New Sony Vaio Z speculation/news thread

I don't see any keyboard flex from 3:45 in that video. Some flexing on the touchpad at 2:15 but i can't tell if that's intentional by design.

 

you don't see any flex at 4:36 when the guy types on "o" and "i" ?

 

Could be because Sony is trying to go green.

 

I'm pretty pleased with the new backlight hue. If it's anything like what I envision it to be, it's going to be fantastic.

Anyway, for all the people living in Singapore, I have some (bad) news - according to a Sony Style store employee I was speaking to yesterday, it seems all config models for the Z will come with the dock. That's a big bummer if you ask me. Well, I hope that's not the case.

 

no... how would typing on keys cause flex on the surrounding metal

you are looking too closely at it and searching for flex.. probably saw a shadow

 

Or maybe trying to make us vegetarian

 

Is that the 900p version in that video?

Re flex - I am typing now on a Logitech keyboard. I tried pushing my finger on it really hard, and... it flexes. I just don't see this as a real issue. I'd be more concerned about the key travel.

 

I just pressed really, really hard on my keyboard and

Oh no, I dented my keyboard and now the letters G, H, Y and T aren't working. Thanks a lot guys

 

I can't see any flex either. If you don't want any flex in your machine buy a Macbook Pro.

 

That doesn't surprise me given that Singapore never has CTO and also has very few versions available, you pretty much have to go with the overpriced retail config. Just reinforces my plan to buy the Z during my next U.S. visit, or if I get impatient buy it in the UK.

Same story with the new Samsung S9, Singapore has one version while the U.S. has several (BTW, no keyboard flex on the S9 I am typing on).

Plus, Singaporeans seem ridiculously obsessed with Apple so I doubt we'll see many buying the Z anyway. I see about 50 MBA's and MBP's for each Viao at the various Starbucks around Orchard Rd, and virtually never see the Z1 [Have also never seem a S9 other than my own.]

 

Beaups has said that all US retail models will include PMD. It can be assumed that the postings on amazon include the PMD. It is also highly likely that this will be the case for many other markets (Like singapore mentioned before)

Also, amazon commonly puts high prices on non-released electronics and placemarkers for the products while discouraging buyers. I doubt those prices are accurate.

The good news is that before only 1 Z2 model was on amazon. Now there are 6. release imminent!

TofuTurkey you made me LOL.

And all you flex freaks need to chill the eff out

 

I can definitely see a flex in this vid at ~3:54 and a hard one at ~4:35 as well.
(make it HD and fullscreen)

omg check 4:47 when he presses the assist-button. hard flex >_<

YouTube - ‪VAIO Z?????VPCZ2????????????????2?‬&rlm;

 

^lolololol

 

Unbelievable! I understand when they give you fewer and fewer config options with the laptop itself to save manufacturing costs but this is an add-on, there's no excuse. Why are they forcing people to buy something that they may not need. Waste of money and not very environmentally friendly!

Will wait to see what the price is and whether it is blu-ray equipped. Probably buy from the UK unless US gets an amazing deal.

 

I believe Sony in Japan does give you the option to exclude the PMD from your order, and the price is considerably cheaper than with!

 

Have seen flex on a macbook Pro 15 inch and Caffe with suger in an MBP 17 will also let you hear the flex from the flat surfaces and keyboard keys.

 

if you guys really want a harder flex, you might want ton consider picking up a heavier laptop. Can't imagine anyone gaining muscle mass from lifting 3 lbs occasionally.

 

I'll be impressed if anyone can flex aluminium while typing.

Anyway, all laptops flex. Get over it.

Carbon fibre @ wiki:

 

The lid in new Z is made of aluminium. FCRP used only for the outer chassis (IF I'm not wrong).. same material for SA/SB's lid.

 

If by lid, you mean the palmrest/keyboard, yes that is made of aluminum. The bottom chassis and top chassis holding the screen are carbon fiber.

And are you saying the SA uses carbon fiber? I thought it was just plastic.

 

2.5 lbs to be exact. If you want to build muscle mass, you'll need to attach the sheet battery.

 

2.6......

 

True, very true. The iPhone is the national phone of the country, and the various MB iterations are fast becoming the most commonly seen laptop around. Truth be told, I've only ever seen 2 VAIO Zs around in the last few years. Feels nice to be part of a club with exquisite taste.

Yup, I totally agree. This is especially grating to customers such as myself who find little to no use with the PMD. What's worse is that there exists no demand on the market to sell these off to as they only work with the Zs. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that things will change come the end of the month.

 

You might be able to sell your PMD to other NBR members in a few months if you find you don't need it... I'm getting a CTO so I won't be adding the PMD, but at the same time I am adding the sheet battery since it's such good value as part of the CTO (€60); if I find I'm not using it I might try selling it on later. A Sony sales rep in the UK confirmed for me that the sheet battery will be a good bit more expensive as an after-sales accessory (couldn't say exactly by how much however).

 

No, I mean only the lid/palmrest..

The outer chassis of SA is made of Mg alloy

 

Can anyone confirm if the Asia Pacific Z (VPCZ217GG/X) will get the 3rd gen SSD?

I'm currently in Singapore and I want to pick up the new z when it comes out but I don't know how to find out if the SSD is 2nd or 3rd gen. Since I'm going to be spending quite a bit of money, it's quite important to me.

 

Z online in Sony Italia.. ultra base price is 1734€ WITHOUT PMD. That's the price of the previous Z

 

it looks like they have 4 preconfig models, i5 dock, i7 dock, i5 nodock, and i7 no dock. Seems to be the first retail devices anywhere without a dock included.

EDIT: just noticed they don't offer CTO there, so i guess that would be the reason why.

Where do you see the price? All i see is like a "look for stores" button.

 

That's what I would also like to know.
No mention of it at the Asian sites...just a clip of it at the Taiwan Sonystyle Z2 product page.

 

Serie Z : VAIO e Informatica : Models : Sony

Here you see the CTO @ 1774 (but there's a +40€ about processor)

 

I don't see it. Is it because I'm in USA right now?

 

Since my question wasn't answered before, does anyone know if we can use a third party PMD like device or at least be able to upgrade the GPU inside the Sony PMD?

 

There is no other third party device at the moment, and you will have wait a while to see if anyone can upgrade the GPU inside the Sony PMD. Sony won't officially support it.

 

maybe... but it's strange, cuz I can see your US CTOs

Here you are http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3778/immaginecr.jpg

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Guys, seen this image, http://weekly.ascii.jp/elem/000/000/047/47910/ , is it possible in future an upgrade of SSD in this new Z???
Cuz, in this photo they show only this piece... is it maybe an internal raid 0 made directly in THAT ssd? is it connected via msata or not?

 

Hey TSE, It would be nice if you updated the OP with links too all of the hands-ons, videos, pictures, and official sony sites so that we can refer back to them when we need to without going through tons of pages

 

Mine:

(Don't make fun of me i don't actually use XP, I'm at work )

And aren't the SSDs proprietary? Where would you buy them?

 

^ o_o REALLY STRANGE!!

Anyway, it depends on the type of connector.. if it's an mSata, it would be possible. They say proprietary. But I'll believe it as full proprietary when we'll have proof XD

EDIT: ok, seeing in a better way - http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/06/sonyvaioz-2011-dc3-13.jpg - it's not mSata at all. It's proprietary.

 

If you read the specification sheets of the different premade models, you'll see that the 128GB SSD isn't in RAID 0, but the 256 and 512 is.

So if the 128GB SSD isn't in RAID 0 does that mean there might be TRIM support?

Also, with the premade models, do they come with the 2nd or 3rd gen SSD's?

 

Wouldnt that also mean that the 128gb performance is much worse?

 

question on Vaio Z11 (2010 model)

If it has a i5 cpu, can we buy a i7 640qm chipset from ebay and install it? or are the cpu's on z11 soldered?

thanks

 

Is that also true for the "premium" carbon fiber lid/finish? I can't tell if the carbon fiber option is simply a purely visual finish or if there is some nominally tangible benefit, such as shaving a few grams off of the weight.

 

Seek time is the same which is really important as a SSD, though transfer rates will differ. I wouldn't say 128GB is much worse though. I think I saw it as being still faster than the old Z with 2 ssd in RAID.
You should have read the japanese review site that had a comparison of transfer speed. They had Z2 with 128GB and 256GB and also old Z in a chart. Someone posted that link two three days ago.

 

If Z2 is same as Z1, it's just a paint job on the same black. I had a Z13 with premium carbon. When I looked really close, it almost looked like a very thin sticker on the lid.

 

Let me give you an apparent empirical example that the answer is yes, but at the same time share my woes with the group

The finished auction below had a Z11 with the cpu upgraded from i7-620 to i7-640 (don't ask me why the seller bothered!), and he confirmed that the cpu was not soldered. I do likewise question the benefit even of going to i7 from i5, but I guess you do more cpu intensive work than I do.

Now, for my "cry on your shoulder" message! Notice, this item, which sold for $2,280 and I chickened out on at $2,100 (mostly because the seller had ZERO past ebay sales and I still had the "burned, too good to be true" feeling from the $899 new Z13s that disappeared over the weekend). You can read the listing, but I will note the major aspects of the config. It was no doubt a $4,500 Z. I think I made a dumb judgment

-- Core i7-640
-- 512GB SSD
-- 1920x1080 display
-- 8GB RAM
-- Blu Ray R/W
-- 3G installed
-- Carbon fiber with special protective coating

Kicking myself. Think even $2,500 would have been a steal - opinions?

SONY VAIO VPC-Z11FHX/XQ i7 8GB 512GB SSD - eBay (item 180694116173 end time Jul-11-11 10:20:01 PDT)

 

Ok i think we are getting mixed with what we are calling each surface. THIS is the material makeup for all Z's regardless of color/finish. Sony VAIO Z components - Engadget Galleries

iirc, the Z1 premium carbon was like a glossy finish. the z2 premium carbon is more of a brushed texture finish. Looks very nice imo.

 

Premium carbon fiber is only a aesthetic finishing (I think). The material is always Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics, it's the finishing which changes.

I think it's a 128GB Raid 0.
In that review we can see that the sequantial rate for the 128 GB (which is 2nd generation, not 3rd, this means 3Gbps Sata and "old" chip) reaches nearly 500 MB/s.. this means that it must be a raid 0.

 

^ if you look at the 2 preconfigs on sonyuk though, the 256gb states raid 0 while the 128gb has any mention of raid clearly missing.

 

Personally I'd rather have less performance degredation than slightly better performance.

Also, someone re-post the SSD performance review link!

 

Try to convince yourself that you saved a lot money from not buying an older gen tech toy/tool, or even think of all the cons that you ever heard of, think of the fading palm rest, weakening barrel hinge, whatever you can think of. I think $2000 for a last gen tech item is waste of money.

 

I'm considering the gold color Z2. Speaking of paint job and material, does anyone know if those colors will ever fade over time, just like Z1's palm rest?

It would be really sad if I see a black coming out from under the faded gold/brown finish. Maybe just getting a black one will be better for the long run?