puts me off that.

Your thoughts are appreciated. Thanks.

 

This is the most beautiful post of this thread XD

I have a little question: are you sure that you need an ultraportable for these tasks??? I mean.. it makes sense if you do video and photo editing sometimes among other stuff and you want a fast laptop which must be very portable (I mean.. the first need is light weight and low thickness with good power).. but if your main task is video and photo editing, in my opinion the use of a 13.1" is a suicide. If your aim is to have something very powerfull, avoid ultraportable and aim some quad core.. if you aim for something ultraportable, you cannot have high power cpu. If your main task is video and photoediting, it's strange to use small panels and not powerful cpu (and gpus depending on integration with programs)

 

Haha... I had a good laugh on that response. IMHO, that is definitely the joke of the day!

 

hey stop picking on me

 

Thanks Crystal1988. That's the thing. I used to buy the big laptops but last year I bought the Z1 and am so impressed by the weight, and the difference it made to my travels that I would really like to find a balance between portability and power.

Plus, I think I have a Quad core in the Dell XPS1645 I also carry around. That is the one I am looking to replace and it does not render HD videos any quicker than the Z1 (top specs) I have. This is why I was looking at the Z2 or M11X R3.

Before the M17X came out a few years ago, I thought that would be ideal, but then I tried to lift it!! ;-)

 

the m11x has a low voltage cpu

 

Yes. It looks like the 14 would be a much better choice for me than the 11. But then we start adding weight. In HK the new M18X is configurable up to a massive 32GB RAM, but I would need more muscles and a lot of dough to splash on that puppy. Plus airlines would probably need to increase their carry on allowance....

 

Do all VAIO laptops sold in Hong Kong come with 1 year International Warranty ? I might import the Z2 from there. Will be far cheaper.

 

^
Yup one year international warranty but you need to register at Sony's internatoinal warranty site.

 

My Hong Kong bought Z1 and X both had international warranty information in the box, so I assume the Z2 will be the same.

Ordered one in black yesterday. Quite an upgrade from my Z115. Shame it doesn't come with WWAN though.

Can anyone confirm that the 'X' color code (ie Z217/X) is the premium carbon black? The Sony HK reps just kept repeating that yes it's black and yes it's made of carbon fibre but had no idea what I meant by premium carbon black.

 

^
Yes, it's premium carbon black.
B=black
X=carbon fiber
XQ=glossy cabon fiber

On the press photos from the HK launch event you can see it's premium carbon fiber black.

 

Makes me just that bit happier. Thanks

Did the reps say anything about a free laptop bag when you ordered? I wonder if it'll be a huge bag designed for something like the F series (got a 16" laptop bag when I bought my Z1...) or will actually fit the laptop properly.

 

Yeah. I maxed out the specs on both Sony USA and Conics, and managed to derive a similar price in SGD, with shipping and tax included. It all boils down to how Sony Singapore prices the Z, then. If they tag a $3999 price tag, I'll just get it at the local shops. However, if it's anything from $4500 onwards, it's going to be too costly.

It's also interesting to note that the SG market is getting both Carbon Black and Gold color options.

 

The last 2 bags I received as a freebie were those big, bulky, sling-on bags. Suffice to say, I've never once touched them.

 

They didn't have an exact model number (since these free bags are usually not for sale). They just said it's a original Sony VAIO carrying case which fits the Z2.

My previous 2 Z's from Sony HK came with a carrying bag that was a prerfect fit for the Z.

 

I wonder if the VGP-CKZ3 or Z4 will be available at launch then. Will probably be very expensive though.

I bought mine on launch day (3/13/10 I believe?) right before they closed (impulse purchase just as I walked by lol) so they had probably given them all out.

 

Me too, a very slender bag. It is quite useful for just carrying around locally.

 

Can you post a link to the specific website please ?

 

I'd also like the link to the international warranty site. Is it too late to register now? I've had my machine for almost 8 months now.

 

^ On the Sony HK website under the config page at Warranty it says: Local Warranty and VAIO International Repair Service.

You can see that towards the bottom of this page:
VPCZ217GG - Sonystyle.com.hk

I understand that to mean the warranty is local. But I do not understand what they mean by the latter part. I am only guessing, but I would say it means the warranty is local but you can get it repaired overseas but not under warranty. I may be wrong.

 

I'll post a scan of the international warranty sheet that came with my HK-bought VAIO X when I get home.

 

Uhm.. the Dell with a quad core is slower or equal?? Something tells me that you're using some program which cannot use more then 2 thread, cuz' i7 720QM is quite faster then i7 620M with multithread programs....
I think you need to make some main points:
- maximum weight
- maximum thickness
- good panel
- minimum CPU
- minimum graphics
Then you seek those laptop which are witihin the specs and then you'll have to seek for a compromise.. but remember that a quad core Sandy Bridge is really faster then a dual core sandy bridge in multithread programs.

 

^^

Ok thanks very much. I'll be leaving HK to study abroad in the UK in September, and I'll be spending most of my time in the UK aftet then. Doesn't really bother me if I don't manage to register for the International Warranty as it'll expire in December anyway lol.

 

Yes, the Sony is faster, but only slightly. I have had lots of problems with the Dell, it often freezes after watching a short movie online, and would regulary do the same when rendering HD movies. I thought it was memory, but tested that and the RAM comes up clean after numerous passes.

I use the latest Sony Vegas Pro 64-Bit on both machines so I do not see that as being the problem.

Thanks for your advice though, you have made me think a lot about the next laptop I buy, in fact I am already looking at some I had never previously considered such as the Dell Precision M660 and a few others.

Shame cos the Z2 is a pretty little number, still.... ;-)

 

It is possible the Dell was throttling the CPU over agressively and killing off it's Turbo Boost I dunno, Dell has been known to set uselessly low turbo boost power/tdp limits (m11xR2).

 

a list of decent Vaio Z reviews

 

Scan of the VAIO International Repair Service T&C booklet that came with my VAIO X127, which I bought in Mar 2010.

Rear cover | Front cover



Front inside cover | Page 1



Page 2 | Page 3



Page 4 ~ Page 11
[same as above but in Korean/Traditional Chinese/Thai]

Page 12 | Rear inside cover



tl;dr
-valid for 12 months from date of purchase, is free of charge

-dated proof of purchase required for registration

-available for a fee after 1 year FOC warranty expires

-Sony will repair, foc, any defects in the hardware unit, will not repair software, cables, peripherals, consumables etc

-no on-site repair service, no data backup service

-some regulated parts (eg WLAN, encryption technology, etc) may not be possible to be ordered in another country

-shipment of the product will be back to the same location from which the product was sent, or the local Sony store. Shipment to another Service Country or Area (see below) may be possible for a fee, ask for more details.

-this service is available in the USA (incl Cont US, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and all territories), Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, UK, Italy, Austria, Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Finland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Russia and Luxembourg.

-see https://www.sony.com/irsp/ for more detailed information

tl;dr of the tl;dr:
-valid as long as your local warranty is valid
-repairs hardware defects, nothing else
-some things might not be able to be repaired
-shipping overseas may be possible for a fee
-the service is valid in many countries
-see https://www.sony.com/irsp/ for more detailed information

Hope this helps.

give me rep if this helps

 

Im gonna be at sonynyc on sunday to play with the Z. Ill post my reactions here, but are there any special requests for what i should check out and report back?

 

^ check if is it possible to have a raid 1, if possible.

 

^how would i do that?

 

You'd have to get in the BIOS. If it is anything like the Z1 then RAID 1 will be possible with a BIOS hack to enable the advanced menu.

 

The sony reps might notbe too happy about that...Haha ill see if i can get in. They might have a machine password. Where would i look in bios?

 

I was in the Sony store in South Korea and they had the new Z2 on display. I'm a huge aficionado of premium Vaio laptops so I spent an hour with it. I did everything from pushing on the keyboard (to check for flex), bending the lid, and disconnecting the PMD while it was on. Here's a list of the pros and cons for me. My apologies if some of these have been listed eariler as I haven't gone through this entire post. Its just way too long for me.

Pros

* Very thin. I am into thin laptops and this one is def. that. Amazing they can fit a full blown I7 into it.

* Not a lot of heat. I played some youtube videos simulateneously and opened up other apps but there seemed to be very little heat. The bottom side was a bit warm but nothing uncomfortable. Also, the fan didn't seem to kick on that much. Surprising for such a thin laptop.

* Nice display. Seems on par with what I have in my Z1.

Cons

* My biggest con is the keyboard flex. I think its been mentioned before sparsely but to me it is a big flaw. Basically, I think the flex occurs because the laptop is wider (compared to the Z1) and made of thinner materials (compared to the SA). There was noticeable flex both when I pushed on the outer edges of the keyboard (like when you hit Tab or Enter) and the middle keys (letters). A big deal breaker for me.

* Shallow key travel. Its def. a lot less travel than the Z1. I might be able to adjust the way I type to make this work but it would take some effort. Makes me feel this is really made for a touch typist.

* Hinge design. I didn't love it when I saw the initial pics that were leaked and still don't love it after seeing it in the store. To me, its just strange seeing the hinge elevate the laptop, esp when you look at it from its side. Also the white hinge is hollow when you look down from it when the laptop is open - except for where hinge connects to the lcd lid and the hinge on the main chasis. Would not be surprised if there are reports of it cracking or breaking later on after extensive use.

* Design is nice but not a big wow factor. I always loved vaios for their innovative design (barrel hinge, etc.) . But when you see it in person, it underwhelms. The design is nice, simple, and clean (and very thin). But it really looks a bit plain (just black). Like a thinner version of the SA.

* It is true that the laptop won't work if you disconnect the PMD while the laptop is still on. I tried this a couple of times and I think the Vaio employees were wondering wth I was doing.

* Sharp edges at the corners. Would have been nice if they rounded them out a bit.

Conclusion

Overall, I think there are some pros about the laptop that I like (full i7 in a thin chasis) but there are some big engineering and design flaws that wouldn't justify such a hefty price tag. I'll keep my Z1 for now and probably wait for the 3rd version of the Z. On a side note, they had the 11.6 Samsung series 9 with the same i5 processor as that in the Macbook Air. Its only offered in Korea I guess b/c the 11.6 US versions have only i3s. I like the design of the Series 9 and it would be tempting, though I know in terms of sheer processing its a step down from the Z series.

 

• Main unit on and open, PMD connected. Close as many programs as possible. Then, disconnect the power leading into the PMD (to simulate power loss) without pressing the UNDOCK button, to see how the main unit handles it.
• Same as above, but main unit in sleep or hibernate. Disconnect the power leading to the PMD, and see how the main unit handles it when resuming from sleep/hibernate.

 

Thanks for your report. This was what I was posting earlier - design aspects, the Z2 does look like a small-scaled SA or a large-scaled X with very few differentiation from these models - no wow factor.

The PMD is a tad bothersome too. Does it auto-connect when plugged? Or will it require for it to be turned "ON" as you would turning it "OFF"?

I still need to see it in the flesh to make a decision. But my gut feeling tells me I might pass on this version , keep my Z13, and wait 1 1/2 years-2 years for the Z3.

 

Thanks for the mini-review! It was very informative. I have yet to see the Z in person, but your first hand experience has conditioned me for any disappointments I might have.

Could I ask if this particular silver strip is made of metal or plastic? I've never really thought about it, but since you've mentioned it, I went and took a look at the myriad Z2 reviews and saw what you were describing. It does look a little odd, and worse, it makes the Z2 look cheap.

This new iteration of the Z series is a step forward in some ways, but also a few steps backward in others. Too many compromises were made in the conceptual planning stages which left a Z that is powerful and thin, but yet seemingly losing the polished feel of the VGN-Z and VPC-Z1 before it.

With the Z1, you knew what you had in your hand - a mobile powerhouse. The Z2 feels more like a pretender, trying to be what its big brother was, but failing on many fronts.

I'm pretty convinced I'm buying a Z2, but I'm not as satisfied with my decision as when I purchased the Z1. The conviction is somewhat lacking.

 

Not a good thing, but does this happens even if you don't touch in any way the aluminium palmrest (I mean, ONLY touching typing buttons)?

Fortunately, not a problem for me

I think different here.. I mean, this part is the most critical, so I think that engineers have made lot of calculations to see if materials used are ok.. in this case I don't have fears. In addition, the fact that the hinge rises the laptop makes air vent to suck more air.. not a bad thing, don't you think..

 

Where was that link with the WEI scores for the Z2?
I am interested in comparing them to the scores that I am getting now with the Z1+ViDock.

 

Again;

Carbon fibre flexes. It's nothing new. It's both super strong while still being flexible.

I'd rather have that than the brick that is a Macbook Pro. You get dents in it really easily.

 

^ the palmrest in Z2 is NOT made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic but in Aluminum alloy..

 

As someone who has been following this thread and reading various reviews on the Z21, I am eagerly waiting for mine to ship.

Granted, my current laptop is 5 years old SZ-280P and I been looking at an upgrade for a while now, but I think the new Z21 will suite my uses nicely. And while I know there has been a group of people (with their own thread) that compares the Z1 to the Z2 and how the Z1 is better, I think Sony did a good job on the Z2 to make an ultrathin notebook that blows their competition out of the water. Are the Z1 people really expecting Sony to be able to add an external GPU and blu-ray drive into the Z2 without making it both thicker and heavier?

What I think they should have done (to satisfy the "needs" of the Z1 crowd) is to have the Z2, but then at the same time, done a premium HD SA series that has full 1080P display and SSDs to satisify those power users that really need to have external gpu and bluray drives with them at all time.

 

In a nutshell, YES.

All jokes aside, I know the physical limitations present. I wasn't expecting anything like the Z2 carrying all the muscle from the Z1. However, I would have preferred a slimmed down Z1, if only by a few mm. The current Z2 should have been the X2.

But oh well, you can never please everyone, I suppose.

 

sorta off topic, but can anyone here with an LG P310 tell me how difficult it was to import it? if it's difficult or the taxes/import fee/additional cost is ridiculous, then i can cross it off my list

 

I don't care that much about the fact that it doesn't have a GPU on board and I don't care that it doesn't have a Optical drive on board. That is fine. When I am on the go I don't use either of those things. Here is the problem. The Lightpeek/Thunderbolt implementation only works with the PMD and the PMD sucks. The GPU in the PMD is lame, the PMD doesn't support WQXGA.

I am not an Apple lover but I do like that they all have DisplayPort.

The docking experience on the Z2 is not great. So you can hook up 3 or 4 external monitors... so what? they are all low resolution and two of them will be VGA, and you have to plug three things into the Z2 to get that done. The dock should have connections for everything so that it is the only thing you have to plug in. The dock should have a faster GPU since they aren't that limited by size and weight there. The dock should have 2x Dual Link DVI or 2X Display port. I understand the need for VGA for compatibility and I don't mind that there is a connector on the main unit, or even that there is one on the PMD, but Sony is acting like that is a viable solution for everyday use, IT IS NOT!

Sony was so close to hitting the mark with the Z2 but the PMD drops the ball. This would be OK if the Z2 was compatible with other aftermarket thunderbolt stuff, but it is not.

On the Z1 you drop in the dock and everything is connected, granted there is not multi-monitor support but that can be solved with ExpressCard. The Z2 has no ExpressCard either which really hinders it's legacy support.

 

Can you see how much the screen can tilt back? I'd love it if it could go almost 180 degrees. Looking at the hinge design, it's hard to tell how far the max tilt angle is.

 

What? You are saying bad things about the Z2? Qwaarjet will come and reprimand you

Btw. I agree that compared to the Z1, Sony made too many compromises with the Z2 just to make it thin and a bit lighter.

I also have an almost 6 years old Vaio (still works perfectly *knockonwood*, but is loud and sometimes a bit slow) and was waiting for the Z2, but I did not expect it to be like that. There are too many little annoyances. The problem is that there are no alternatives in this class, so I'll wait until fall/winter and if nothing better is announced, I'll buy the Z2, though not with a huge enthusiasm.

Yes, this was exactly what I and some others were saying when the Z2 got announced. Would have made much more sense in my opinion.

 

The Z2 is first and foremost an executive notebook. This means that it was not designed primarily for programmers and game enthusiasts. Thus it was designed with certain requirements in mind but not others. What's surprising is that it has as many capabilities as it does.

Few senior executives have even heard of, let alone care about, super hi res (>1018p) monitors so it's not surprising that they're not supported. The same is true for multiple monitors. The target audience for the Z2 is interested in using the notebook's screen with options to connect to a projector or other conference-oriented video device and a (single) desktop display. Even if the Z packed those capabilities into the Z2 without any additional compromises (a purely theoretical situation), they probably would not yield enough additional sales to make it worth while.

 

Does the Z2 flex more than the Z1? the Z1 doesn't normally flex, but if you push hard enough it will flex as well... Does the Z2 normally flex as you're typing? or did it only flex when you applied a ton of force downwards?