New Sony Vaio Z speculation/news thread

Is this laptop still around? Sonystyle web site is listing it as no known future ship date, and most of the customisable elements (memory etc) are all showing as "out of stock".

 

No need to double post you know...

 

So any more juicy titbits?

 

The current Z has been discontinued in the Americas and Europe, there is a z14 in Japan. A slow trickle of existing inventory is being released here and again, but this thread is mostly discussing a newly redesigned "hybrid" Z.

refer to this link for some of the details.
Sony Insider Exclusive: New VAIO Hybrid PC and VAIO Chrome Coming This Summer

Can one of the admins sticky a post with confirmed details so that new visitors to this thread (70+ pages) can be caught back up?

 

I guess there are no juicy titbits for today?

 

Actually the Z is CTO in USA and it just came back as CTO in France, and i guess in other countries as well. Thus your analysis is kind of a fast shortcut.
We know there will be new models, someday. That it prolly will be a 2-devices laptop.
However, the Z is almost back on CTO, and the only missing part, is the full HD screen, and i guess it is because of japan problems and factory closure.

 

Beaups you tease!

 

3 more months of this waiting...
i predict that there will be 50 pages to this thread by the time it's released

 

Seeing as how it's already at 77 pages...

 

I am surprised this "hybrid" is what all the excitement is about - is that really it? I don't get it. I was hoping the next Z would be a tablet hybrid.

Agreed, please mods, please do this. I am very interested in where the Z is going and this thread is the center of the web for that info but I absolutely don't have time to read and parse 77 pages...

 

I can't understand how one can even compare a tablet and a Z. How could a tablet (even if it's a hybrid) be the new Z? A tablet could at most replace a netbook, which is used as a hobby gadget for surfing the web and playing around.

What would the advantages of a tablet with a dock be, compared to a Z? That if you have the tablet with you, you save an opening of the lid?

 

The previous generation of tablets are laptops with swivel touchscreens, while the Apple ones are more like netbook replacements with fewer resources. But I think the key consideration for the current generation of tablets is cost, which in turn is driven by the applications and market the tablets are aimed at. Today's tablets are not expected to be heavy processors, they're there for the ebook, occasional emails and casual web-browsing. In lieu of this usage pattern, users do not want to pay more, and hence the tablets end up having weak resources.

But if we maintain the kind of heavy usage the Z is targeted for, and lift the cost ceiling, how much further can we go? The last generation of tablets (with the swivel screens) didn't really put as much effort into it, not as much as the current generation. What would be interesting is what Sony can do that's out of the box. The idea of quad-SSDs is quite 'out there', and really we don't usually need that kind of speed, but Sony put it in the VPC-Z1 anyway. Sony doesn't need a good reason to do something cool, which is good because many times we don't know what we really want until someone shows it to us. Much like what Steve Jobs did with the iPad.

Anyway, I would be really excited if the new Z is a tablet hybrid, tablet in the traditional sense that it is as powerful as a notebook. I'm pretty sure it'll be slim still, since that's what the Z is about. Removing the slimness constraint would make things too easy for Sony


The idea of a tablet serving as a netbook is not new, there's the Asus EEE Transformer:


I don't think there's a similar product in the notebook space though.

 

^Hopefully this is not the new Z format.

S

 

Sony (and almost every other computer manufacturer) is working on some tablets and that's good. It's a big hype now and there are lots of people who want one. It's interesting to see how tablets and related technologies evolve.

But I don't see any reason why they would combine tablets and laptops like the Z. I never wished or felt the need to "touch the screen" of my laptop. Besides, a 13" tablet is not more portable than a 13" light and slim laptop.

Maybe in a few years, technology will make more things possible that can be done with tablets. But in my opinion, currently tablets cannot replace or even enter the market of high-performance, productive laptops. For multimedia, browsing, emailing, playing, etc. tablet hybrids would be suitable, but then that's not a Z, but rather a C or something else.

 

Hi Sun - thanks for the update. Just to clarify this (I am unable to PM you so I have to post it here): I am at the point of needing to transition to a new laptop. I have the old VGN-Z690. The hybrid says its coming out "this summer". Three questions:

1) This article says nothing about the hybrid being a replacement or equivilent for the "Z" series. Yet you drew a correlation between the two. If I have been a *very* happy Z series owner for several years, am I going to end up with something completely different in the Hybrid?
2) Would you really truly recommend that I wait for the new one in the summer, or just go ahead and get one of the current Z's .... i assume the hardware on the new one will be much better.
3) Is there a more proper name for this model? When I google "Sony vaio hybrid Z" I get tons of pages about older laptops that have "hybrid graphics". I dont think any of these are the one.

Thanks for any input.

-NB-

 

The new VAIO Z series will definitely be sold with Windows 7. Who told you the upcoming VAIO Z series is loaded with Google Chrome OS???

 

The tablets you're referring to are the latest, iPad-generation type. Like I mentioned, the previous generation of tablets are notebooks with swivel-screens. Those are the high-performance, productive laptops.

Most mortals look at products at the low-level, such as the CPU, hard disk size, screen resolution etc. It takes someone like Steve (I know I sound like a fanboy, but he's really good) to understand that it is what the consumer wants that's important, and to go against the common flow to build what he believes people need.

 

i think its pretty obvious what context i'm referring to...

 

eh. But that will be fun. We'll have to root the new Z to get it to print ha ha

 

ad 1) It's a replacement, respectively the successor of the current Z.

ad 2) Depends on what you want. Do you like an all-in-one machine or would you like the idea of an machine with an external powerful GPU+ODD, which makes it possible to make the main unit (the actual notebook) smaller/thinner and lighter in weight.
One likes it, the other hates it.

ad 3) The actual name of the upcoming Z hasn't been leaked yet, just rumors.

The article says something about Google Chrome OS. But if I understood that right, that's not regarding the new Z, neither are the specifications in that passage.

 

Screw Chrome, and Win7. I'll be loading linux.

Any word on how the 256GB and 512GB SSD options will be configured?

 

I shall be loading Linux on Virtual Box

I don't know if they will be in RAID0/1/?. IIRC they're not user-replaceable, so they could be proprietary, in which case there could be more options.

I'm not really saying anything useful, am I?

 

Actually, the VirtualBox idea is a good one and appreciated. I'm still not sure how I want to configure the dual OSs.

As for the RAID, I was sort of wondering if the 512GB came in a 4*128 config.

 

Was it mentioned, that it will have multiple SSDs in RAID?

The SonyInsider article says: "...SSD of hard drive flavor...".
Does this mean that simply it'll have SSD storage or that it'll have HDD-like SSD (i.e. standard size)?

 

^It's not standard HDD size - it's soldered to the main board IIRC.

 

I know that it is probably soldered or some custom solution, though we have no definite answer yet.
My question was rather what "SSD of hard drive flavor" literally means.

 

This is baloney. The Lenovo X220 is a workhorse laptop. The tablet version (X220T) is the exact same spec laptop but converts into a useful tablet as well. The short-comings of the X220 compared to the Z are the nicety things that Sony does well - high res screen on small real estate, big SSD options, form factor. If Lenovo can make their best 13" laptop convert into a useful tablet there is no reason Sony couldn't.

I require a high performance laptop for work. But it is extremely useful for me to be able to flip the screen around on that high power notebook and use it for note taking, quick sketches for clients, presentations, even web surfing. The X220T provides for all that - multi-touch and also fine control with a stylus - it is slick. Unfortunately it's an ugly laptop, has poor vertical resolution, and is just plain Lenovo. I would LOVE a z-type laptop that flipped into a tablet.

The idea that all tablets are low-end content consumption devices is just flat-out old school thinking. I understand that is probably considered an ignorant statement in this forum but hey to each his own opinion.

 

^It really doesn't matter what we think of tablets.

 

What's the rough timeline for release on this "New Z"?

 

It can't be oldschool thinking, since the cheap, low-powered tablets have been around for just 1-2 years. While the other swivel-screen tablets, like the X220T, what you were talking about, have been available for a long time. I am very well aware of the fact that those are mostly powerful.

What I was saying (from my point of view): Neither the "newer" small tablets, nor the swivel-screen tablets should replace the Z. It's just a different market. Since we are in a Z topic, that's what I was referring to all the time.

There are people, who would need the tablet functionality e.g. for drawing sketches etc., like you. If Sony thinks that this market is large enough, they'll create a tablet. But I doubt that it would replace a laptop like the Z.

I personally would never buy a swivel screen laptop, since for me it is of no use. I prefer "classic" laptops, for my needs they are more suitable. I was/am also considering the X220, but I would not buy the X220T.

As you said, to each his own. What I don't like, and why I was so negative about all this tablet talk is that some people want the Z to be a tablet. I am saying that the Z should not be tablet, but it'd of course be nice to see some other tablets in the Vaio lineup.

Fortunately. Agreed, let's move on

 

Beaups, will the new Z have a floppy disk drive?

 

Beaups said that it'll come out this summer, July IIRC.

Edit: I found the post:

Lol Maybe an external one with optical Thunderbolt connection?

 

That would be wonderful. You can never have too many of these.

 

^Wow, I haven't seen one of those in years...brings back memories!

 

Besides each of us expressing our own opinions, I think there is a disadvantage if the memory and disk in the new Z are not user-upgradable. In my opinion, IF the new Z is a tablet, the additional usage scenarios enabled by that can somewhat offset that disadvantage. To me, the primary reason for making those components unreachable by the end-user is the need for a slim device, coupled with a reduction in resources matching the expected applications.

Without the option that the new Z can also be a tablet, I'm significantly more concerned about not being able to perform those upgrades myself. What that means is that we can no longer purchase cheaper RAM chips and drives, instead we are bound by whatever prices Sony dictates. And we all know how high those prices can go. What I need to know is: what other features will the Z provide that offset this disadvantage?

Also, it increases the likelihood of us having to send the new Z back if there's an issue with either the memory or disk. Right now, if my RAM dies, I can do the swap myself. Rather than go through the Sony repair process, and we all know what that is like.

Again, this is just my opinion.

 

I completely agree (with the quoted part )

 

I'm sure this is a stupid question so forgive me in advance please. What is "hybrid" about the new Z? A hybrid would indicate a mash-up of two things... it sounds like a mash-up of a light powerful pc, and a docking station. Is it something more than that? Isn't every PC with an optical drive in the docking station "hybrid" in that case? What am I missing... Not being a smart at all, I'm assuming I'm not understanding something. I haven't read (nor do I have time to) the 800 posts in this thread - I'm referring to the links provided in Post #1 which I assume are the latest view of what this thing will be.

 

You're not really missing anything. The thing that's "special" is that the graphics card is also integrated into the optical drive which also has additional ports on it. I guess you could technically brand the MBA + optical drive as a "Hybrid" as well.

Sony used the Hybrid term on the current computers to switch between graphics cards. They probably want to keep that branding.

 

"Hybrid" was a term used in one media article by someone who likely never actually saw the new Z but may have heard of the external ODD. Best to forget the term was ever used.

 

Interesting, thank you. So basically they're just going for small, light, and powerful as technically possible - nothing gimmicky beyond that. Good for Sony.

 

Of course, if the SSD & RAM are not user-upgradable, then you'll feel the pain in the "bag of hurt" when you make your purchase (even before any possible future upgrade thru Sony parts store).

Why? You'll need to "max" those parts out in advance in anticipation of your usage needs. Nothing unusual some would say, but you know how all the manufacturers tend to overcharge upgraded parts...... For example, 4GB to 8GB upgrade could have cost us like $80 from a 3rd party but Sony will probably ask for about $200 in this case. Heck, even if Sony ask for $300 or even $400 for the same upgrade & you need it, you'll just have to s**k it up & fork out the amount.

On the other hand, this is extremely beneficial to Sony since they get to receive all the acclaim of creating such an innovative super-thin notebook while at the same time, squeeze the s**t out of every single penny from its customers. So I guess it's a Win-Win situation for Sony!

 

There's a review out of a "new Z" in the UK that doesn't sound at all new.

Sony Vaio VPCZ13M9E review from TechRadar UK's expert reviews of Laptops and netbooks

 

that's a VPC-Z13, not the VPC-Z2 etc.

 

Interesting that the Z hung with the sandy laptop in performance.

"Our tests showed that performance is more or less equal to the VAIO S-Series despite that laptop using an Intel Sandy Bridge CPU. The VAIO VPCZ13M9E won't be out of date any time soon, with more than enough grunt to run your applications simultaneously"

 

One big benefit I see from external graphics is that we won't need to deal with hybrid graphics driver shenanigans...

windows automatically updated my Intel graphics driver in preparation for Win 7 SP1, essentially breaking the hybrid driver. Had to go back and revert to older drivers... annoying... painful.

 

^ omg, does this mean that the new z will allow custom drivers?

 

There's a reason I put "new" in quotes.

 

Will linux drivers be offered?

 

:laugh: ^ A guy can hope, can't he?

Yet I do have to recognize the appropriateness, and accuracy, of TofuTurkey's reply.