SZ Premium/regular series - differences

According to sony webpage, premium laptops are lighter, have carbon fiber, and have better battery life...
My questions:
- why premium laptops have better battery life?
- aren't they more fragile because of thiner LCD and carbon fiber?

I'm going to buy either SZ430N/B (regular) OR SZ450N/C (premium) - they differ only with WWLAN card - is it worth buying SZ450 for $50-100 more?

 

Do a search here. Covered 1000s of times.

 

If its a small difference in cost then go premium ofcourse.

 

Jeebus!

I don't understand why so many people miss this: The SZ Premium LED screen is not just thinner, it is brighter, sharper, more evenly lit, and has much more accurate color fidelity - it is significantly better than the standard screen and this is where the money goes.

You also get the benefits of carbon fiber top covers and the attendant weight savings [3.7 vs. 4.4] and you used to get a bigger HD to boot.

And no; the Premium SZ is not "more fragile".

 

any differences between the sz 3 series and sz 4 series besides vista in the 4 and different camera model? are the screens different in the basic?

 

Once you apply the BIOS update for the SZ3 series from the EU Sony site, it's basically identical to the SZ4 series (additional video memory, better Vista support) except like you mentioned the camera and being preloaded with Vista.

I'd like to add I did a lot of shopping prior to going with the SZ330P/B (basic) and I actually prefer the magnesium casing to the carbon fiber. I love the rough feeling aslo the lid is a little thicker and feels more sturdy than the Premium series.

Although LED lighting may be brigher my basic model has very consistant lighting across the screen and at the brightest setting it's too bright for me in any circumstances.

If the difference is only $100 then might be worth it...for me personally, the difference was $500 so was definitely not worth it....that's because I got my SZ330P/B for $500 less than MSRP

 

The difference depends on how fussy you are and how important the money factor is. The main differences from what I found so far are:

Regular
---------
1.90Kg
Magnesium Casing
13.3 LCD Screen
315mm×25.7mm×234.3mm

Premium
--------
1.69Kg
Carbon Fiber
13.3 LCD Screen with LED backlight technology.
315mm×22.8mm×234.3mm

Additional Benefits
- Longer Battery time due to LED low power backlight design.
- Carbon Fiber. Lighter and stronger. Same material used in Airplanes/F1 cars.
- Very stylish LCD cover carbon "Weave" pattern with blue sparks (JPN)
- Super Thin LCD screen. Much thinner than the Regular model.

http://www.jp.sonystyle.com/Style-a/Special/Sz/Compare/index.html

The above website shows a good comparsion with a large amount of accurate technical details. Something Sony websites outside of Japan seem not only neglect but also make errors on.

The largest difference is the LCD screen size, weight and technology. The Premium screen is quite sturdy and the carbon fiber makes it stiffer than your would expect but still reported to flex in the case of a accident.
As Unpluggednonthefly has mentioned the LED Premium SZ screen is indeed superior to the Regular SZ screen but as mention does raise the price. I would say the SZ Premium is about half-way between a Regular SZ screen and the screen on the newest line of SONY FE`s (X-Black).

Below is a diagram of the LED screen next to conventional LCD screen type. It`s in Japanese so you will have to bear with me.



"Making to the thin type and lightening the main body of the liquid crystal are achieved by small and lightening making to the thin type and the system substrate of the light guiding plate. Moreover, power consumption is suppressed to low by adopting the LED backlight, and it contributes to stamina. "


For people who find it too bright i suggest lower the brightness level. 2 levels down and not only will the brightness be more suitable but you will also obtain a longer battery life.

For premium you pay the extra for not only the above but also the exclusively of having the "luxury" model in the SONY VAIO SZ range.

Note that apparently a slower model DVD drive is used in the Premium models. Unknown why Sony does this. Possibly to reduce power usage and extend battery life over the standard SZ. (4x over 8x DVD burner)

I am not sure about the Localised versions but the latest Japan Premium SZ`s come also with the new AC "Stick" Adaptor

 

Don't forget better DVD drive, at least in Premium series !