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

The Z is the direct replacement for the SZ series. It shares its feature its switch to change from stamina to speed mode with having "hybrid" graphics, being able to switch from Intel integrated graphics to Nvidia.

I feel that the SR may be the replacement to the CR series. It is obviously a consumer model whereas the Z is the professional model.

The Z will also be partially made of carbon, at least the lid portion, as is the SZ.

My guess is the Z models will average at a couple hundred dollars extras over the SR.

Yes, the Z's battery is also located on the hinge as with the TZ. The upcoming FW and SR also share this characteristic.

 

is the Z coming out in August? also any word on weight?

it is the update to the SZ series that I've been waiting for! (hdmi out + bluray)

though the voodoo envy is looking pretty nice also (and with reported hybrid gfx in the future, it will be a direct competitor)

The SZ had (and the Z willl have) hybrid gfx, which means the computer has 2 graphics card -- a dedicated nVidia card and a integrated Intel card. Stamina is the intel card, and speed is the nVidia card, and you can switch between the cards with a flip of a switch and reboot

 

These are july 2007 models.

 

Yes august is what 2 sources said. One says july. I guess august is right.

No word on the weight yet. Going by the specs I'd estimate 3-4 lbs. It will be really hard to go beneath 3 lbs since it has a full voltage CPU. Although I don't know much about the weight of Montevina.

in my opinion it's not a replacement because the CR will be continued to be sold.

We could say it is like a smaller version of the CR. Although we are not sure if it's going to look very much like the CR.

Like mobytoby said, that's last year's update.

 

Yes, but the SZ I saw in the store had a $1299 price tag on it, marked "Clearance." Just because the website says one thing, doesn't mean you can't get a better deal by going out and actually checking the stores.

 

That is a Japanese X505SP or CP model. All X505s were made in limited quantities including the US and EU models (both had carbon fiber casing, but the lid did not have a weaved carbon look like the JP model X505SP). The sale only lasted one season (fall). One day we will see another remake of X505 so hang in there!

 

Will it be possible to install windows xp on the new models (SR and Z)? That is, will they provide drivers for xp even if they do not come with it? Or if I want xp do I have to purchase the SZ now before it disappears?

Thanks,
J

 

It is a collector's item as you noticed. On eBay you can find the prices currently paid for it.

I think the reasons why : very low weight, amazingly thin, design and the first one to implement this keyboard design (Apple copied it).

 

I might've missed it but was there any indication on heavy the new SR is gonna be?

 

Since the current SZ is 4.2 lbs. in the magnesium version (carbon fiber is 4.0) and the SR is the same screen size, I suppose we can assume 4.0-4.5 as a ball park. No reason for it to get heavier. And if LED backlit screen, it'll be thin and light.

 

I'd buy an updated X505 in a second. Just take my Vaio G, turn it into an X ... SOLD! And the G is only 2lbs.

 

I hope you're right and you could very well be.

On the other side: The SR is cheaper than the current SZ, seems to have a thicker screen and seems to resemble the CR a lot. So maybe we'll end up at 4,5-5 lbs.

But yeah 4,5lbs is probably very close. I hope for lighter.

 

If someone is checking just this thread, you should know that the pictures of new FW (and most probably SR as well) were posted by 'duffyanneal' in separate thread

In my opinion, old SZ series looked much better than the new SR....FW looks great though. Waiting for the Z line pictures

 

Hi guys,

I only just realised that the new FW models aren't coming with an S-video out (the FZ did have an S-video out)! Now, since I actually would like to be able to output movies on televisions that don't have an HDMI (since they're relatively 'old'), I was wondering; do 'convertors' exist such that the FW can still be connected to the 'S-video in' of televisions??

 

Nixon, are any of the new models assembled in Japan or have "Made in Japan" printed on them?

 

FW-E model: 16.4" widescreen display with 1600 x 900 pixel resolution.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony...Oid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do#proddesc

16:9 aspect ratio.

Edit: startpost updated with SR and FW pictures. Credits to duffyanneal for finding them.

 

Probably some of the pre-set models will be. That's how it's tended to be with the TZ/TX's, but they also have the ability now to do BTO models of carbon fiber models so I'll expect to see those up on Sonystyle as well.

 

Totally yours opinion. I know these are "preliminary" photos but I'm not thrilled. Somehow (at least from this image) there is no WOW factor.

Also did u noticed the keypad? It looks like it's "raising" from the surface.

GPU seems OK, Ati HD3470 is on pair with N8600 GS, so quite a leap forward comparing to lame 8400GS (with 64MB memory on-board)

Cheers,
Miki

 

Now that we have an SR picture, I am absolutely loving it. The hinge, the Mac-Air'ish keyboard, the beveled front, the matte finish...Sony is going to sell a ton of these. And it looks 1" thin from back to front so I would guess the weight at 4.3 lbs with LED screen and 6 cell battery. Perfect.

A few Mac Air features that I wish Sony could squeeze in:
1) LED backlit keyboard
2) Ambient light sensor for screen/keyboard brightness
3) Touchpad gesturing (2-finger scrolling and 2-finger tap are incredibly useful)

 

Am I missing something here or is the "FW" picture on Circuit City really the SR?

OP's start post seems to have correct pics though.

 

Yes it's looking light. Very similar materials to SZ as far as I can judge by the picture, so I would guess a bit lighter 1,70kg (3,7 lbs) for the LED version.

Those features rock. I read somewhere that Asus Eee has two finger scrolling as well and that it may be possible on other touchpads too.

Yeah some mix up there.

 

That's interesting. Just curiosity, I have old pre set T type bought in Japan and "日本製 (Made in Japan)". If I'll order custom made model (most probably Z line) again from the japanese Sony e-shop, there's possibility, that it'll not be "Made in Japan"?

I'm curious about the japanese keyboard....as they usually have some keys plus and some minus. Personally I usually like classic black color, but c'mon, this looks nearly like Fujitsu. What more, from there pictures the design doesn't look like 'thin one'. But what I don't like the most, is that silver hinge with drowned green light. It looks completely like my 4 years old T (they probably had stock of that part). Looks more like e-dictionary than a Vaio.

Still believe that with more pictures I'll fall love with that, or the Z series will save it all.

 

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Sony...id/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do#prodspecs

Ha, Circuit City title reads:

Sony VAIO VGN-FW140E/B

but underneath with the picture they've got:

Model #: SON VGNSR140EB

Man, they're driving me nuts!! Can we please get product description for the SR, Circuit City!!

Also, what's with all the 16:9 HD hoopla but no dang Blu-ray option mentioned!!! Who wants DVD-only anymore when these new notebooks have been specifically engineered for HD and Blu-ray?? Let's sync up here guys.

 

The Voodoo Envy has it (HP owns them now). But it requires enhanced touchpad hardware/firmware...it can't be implemented in driver alone. Bummer.

 

Is going to be rough choosing from Z and the upcoming in the fall Montevina TZ. Definitely I will pull the trigger in one of those. I think a lot will say the battery life of the Z and the blu-ray option. This keyboard is much much better imo than the SZ's one.
To me the SR is really similar to the TZ, how more similar can be the Z?

 

I agree. This picture of the SR is like a bigger TZ. Pretty nice I can say. I will wait for the pics of the Z series (are they coming?) and then I will make my confront. Unfortunately I can't wait for the fall to purchase a laptop, I need it in August. So for me is SR or Z series. But HDMI and blu-ray are leading me towards Z.

 

Just bought an Asus EEPC for the 2 upcoming months ! And blocked some $ in my bank account ... waiting till august !

 

(prays for a 9600m GT or above in any of the new series!)

 

I think you are right, SR and Z will be very similar.

The differences I expect:
- 16:9 aspect ratio for Z (so higher resolution)
- Bluray drive in Z.
- Much stronger GPU in Z.

 

Hello everyone, fantastic forum first off all, lots of helpful information.

The new SR and FW pictures provide a nice sense of size, style and design for the new notebooks. The SR looks nice but at 13 inches, it is a bit small for me, and the design seems a bit too mainstream. I think I will probably get the FW myself, maybe in black if it comes in black to match my sony mp3 player , if not silver it is. The design is very sony. For some reason the FW looks a lot thinner in the pictures than in the pdf images.

This will be my first laptop, so I want to shop around, but I've always been a sony man in electronics. I'll probably be using it mostly for making music, so a good graphics card is good enough for me. Hopefully when released in Canada, the price won't be insane.

 

OLED screens in VAIO anytime soon?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTEt5o_jt30

Edit: I have an SZ and I am looking to replace it. I know it's a little early but how do you guys think Z compares with XPS?

Thanks. Great site guys. Keep it up.

 

I wouldn't expect any OLED on mainstream laptops anytime soon, due to their costs and limited life span, mostly one colour I believe, I am sure it has been addressed though for production tvs. I don't recall there being any laptop prototypes with OLED screens?

I'd imagine OLED laptops perhaps appearing in 09 but more likely in 10.

 

I know too little about Z series and I know even less about the Montevina update of the 1330.

One difference I expect: the quality of the LED screen of the Z will be better. But this is speculation based on the past.

 

will have to agree with ascariss, dont think we can realistically hope of OLEDs on these. Though there are probably some minor updates to the LCDs. Does anyone know if theres gonna be a nVidia GPU on the FW?

so far, the circuit city version has an intel mobile card and phil said to expect the ATI 3470HD. Hopefully there'll be better graphic card options...

 

Did anyone else notice that the Z seems to be able to switch between stamina and speed mode without reboot?

From the manual:

My current SZ needs a reboot to switch, so I almost always have it on stamina.

 

What is stamina ?

 

A setting for maximum battery life. It uses the integrated graphics instead of the external GPU.

When switching to speed it uses the external GPU. Which leads to better performance and shorter battery life.

 

Current SZ models and the new Z models actually have 2 graphics devices...one is the low-power slower Intel integrated graphics chipset and the other is a discrete NVidia graphics card (faster but needs more juice). "Stamina" means switching to the Intel graphics (battery lasts longer, ergo. stamina). "Speed" is the Nvidia option. Personally I think it's dumb (it would maybe make more sense if Sony gave your more than 64MB VRAM on the Nvidia!!). Not one other manufacturer has bothered to copy this design. Maybe it will be more useful if you don't have to reboot since rebooting eats so much battery by itself.

 

That means that the notebook has two graphic cards: a high(er) performance card and a low performance card (which also uses much less power). Hence you can switch between a low performance / low energy usage mode, and a high performance / more energy usage mode, and as such it allows you to save battery life if you aren't busy with high performance tasks.

Anyone?

 

Exactly!! I would make sense if it would be "on the run", other than that, useless.

 

I had a crimson red XPS m1330 for about 3 weeks and fell in love. However, we had to part ways because of certain deficiencies. XPS could be in the running again if Dell refreshed it with:

1) Centrino 2 (lower heat)
2) Black keyboard (XPS silver keys were impossible to see in dim light)
3) Blu-ray (all I buy now)
4) Bigger, more responsive touchpad

The Sony Z & SR will address these issues. Maybe Dell will surprise in July/August but I suspect not.

 

It's still kind of schizo...Jekyll and Hyde. One minute you want to conserve battery like a good green citizen and the next minute you're watching Vista Aero choke and ticked about your lousy 2.7 Windows Experience Index. I say just pack an extra battery.

 

Well if I'm away from power I want my laptop run as long as possible and don't care in any way about eye candy. When the laptop is in the docking I want the DVI output (DVI/hdmi only works in speed mode according to the leaked manual).

 

I don't suppose there are any indications that the Z will still run XP? I'm not talking about getting XP with it-- I have no illusions about that. I just wonder if Sony will still support XP with drivers for the Z series for those of us who choose to just install XP over whatever bloatware Sony crams on it. (Here's hoping they learned a lesson from the SZ line.)

 

Okay --- so someone please tell me when I can get my hands on an SR or Z series?

Earlier posts indicate July....Some sites are already advertising the SR129eb and are taking orders...Does anyone have a guess? WHEN???

I'm hoping they will launch right around the 4th of July...I can't stand to wait until August

 

Totally valid points. I wasn't thinking about docking station. I'd really like to know how much of a hit the discrete graphics is on battery though vs. Intel....particularly with the new 55nm ATI boards in the SR series. It may be approaching a point of diminishing returns.

 

Actually, Asus did the exact same thing with their U3S, which features X3100 and an 8400M G. However, Asus ACPI and power management sucks so much that the X3100 battery life is comparable to the SZ on the 8400M, and on the 8400M G, the U3S battery life is right around 2 hours. The nice thing with the Asus solution is that it was hot-swappable. Hopefully, the Z will get the same hot-swap capability - rebooting would be a pain.

 

Minimum availability date is July 15. That's when Sony announces. But more importantly that's when Intel launches Centrino 2. Realistically I wouldn't expect anything until August....but you never know. Again it depends on how quickly Intel was able to address issues with new graphics chip and FCC testing which caused their initial launch delay from May to July. HP kinda got caught with their pants down on June 10 when they announced their complete refresh on laptops only to have to retract end-of-June shipment estimates. Sony waited...but they figured they had to create some buzz and let stuff leak now else HP eat their lunch (also new Dell Studio line threatened to take some thunder). You can expect some major market skirmishing in August over the back-to-school business so I'm pretty certain they'll ALL be in stores by early August.

 

According to another poster, the leaked user manual indicates that the Z will hot swap.

This whole thing has my curiosity piqued now about Intel's new integrated graphics. Apparently it will do HD decoding and with 1066 FSB and 800Mhz RAM it may just be good enough 3D and DirectX 10 by itself...forget discrete graphics (I mean, really, who the hell is going to blast away with Crysis or Call of Duty 4 on a 4lb. laptop anyway).

 

That is one.

Another one I know of is that Sony Japan had sold a limited edition 10th anniversary Vaio TZ late last year to celebrate their first Vaio laptop, the 505, released in Japan in 1997. The limited edition TZ shared the same color scheme as the 505.

I'm sure there's at least a few more but I cannot remember them off the top of my head.