New Z model with Intel Core i5 CPU

Haha.

Oh dear, I'm not sure what alternatives you have. Panasonic toughbook?

 

Elite Cataract, you are making assumptions about TRIM, heat and reliability of HDD vs SSD.
We have all come to an agreement that we should wait for user reviews for these details. As for the Full HD display, that is a personal preference and is why sony is offering two options.

For me the i7 with 1MB more cache is vital, the full HD display is also necessary as is the quad 128GB SSD.
I do not care about heat and I will use my Z with the extended battery as I have been using my current Z for the past year and a half.
For me the only drawback is that the cpu may be BGA... but that's not set in stone yet.
Oh, and my vision is 40/20 so let's all hold off any generalized positive or negative comments until some of us get the units in our hands.

EDIT, I do not think anyone is being rude to you, it just looks like the Z may not be the right machine for your needs.

 

No because just as you can lower the voltage on the i7 you can also lower the voltage on the i5 If battery life is a concern go with the i5 if performance is a concern go with the i7. It's really as simple as that you are just complicating things by adding uncontrollable variables into the equation.

 

Stop being rude and ignorant. I simply stated the facts and I'm sure that the Panasonic Toughbook with suite your tone better.
After all, it is hard to have a meaningful discussion on any forum when there is always that one person who is starting a flamebait war.

 

Yes, but because of binning the i7 is likely to be a better chip, increasing the chances of a successful undervolt, especially when the chip family is new?

 

I am willing to wait for a review.
I simply stated my opinion, so please don't take it personally.

 

?? You explained why you don't like the Z, I suggest alternatives, first within Sony then outside, and you get mad?

Feeling touchy today eh? tsk.

 

Just take a break everyone ok?
Keep in mind English is not everyone's native language so there are bound to be some discrepancies as an intended meaning is lost in the translation.

 

That is equivalent to saying 7 is likely a better number to play than 5 in this weeks lottery mate...

 

Lol.

Okay, fair enough.

Nutman: Heh. That post -was- me being cool about it.

 

where did you customize your vaio Z with the 1920x1080 screen? the US vaio site doesn't have screen res as an option on their custom models

 

1) Based on my Screen width(std 15.4, 1280x800) Every bitmap on screen needs to zoomed out by 68% and 57% to get a feeling of the icon's size/page view on 1600x900 and 1920x1080 Z screen correspondingly(the calculations are simple: {1280/1920*13.1/15.4}*100%=~57%)
Of course it is only size and not sharpness of the image(got blurred by downsizing algorithm of the firefox addon)

It does look ridiculously small compare to the size of the text(which has to be reasonably large for comfortable reading)
The truth is that forum page does not look very good with neither of those high profile resolutions on 13.1' screen(native size for bitmaps, increased size for text).
So I might just go with 1080p. at least I can watch full HD video as I first intended to. Lower resolution screen will not bring comfort to browsing but HD option will be excluded.(by the way, according to calculations 1600x900 on 13.1screen is roughly equal 1366x768 on 11.6' M11x for the size of the bitmaps, which makes it equally uncomfortable)
2) Looks like M11x has a lot of heat related troubles and does not OC smoothly. I wonder if it will be the same for i5/i7. I will wait until first hands-on experience, reviews do not cover those issues.

 

If true that is good news for me, currently best comparison I have is 1366x768 on 12" screen which is tolerable not the most comfortable for reading text but I wouldn't want a lower resolution due to the lack of screen real estate. If 1600x900 works out similiar it will be ok, still rather a 1366x768 to be honest but it doesn't sound like 1600x900 will be too bad. Perhaps 1600x900 along with the zoom tab in IE8 will make this the best compromise.

 

No, gradual degradation is not a symptom of lacking TRIM support.
Sudden degradation after a long while is.

This is a non-issue. That's what Stamina mode is for.
(But shortened battery life in stamina mode compared to the old Z may be a problem for some.)

The higher the resolution, the less blurry scaling becomes, and the sharper and better defined fonts become at any given point size. If you still live back in the days of bitmapped fonts, it's time to move on. You might as well make the switch now, because you'll have to make it later.

In short, if you're going to slam the new Z, you need to do your homework better.

 

I was also thinking the same, but I heard that DPI scaling in Windows 7 has some issues and using it is not hassle-free. That's why I'll take the lower resolution screen.

 

Suspicions of personal attacks aside, I don't really think the "grandpa" comment was out of line. The Vaio Z is absolutely a machine for people who are flat-out sick and tired of putting up with crappy, low-dpi screens on their laptops. We routinely plead with manufacturers: "hey guys, I've got good eyesight, please just give me a high-rez screen that doesn't blow. I'll even pay extra for it."

Folks, the Vaio Z exists to call our bluff.

I can sympathize with folks who are disappointed that the 1366 display isn't an option any longer, but honestly, you guys have plenty of laptops to choose from. Do you know how many 1600x900 laptops with 13.1" screens we can choose from? Do you know how many 1080p laptops with 13.1" screens we can choose from?

Let us have this one.

 

If display resolution was the only reason to choose a laptop, then this would be true. However, I don't know of any other 13" laptop having the same specs and quality in such a light, well-designed chassis and with all the advantages of the Z. If you do, tell me.

Edit: before someone brings up Apple...I personally don't need/like/want a MacBook

 

Interesting argument, can I ask what you intend on using the 1920x1080 screen for?

 

I think this guy might be the first reviewer who can conform his article to our questions...

http://www.geekmontage.com/sony-vaio-sony-vaio-vpcz1190x-cto-vpcz114gxs-vpczzx9eb-review-on-its-way/

 

EDIT: Sorry about your Fruit-hate (just noticed it), but I can't relate. I'm a .NET developer and a person who generally finds Apple to be a pretty distasteful organization... but when somebody has the best product, they have the best product. I don't really care for Sony either, but Lenovo won't deliver a system anything like the Z, so here I am.

If I didn't care about resolution, my first choice would be a 13-inch MacBook Pro. They're going to be loaded with Core i5 very soon, they're built extremely well, they've got Nvidia graphics (admittedly the 330M trumps the 2009 MacBook's 9400M, but we'll see what Fruit delivers in the refresh), they've got backlit keyboards, they've got trackpads that shame the Z's and all Windows laptops' trackpads for that matter, and they've got two 2.5" slots for drives.

If you can tolerate 1280x800, the MacBook makes a whole lot more sense in this class. It's built as well or better, and it's cheaper.

I just gotta get me some cold, hard, pixels, you know?

Visual Studio, RDP sessions, text editors, VMware instances, keeping my IM window and CPU/RAM monitor visible all the time, more vertical scrolling real estate for my web browser (1080 vertical on a 13-inch laptop would be a wonderful thing).

What do people use 1080p on a gigantic laptop for? I want that level of utility on a physically small machine. Isn't this a pretty self-explanatory issue?

 

The SSD if definitely a concern for me as I have no experience with them and will wait until the reviews from the forum members here have had a chance to respond about it.

Thank you for providing some justification for buying the 1920 x 1080 screen. The question I have is : Why are people still questioning those of us who have over the last 50 pages or so of this thread provided reasons for us wanting the 1080p screen. Some of us have excellent eye sight. Some of us are used to having high resolution screens. This would be my second 1080p screen so I pretty much know what to expect. People seem to be telling us that we are stupid for wanting the 1080p screen, even after we provided our reasons for wanting it. Some of these people should perhaps go back and read some of this thread and stop being so lazy and come here with quick unwarranted critcism. And if you want the 1600 x 900, then by all means get it. I'm not going to tell someone they are dumb for making that choice. It's my freaking Z, and I'm going to hopefully get the chance to enjoy it, with the only 2 holdups being the lack of CTO option on SonyStyleUSA with one signature series version I don't want and the concerns I have about the SSD's. Rant over for now.

 

They use it on a gigantic laptop because it has a 'gigantic' screen by comparison to the Z so everything is not nearly as small. It appears from your intended use you would be better off with a lower resolution screen so I am curious why you feel so strongly about having the 1920x1080 screen and am left wondering if you really understand just how small text is going to be.

Do you intend to purchase a Z with this screen? Will be interesting to hear your opinions after having owned/used it if so, so I hope you will post a follow up after your purchase.

 

I have 20/400 eyesight and I still lift my eyebrow high at those that say 1080p is hard to read or "too small"..I have concluded this must be because I have never experienced it on a 13" screen.


Ive experienced 1900x1200 but im pretty sure it was on either a 17" or a 19" laptop. Now if some of you still think that would be too small on a 17" or 19" screen, I must keep my eyebrow lifted and sorely disagree. Irrelevant though. Bottom line is some prefer higher res and some dont. Thats why its an option! No need to bash either decision as it is all preference

I, personally, am going for 1600x900 because I have seen it and like it alot. I dont watch movies on my laptop; im a huge fan of plugging in an HDMI and watching it big screen on the couch.

 

From this list, the advantages over the Z would be the trackpad and the two 2.5" slots. The trackpad is actually one of the least important parts of a laptop for me. As long as it's there and works well (I have currently an old Alps touchpad), it's perfect for me. Multitouch is nice, but the gestures I'd maybe use, are offered by the Synaptics of the new Z (though, I doubt I'll use them). For the drive slots I agree, they're a real advantage if someone needs them. On the contrary, the Z has some advantages, too, e.g. the weight.

The Macs are designed for MacOS, which I don't need. It's easier and more convenient for me to use Windows (on a PC). If I'd make music with e.g. Logic or do anything for which a Mac is more suitable, I'd take a Mac. But I don't.

What I'd like to say is, it's a personal preference. What's an advantage or a deal-breaker for someone is maybe irrelevant for someone else. For me personally, the Z is the most attractive laptop currently. One of the reasons is, that I've been using Sony for several years and am fully satisfied.

And I'd prefer a lower resolution, but hopefully 1600x900 will be ok as well

PS: It's not their fruity products that I don't like, they look nice. I just don't like the company's policies, attitude, restrictions and image (as you said it, too). Besides, I generally don't like over-hyped products. I don't know how it is in the USA, but in Europe Macs are way too over-hyped by some people, who buy them because they think they are cool if they own one.

 

Makes little sense to me either. If I can use a Sony T250 for about a year with a 10.6" screen I think I can handle it. Just depends on preference. Too bad it's only available in US on top model.

I may end up with a 13" MBP if they can get it at least 3.5 lbs and put in a GPU that has a bit more umph than the 9600 from the 15" MBP ...and have an i5 and perhaps a screen upgrade. I don't think that would be too much of a hard thing; I think they should at LEAST be able to do that; it doesn't have to be a Z beater. But I have my suspicions the upgrades will be so nickle and dime it won't be worth it. Hope I'm wrong.

 

I have bad eyesight, but I still want higher resolution. High enough that I can't see any pixels or interpolation artifacts, no matter how hard I try.

 

This week end after using two new Z verions at Ginza Sony Tower, I made a lot of thoughts.

I realized that the version available on 6th is very cheap with its Wimax modem included. I also realized that most of the place I go in Tokyo are covered by Wimax now.

It means I can dowload from my Steam gamebank (40mbps bandwith...) data very easily and the 1tb HDD I wanted to put might be a silly idea.

I don't often game in the mountains (I do sometime though) so I should be fine.

Also, the dual 64gbytes SSD is lighter than the quad...I am all for lighter components because I plan to use the L battery most of the time (I can be 8 hours in meeting sometime...).

...Well the fact it's ready to purchaze on 6th and ready to bring back home is also very tempting I should confess ...

I won't customize my puppy. As a matter of fact I prefer the silver than the black one (even though my wife and friends disagree ).

Small resolution is fine for me, I have perfect eyes and no glasses but full HD is not for me. But I totally agree that the Full HD is a far, far better screen, I saw with my eyes and you can truly see how superior it is... If you don't feel weird using it: go for it!

Anyway the good thing for this gentlemen forum is:

I will got it next saturday morning (Friday night US) and be ready to answer your question.

I am a gamer, so I will bench WoW, Stalker COP, Civ4 and Borderland. Some of these games are good with GPU while other depend a lot on CPU power(wow and Civ4).

It will be interesting to see. Wish me luck for the fight will the J-Geek army I will have to compete on Saturday to get one .

 

And ladies

Thats great! Something Im very interested in as a gamer myself. I for one will be waiting to hear from you. Congrats on your decision and very soon to be purchase. Exciting.

 

Looking forward to your review! I plan to do the same getting the base config so will be interesting to hear your results. Maybe I will have mine by then too. Probably not because i'm in U.S. but is wishful thinking

 

How much better? Just for video, regular viewing, or both? Explain!

 

Well, on the small screen the backlight was good but the view angle could be difficult.
On the Full HD screen the view angle was perfect. I know this very well because 3 guys were always using it so I had to look at it on the side for a moment :/.
The contrast is also way superior on the full HD. You feel there is no pixels.
I know it sounds stupid but, first you look the normal screen and you don't see anything wrong, then the full HD and you realize its constrast is way superior.
So what's my problem? Why do I choose the small res?
Well...It was annoying to click the icons.
Just closing the windows was annoying. I am not saying difficult or painful, no it's perfectly doable I think. But it annoys me. And yes, the OS was configured for this resolution, the DPI was modified.
Also the small res screen had the same DPI so everything looked huge on it(probably the sellers just put the same to both without thinking). I decreased it (on the small res Z)and it looked perfectly adapted to me.
So yeah, the full HD screen looks better but the small res seems more convenient to me (and it could be different for someone else).
Also, I hate to game outside of native res and Full HD is too much for newest titles with this GPU (big reason for me also).
Definitely it's a matter of taste and I HIGHLY recommend to try before to decide. It's a love or hate choice...

 

Natadiem, may I ask you which version and what price are you talking about? I'm also living in Japan and the cheepest retail version I can find now (on kakaku.com) is VPCZ119FJ/S at 223,000yen. By CTOing the same version (128SSD, Wimax, minus OfficePersonal) comes to 199,300. Have I overlooked something? (Even with Office CTO is cheaper). I'm also looking for a good deal on Z with SSD, so I'd appreciate any tips...

 

Did you include, ac stick, keyboard light, felica port, headphones and so on?
I have a 4000 yen coupon or a 5% rebate I can ask with my Sonystyle card...I don't think I can cumulate it though...

 

You can also ask the seller to use your yodobashi/sofmap/biccamera points on the purchaze itself. Some seller ask you to buy another item but usually if you find a nice guy he will retract the points straight from the purchaze. You can have 10% rebate like this. I did it for my Panasonic R8 in Yodobashi camera shinjuku nishiguchi.

 

Yeah, I overlooked felica port and webcamera, but I don't think VPCZ119FJ/S includes ac stick, keyboard light and headphones, or at least I can't find it among specs
Anyway, with the discount it's almost the same price + you will get it faster from Ginza shop, so I'm looking forward to your review! I'll CTO mine later on

 

Thanks a lot for your tips!

 

All retail spec (was pretty hard to find):
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/vaio/pre_include/html/Z11/spec_retail1.html

If my plan goes well, I should get this for 215K yens. If the seller refuse to make the rebate immediately on the notebook I ll just have to take the L battery for free, I want two anyway.

 

Natadiem, have you also checked out the new Vaio E? I wonder what the screen looks like.. now I'm living in Kyoto, so I'd have to go to Osaka to have a look at SonyStyle. Does the Vaio E look any good? The specs seem good for the price.

 

Yeah, I've seen the page but it doesn't mention neither stick adapter, backlight keyboard nor headphones.

 

You're right, I thought I saw it on the Vaio Feb2010 book but it's not in the list. There is the safety chip with fingerprint though.

 

Apart from the Z, I was impressed by the new Y Series as well. It has a nice build quality, Synaptics touchpad, a good form factor, and a low price. The E had a bit too much of a "consumer" feel to it. This is obviously not a bad thing for everyone, though!

 

You can't just lower the voltage in order to save battery life. In order to save battery life you must limit the MHZ of the processor so that it does not require as much voltage to operate and does not pull as much current from the battery.

Yes, you can. At a certain point, the cpu will crash, your computer will restart, and you will put the voltage just above where it crashed. The run some stress tests, if no problem, there you have it. You still have i7 freq., but lowered voltage.

As someone wrote earlier, processors are "overbuilt", they are using more voltage than required, as failsafe to the failsafe to the failsafe, something like that. If you know what you are doing, then go ahead and read up on undervolting guides. Nowadays it's pretty harmless, previously (before the feared Y2K), undervolting in the BIOS was risky business. Kids, they have it easy...

Thanks for the engine parallel, but I fully understand how both a CPU and an engine works

And, humm, this Age of Empires guy need to chill, lots of attitude from your side and then blaming others for responding to the attitude. And... as arth1 declared, your statement(s) are almost fully based on assumptions.

Let the Z come out into the world, let some benches and some data appear from different locations.... THEN you may complain on the terrible quality of this overly priced piece of . Or not. But base your posts here on hard data, not soft assumptions, ey?

(Away for 24 hours, and have to read up on 4 pages... jeez...)

 

Hey guys from Japan

How long will it take for sonystyle to cool down from everybody trying to order new Z. Currently it's imposibile to pre-order online new Z over sonystyle japan.

 

1 day? 2 weeks? Who knows? How long is a rope?
Maybe Sony.jp. Try contacting them?

 

Heya,

Whatever happened to the Quad-SSD technology?

I don't see it anywhere on US Sony site.

 

I am not that good with English let alone with Japanese .

I meant based on what was happening when old version was released. I place the order with conics net but they also have to wait until sonystyleis is brot back to life.

 

Nobody knows it seems to me... The sonystyle error message only says somthing like "the application procedure is terribly crowded... please try again later"

 

It depends on which specifications you order. Certain components have a 4-week+ lead time, which can push the delivery date back far enough that they won't let you order. Sony seems to be particularly low on parts for the Firewire, noise-canceling headphone, and backlit keyboard options. The order I placed early on isn't even orderable right now. My ship date is still reserved for Sunday morning, however.

As I mentioned earlier, you can check the current parts availability here:
http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Product/Vaio/Stock/z1.html

I think Sony may have failed to predict the demand for the backlit display.

 

By the way, has anyone been thinking about taking the Intel X25-M out of its case before putting it into the Z? If I could mount it securely this way, I may do this to save some weight...

 

Thanks for the list. Luckily my configuration don't have any of thous parts that are currently low.

But as far as I can see you can not order anything from SonyStyle. On web site you can see info banner saying:

ただいまアクセス集中のため、お買い物がしづらい状況となっております。ご迷惑をおかけいたしますが、ご了承ください。 - Access for now to focus our situation is difficult to be shopping. We apologize for any inconvenience Please note. (google translation)

I suspect reason for this is new Z buyers trying to order