New Sony Vaio Z speculation/news thread

FWIW, my experience owning Fujitsu products as an individual has not been good. They provide comprehensive support to enterprise customers, but individuals don't fare very well - and I've dealt with them from both positions. I think that's why not many of us buy Fujitsus, though they are something like the third largest computer mfr in the world!

 

My guess is Intel employee

 

It's not a big deal. The only thing that is important is that beaups is willing to give his time to let us know, which I appreciate greatly.

Beaups, I am a college student next year.

I am either deciding getting the X220, a DiY ViDock, a keyboard, mouse, monitor, the whole shebang, all for $2000-$2300 or waiting for the new Sony Vaio Z to make the choice then.

What are the advantages the Sony Vaio Z will give me over the X220 with all the extra stuff for about the same price as the new Sony Vaio Z assuming that the Z keeps the previous Z's price when it was new?

 

You may or may not care about eye candy, but the Z will most definitely be sexier in most people's opinions.

IMHO all Lenovo/IBMs look like they're from the 1980s.

 

He said somewhere in this thread that the new Z reminds him of the previous one. So that might be a hint that it has the barrel hinge, although smaller I guess, as the whole notebook is smaller/thinner. I can't think of anything else which could remind you/him of the old Z besides the barrel hinge.

 

I can't remember this being mentioned but do we have any word on SATA III implementation?

 

It can't really be smaller as beaups mentioned it's using the same 13.1 inch panel as the current z. Thinner probably.

The thing is that it seems sony is moving away from the barrel hinge design, all their new vaio notebooks have dropped that design.

 

I totally agree for Fujitsu public support !!

However my old friend Amilo M1425 has been there since 2004 and it is still working well. I hope my Z lasts as much

But i indeed almost have never seen a software upgrade since i bought the Fujitsu... not a new driver, almost nada. And when i had to replace my keyboard i couldn't find it @ fujitsu, i had to search the web for the rare person selling one.

 

All Sandy Bridge comps have Sata III.

 

Perhaps it will also have the one sheet aluminium keyboard but without the plastic palmrest this time.

 

Unless its been nerfed by the manufacturer like the Lenovo SATA II debacle.

 

Thats the one thing I like about the Air. SUPER comfortable to type on.

 

Design-wise, that's all they need to do for a home run, VPC-Z but with the palmrest being part of the aluminium chassis.

 

I agree...
There was no plastic palmrest in the VGN-Z.
Plus the black palmrest fades in color...

 

Because he probably works for some company that works with Sony and he's got insider access (also because Beaups was right about the SB/SA).

 

I think this is none of our business and it doesn't matter anyway. It is more than enough to get the infos about the new products from Beaups. Of course, the more of those, the better

 

by "smaller" I meant that it might be smaller in diameter, as the laptop is thinner.
Aluminium keyboard is nice, but not really an eyecatcher nor a thing which seperates the Z from other laptops by a lot. So that's why I think it should still have the barrel hinge, but that's just guesstimation on my part.

 

I really hope that the plastic palmrest is gone! Single-piece metal would be much better IMO.

 

well, the bezel of the screen could be even smaller, so the new z could be smaller in length and width, as well as depth (thinness)

 

The bezel of the current z is already really small, i cant think of a notebook that has a smaller bezel really.

 

lg xnote p210, perhaps? Not sold in here, though :/

 

Ok, if you say so. I hope nobody thinks it was weird to ask the question. I mean, he is treated like an "oracle" of Sony product news, but no one knows why or how and as he feeds little nuggets of information ( good information!), everyone hangs on his every word. Again, I hope you don't think it was inappropriate for me to just ask; in 13 months of active membership on several forums here, I have never encountered this kind of "seer," who swears he has no connection to a manufacurers but does have information nobody else has. In the Dell forum, there was "Dell Bill," who Dell asked to become active, hear people's issues and bring them back to the company, who tried to resolve them; no mystery surrounding his "inside" knowledge.

Beaups, I meant no offense. If you have access to information - or just read a lot and draw and share your conclusions - you are helping the rest of us. I enter a new forum, I like to know about the players, especially the leaders, with the best insights. Thank you.

 

Meh, it isn't like there is all that much info anyway, and the new model sounds like an EPIC FAIL. I don't even know why I look at this damn thread, but I can't stop.

 

For me the new model sounds very good.

1. It is lighter than the previous model.
2. It has longer battery live.
3. It has thunderbolt.
4. It can drive high resolution displays with a resolution of 2560x1200.
5. It can drive multiple external displays.
6. It has new SB architecture.
7. The external GPU has potential to be (a) faster and (b) upgradeable/replaceable.
8. It retains the 1080p display.
9. From what I understand, the main unit will also have USB 3 and HDMI without the extra unit.

For me 4. and 5. is especially nice, I do not want to use a ViDock or DualHead2Go or similar device.

The SB graphics are supposed to very good, so I think the internal GPU is only interesting on a desk with a high resolution display, so it will mainly be used like a docking station.

Of course, it would be nice to have the GPU inside the main body, but I can see several advantages going the other route. If the main unit's GPU is fast enough and is lighter and has longer battery life, I think I would prefer this solution.

 

the only thing you get from not having the dedicated gpu in the main body is for the laptop to be smaller and lighter, since if they kept it in, you could switch between the gpus.. so that you'd still have the battery advantage of the integrated gpu

 

Agree it sounds so good. 4 and 5 make it a true desktop replacement. Fingers crossed, and hope there's some sort of official announcement soon, even if availability is a little way off.

S

 

Seriously stop this. Dont either glorify a person nor diminish it. Treat it as a person. He gives you something say thank you, and thats it. He treats you otherwise... do what you gotta do (within the boundaries that is)

 

I really like Beaups but the way some people badger him for information that he's already given 100's of times before is embarrassing.

People should just shut up and wait for an official announcement. You know when the new Z is coming, you know roughly what it's going to be like, so with respect shut up and wait it out. If you need a notebook right now, then buy something else! If you don't & are happy to play the waiting game then wait and stop asking so many stupid questions.

This place is going the way of MacRumors, with everyone pissing their pants over false & snippets of information.

 

the current model can drive that resolution and even higher, this is NOT a new feature.

 

I think thunderbolt is a revolutionary feature in the notebook world. One of the biggest obstacles to notebooks becoming true desktop replacements was the GPU which has not been keeping up with the CPU in TPD (thermal power design). If you look at the current generation of desktop graphics cards they use so much power it's ridiculous.

Notebooks could therefore never keep on par with desktops in marginal performance improvement as they were limited by battery performance to power the GPU and the fact that everybody is obsessed over thinness it seems. So the bottleneck has recently been the GPU and trying to keep the power consumption down. Look at the top of the line macbook pros, they turn into frying pans after a little bit of gaming.

 

Bah, if i want an external GPU I do a DIY ViDock. It is nice to have some power built in, you don't HAVE to use it and it doesn't add THAT much weight.

Who cares if the Z gets a tiny bit thinner, it will still have some ridiculous battery sticking out making it a funny shape anyway.

EPIC FAIL SONY, take a good design and trash it in favor of something worse.

Not saving any weight when you have to carry an extra piece and the total of both pieces is heavier than the current model. NOT HAPPY

It is not like the GPU add on is going to be some super power thing either, a ViDock would be way more powerful.

 

You sound really angry, is someone forcing you to buy the upcoming Z?

 

Based on the 63 pages of this thread, its looking more or less a reinvent of the X505, but in a 13.1 footprint. I'm all for it. I'm sure it will look spectacular.

I can respect both sides - People are just trying to gain as much information about the new Z to make an informed decision, especially when your forking out this much cash. For some, there are time constraints whether it be for school or work. It's difficult to gauge, because we don't have a specific date - just a rough estimate. Sometimes, when your given small hints and clues, one wonders if they know more than what's actually being provided. Its all in fun. If people just kept quiet, there would be no reason to continue on with this thread.

 

Thanks for the laugh. Recognizing an addiction is the first step. No offense meant.

 

The cowboy seems angry but i agree completely with him ...
The all-in-one Z is the best !

When going to work i bring my Z with a small pouch with adapter and mouse and some external drive.

But i have no room for an external device. And i need the graphics.
what im gonna do ? Use a shoulder pouch, large one, and be happy to have a smaller Z in it ?

Noway.

 

Also i will have this external thing taking too much space on my desk at work, while it could simply have been put BELOW my vaio Z, as it is by the way presently with the z13 ! Inside.

This Z is mainly interesting for those who want a light laptop and do not care about performances on the go, but don't have the bucks for a real desktop at home.

 

Who don't have the bucks for a $500 desktop, just for a $3000 laptop?

Other than that, I agree. If someone needs the dedicated GPU and the ODD on the go, then the new Z probably won't be the best option. And I also don't like peripherals on my desk.

 

fyi, max resolution the Z can drive is 2560x1536.

 

^Via VGA only right? Or did you guys figure out a way to get higher than 1080p resolution out of the HDMI or DVI ports (I know people were looking into this)? If the latter, would you mind providing a link? Thanks.

 

I have 2 questions if it is ok for you to answer:

1) Does the external box's optical drive features a drive tray or does it comes with a slot-loading drive?
2) Is it correct for me to assume that this external box needs to be powered on by its own AC adapter & it will not work without the AC adapter connected to it?

I appreciate any answers you can provide to my questions.

 

Yes but I don't want to have to do this all the time:

 

I'm looking forward to the new Z design. I don't know if that's what I'll ultimately buy, particularly if a 4lb quad-core emerges, but it will be under strong consideration.

I definitely can't declare a design I haven't even seen to be an Epic Fail. I don't see how anyone can.

 

Nah, 1200 over hdmi/dvi is just fine. As far as 2560x1536 (5:3) itself goes, main problem with that particular resolution is that monitors of that type are few and far between, crt based, and expensive! (as in tens of thousands of $).

The easiest, cheapest, most practical, is either 1920x1200 (16:10) or else 2048x1152 (16:9).

edit> As a side note: the max theoretical size that would maximize Z output in 16:9, would be 2730x1536. A quick google for that size only returned digital signage applications...

 

I agree. Actually, indications are that it will be pretty cool overall.

I'm kind of hoping my Z starts acting up soon, requiring a replacement, say in 3 months or so, but so far that doesn't look too promising (all my other Vaios are still chugging along just fine... I've got one dating back to 1998 and another from 2005).

 

Unfortunate accidents do happen....

 

I really want(ed) to have everything in one chassis, because it's much more convenient and it's good to know that I have almost the power of a desktop with me.
But when I rethink my use-cases, the new Z would be more than sufficient for me. I don't really do GPU-heavy stuff on the go (at least not what the integrated GPU could not handle) and in the last 2-3 years I can think of only 1 case, where I needed the notebook ODD unexpectedly when I was not at home.
Sure, having 1 more thing to think about and sometimes to carry with myself is not very good, but all in all, for me it would not be a big sacrifice.

And for those who need the GPU at home (e.g. gamers) it is an advantage to have a more powerful external GPU, which does not melt all the other laptop internals, when under load. So the laptop can possibly stay much cooler.

 

hey you're carrying too many things!! I bought a second AC adapter, a second mouse and a second cooler to leave it at work Yeah me too i prefer an all-in-one Z and not the split video version...
Bye

 

It would be interested how this can be done. I have a 30" display with a resolution of 2560x1200. To use the full resolution, I have to use displayport or dual-link DVI, but my Z does not have either port.

The Z only has HDMI. I think HDMI 1.4 would be capable of delivering the required bandwidth, but from my knowledge the output is not compatible with dual-link DVI. And I think the current 30" displays support HDMI 1.4 to use the full resolution, but I could be wrong.

To my knowledge, older Z models cannot run these high resolution displays. What was the first revision of the Z that was capable of running this resolution? I have an older model and really would like to use this feature.

Regarding the design of the upcoming Z2, I think the idea to make the ODD external makes absolute sense, but after reading the posts in this topic, I think the best solution for everyone would have been to have some dedicated GPU in the main unit. This seems to be the main gripe everyone is having.

However, it is possible that making the GPU external would allow a design that incorporates a much faster GPU than would have been possible with an internal design. Personally, I feel that Intel's Larrabee design is very interesting and might potentially become much more powerful than nVidia or AMD GPU designs. AMD is also working in this direction.

 

so a y split adapter? and probably a light adapter for travel

 

I am angry because I want to have a reason to upgrade my pretty high end laptop that really doesn't need upgrading.

I always hope for something more awesome to come out so that I can buy a new one of whatever, less than a year old, over priced, high end, item it replaces.

Stuff you have is never as good as stuff you want, I want to want something more, but there is nothing more for me to want. I guess I'll just spend money on my truck this year.