New Sony Vaio Z speculation/news thread

Sorry to go off topic for a moment, but do I read your sig right?

"SONY VPCZ 1390X: 2*320G Intel X18 SSD | i7 640m 1920*1080 | 8G Crucial

Do you have 2 X 320 GB X18 SSDs in RAID 0, for a total of 640 GB of SSD storage? What did you have to go through to make it work? Cost?

Also, since I've opened the topic, may I ask: many people are identifying their RAM as Crucial or Corsair; is there a big difference one way or the other?

 

Earlier today I sent a PM to MISQ asking the exact same question. I am pretty sure I know the answer though. I don't think there even is a 320GB X18, I am pretty sure he has two 160GB X18s.

I have Crucial RAM and I highly doubt there is any noticeable difference between the Crucial and the Corsair RAM.

 

there is no difference in ram. and if I remember correctly and if the intel site is good (which most of the times isnt) there isnt a 320g version

 

Has anyone trawled that Japanese VAIO forum lately for juicy new info on the Z? I forget what it's called, but a whole lot of info on the SA came from there.

 

Just saw this on Engadget:

Sony's Thunderbolt implementation hiding in plain site, uses USB connector not Mini DisplayPort?

Apparently the new Hybrid PC/New Z's USB port is going to do double-duty as the Thunderbolt port.

 

^Hey looks like the thunderbolt port might just be as durable as a USB port

 

any more info on the new Z?
I am torn between a M4600 and a Z, similar price points

 

Come on Sony, pull your finger out - I'm this close to getting the X220's. If I do, no Sony's this year.

 

The 2 machines are very different. the dell weighs over 6 lbs. the z will be less than 3.

 

Have you given up on the new Z13 with the dual Intel X18s? Can you not just return the one they sent you with the wrong screen for a refund and reorder? Surely they will not continue to sell 1600 X 900 displays as 1920 X 1080. Sorry if you told the end of your story elsewhere, but I couldn't find it.

 

errr you're torn between a tank and a Ferrari? you need to reconsider your priorities - why wait for the z if weight/size is not a deal breaker for you?

 

LOL, how proper of a comparison . Although I'd have to call the M4600 more of a consumer Hummer, it's got it's own "good" looks.

 

1600x900 + mSata + hhd option + better design + sandybridge/better graphics=
WIN

 

Does this mean that: 1) you could use either USB or Thunderbolt peripheral in the port; and 2) the Thunderbolt's daisy chain ability is extended to USB3, i.e., a USB3 device could be plugged into the port on the GPU/ODD that is linked by Thunderbolt to the Z?

 

heh, the durability depends on the widespread implementation, but its looking good. the USB consortium would surely make that kind of statement, since its their necks that are on the line, the thunderbolt/lightpeak was/is based on the pcie interface slapped with another I/O interface.

People can complain that the bandwidth is shared, however its a 10Gbs dual lane interface.

So yeah, its quite fast. If intel continues this, they are going to be limited by the pcie 3 speed, since they are going for fiber sometime, thus sata and other I/O ports are going to die, with only their I/O interfaces being left alone and finally the standardization that was expected with USB happens.

Another thing that might happen is that with this and the evolution on the chipset in Ivy bridge, all ports can be thunderbolt ports, they are still going to be faster than the normal, but if you get 1 or 2 pcie, it can handle all the connections on the pc, thus making it cheaper to manufacture

 

Well, with the X1 having low resolution and TN panel, plus some other issues, I have nearly survived this season's refresh and redesigns without selling my Acer 3820TG and buying a new unit. My last hurdle is the Z.

Hopefully, it won't be so impressive that I just have to dump my Acer, which has served me well so far and probably has another full year service life left (we are required to replace our notebooks every 2 years). The SA looks like a nice notebook, but the performance is not so startlingly better than my Acer that it is a "must have". Hopefully, the Z refresh won't be either. Hoping to save a few bucks this year and wait for Ivy Bridge. The IGPU in the Ivy Bridge is reported to increase video transcoding by 4x over Sandybridge. That is the main use for my unit, other than common business tasks.

Bronsky

 

Seemingly, yes.

By the way, in this engadget's posting we got the first public confirmation that this device on the picture is indeed what we all here anticipate, that is, Z2.

 

Thanks for the responses. I am a recent Z disciple - and am I ever hooked on this phenomenal machine! Bought a Z11 128GB, 1600 X 900 refurb for $855 because, well, who wouldn't?! Loved it so much, not willing to wait (or pay) for rumored follow-on Zs, not impressed w/still-absent SA, so I moved up the food chain by purchasing a Z13, 1920 x 1080, 256GB from Sony refurb outlet at $700 off original CTO price + 20% off sale going on now . Don't have any need to increase SSD capacity anytime soon, but intrigued/intoxicated by the thought of going up to 640GB using Intel X18 G2's.

Thus a couple of follow up questions:

1) So, the "brag tags" of "8GB Corsair" or "8GB Crucial" are just that: brags? I'd once thought all the major RAM brands were the same, and bought 4X4G sticks of OCZ 1333 mhz RAM from Newegg to upgrade two computers (one of which was my then newly acquired Z11 refurb; two of the 4 sticks (1 in each of 2 computers!) failed within 3 months, and I got a host of comments: "you bought that crappy OCZ ram? No wonder!" Any advice for future? I have two 8GB upgrades to do: my old Z refurb (went back to the Sony OEM 2X 2GB when the OCZ stick failed) and my new Z refurb, which comes with 4GB and I want to increase to 8. Thanks.

2) This is definitely just curiosity at this point, but do you believe that MISQ (or anyone) is successfully running multiple Intel 160 GB X18s in Raid 0? And if you can do 2 x 160GB , does that mean 3 or 4 are also viable? I know kevin1987bj was just about to do it in a "new" refurb Z13 but found out Sony had screwed him up about the screen resolution (I can understand an error in a spec sheet; but then they tried to tell him that no Z screens do native 1080p, only through HDMI - oh brother, that's the stuff that makes me worry until mine arrives .)

Thanks. I really hope some of you good knowledgeable folks decide to stick with your Z1's for at least another year, because I have only this year become a new recruit/devotee of this awesome machine, but it is so much a unique piece of work that almost everything you want to improve or fix will not be done the way it is on any other notebook pc. I am absolutely convinced that the Z1x series will remain, especially at these great refurb prices, by far and away the best high end ultraportables to buy and own unless you really must have way more than 7 hrs batt life (my 9 cell does that with ease) or the raw crunching power of the SB cpus (personally, nothing I do, including a bit of video encoding, is "intolerably" slow with Arrandale Core i7 cpu and either of the Z1's (admittedly weakish) gpus. And, I'm sorry, but I'll need to to be using this second computer (for travel, while watching TV, etc) for totally unforeseen "power apps" before I'll give up the sheer beauty of this device, and it's breathtaking screen, in favor of a military-issue Lenovo X220 complete with its "chic" black rubber covering, lol.

Thanks,
Jeff

Thanks.

 

You are assuming that the implementation is across the USB bus itself. I will say that the photo is not high resolution enough for anyone to understand what is happening here.

 

I posted a high res picture before, yeh i think the endgadget article is wrong as well. The real thunderbolt port would be on the other side of the notebook i reckon.

 

^Why would you say that? And no, it's still not high res enough.

 

That pic also looks to be stretched vertically pretty significantly. Look at the shape of the HDMI port.

 

Well the engadget article said that the so called "thunderbolt-USB" port was sandwiched between the AC jack and the VGA port. You can see clearly from the picture there is no VGA port.

But the reason I think that the real thunderbolt port is on the other side is that there has to be an additional port to supply power to the external unit because thunderbolt itself would not supply enough power for a external GPU + blu-ray.

 

you smart pants! get a alpha camera a shoot some pics for us!

so there are extra connectors like in the USB esata combo port

its actually needed, if not you are limited by the USB interface

 

^I'm not saying anything really, just that that we can't zoom in far enough to see anything other than the fact the picture looks stretched.

 

^ Half-said, enigmatic verbal gestures. So, what's wrong with the suggestion about USB 3.0=Thunderbolt? Confusion with neighboring ports?

 

^I suppose it's a plausible suggestion.

 

^ engadget's or mine?

 

^There both the same, right? You and engadget are both saying the USB 3 port IS the thunderbolt port, right?

 

Now that's a statement I can't argue with.

The question is when will more be revealed?

 

Thanks, clarified! Let's go further on...

 

damn! well we'll see if its the same port or not

 

just hurry up and release the damn thing =/

 

Any port in a storm?

 

That was the Engadget description, not from the "credible source". Obviously Engadget made a mistake because of their lower resolution shot - but it doesn't discredit the source.

No... what's been hinted at is that
a) thunderbolt port will be next to DC power and have a special combo plug that goes into both ports simultaneously
b) that power will be daisy-chained, i.e. that the external unit will have an identical circular DC-in, and you will be able to either plug your AC adapter directly into your notebook, or into the external unit then from the external unit into the notebook (when 'docked').

Last point, on your high res photo there is a dark spot above the USB3 that might be a little lightening bolt???

I think this info matches up, and Beaups seems to just be smirking in the background with a "you'll see" look on his face!

 

^I'll agree with most of your points, but not quite all...I am smirking though

 

Hmm, maybe I was just wrong about the little thunderbolt...

 

guys
any credible info on the display (whether 1080p available - that is important), the chassis?

so bad I am torn between the new Z and M4600

 

Time's up Sony. Release the damn thing

 

problem with sony is that if it does not release some info, people with budget constraints might just go with a X220 thinkpad, or T420s, or M4600, it's going to kill its own niche market!

right, at least release some info, sony!

anyone knows Japanese please offer some info

 

they might also get alienware

 

that is true...it is really time to get people's mind settled and reserve the money for new Z

major brands are offering new lines this month

 

1080p will be available due to our informant.

 

I don't think any of these really compete with the new Z (or the old Z for that matter.) The X220 has poor screen resolution and has weak graphics. The M4600 is a completely different market segment altogether.

(I don't know much about the T420s -- looks nice but I imagine it's heavy.)

 

Is there a separate 20% off coupon? I find it extremely hard to search through Sony's outlet -.-

 

The following quote from a story about the forthcoming MBA may explain the USB/hybrid nature of Thunderbolt.

If Sony is using a USB connector for Thunderbolt, an adapter wouldn't be needed.

 

Oky I just found out that the Vaio Z will have an external GPU, could someone explain the New Vaio Z situation to me? Info on the external GPU and will the GPU dock cost extra and what is the expected price of the laptop with GPU dock? Also has there been any info on the release date? I think they might release it at E3 in June.

 

the gpu will be one of these two (from what we've heard so far):
Whistler-XT (GDDR5)-AMD Radeon HD 6770M
Whistler-XT (DDR3)-AMD Radeon HD 6730M

No, it won't cost extra, it comes with the notebook. IIRC you can't just buy the notebook without the external unit.
Base config starts at $2.000 (just guesstimations so far on what the base config will be).
Release date end of June/early July.

(most of those infos by our much appreciated insider)

 

Hi that is great info I've been searching for. Also your comment on the 1080p reassured that I hesitate to buy a M4600 now.
I am just wondering if the new Z can run without the external dock? Or is the external dock a necessity for the system to start up (or just weaker graphics without the external dock)?

 

The new Z will run just fine without the external unit -- wouldn't make sense any other way. You only need connect the GPU/ODD if you need those capabilities.

I wonder if the GPU will depend on what configuration you choose, i.e., 6730M packaged with a DVD drive and the 6770M if you get a Blu-Ray burner.