New Z model with Intel Core i5 CPU

couldn't find anythink on greek site

 

The Y series leak seems like valid enough. Though I still have doubts in regards to the site already supposedly selling them so prematurely.

The 5th gen Z was, as I always thought, was the last original Z refresh with W7 preinstalled. That was what, 3 months ago now? I remember buying my 2nd gen Z (just released) and 2 months later the 3rd gen were rolling off the shelves... So I do think that Sony is reMAKING the Z series - it's quite natually due.

But the leaked info... Hmmm.... Unless Sony is trying to get some hype-momentum going like they did with the P-series-backside-image leak a year back...

We'd have to wait till this year's CES for more info...

What I'd like in a new Z...
LCD mark problems resolved
Battery drain resolved (...like that would ever happen though - I hear the new X-series has it...)
Better build (no more chassis clicks)
Less flex in LCD panel (too fragile at current state)
AV mode buttons like the late-TX or even TZ series...?
Better graphics and CPU (which the leak is pointing towards)

Size-wise, the Z is perfect.

 

I had no doubt about the Y series specs. It's just the picture that I have some doubt about. Could be a photoshopped SR.

 

Same here. It seems like a cross between a FW and Z in silver. Being blurry to me is supposedly harder to photoshop but anyone can get a higher-res, shop it, then lower the res down to blur...

Though we are talking about a remake so the redesigned chassis is quite possibily genuine...

 

Speculation aside, in a matter of days/hours, we will be seeing the thing in the flesh, to know one way or the other.

 

Unlucky!
I hear on this very site of rumours regarding a possible redesign of the Z Vaio series just two days after purchasing a SR59 because I was fed up with the flimsy lid of my Vaio Z, I had it repaired twice by Sony (under warranty) since the original purchase and the display is already showing signs of bruise marks in the middle due to too much flex.

So what should I do ? Return my SR59 once I receive it and wait for more details of the Z hoping that this time Sony didn't sacrifice too much robustness for a low weight.

One of the things that bug me with the SR59 is lack of 3G integrated modem but having checked the lid of a SR51 I am much more comfortable with its solidity.

 

Echoing what somebody else said... I loved the Vaio Z keyboard when I was playing with it in the store, but backlit keys would be much appreciated. I don't understand why so few models (from any company) lack this feature.

 

They sure stuck a poor webcam in there

 

At this jucture, I would return the SR59 once you receive it.

If this were mid-2009, with all of these newer models being months away from being released, I might have bought the prior model. But since you truly would be able to take advantage of some of these VERY significant improvements in these newer models, I think you will be pulling your hair out in a month, if you kept your SR59 and not returned it when you could, with very little financial hit. JMHO, of course.

I was on the verge of flipping the switch for a fully decked out CTO Z-Series but after hearing about these new specs, there is no chance in hell that I would go with the current Z. I will wait a few more weeks and go with the updated version, which would be coming in with higher specs and expectedly at the same prices as the current Z (based on historical trends where future models always come in with higher specs and price remains steady).

 

I am certain somebody mis-keyed. It should be 1.3MP.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if more specifications are not correct. I'm especially interested if Sony decided to put a Nvidia 330m in the Z.

It seems a bit stange because of the size of the Z, the fact that the 9300 would already cause a lot of heat and the fact that the Z is a business machine.

If they did, I expect the Z will be a huge success.

 

I hope sony will charge us belgians more fair this time. Usualy we pay a lot more for the same laptop than americans because they ask the same amount in euros here as they ask in dolars in the usa. So when you can buy a 1000 dollar laptop in the usa it will costs 1000 euros here.

 

Yeah I kinda assumed it was a typo... 0.3 would be a heck of a step backwards.

 

I'd agree in returning the SR59 only if Sony made sure the new Z is much more solid build.
Having now returned my Z with damaged screen due to high flex of the lid I'd be concerned with paying again a high premium for a ultra transportable laptop that, in practice, should be left in a docking station all the time.

 

Why would he return his sr ? a sony vaio Z is way more expensive...

 

The one and only reason that gave me pause, as far as the current Z is concerned, was the GPU it came with (with no option to get it changed, either via CTO or otherwise).

The new Z coming out with Nvidia 330M is a dream come true for me. The biggest downside of the Z is now gone !

Also, even though the Z was a machine built for "business travelers", it is not a lower-end business machine (of the BZ type) that typical business travelers use. This is the type of machine that a CEO/CFO/CIO/COO would use while on the road.

 

True, but the SR series is also being replaced with a new version (S-Series).

If he feels the Z is way more expensive, he might find the new S-series, right up his alley. Things like the better processor, better GPU, better RAM (DDR3-1066) etc might be enough to persuade him.

Either way, I would not flip the switch on the current models, during such a transition period, especially if one can use the additional features the new models come with....and can wait for a month more.

 

I can afford the Z so I'd pay for it, but having owned a Z11 I'd only buy one of the new series if it's been developed to be more robust.

The Z as it stands is an odd product, it's ultra portable and extremely powerful,
yet, this laptop isn't built to be transported on a daily basis due to the flex of the lid which will damage the display by either scratching the screen around the raised palmrest or start showing bruised lines (visible as grey areas when displaying a white background) that will, over time, because irritating.

I've managed now twice to get Sony to replace my screen under warranty.

I really could do with an integrated 3G modem! The Z has one, the SR doesn't! But the S does, although it's frustrating the S doesn't come with dedicated graphics!

 

I owned the Z for a while, I had absolutely no problem with the build quality. But I always treat my laptops with a lot of care.

With any laptop I use a screen protector. Especially with laptops like Z and TZ that have very thin screens.

The Z is build to be the lightest full power 13" laptop ever. It comes at a cost of being relatively fragile.

 

Indeed, the Z is a unique offering in the market and it's great a manufacturer produced such a laptop.
But when you create a new product, such as an ultra portable laptop, you'd expect that the manufacturer will first consider day to day operations, and that includes lifting the laptop and slipping it into a laptop case.
Creating a flexible screen was a design mistake from Sony's part, the minute the screen flexes you will have defects showing up, scratch or bruise marks.
Somebody even reported bruise marks without ever having transported the laptop in a case!

 

Actually that can happen to a lot of laptops, not just Sony.

Simple solution: a piece of cloth between the keyboard and screen at all times.

I do this with every laptop I own. And I too had to learn this the hard way

 

Am I the only one who uses that keyboard sheet that came with the laptop? It's even covering my keyboard right now since I'm using an external keyboard and mouse and I don't want dust to settle on it.

 

The keyboard sheet won't protect your display against bruise marks though, in case you're transporting your Z with a laptop case.

 

alright I wanna drop a few lines on this.

I don't know whats up wit all you people complainin about screen flex.
I had my Z26GN for over a year now since last October.

Dude the first thing I bought before I even used it was a LCD Screen protector plastic.
Stuck it on and THEN i started using it.

Yesterday I took it off to clean it and try get rid of the bubbles (failed on the bubbles point) and alls I can say is I had NO scratches or marks on my screen.

You guys must be the roughest mofos out there if you're damaging your screens (aside from keyboard marks cause thats understandable)

I've gone out and about with my laptop 24/7
it's been in my bag which has been at times even dropped lightly or had heaps of other stuff in it which could pressure the laptop (though I put the laptop in a slim Sony Laptop sleeve)

ALl up tho no damage to it at all
I've flexed the screen a few times. My friends have flexed it while I"m using it and stil nothing.

So alls I can say is whateva to the haters on screen flex cause as someone else said, STRENGTH != NO FLEX. Thats engineering 101.

peace out

 

I hope it's a redesign.

I'm going to be in the market for a new laptop in a few months.

I'm still happy with my 1st gen Z - I still don't feel any other laptop matches it for speed/screen quality/weight/battery life. The MBP comes close but it's too heavy.

However, I could do with a faster graphics card (I don't play games often but I do have my eye on Starcraft 2) and I'd like to see a thinner chassis. You pay extra for Sony's design and the other companies have surpassed Sony in this department when it comes to the 13.3" size.

I use my computer every day, all-day so I am not averse to paying a premium sum for the right machine.

Edit:

To elucidate further, on the off-chance that anyone from Sony reads this forum, other manufacturers have raised their design game (MBP and HP Envy 13 to name a few) so Sony should do the same.

In the end, however, the most important points for me when it comes to laptops are not always "specced". Those are lightness, screen quality, heat dissipation and fan noise. Sony has generally come out on top in those departments, so I hope - if it is a redesign - that those elements will continue to be respected.

Also, in the 2 years I've owned by Z5x I've never had a problem with screen flex.

 

Agreed. No product is perfect. Every product has some weakness or the other and when purchasing the product, you weigh the pros/cons and decide if the pros outweigh the cons in the overall purchase balance sheet. And since we are purchasing the product, knowing that there are some cons to the product, one obviously will have to compensate for the cons when using the product.

I am of the view that the keyboard pressing onto the screen and leaving marks on it, is a design flaw. But I guess it was a design flaw that could not be got around easily, especially with a counterbalancing requirement for thin-ness and light-ness. Which is why (if Sony has not fixed this issue in the new Z), I will have to start using the cloth they supply (to be placed between the keyboard and screen or some kind of a screen protector, so that these minor cons don't take one away from an otherwise exceptional design.

 

I'll be in the market for a new laptop in 6 months - the new Z has everything I need. The style does not matter to me but I have my fingers crossed the battery drain problem will be fixed (though I doubt it)

 

dude its a no brainer. you buy a $2000 laptop, you you protect it with a $20 lcd screen protector. I don't care if the screen flexes or is as solid as a rock.
I wouldn't even take it out the boxxx unless I had my screen protector ready.

Doesn't matter how solid or indestructible laptopmakers say the screen is. One day or another it'll scratch or something so just slap on a screen protector and save yourself the hassle

 

Amen. Sometimes I do wonder why they don't just offer them as accessoires right when you purchase your notebook.

 

Except that some of us bought our $2500 laptop because of the high resolution and clarity -- every single screen protector out there will add blurriness and refraction, and the $20 ones especially so.

 

It was a little under 2 years ago when we were all here waiting for the Z-pics to surface from the Berlin Show. I think someone here found the first leaked photos of the SR from the Circuit City website. Now, here we go again (lol). I know that the new Z will be a total redesign. I'm confident. But, will it look more or less like the X or the S with the cylinder hinge, that's current on the Z today?

 

If this is true this is possibly a refresh of the Z series with an 2.4GHz i5-520 processor. However it is one of the early i5 processors. 3.1lbs. This unit also has an nvidia 330M GPU - I believe there is a 3 plusGHz i5-650 and i5-670 processor from intel coming soon - although I don't know if they are mobile processors. http://www.laptopshop.nl/product/87...ops/sony-vaio-vpc-z11x9e-b.html#specificaties

 

Let the speculations begin, until real pictures surface.

 

I'm not saying that no flex is a pre-requisite but it has to be weighted against practicality. Planes do it, but I'm not sure if it makes sense for a LCD screen.
I purchased a $350 laptop bag to further protect my Z and still can't get the bruise marks not to show up, I must be doing something wrong with the Z because I never got that with any other laptop I've owned or used.

I'm not sure this link has been published here but this one contains comments of people suffering with screen damage due to too much lid flex:
http://getsatisfaction.com/sony/topics/manufacturing_defect_in_sony_vaio_vgn_z_laptop

Out of interest, would these protectors add stiffness to the lid ?

 

After doing some benchmarks research, hopefully they'll offer the I5 540m soon as it competes well with the existing Core 2 processors. The 520 won't be a significant change unless you have a low end core 2 or you do a lot of video editing.

The battery life won't be of any significant change either.

The weight is nearly the same.

I would agree with those that call this a refresh. It is a very good laptop but I really would have liked to have seen - faster, lighter, longer battery life - perhaps next year I'll see a big change in the z series.

 

I was going to say that I doubt that it's going to be a total redesign, as the Z's current design really doesn't seem that dated, but then someone commented that it was nearly 2 years ago when the Z was released. And I know that it was nearly 4 years ago when the SZ I'm typing on right now was released.

So if they're going on a 2 year schedule... I guess it's time! Though I won't be disappointed if there ISN'T a significant cosmetic change, since I'm more concerned with what's under the hood...

 

I think the S will get a seperate (although probably very weak) graphics card eventually, didn't the first sr series also have intem gma at first (only the black sr serie comes with gma, al the others with ati hd4570)
I like the sr series very much but the fact that they scratch themselves (like the Z ) while being closed is really a work of stupid designing.
Eventhough their laptops look very nice, I'm affraid looks are all they have to offer...
Who needs high power in a small package if it breaks (I know i'm exagerating) the first moment you touch it.

 

Yeah, but the i5-540M is just one of the several processors the Z will be outfitted with (like with the current version).

Among the other CPU options for the new-Z, there is talk of the i7-620M, which can Turbo clock to 3.33GHz and thus can do WAY more work than the current T9900....

 

Hmmmm.... not sure what to do.

I ordered a Z, it hasn't been shipped yet. Not sure if I can cancel the order with no cost or what the return policy is (couldn't find it on their website). But I am not sure I want to.

The upgraded graphics and speed would be nice, but I really wanted the red laptop and if this is a redesign I am not sure what the options would be. I am already over what I wanted to originally spend for a laptop and I am not sure if the prices will be higher for this laptop. Should I try cancelling the order and wait and see? Will I regret this move? When will all the specs/options for the Z come out. Will it be at CES or will it be only the base model specs that will be released and not all the options?

 

I played with a SR51 a few days ago and the lid is way more solid than on the Z.
In fact, it's nearly as stiff as my wife's FW even though this laptop is way much bigger (16.4 IIRC).

 

Is it from Sonystyle ? If so, then they won't charge you if you cancel the order.

I personally would cancel the order, assuming you absolutely don't need a laptop right away and can wait a month. The new Intel processors have gone forward an entire generation from the prior Core 2 processors, and I would not want to be paying top dollar for a Z-series and be sitting on last generation technology. The new Z contains desktop replacement type power all around (processing power, graphics power, RAM, screen resolution etc), while maintaining a tiny 13.1" form factor.

Of course if you absolutely HAVE to have a laptop, then the current Z is not too bad either.....hopefully you are getting a substantial discount.

 

I don't need a laptop right this second. I have lasted several months without a personal PC and can wait another month. My concern was price, if the price is going to drastically be increased on this new model, I would rather get the older one. I don't NEED a more powerful PC or graphics card, it would just be nice. But I guess I can cancel my order and see the specs/price and then go back and order the older Z if the price is higher. I am not planning to max out the Z specs. I was going with the basic everything except 4 GB Ram, 320 7200 HD, and Win7 Prof with Clean install. I like the Z because it is powerful enough for me to install my work programming software, but light enough for me to carry it around like I do often now. My last personal PC was neither, it was heavy and large and not nearly enough powerful to install my work programs. But when I got it I was not going a lot of places and I didn't have this current job where I was able to install work stuff on my PC. Which now would be nice since I would not have to travel with two PCs, but only one.

OK, I am off to cancel my order, or shall I say stay on hold forever

 

I'd cancel and then wait to see if they discount or offer free upgrades tot he Z series. Then you have the best of both worlds...you can see what the new prices are like and probably get the current Z at a savings. Last year there were a number of free upgrades to the AW series and bt calling in my order I was able to get the sales guy to give me another $200 off. Just my .02.

 

Based on historical trends, whenever they come out with a new model with substantially improved specs, they also magically hold the line on price. That is the way electronics work. I paid $x for my 65" plasma, knowing that the price will go down in the future and that a future release with the same or higher screen size with several other improvements, will probably cost a LOT less than what I paid for it.

Basically, even though the current versions will work for a while, I believe many of the upcoming applications (designed to run on these machines) will aim to take advantage of the multi-threading capabilities of the newer processors and hence the older CPUs will perform a lot worse as time goes on. That is why I might as well wait a bit and go with the newest generation processors.

Yeah, it is a LONG wait with Sony customer service (877-244-9959) !

 

I expect the base model for these NEW Z's to start around $2200-$2300. These will be the models offered at Brick and Mortar Stores with base specs. Unless, SonyStyle offers these same models, which often they do, I expect other models offered directly from SonyStyle with higher specs. to be more.

Remember, when the first Z came out? Some expected it to be priced at approx. $1800 (under 2k). That wasn't the case. The Blu-Ray and 64GB SSD version were priced at nearly $4k back then. These New Z's will be priced well over 2k. The prices will trickle down with the preceding refreshes.

My receipt on my Z550 when it first hit stores priced out at $2199

 

If they price it too high then I will probably wait a bit before buying. My take is that I have waited this long and would not mind waiting for a wee bit longer. When it comes to newer technology, its doesn't pay to be a first adopter, either. Another good thing about waiting is that they keep on incrementally improving the specs along the way, and when it comes time to buy, the prices would be lower and one would get slightly better specs for the same price.

 

For that price, Sony could actually atleast add a backlight keyboard.

Also the ATI gpus are better cause i think they consume less power not to forget that the 5000er series does support DirectX 11 !

So after all Nvidia must have made a big big deal, otherwise it was not a rational based decision.

 

What?

Y'all happy now? Get them $$$$$$$$$ ready.

 

Yep, I sure hope this is the case (the backlit keyboard). That "Quad" SSD thing sounds mighty expensive.

 

The economy is not the same as it was 2 years ago. We'll see who is right, but I expect the base Z to be the same price as the old base Z.

What you might see is that Sony delays the availability of the base Z for a few months until it burns through its old inventory. So all of the new models will come with SSD's for a while.

And yes, that quad raid SSD will be pricey. It designed to attract attention to the brand.