SZ owners, what notebook is next on the cards for you?

So i was wondering current SZ owners what notebook is next on the cards for you? If you're planning to buy a notebook soon what are you considering? Also, if you plan to keep onto your SZ for a while i would like to hear from you as well.

I own a SZ7 which i've actually had for a year now. This is the longest time that i've held onto a computer in a while. I'm kind of thinking about trying something new soon though. I was thinking about selling both of my notebooks in August when my grad studies are over and buying just one.

Now surprisingly i am not taken by the Z for some reason. Specs wise it is superb there is no doubting that. For such a small notebook it really does pack a punch. However, it does not personally appeal to me.

The SR models with no WWAN this is not an option for me. I also like carbon fibre Sony laptops.

The Sony TT i just really like the white ones and would seriously consider buying one with a 1.6 processor in the UK.

The Lenovo x301 i think the removable optical is a nice touch. I also really like the trackpoint as well. But looks wise i fear it might be a bit too bland for me.

The Fujistu P8020 in white gold i think is really nice looking and the res is very readable at 1280x768.

The R600 also appeals to me.

I still need to buy notebooks with an optical drive.

If the Dell E4200 gets updated with a webcam then they would appeal to me as well.

So far the TT appeals to me the most.

Or i could revamp my SZ a bit and add in an SSD drive and a brown carbon fibre lid. I think that i could need a change and am getting bored of an all black laptop.

 

I have the sz4 series right now and I like the TT series also, but some people say that its put together like a netbook. I didnt see anything wrong w/ it myself. anyway, im also thinking about a dell precision m4400, which is a 15" screen a quad core qx9300 processor in it. i just need to make sure the battery will be decent!

 

I also don't think that the TT is like a netbook. It has a 4500HD graphics card, can be configured with a blu ray drive, internal dvd drive, HDMI port and can be configured in the US up to a 1.6 ULV processor which is pretty decent.
I think ultraportables should updated in November. I'm not certain though what exactly we should be expecting specs wise.

If you don't mind me asking how come the SR and Z do not appeal to you?

I would like it if the Z came in a lid colour choice other than black. Dark brown would be acceptable.

 

Z, of course. But I plan to stick with SZ for a while. 4G or RAM and W7 will do the job, thou I am very tempted with Z, but not untill they fully support W7. I find 11" a little too small for my daily use.

 

The SR/Z models are about the same size screen(13.3") as my current model. my girlfriend wants a laptop thats not as heavy as my SZ6. 5 pounds is heavy to her it seems?! I myself want to go w/ a quad core processor because i know what they can do, especially w/ my desktop. hp makes an 18" laptop.which is wayy too big. dell makes a 15" laptop that is a tad bigger than my current laptop, and sony..sony has nothing to offer on this front yet. maybe this year they will release something though!

 

I am currently using a macbook, and the sony TT's ultraportality apeals me the most. I guess I will get it later this year, or something less than 3.5lb(1.5kg). BTW, the TT is housing a core 2 dual CPU which has nothing in common with any netbook in the market.....

 

I've had my SZ3VP for 28 months now and am not tempted to replace it just yet. Clean installing Windows 7 has given it an extra boost, as has replacing the 5,400RPM drive with a 7,200RPM drive. I made the decision last month to hang on to it for another 6 months at least (recession etc etc blah blah blah) so I ordered a new standard battery (OEM, I might add) and a 2GB stick of RAM, bringing total RAM to 3GB.

Currently very happy with what I have, it all runs lovely. As it turns out, my old battery was very knackered, the new one is getting a good 3.5 - 4 hours on Power Saver, up from about 1.5 hours on the old battery.

I wouldn't personally go for a Z; as rachuk says, the specs are great and everything but it doesn't physically appeal to me. I'm hoping there'll be a new VAIO model in a few months that will do the trick. Something in the 13 inch display region again I would say, but I wouldn't mind something up to 15 inch. When that day comes, I'll swap out the HDD in my SZ and pop in an SSD.

I occasionally use my wife's TZ. I can't get used to the small screen size so I don't think I'd ever go for an 11 inch model.

 

The only thing i dont like about my SZ is the speed-stamina mode that have to be applied with reboot. Otherwise i would keep it for life

Because at home, i use only my SZ and then I dont mind using stamina monde, but at office I need speed, because I have external monitor. And constant rebooting is off the plan for me, thats why I have my eyes on the Z model, but will probably wait untill some solid RAID SSD version comes out.

 

Well actually this is the very thing I'm wondering at the moment.

Right now, in terms of actually all-day portable regular-style laptops I use Windows-wise (that was a long qualifying statement), I have four SZ71's, two Z11's and until recently four TT11's distributed around various places. In terms of similar Macs I have a couple of the 2.4Ghz 'unibody' Crapbooks and also have owned Airs.

The TT11's, along with docking stations etc are undergoing re-homing. I'm a bit disappointed with them overall, primarily in terms of build quality and styling. Technically no major faults really and a very useful machine with possibly a slightly improved keyboard to the already excellent TZ, but I think if I read you right I also probably share some elements of your nonplussedness about the Z and I also have the same feeling about the TT.

There is just something about the latest generation Sony flagships that just don't do much for me, as much of a specification improvement they might be over the previous models. The build quality concerns - which I have to say I come across far more with Dell and Apple, but I'm kind of used to that - are a nasty surprise to me for a flagship-family Sony and form part of my putting-off.

I use the Z's, but they've not grown on me as much as the SZ's, which I favoured from the outset - and the SZ's are still my mainstream midweights, especially as I have a small deluge of spare standard and extended batteries, docking stations, etc which I use very frequently - that I've accumulated in cycling many SZ's, from the SZ2 I started with to the 71's. Something I haven't yet bought for the Z's.

I don't require heaps of power on the move, and the SZ keyboard, screen, and runtime on the X3100 have suited me pretty well. I also like the styling more than the Z, which is pointlessly busier and consequently tackier in my opinion.

It is ~logical~ for me to update to the Z in full by now, but I've still been sitting on the idea of replacing the SZ's and the Z11's with Z35X's, and temporarily skip the category of machine I like having the most - a 3 ~ 3.5lb all-day'er. I haven't put the idea into action yet because I'm still looking for better options which combine something I actually like the look of with something nearing the Z in terms of on-paper specs (since I know it's highly unlikely for anyone else to match Sony's pack-it-in prowess), combined with build quality that's up there with the early '08 Sony flagships.

I haven't bought anything in the meanwhile - apart from an Adamo (~4-week lead time...), which I'm not sure about either and on paper at least, makes zero sense in comparison to a TT or a Z, let alone an SZ. But it's the other extreme of my experience with the TT if you like - specwise it seems quite rubbish, but I really like the way the Adamo looks. So I've purchased it out of curiosity. But I don't see it as even potentially being an SZ replacement. I also did consider the R600 and the X301 - and you can see my extremely logical selection process for the Adamo vs R600 / X301 here

Mac-wise, the unibody Crapbook is certainly a very attractive piece of kit. But a year on, it's inferior to the '08 SZ in terms of weight, power-saving runtime, everyday impact resistance, screen quality, wireless and wired connectivity while the SZ doesn't trail a huge leap behind in terms of GPU power, or with the 71 in terms of CPU power - and the design makes the Crapbook less comfortable to type on. I certainly wouldn't own them if I didn't have a need of a number of OS X applications.

If your 8400M doesn't die, frankly speaking I think the SZ might still be viable for you (and - quite possibly - for me as well) for another year if you have the 2.5Ghz model, and perhaps take a look at what makers have down the line in early '10.

 

I've had my SZ since sometimes June/July 2008 - I think it was bought in June, got it in July.

My previous Medion worked for me fro 3 years - and now does server duty

How long will I hold on to the little SZ - possibly at least another 2 years, maybe more. (that's the plan so far)

 

Vogelbung, i read a couple of your posts in the Adamo thread. I hope that you'll like it. It sure is expensive for what it is. I think it does look nice though.

I wonder if the white TT would tempt you as you're going for the pearl Adamo.

It does make sense for me to wait until the new year to buy and i think that i might do that. I probably will get better discounts then as well. Also, these notebook should be refreshed as well buy then.

If i update the SZ and go for a premium carbon fibre lid then that is £150 and then the SSD is like £250. It might make sense for me not to spend any money on it and just sell it on in the new year.

 

I don't completely agree about the too expensive bit. For me it is definitely heavy for what it is, but costwise - well, it's only a tad perceptually overpriced compared to the Apples, which I suppose is a 'name' problem. I get a very decent discount percentage from Dell, considerably more in the case of the Adamo than I got from Apple for the Crapbook Airs - but nevertheless, the discounted Adamo cost is a few hundred more than a comparably configured, discounted Air.

The Dell premium does however include 4-year onsite + accidental damage support, which isn't even available on Applecare. Have even a slight accident on an Apple and you're SOL - look at the numbers of "Oh Noes! I dropped my mac / knocked it a bit and it's looking like ****" threads on any Apple forum. With Dell NBD+ADS, I know from experience it'll be back to looking like it's old self the next day. When you buy a machine for it's looks, the ability to keep the looks is an important aspect to consider, and I believe - and I reserve the right to revise this down the line - that Dell seems to have a better handle on that in terms of both structure and warranty.

But I am also of course aware that it is a bit of a toy like the Crapbooks. However many people are superficially comparing the Adamo against the base-model Air and going phooey. An SU9400 means more runtime out of the (just as non-removable but bigger) battery on the Adamo while performing Vista duties pretty well, a 4500MHD actually does everything you would generally do on a truly mobile machine just as well (as in my case evidenced for example by the fact that my SZ/Z's rarely leave Stamina mode), it has built-in WWAN, 128Gb SSD and from what I've seen is better engineered within the constraints of using aluminium for the entire body (which I think looks very classy, but is also a bit compromised in practical terms on a notebook), which unfortunately adds more bulk.

As I said, the physical issues on the TT concern me more than anything else. The fact that they've given it a powdercoat won't change that. The screen lid assembly will have to change, the side trim will have to change, the way the case material is textured will have to change - and the machine will have to slim down, as well as generally drawing a more distinct visual difference between it and a higher-end netbook - before I consider a current-model ~3lb Sony again.

I think that makes sense too. The more I think about it myself, despite the 300g difference it's not making a huge amount of sense to swap the SZ's for Z's for the time being with the other tradeoffs involved. As you probably considered yourself, technically it's a good choice, but not a completely compelling case for a replacement given the SZ's already decent abilities. And as far as I can see, there's nothing else that's clearly better right now in a similar category. The next best choice is the TT from a truly mobile computing perspective, but as I indicated I have my own issues with it, although you may feel otherwise about it - as technically, it is an excellent piece of kit.

Which means I'll probably still need to hunt for a ~3lb machine. Instead of mulling over things on paper spec I might have to just bite the bullet and get the R600 + X301, and let them duke it out for real. But for me, neither are absolutely ideal options either. I wish Voodoo would update the Envy with a current chipset and sell it over here: It might be a good candidate.

This is actually the first year in many that I've had to actively hunt for an 'ultraportable' with a number of rejections. Usually something I like in the context of the overall market - and that has usually been from Sony - tended to land in my lap (ahaha) quite quickly without needing to look around a lot. I suppose it's an indication of current market conditions as well as possibly Sony losing the plot a little.

 

I have come up with a config what my future laptop will look like:

Z serie or never
full W7 support
"hybrid" GPU - like Z - it MUST work on the fly, not like SZ
8G of RAM
C2d CPU with 2.5 or better
2 x SSD in RAID0 (it can be 2 x 64G i dont need much space)
some extended battery for lifetime up to ~7 hours

When this happens, i buy a new baby

 

have you not just described a z?

 

Z hasonly up to 4GB RAM (at the moment)

Battery life isn't tha good. (yet?)

 

Well - just as an update, here's what I decided to do. I wanted to get this out of the way soon, and my primary driving force to do this was to reduce the different laptop count as far as what I was going to use as my primaries was concerned.

My newest acquisition before today, the Adamo, is never going to be my main mobile workhorse - I know that much. And as much as I may have belaboured the selection, looking around there are only two real choices right now from a style, technology, connectivity, performance and weight combined factors - the TT and the Z. My concerns with the TT which drove me to dispose of them aren't yet being reflected with my existing Z's - which I have to say haven't got as much use as the TT's thus far, so that might yet change.

The weight difference of the Z vs the SZ brings it more in line to be a plausible halfway alternative to both the SZ and TT's in terms of portability, although ideally I wanted something the TT's weight.

So I've made up my mind and placed two Z21ZN's on order, which will supplement the existing Z11's - I can't quite justify getting rid of the 11's and having an all-21 lineup, although that might make Acronis deployment easier. I've also ordered spare batteries and docking stations across the board.

The SZ's and their respective paraphenalia - docking stations, etc won't be gotten rid of yet - they will be mothballed, and retained for at least 6 months. If I haven't gone back to them by then, I figure the Z's will be a permanent fixture until something definitively better comes along.

So that's it. SZ+TT+Z1 -> Z1/2.

 

Maybe I can give my own opinion in this thread since I still have 2 Vaio SZs? Having gone through a Vaio Z & now about to sell my Alu MB (after my exams), I think I'll go back to a Vaio Z as my replacement for my Vaio SZs.

 

Get the Z - I replaced my SZ with a Z and have never looked back. The screen is awesome, I thought the SZ had a bright screen but it looks weak compared to the Z. The smaller size/lighter weight is also a big plus. Now I just need to get my Intel X-25 SSD installed and it should be blazingly fast.

 

I think Sony should bring out the Z with different colour options like the TT. If i had the choice i would go for white, come on Sony. A black laptop is a deal breaker to me now. I need a change.

My next laptop also has to have a HDMI port (i might be able to settle without that), built in WWAN, i don't mind integrated graphics it also has to be no more than 4lbs, under 3.5lbs is more ideal. Like i mentioned before it also needs to have an internal drive and 11.1-13.3 display. It also has to have very good battery life which is like 6-7 hours for me using wifi.

I also wish that Sony could do something more with the SR but i doubt that they will because it will hurt their sales of the Z.
I notice in Japan that Sony sell an array of SR models available in different colours.

Vogelbung, i hope that the Adamo works out for you. It is pretty expensive at full retail price in the UK. The upper end model is over £2,200. The battery life needs to be improved in my opinon and so does the processor. The 1.6 should be offered as standard. Battery life should really be at 6-7 hours with wifi on.

The x301 at least you can remove the dvd drive to improve on battery life. The Samsung x360 also has superior battery. I know it has marginally better battery life than the MBA but the MBA also has better specs. The MBA battery life is also not good enough.
The weight is not that bad if it is really what Dell say it to be 4lbs, if it weighs anymore i would find it unacceptable.

 

Thanks. Honestly, I don't expect it to be much more than a strokeworthy toy to take out from time to time - like a better-class Crapbook Air basically (and hopefully: manufacturing defects will not be tolerated at this level) - although likely more rigid / reliable and therefore usable. Given the specs the 5-hour claimed battery life will probably be achievable in real-life use unlike the Crapbook, so while it may be a bit of a toy I'm not expecting it to be entirely unusable either.

I still have deep reservations about going with the Z's given the state of Vaio in '09.

Personally, I would avoid the TT if you like well-built gear despite the colour options. I like the champagne + silver colourway for example, the colour also helping to 'de-bulk' the notebook in terms of perception, but the underlying manufacturing / assembly issues are something you shouldn't stand for on a premium subnotebook. With Windows, it's not like you're locked into shiny, substandard gear from a single vendor. And if you don't like the colour, you can always skin it.

 

Perhaps drawing this thread out longer, but I'd now like to invite submissions for alternatives.

I've just had an exchange with Sony on a related matter. And after throwing the phone at the wall (I have spare DECT handsets ) I've cancelled the backorders for the Z21ZN's and accessories.

Although the SZ's have provided sterling service to date, I'm now half in a mind to remove all Sony inventory from my lineup. With Apple I don't get that option (although I'd very much like to) since hackintoshing is not suitable for a production environment, but with Sony I do.

The problem when Sony quality descends to the same level as many other manufacturers is that then you have to make use of the service - which, as many of us know, is hopeless. So I - at least - buy Sony's on the basis that they will not fail or exhibit any irregularity beyond the consequences of Sony crapware before I replace them. So far it's been a sound scheme. As of the last 6 months, apparently not.

A TT/Z equivalent is a tough call, I have to admit. I just don't want to go bearded programmer / accountant with Lenovo... but maybe no other option? I have issues with the lid design of the smaller Dell Precisions, the HP Elitebooks don't exactly inspire, so...?

Having said that, I'd much rather deal with Dell or HP service than Sony. Having had too few IBM's/Lenovos to make an informed judgement about their service, I am unsure how good that is.

 

As you have already tried the R600 i would suggest that may be consider getting a Fujistu P8020 or the Dell E4200 as a alternative to the TT. The 12.1 HP Elitebook might also be worth looking at.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/laptops/review/2009/01/19/Dell-Latitude-E4200-12-1in-Ultra-Portable/p1

http://www.oyyy.co.uk/product.php/8...an-vista-business--mobile-intel-gma-4500m-hd-

Nothing out there really compares to the Z spec wise and weight wise. The nearest thing is probably the Dell E4300. Asus used to have some decent 12.1 13.3 laptops but that doesn't really seem to be the case anymore.

 

I've had the R500, but not the R600. From the reviews it's unclear how much of a structural improvement there has been, but if it's anything like the R500 I'll pass.

I have looked over the HP Elitebooks and the Dell E42/300 - but I've never had an 'ordinary' machine as my primary carry for years. It's always been top-drawer or nothing. The big question now is of course, what is top drawer... and if Sony is off the table, I'm not seeing much else.

*sigh*

Would someone out there just get off their behind and make a $10,000, 'real' carbon-fibre, top-quality notebook with uber Macbook Air specs (mainly in terms of larger SSD storage), no larger / no worse connected than the Adamo, no heavier / same replaceable-battery runtime as the TT with superb support? You've got a ready buyer right here...

 

My IBM "affair" wasnt too long. Definitely impressed by build quality and specially cooling, not only nearly silent but I was able to leave it running video installation for entire day for several days of a trade show, no issues. MBP needs to be put on ice (literally, thats what my buddies do) to run such stuff even for 2 hours.
Major reason for giving up IBM after few months- terrible display, impossible for any visual work not to mention that it is unusable outdoors. Then it is ugly not as much as the rest of non Mac/Vaio world but still, I am artist and it really hurts if like me you use it for 8-12 hours daily.
BTW. I have exactly same attitude regarding Sony, never had any issue with any (had lots of them) but I know their service is.....hmmm, not even bad, it is no service at all.
Had once unusual, weird issue with Thinkpad support was top, couldnt reach my IBM dealer, he called back shortly later apologizing and asking whats the matter, but before that called IBM directly (unlike rather expensive and annoying hotlines of all other companies it was free number) they offered picking it up immediately etc but we were able to figure it out and solve the problem on the phone.
If IBM introduces usable display I might go for it but for now dont see anything better then Z although my fav is still SZ, use it for not too CPU demanding work , like DJing.
Another alternative, I looked online today is X360-Premium SU9300, after heraing someone using it with Sequoia (serious, badd a... audio software) so that draw my attention. Had a Samsung years ago and the service was excellent- dead motheborad, picked up 2 hours after the call and returned fixed in 3 days.

 

Or maybe reconsider the Alu MacBooks. Apple are now shipping them with newer improved screens.

 

Isnt that made of aluminum?

 

So replace crap with mediocre and it's suddenly all right then, is it?

My developing problem with the current model Sony's are that with the build issues I'm experiencing, they seem to have shifted to using customers as beta testers. This is unheard of in Sony-land, at least given my experience of the flagship levels - and I've had practically every ultraportable that Sony has released since the launch of the VAIO range.

This shouldn't be a problem for an Apple owner as Apple have been doing that for ever, and perhaps some get used to it. In fact, whenever Apple comes out with what is essentially a bugfix (which laughably then introduces other problems) fanboys and the tech press start salivating, Pavlovian-style. I appreciate design and The Pretty as much as anyone else - in fact, probably more than many - but not at the expense of really basic engineering. I am forced to put up with it with Apple gear until everything can be ported, but I don't have to put up with the same rubbish under Windows...

... or do I? Sony support may be terrible and while Apple may be definitively superior in that respect, even a flawed TT is superior to anything Apple in terms of portable utility - and at least I can upgrade my support to NBD onsite (although I have no idea how bad that is). Do I have to make effectively the same compromise, just in different areas?

Aaaarg. My head hurts.

 

So you are saying Z serie laptops have poor build quality??

 

I think both TT and Z have some inherent issues which weren't present on preceding models. Hard to say which may be the bigger problem at the moment. I will probably be hanging onto my Z11's regardless of what I choose, so will probably find out sooner or later.

It wouldn't be a potential deal-killer if Sony Support wasn't, as aviray hints, almost an oxymoron. I think what I will do though is use this opportunity to sample Sony's onsite service - I'll put the Z11's on it. At least then I can harangue the engineer in person

 

Would you be so kind and explain what are those issues, because i did not find any untill now, and would be very interested if there are any, beause i dont want to waste tons of money on something that is not top of the mountain.

 

That is due to the lower prices of Vaio laptops when compared to previous ones. Where do you think the cost savings that are passed on to customers come from? Then you have lots of outsourcing of components that is accompanied by some of those "monkey" businesses. I don't want to get into an argument with you or anyone else. I've had one such debate not too long ago, but I would dare to say that most people think I'm all BS & such, which is fine with me.

The thing is that we'll just see prices go down. Good in some sense, but the manufacturers will be able to "kill 2 birds with a stone." Why? Built quality will go down & it will result in faster wearing/breaking down of products & so we'll have to buy replacement products sooner. This all ensures that the manufacturers continue to suck in big bucks from us.

 

I have the same feeling as well. For example, an old sony microwave lasted over 15 years whereas a new Panasoic microwave lasted less than 3 years in my house, that sony microwave was there ever since I have memory. Electronic devices are gettting much easier to be worn down because the build meterial and qualities are different from 15 years ago. Price goes down, quality goes down. But for Sony laptops, I have a slightly different thought because the sonys are stiill with leading qualities in the market, and they are already made to last much longer than most of the laptops.

Back to topic. I am still wanting a TT or a Z to be my next new book.

 

May be you should consider a Panasonic R Series as well Vogelbung. You can import this from Dynamism.
You can get a choice of lid colours and they are very small and portable at 10.4" but the screen is very readable given the res. Battery life is advertised as up to 8 hours and it has a 1.6 ULV processor. They are well built as well and this notebook only weighs about 2lbs. They don't seem to have a webcam though or a HDMI port like the TT.

.

The 12.1 W Series might also be an option for you. I like the colours but I need a webcam though.
http://www.dynamism.com/#Product=panasonic_w

 

Nothing which requires an import for me unless it's covered with an international warranty.