New Vaio 2008 model listing with indication prices - FW - Z - SR - BZ

Hmmm... I'm really starting to wonder if I need the Blu-ray at all.

 

You have an HD camcorder, man. You know you want the BD burner...you may not use it immediately but you know you'll wish you got it later. And the price is ridiculously low...you can barely get a reader for that much anywhere else. GO FOR IT!!

 

LOL! You have pretty much answered your question. By the way, I commented on this, but you probably skimmed over it 10-15 pages back. IMO, I think you should just get an external Blu-Ray burner and reader. You just said, that you don't use your laptop to watch movies and all you do is back-up your son's dvd's. As for owning a HD Camcorder, you definitely need a burner/writer for that when editing videos.

Spend the money on an external BD . My reason for this is due to the speed of burning to Blu-Ray Disc. Blu-ray speeds in notebooks are slightly lower than externals. Here are the speeds for the Z with blu-ray, which I'm sure will be the same if you choose to get the same burner/writer on your FW:

DVD+R DL Write: 4x max
DVD+R Write: 8x max
DVD+RW Write: 4x max
DVD-R Write: 8x max
DVD-RW Write: 4x max
CD-R Write: 16x max
CD-RW Write: 10x max
CD Read: 24x max
DVD Read: 8x max
DVD-RAM Write: 5x max
DVD-R DL Write: 4x max
BD-R Read: 2x max
BD-R Write: 2x max
BD-RE Write: 2x max
BD-ROM Read: 2x max
BD-RE Read: 2x max
BD-R DL Read: 2x max
BD-R DL Write: 1x max
DVD-RAM Read: 5x max
Blu-Ray Disc™ Support: Yes (BD-R/BD-RE/BR-ROM/DVD±R
DL/DVD±RW/RAM)
BD-RE DL Read: 2x max
BD-RE DL Write: 1x max

Again, IMO, you will want a faster burner speed, especially when BD can hold up to 50GB of information. Besides, you never (EVER!) use your laptop for movie watching. So why are you even thinking about getting an FW with BD?

As for your question on watching backup Blu-rays on your external, then watching them on PS3. I didn't realize that PS3's are able to play off of an external drive. I thought PS3's were just players - you have to actually insert a disk. You may have to burn your backup onto blu-ray disk and then play in to your PS3 (which of course is equipped with a blu-ray reader).

Your right, your friends/family who do not have a blu-ray reader will not be able to play your blu-ray back-ups (assuming they are backed up on discs). I doubt their player will be able to even read the format of blu-ray. It might just reject the disk. Burn it on regular DVD+/- R so they can enjoy your creative editing. IMO

 

Too funny... I feel like there's an angel on one shoulder, a devil on the other. Get it! Don't get it! Get it! Don't get it!

I'm honestly torn. Gotta do some thinking...

 

Well, I feel for ya'. I've now gone 5 days without canceling my order and placing a new one. I guess I finally found the right mix of options for the right $$$. For me, keeping final total under $2K was a major psychological barrier. But I had to have what I felt would not leave me with buyer's remorse too. The trick? Leave out the extended warranty cuz you can always buy that later straight off Sonystyle. That let me get the BD burner and 2.53Ghz CPU and keep it under $2K. I am happy as a clam at high tide.

 

But what happens at low tide?


Just kidding...

 

Did you order a FW or a Z?
I totally understand your "psychological barrier". So after all, did you get your laptop under 2k? I still haven't placed my order for the Z yet, since they don't start shipping in late Aug anyway.

 

Will I be able to play Assassin's Creed on Z 570?

The games requires a 256 MB DirectX 10.0–compliant video card, but the Z 570 only has 128 mb dedicated video ram. Will upgrading to 4 gigs of ram help with the graphics?

I don't care about the frame rate or the graphics, I just want to know if the z 570 can run it or not.

Thanks a bunch!

 

um if thats wat it need you might wanna get the SR or FW with the HD3470.

 

Well I can answer ur question yet I can't. I mentioned before actually. I played Crysis at all low settings very smoothly and BF2 all high settings smoothly. Does that answer ur question?

Keep in mind that Crysis at low settings is equivalent to a lot of games on high settings.

 

^^^Sorry completely forgot to mention I played that on a SZ780.

 

FW is WAY too big for me.
I just want the Z, every bit of it. lol. I think someone has already summed up what Z has that the SR doesn't.

But thanks for the suggestion.

 

I have to disagree with that. Crysis on Low doesn't look very good at all, its about close to Far Cry.

 

Awesome, thanks a lot for the info.
Yea, I totally forgot about your post.

If I remembered correctly, the SZ has the 8400 GM with 64 mb of dedicated ram. Right? or is it 128 mb?

Wow, I'm really impressed with it. I tried my friend's SZ, but I didn't really play any games on it. It didn't struck me as a laptop that can handle so much gaming considering it has a somewhat weak graphics card.

So how many fps can you get when playing BF2 on all high?

Thanks!

 

I ultimately settled on an FW. I had ordered a Z all maxed out at over $3K. I was willing to pay that much but then I visited a Sony store and saw the FW. I realized that the Z's 1600x900 miniature display was going to be impractical for any kind of serious extended work. It's a great road warrior but really wasn't designed as a main home laptop. Now if Sony had provided the Blu-ray option with the 1365x768 screen, they would have gotten that $3K out of me and I'd be waiting on delivery of a Z. But Sony's marketing people decided otherwise.

 

What I mean by Crysis on low settings performance wise has nothing to do with graphics my friend. Its to do with the how good the video card can handle so much detail in the game such as Crysis. Most detailed game to date. If you still dont understand where im comin from then by all means let me know and I will clarify further for you. Cheers budd.

 

Ok Good, :yes: I just sold my SZ ( I hope I don't have seller's remorse); I have no choice but, to get the Z. It will be my main and only computer. I agree with you, I wish the 1365x768 was offered in Blu-Ray, however text is more important for me than Blu-Ray.

 

No problem. Sorry I didnt go as far as to get the fps but I can tell you it ran smoothly WITH all the preloaded junk on the laptop from Sony. As soon as I got it I installed Crysis and BF2. So you can imagine on a clean install .

 

Sorry and should have also mentioned that its not how good Crysis looks on the laptop, its the fact that the latop can even handle Crysis a lot of computer cant even open the game.

 

Unfortunately, my somewhat obsessive need for Blu-ray has robbed me from getting what may be the laptop of the year (the Z of course). Please, Sony, change the options before it's too late!!

 

go with the 1600x900 and put text scaling on 120 dpi.

 

Yes, I've noticed.

 

I thought about that, but a hundred pages back, there was a major discussion on dpi and ppi, and I've been told that even though I change the settings to 120 dpi, it would resemble the TZ350.
I borrowed a friends TZ and I changed it to 120dpi and the text was still too small. The TZ has a resolution of 1366x768. And the Z has one available at 1366x768 as well.
I just realize this now, they both (TZ and Z) have 1366x768. And if I went with 1600x900, text would even be smaller.

Question anyone?
Will the text be slightly larger due to the 13.1 screen Z versus the 11.1 screen of TZ? I completely went "Blank" on this, I thought the resolution on the Z, as far as text is concerned, would be better on the Z than on the TZ at 1366x768, but they're the same resolution.

 

Yep, it sure will.

 

Interesting, so you sold your old SZ.

I thought you said you were going to wait for the reviews to come out because the Z didn't scream out like the SZ.

What made you to change your opinion?

 

i think it is because for the moment it is the best ultraportable with full power you can get. only lg or dell could get even. but then the screen will still beat both offers.

same here. at this stage, there is nothing better on the market.
Geeee, you will get used to it, trust me. I am doing so much text day in, day out and had never any problems wiht a 1400x1050 resolution. the bright screen and ultra-crisp colours will help you with that.

 

He hopes...

 

3 SR models have shown up on the canadian sonystyle website for those interested, they are all the same except the colour is different, pink, black and silver.

price is 1599.99

P8400 cpu - 2.26ghz

3 gig of ram
250gb drive at 5400rpm
dvd burner
Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Operating System: Genuine Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium with SP1- Bilingual (English/French)

expected date of arrival is august 14th.

 

Is there a silver SR with a black keyboard? Or just silver w/ white keyboard?

 

This thread is dying...I guess we talked about pretty much everything that we could possible think of from the specs published by Sony.

Now, what we need is a thorough hands on review from a credible website.

 

Or from people who got their lappys already.

 

My opinion still stays the same. It's just that I promised a friend I would sell my SZ to him. He's on a tight budget. He starts school next month and he needs to start loading up all his school files to get ready for this fall semester. Besides, there's a bunch of programs I put on the SZ that he needs as well. He could've gotten a new notebook, but by the time he bought all those programs I put on the SZ, he would be way over his budget. I thought about just asking him if I can decline and renig on it cuz I really liked my SZ, but I figured what he was willing to pay me for it, all I needed to add is approx. $600 and I'll have an even more powerful and latest laptop from Sony. That's how I justified it. It was really difficult for me to part with it.

I did get back from Sonystyle today to take a look at it again (did not want to have seller's remorse), and it's a very nice notebook, I think I'll be happy with it. They told me it won't hit the Sony stores for sale until mid-August.

I'm amazed at what a difference 1/2 pound makes. The Z at 3.5lbs was so so light compared to the SZ at 4lbs. That alone convinced me since I do a lot of traveling. The Z felt hollow like it was a dummy display, but it was fully functioning.

I agree, I think it'll change when we all get our new notebooks. We may have to start a thread for strictly Z owners, SR owners, and FW owners so that questions can be geared to a specific notebook.

I have an idea, why don't you start one. Which notebook are you getting?

 

SR Owners thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=272669

Z Owners thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=272690

 

Wow, I guess this is where I say Good-Bye to all. Someone already started a thread specifically catered to Z owners and potential Z owners. Good luck with all of your decisions in choosing the right configurations. I'll be hanging out at the Z Thread .

Philflow, This was an amazing thread you started. Thanks for your and everyone's expertise.

 

This will be great memories lol. Its sad the Z is coming till end of Augest as right now I have my night shift at work so theres nothing to do and I really nneed a laptop. By end of the month ill be on morning shift and will not need it as much then. Crappp. I wish Sony woulda just said its coming at Aug from the beginning instead of geting everyones hopes up for friggen July.

 

all speculation. videos and pics never do justice to what you will see in real live. i have to see it for myself and don't judge it because of videos and pictures...

 

U can be more right dude. When I fist got my SZ780 which I saw in pics only I was like wow this is super small and just an aamzing laptop, which it was but when I felt it, it felt sorta bulky IMO.

 

U cant be more right sry lol

 

congrats guys we have made the single largest thread in the sony forum. damn we were addicted to these new machines.

 

So, is that it? It's over?

So sad...


But it's been fun!

 

lol. it'll be over when we stop posting on this thread.

 

oops...

I guess I started the ending of this thread...

It was a great experience guys!

See you guys in the Z owner forum.

 

Not all of us!

 

Thanks all for taking the time to chase down "Z" facts all around the world. The run-up on anticipation thru the US launch night has been fun too. Z-you in Z-forum.

 

it was a great thread thanks to everyone!

 

Well this thread has gotten to large for a new user to be able to catch up =)
Pretty impressive....

Wonder who will have the last word....

So guess I'll see ya in the Z forum =)

 

The End.

 

And thanks to you for starting it and moderating it!!

 

Mhm I need a japanese Keyboard, but no one sell it with a japanese Keyboard.
I dont know if i should import it from Japan.
Do I have warranty if I buy it from Japan? Does Sony send it to Germany?
Or can I get a japanese keyboard on a other way?



sry for my bad english :S

 

please use one of the other threads, this thread is officially dead

btw. ich würde keine sachen aus japan oder usa importieren, da du mit zoll, versand und dem ganzen stress nicht glücklich wirst. aus den usa geht es vielleicht noch irgendwie, aber mit den keyboards aus japan wirst du keinen spass haben bzw. wird es kompliziert ein anderes zu bekommen.