Post pictures of the VGP-AMC1 or other fit cases

Can someone post pics of their VGP-AMC1 ?

or even their VGP-CKSZ1 ?

I know there's the pics on the Amazon site:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...02246-4983803?s=electronics&v=glance&n=172282

but they're not with the SZ...

A lot of these websites say "Fits all Sony VAIO S series notebooks and notebooks with 13.3" widescreen displays" but many people have said that it DOES NOT in fact fit 13.3" widescreen notebooks... and who else other than Sony makes a 13.3" widescreen notebook ?

Is Sony modifying their "Fits these machines" text to make people buy up their remaining stock of S-series cases ?

Anyone else have a good case that fits the SZ like a glove ?

What is it ? Post some pics !

 

I've got the CKSZ1 which I believe is the SZ specific case. Atleast it is listed on the packaging.

My SZ1VPC (UK premium model equivelant to US SZ180 I believe) fits perfectly in this case.

 

it works perfectly why do you need a picture i have one with the sz

 

Ordering something online without seeing it from a few different angles is just not for me...

Some of these cases are, unfortunately, not yet for sale in Canada. If I am to order one, I'd like to see more of it first.

Also, I want to know how good the padding is, how thick is it, etc... ?

 

The CKSZ1, is heavily padded and quite sturdy. It is quite rigid and holds its shape with or without the notebook, although you can bend it if you really try. Will provide both impact and scratch protection. Also looks very good, turned few heads when my friends saw it.

The AMC1 from the pictures looks like the other case I saw. It is more like a thick cloth covering. Not rigid, wont hold its shape if you hold the empty case up from one corner. Will mainly provide scratch protection, but not much impact protection.

I got the CKSZ1 for an extra £20, the AMC1 would have been thrown in. Probably could have got the CKSZ1 thrown in but just couldn't be bothered arguing.

I would say if you have a laptop bag with decent padding the AMC is fine. Infact it will probably fit in a wider range of bags as the CKSZ1 is quite thick.

If you plan to carry the notebook around in just one of these cases. Or plan to use a non-notebook bag (rucksack for example), I would go with the CKSZ1.

In my case the CKSZ1 fitted perfectly in my laptop bag. Looked better. And I liked the extra protection it offered. So I went with that.

 

I used to have the case shown on the amazon link. I bought it at compusa, so you can go there if you really want to see it. I ended up returning it because even though it was a sleeve, it really wasn't padded enough and it was a tight fit around the corners when zipping. I bought a sleeve off ebay that was padded much better and made for 13.3" widescreen vaios. It's the same material as the psp's soft case and made by sony. It also comes with a power adapter pouch, and worth much more than the neoprene case, even though they were the same price.

 

Thanks for al the info, guys.

I think I will try to find myself a CKSZ1 !

It sounds sweet.

If anyone DOESN'T like theirs and wants to sell it... ! hehe

 

seems to be out of stock everywhere

 

I'm experimenting with cases. I'll have pics when I do my SZ90 review, but some findings so far:

1. The matching case I got for my Sharp works well, but I kinda have a problem with it saying Mebius on it It is thin, light, but protective.

2. The Sony CKZ1 case is nice and protects the SZ well, but since I have the extended battery only, it doesn't work as well because of the small hump coming out the end. I got mine at the Boston SonyStyle store. I'm on the fence about keeping it. The other negative is that it adds a lot of weight, so unless this case is all you are taking, it kinda voids why you get a sub-4lb notebook.

3. I ordered the Waterfield sleeve case (26-19) with the flap for the SZ ( http://www.sfbags.com/products/sleevecases/sleevecases.htm). They have one with and without the extended battery. It's a nice case, there's a little room on the sides, but its achilles heel is that it's a tight fit in my Hugo Boss bag.

4. My Lodis bag which I got when I bought the Sharp ( http://www.zappos.com/n/p/product_id/7209758.html, http://store.nordstrom.com/product/...h&keyword=lodis+messenger+>+In+All+Categories) is the best solution, but is not great for longer trips if you have a lot of stuff as the seam split on me but if packed right, it's fine.

 

I guess it really depends on the type of bag you have. If you have a padded laptop bag, CKSZ1 is essentially duplicating the protection and wieght.

My laptop bag is quite light, so I don't really notice much difference with the CKSZ1. Plus it gives me the option of throwing the laptop in any other bag, say a ruck sack. Or a travel bag. As it pretty much protects the laptop.

 

Have to disagree on this one - any other bag will have room for more stuff. The CKZ1 has no strap, no pockets, nothing for anything but the SZ and it adds nearly 2 pounds to the weight. It's more of a protective shell than a sleeve or bag. It also really doesn't support the SZ with the extended battery well, which is a big negative.

The Waterfield is softer but IMHO a nicer option since you can get it in various configs, such as with a strap, etc. Not as rigid as the CKZ1, but more portable. If the Waterfield fit in my Hugo Boss bag, it'd work, but it's a tad too long and a tad too tall.

I did find an older Tumi laptop insert yesterday that seems to fit the SZ with the extended battery and it may be a keeper. If it was up to me, I'd just use the Lodis bag but when I go away for work for a week or two, as I said, it's impractical.

There's a chance I may keep the CKZ1 case anyway because who knows how many Sony made and it's always kinda cool to have the "official accessory".

 

I think you misunderstood what I was saying.

I'm not saying the CKSZ1 is an alternative to a laptop bag. Its really just a sleeve, but one which actually provides adequate protection.

I'm just saying wieght wise:

Fully padded laptop bag ~= CKSZ1 plus non padded/lightly padded bag

If you have a decent laptop bag. Which is well padded I can see the extra weight the CKSZ1 adds being a problem. But if not, it gives you some freedom in the bag use. As your not tied down to specific padded notebook bags.

 

Got my "Sony VGP-AMC1 Neoprene Carrying Case" in today, figured I'd post some pics for this topic and gives some idea of how snug the sleeve is

 

I understood what you meant and still disagree. The CKZ1 is too big and bulky - as well as heavy - for schlepping around. I want a small form fitting case that fits into a bag (if it doesn't already have a laptop slot) and doesn't take up as much real estate. I don't carry a big bag (defeats the purpose of a small and light laptop IMHO), and you need a bigger bag to use the CKZ1. My Hugo Boss bag is just slightly bigger than the Lodis.

So a fully padded laptop bag and the CKZ1 + non-padded/lightly padded are not equivalent in weight or size.

I've found better alternatives that protect it as good if not better than the CKZ1, are lighter, and am just currently figuring out which option is going to be the best one long term for me.

If you like the CKZ1 as a permanent solution, great. You also probably don't have the extended battery, and shame on Sony for not taking that into account. Sure, I could remove the battery, but it defeats the whole purpose.

I think the Tumi will be the winner in the end unless I find something that knocks my socks off.

 

Mine has the standard battery. So the CKSZ1 is a perfect fit.

Also, I didn't really have the time to research and try various cases. This was the best of the readily available ones. If I had time to spare, I probably wouldn't have bought from a Sony store, and maybe looked at other machines. Rather then spend it on looking for the case.

Obviously if someone here confirmed 100% case X was a perfect fit, and equivelant to the CKSZ1, and lighter and less bulky, I would go for that.

Personally it makes good sense to me. It fits in the laptop compartment of my small R100 bag which is what i'm using right now. And like you for 75% of my journeys I prefer to carry a small laptop bag.

However, on short trips you don't always want to take a carry bag plus a laptop bag. Sometimes I like to just take a ruck sack (or clothes bag), and this case offers me the ability to throw the laptop in aswell. Something I couldn't do with the other sleeves I saw, due to lack of adequate padding.

With airlines getting stricter on "1 carry on bag only" policy. This makes even more sense.

I guess the alternative would be to have a small laptop bag for regular use, and large one for short trips. But I think this way its more versatile. As I have a range of travel bags already. For different length trips. Now I can just throw the laptop in one of them.

 

Came across this about the CKSZ1...

http://vaio-online.sony.com/prod_info/accessory/vgp-cksz1/index_body.html

 

Nicely done, BuddyChrist... some good info here !

 

No worries ... since the extended battery is the only one I have, I have to take it into account. I could take the battery out, but that means it needs to be stored somewhere else and creates a lot of wear and tear. The CKZ1 unfortunately has no pockets to put something like that,or even an AC adapter.

100% agree - my time is precious, too. Luckily I have a few more days before I go on my extended business trip, so I could experiment a bit.

The Waterfield is a good option IMHO if you bag can fit it. Nice protection.

100% agree here - as I'm on a plane lately nearly every week (and have been for years), it's about economy. I have my rollerboard and my laptop bag, and that's it. Or a duffel bag and my laptop bag - nothing more.

I think you meant a large one for longer trips This is why I think I will keep the Lodis bag since it's perfect for local/smaller trips where I don't need to take more with me. The Hugo Boss bag is a tad bigger and roomier, so I use that when going on the road for an extended timeframe. That's the bag I'm trying to find a good sleeve for the SZ.

So we're on the same page ... I'll post my pics of the SZ in various bags/configs when I take them and submit my review of the SZ90 after my business trip where I will put it through its paces.

I have one or two more bags/sleeves I want to try out before making a definitive decision.

 

Fender, looking forward to it... those pics would be a great help to all of us trying to find a good solution for this.

Thanks !

 

Unlike most people I have the "hump" challenge with the extra capacity battery. Although I don't regret getting it because even in speed mode with a few altered settings, I am getting 7+ hours of battery life on a full charge. Since I am sometimes on a plane or in an airport for awhile, it'll come in handy! Small tradeoff.

 

I plan on getting the extended battery for travel as well, so I am interested in your solution.

Sadly, here in Canada we don't have as much variety as in the states... for example, I can't get the CKZ1 case, I'll have to order over the border... which means taxes... or I can just wait until my next business trip and take a trip down to the Sony Store.

 

Actually by shorter trips I meant 2-4 days.

I used to take my laptop bag which is small and a small clothes bag/roller case for these. But now the airlines are getting quite pedantic over here. Especially for the busy routes. You will sometimes find you get to the desk and they insist on the 1 carry on bag only policy. Which means you have to checkin your clothes bag.

Instead I'll just throw the laptop in my clothes bag with the sleeve now. At the other end I can just take the sleeve to meetings. With the battery charged over night. Most of the time on these trips its just meetings, and with the mad dash for outlets you rarely get one anyway. So I don't need to take the charger.

But yep, we're on the same page. If only you'd discovered the perfect sleeve a couple of weeks ago, when I bought the laptop

Faced with a choice between the flimsy cloth sleeve and the CKSZ1 though I had little choice. And with the salesman not shifting on price, but prepared to throw the CKSZ1 in for next to nothing, I figured screw it. Knowing my luck, i'll never find another padded sleeve that fits this well. And end up having to pay Sony's inflated price for the CKSZ1 later.

 

By the way i'd be interested to see the top cover of your SZ90. I was a little dissapointed to discover my one just has the black carbon top. Because I was expecting by carbon fibre, they meant "propper" carbon fibre.

Obviously its not the most important thing. But little things like this really annoy me. Why make life so complicated for your customers.

I can get a T2500 processor, but I can't spec a 7200 drive. IMO thats idiotic for a machine which is supposed to be the pinnacle of performance. I would much rather have one of the lower Duo processors with a faster drive.

As you said previously, shame on you Sony.

 

It is quite snazzy, I have to admit. Adds a touch of class to it.

Agreed. It's almost like crippling the laptop. I would have paid an extra $100 - $200 to get a 100GB 7200rpm instead of having to do it myself. That I consider fair market value. What also is sorta annoying is that while I'm glad Sony chose SATA for performance, trying to find drives AND ways to image and get a new drive in was more effort than it should have been. I'm glad I didn't assume a PATA drive.

I do a lot of 2 - 4 day trips, but by the time I add a book, my glasses, power adapter, etc., my smaller bag isn't liking me so much. It's more the construction of the bag since where the neoprene is stitched in, it's what I consider a design flaw. Great bag tho.

WHere do you live? Here in the US it depends on how full the flight is and when you get on the plane. If you're one of the first groups to board, no real issue. If you're not, you may have to check your bag.

Makes sense. I need the charger, but one of the reasons I only wanted the extended battery is so I can go for longer periods without neededing it. I got the Kensington lighter and thinner charger so it's easier to tote around than the Sony brick.

Well, when I post my final result, if you want to use my research and get something else, I'm glad to have helped out.

Unfortunately I paid the $89.99 US for the Sony case. If I had it thrown in, I would have said screw it, too. To me that case is a missed opportunity for Sony - it could have been much better with a strap/handle/something and a pocket for some other stuff on the outside.

 

Now its going to bug me even more, LOL.

I was going to order from Dynamism. But for UK buyers they don't cover shipping for warranty claims. So I just went with the UK model.

I'm in London, UK. I also live quite close to Heathrow (our main Airport). So have a habbit turning up at the last minute. That combined with Heathrow being the worlds busiest Airport, means I have a fair chance of being pulled up on my carry on baggage.

 

Sweet...

the reseller for the Case Logic bags in Canada is right here in Montreal, so I'm going to go check out their 13.3" attache case and laptop bag, hopefully take some pics of the machine in the bag... I'll have a full report ASAP !

http://www.caselogic.com/case_logic...p_case/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=65873

http://www.caselogic.com/13_slimline_computer_case/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=63663

The bigger case is supposed to support machines up to 12.3" x 9.8" x 1.5"... so I'm sure it will fit (12.5 and 12.3 is pretty close...) and the 9.8" ensures that the SZ will fit with the extended battery.

 

So here's the update:
1. The Waterfield is going back - didn't fit in the Hugo Boss
2. The Tumi sleeve - while it's a perfect fit - is going back. Nice small case.
3. The Hugo Boss bag is going back - it's going to wind up being redundant
4. The Sony hard sleeve is going back since it can't accomodate the extended battery

I'll take pics of this stuff before it leaves my hands.

I pretty much decided to make my Lodis bag ( http://store.nordstrom.com/product/...ywordsearch&keyword=lodis+>+In+All+Categories and http://lodis.com/products/product_detail.aspx?id=417) it. Why? Well, it's a perfect fit even with the extended battery and I proved that with the Sharp first and then the SZ. I think I was just gunshy due to the seam splitting that one time. I've found a way to repack it so that does not happen. It's been on the road and such with me since October or November.

I may go look at #3 listed below as I really think it's a nice looking bag, but I doubt I will buy it.

Here are some bags or sleeves you may want to look at or consider:
1. If you can find it, the Sony/Porter (Japan only and not made any longer, but you may find one used) looks to be a perfect fit: http://www.ecat.sony.co.jp/vaio/acc/acc.cfm?pd=17116
2. The Booq Bags Mamba S has the perfect laptop slot size for the SZ http://www.booqbags.com/Detail.bok?no=441 and http://www.pivotgear.com/products/messengerbags/booq/mamba-s-ballistic-nylon-black
3. The Acme Made Slim Pack (medium size) is very stylish and has a laptop portion http://www.acmemade.com/theslimpack.html and http://www.pivotgear.com/products/backpacks/acmemade/slim-pack-medium-ballistic-nylon-black
4. The Waterfield will work and I think if you get it with a strap, may be great for folks. Check them out http://www.sfbags.com/products/sleevecases/sleevecases.htm. Great customer service IMHO in my short dealings with them.
5. The Booq Vyper XM sleeve looks to be a near-exact fit for a nice sleeve http://www.booqbags.com/Detail.bok?no=362 and http://www.pivotgear.com/products/sleevecases/booq/vyper-xm-ballistic-nylon-black
6. The Incase Sling Pack looks to be another near-exact fit http://www.goincase.com/2004/prod_laptop/prod_lt_slingpk.php
7. WHen I was in NJ, I saw another great Lodis bag, but this one is all leather http://lodis.com/products/product_detail.aspx?id=304.
8. Sony's PCGA-CCV http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001DRQE4/104-5092011-1404767?v=glance&n=172282 and http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...ayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=PCGACCV looks to be a near-exact fit. And it's Vaio branded
9. Sony's PCGA-CK5Z looks to be a pretty exact fit for the SZ http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INT...yProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=PCGACK5Z. May be worth looking into.

http://www.pivotgear.com/ has a lot of this type of stuff ... may want to poke over there to see what else they have that you may like such as the Crumpler stuff. http://www.booqbags.com/ has other cases which people may like. As posted earlier by me, also look at the STM stuff.

 

Fender: Great list !

- Where can you buy the Incase sling bag ? Were they not bought by Apple to make accessories ? That link you provided is a direct back-door link, if you go to their front page there's nowhere to go...

- For the Case Logic cases I said I'd look at, the distribution is slow right now so I may have to wait a while to see the KLC-13... which sucks... but I'll try as soon as I can !

 

Has anyone looked at the Crumpler Hee-Goer? The dimensions listed at their site suggests the SZ should fit, but I've read other threads suggesting to order the next size up. Any insights?

 

What do you guys think is the most fitting sleeve that is available in Canada?

THe only thing I could think of is the case logic 13.3 inch one and the one by marware for the 14" iBook....

Anyone else got any suggestions? ...

 

I saw 'em in the APple store, and they may be online somewhere ...

 

If the Tom Bihn Buzz doesnt fit, im gonna be in hot pursuit of the Incase Sling Bag. Only problem is.... the graphite color is out of stock everywhere. And Light Grey isn't really my color.

 

I have looked at countless sites and now its getting to me, I cant find a case that I just look at and go wow thats the one...

Any luck with you guys?

 

yeah i've found 2, and ordered 1. Tom bihn Buzz (ordered) but now i saw the incase sling pack and for half the price of the buzz. i might have to visit an apple store.

 

I noticed you guys suggested a lot of notebook sleeves/bag for the ibook. Which ibook size would be perfect fit to the SZ? I have compared their dimensions, seems like the 14" ibook is the most matching one......although the 14" ibook is little bigger......I might try one of those sleeves for the 14" ibook (incase or marware), just wondering how well they......anyone got a notebook sleeves for ibook that fits well with ur SZ?

 

I was at the Apple Store today, they didnt have any cases. Can you link me to both those cases?

Thanks

 

Tom Bihn Buzz
http://www.tombihn.com/page/001/PROD/TBP/TB0151

Incase Sling Pack
http://www.goincase.com/2004/prod_laptop/prod_lt_slingpk.php

They are both sling style backpacks, which i love. They are so comfortable and not to mention light weight.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=49716

 

Nope...

since my Case Logic thing fell through, I'm waiting for the verdict on the Tom Bihn Buzz bag...

Here's another review of the Buzz:

http://www.livedigitally.com/?p=322

Also, here's a dude's review of the Buzz bag... if you scroll down you'll see my post (under the name TorqVermillion) asking about if the SZ will fit... read his reply.

http://ironman945.blogspot.com/2006/03/bags-bags-and-more-bags.html

The Incase seems too big for me, considering they say that it can fit 17" mac laptops...

Are there two sizes of Incase sling bags ?

BTW here's a good review of the Incase bag:

http://www.atpm.com/9.10/sling-pack.shtml

The pictures don't do it justice, its actually nicer than in those terrible pics.

 

If you like the Incase, just get the Booq one which is similar.

The best case to get IMHO is the Lodis messenger I have. It's pretty much a perfect fit like it was designed for a 13.3" widescreen. It's a tad more expensive, but a lot more stylish, too.

 

It's a nice bag, but...

- Does it have a padded laptop pocket ?
- Are there any OTHER pics of it out there aside from this one ?

 

Yes - you can slip the laptop in a padded pocket designed for a laptop. You don't need a sleeve. It even fits with the extended battery, too.

I took some pics recently but haven't put them on my computer and was just going to include them with my review in a few weeks. I bought this bag when I got my Sharp and am just reusing it. Nothing I've found since has been better for a 13.3" widescreen.

 

the atpm review states that the incase sling pack will not fit fix 17" notebooks.

 

And here, it says that it will

http://koyono.com/products/incase_sling/description.html

There's a lot of conflicting information out there.

 

Well if it does, thats a good thing. It means you should be able to fit an SZ with sleeve in there.

 

also does that koyono site have them (graphite) in stock?

 

I returned the Sony sleeve to the SonyStyle store and the Hugo Boss bag today. I did wind up buying the Acme Made Slim Pack (medium) and it also fits the SZ nicely. I have 14 days to decide if I am going to keep it. I like the way it handles laptops.

I'm keeping the Lodis bag no matter what.

 

So, I ordered the Booq Mamba.XS...

http://www.booqbags.com/Detail.bok?no=72

It's VERY small and VERY light... (the model in their pictures is a midget I think... ! Because she makes the bag look big... watch the Google video below, you'll see that its actually very small)

Exterior Dimensions: 14.0" x 11.5" x 4.0"

Laptop Compartment: 12.0" x 10.0" x 1.5"

Weight: 2.0 lbs.







It will very nicely fit the SZ with the extended battery if necessary.

Another nice feature is that it has two straps and four clips, so you can connect the clip diagonally for a sling bag, along the top for a messenger bag, or both clips for a backpack style.

Here's a video review from some dude on Google Video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2061465033683738184&pl=true

I'll let you all know how it works out !

 

Why didnt they show these pics on their **** site? see i spent 3 hours lon booq's site, and didnt even know this bag can be a sling type.

Now my bad better fit or im gonnabe pissed.

Good find BTW

 

It's in the "Closeout" section, cuz its being replaced by the Mamba S...

But I found a place in Vancouver (which is good because I'm in Montreal) that had one last black one in stock... score !

Maybe with a little thin sleeve to keep it extra protected, I have probably about a tenth of an inch of wiggle room Which is good, it's a tight fit.

 

ahhh, just saw that. I didnt think to look in the closeout section. Do you already have yours in hand? I get my Tom Bihn tomorrow. Post pics!! lol