SZ power supply...

Can anyone elaborate on the relative size/weight of the SZ's power supply? I am seriously considering the SZ along with the Asus W3J and I am trying to get an idea of the total weight difference between the two, once the power brick is added into the equation. I am an out-of-state college student who flies about 12x/yr, so aside from carrying it around campus I do a fair bit of airport adventuring... my trusty-old/hefty (read: P4) Dell Latitude is a pain to travel with and so weight is my biggest concern in a new laptop, which is what initally attracted me to the SZ. Since then I have discovered the W3J, but am trying to weigh the tradeoff in lbs that I would be making for its set of features.

Thanks!

 

Hi Smitty,

The SZ's power supply is quite a brick.
This is one of the disappointments for me considering that the TX series has an extremely stylish and lightweight transformer.

You'd have best of luck checking the website for the SZ and for the W3J for their brick's weight. The reason why the bricks have gotten heavier is due to the extra power draw required by the Core Duo chips.

At the end of the day, I believe your selection isn't too far off from what you want with the SZ and the W3J so I would advise you to look at both of them and select the one you really like in terms of looks.

Remember that the W3J is heavier than the SZ by about 25% though it has a far better video card. (Take this into account if you're thinking of playing games.)

Best of luck with your selection.

 

I've been looking all over the internet for some kind of specs sheet that lists the brick weight and have gotten nowhere. Grrrr. They all list the w/hr ratings of the AC adapter but never the weight.... the travelling weight difference between the SZ and W3J will be negligible if the SZ's brick is even 1lb heavier than the other, so I would really like to know before I make my decision....

P.S. Thanks Whwtan! I went to Best Buy today to do a test where I felt the weight of the SZ then the weight of a 5.5lb Toshiba (same as W3J). All things being equal (*cough* AC adapter *cough*), I feel like I can live with a difference of 1.5lbs to get the ATI x1600 and slightly larger screen.

 

Hi Smitty,

I'm glad you managed to find the information. Sorry I hadn't had the time earlier to look for it. (I've seen them somewhere...I just don't remember where)

As an encouragement to your thought, do remember that weight isn't of paramount importance if you're not lugging your notebook around in school.

On the other hand, if you see yourself bringing the computer around in the school, keep in mind that the Asus is more than 30% heavier in basic weight. (And I would seriously advise against bringing the brick to add onto your weight.)

I would have loved the Asus myself (Looks and the graphics card), but the extra tonnage was really out of the question for me since I bring the computer around with me for overseas business trips. (10 hours with that thing slung over the shoulder, you'd be asking for a weight reduction of as little as 0.22 pound. 100 grams over here.)

 

I certainly know what you mean. Even on my relatively short trips (San Antonio/Chicago, SA/Washington DC) every pound counts. SA to Chicago I can get away with stowing the AC adapter in my luggage (3hr direct flight), but to DC takes several hours with usually one connection, meaning a recharge is necessary between flights. I do travel overseas 1-2x/yr but it is usually for vacation so its no work, just internet cafe all the way!

 

If you're not bringing the notebook around in school, I believe that you'd love the Asus.

Do share your experiences with us after you've bought it.

 

Sony SZ power brick ~580 gm.
Sony SZ itself ~ 1,900 gm

ASUS W3J power brick - don't know, but not less then 250gm
ASUS W3J itself with 4800 mah battery and DVD drive ~ 2,500gm

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks ukrconsul,

If I were to come to a safe assumption that the Asus power brick isn't much lighter and is about 500g as well, the Asus package would be a smacking 3 kilos just to lug around. *ouch*

 

if you feel like leaving the original powerbrick at home and getting a travel-freindly one, the Kensington 120W AC/DC adapter is compatible with the SZ series.

there are plenty of threads on the SZ powerbrick (e.g. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=42702&highlight=kensington). If you do a search you should be able to find the info you need.

 

the kensington thin and light is great. i still have an issue even with the new tip (s27 i think) not fitting as snugly or neatly as either the igo or sony. However the kensington beats the igo hands down in weight and usability. I also bought the wind up cord, which saves weight and tangle

 

Take a look on asus W7J. The same spec as SZ but 2.2kg with power adapter and has s-video out. The screen is very good, almost like Sonys.