SZ, build issues? is yours like this?

hey guys,
I have the SZ250p, I like it alot but I am having some issues with the way the plastic is put together and I wanted to know if you guys are having the same issues. The plastic around the screen tends to pull apart, like around the plastic notch to open the screen, on the left side it separates if you pull down on it, same with the sides of the screen as well, the seems don't seem to be set in a very sturdy way, the are easily pulled apart. the left hand back corner, where the silver part is on the end also pulls away from the body and the plastic around the hindges also pops and moves around alot...while I know these are not major issues and we all know that the sz has build issues I just wanted to judge how mine falls on the scale. thanks for the help.

 

Don't know about the SZ2XX series, but on my SZ120 I haven't noticed any plastic pulling apart. But then again, I haven't been tugging on it either. Even so I haven't noticed any huge gaps, creaks or anything really wanting to come away from the body.

 

It confuses me to no end why so many SZ owners enjoy manhandling their beauties, then complaining about them when they bruise.

 

Amen to that...
If you want to enjoy your sz stop trying to take it apart

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=68737


i have exactly the same issues

 

I can't say I've "build issues" on my SZ. I've seen that too on mine



but there are no forces working on that part when openen and closing the lcd so this is just a bad fit not a result of opening and closing the lcd. Other than that mine's plain perfect build wise. The macbook has "build issues".

 

did you try taking it apart and tightning everything? did it work if you did? if so then ill try that, but I dont know what I could do about hte plastic around the screen. And its not just me tugging on stuff, if you push up on the top of the screen just to open it the plastic pulls away with from the screen, making the camera rock away from the sreen as well.

 

You've the premium model, dont you. The problem of yours is the result of the extremely thin lcd. It flexes too much and hurts the camera an the cover ot the screen. Not the first time I hear that. The non-premiums don't have that, the are more stable. Isn't that ironic...

 

Stop talking out of your ass. You're crazy if you think nonpremiums are more stable. Do you even know how firm the carbon fiber chassis is? Oh wait, you don't cause you don't even own a premium. You probably just glanced at it for 5 seconds at a store and automatically came up with these predetermined notions.

The real reason why both premium and nonpremium creak and appear to be weak at the mid-edges of the screen is that the chassis and bezel fit together like two hollow halves of a ceramic mold or model piece, and they're only secured by screws at the corners.

 

dukeletoatreides's SZ isn't a premium model. You're just spreading a idle rumour. I'm using day-to-day different SZ models and I can tell you, that a price difference between a premium and non premium is proportional to quality difference between them.

 

Oh, a cultivated response. Your level of comunication is quite refreshing.

When I bought my SZ in the local Sony Style Store I had both (premium and non-premiums) in use for about an hour testing verious things and I finally went for the best non-premium BECAUSE I noticed a significant amount of flex in the screen when opening and closing, more than the thicker non-premium had. Carbon fibre or not, the premium screen ist just too thin and even during that hour long testing period the camera popped out of the premium while nothing happened on the non-premium.

I don't have a premium and I don't want one but testing one for some time was enough to experience the problems noted here. I'm using my non-premium several hours a day since 3 weeks now and I've not seen that behavior once! Maybe carbon fibre is the better material but that means **** if you get problems you don't have when you avoid it.

 

Thats strange, my friend and I both bought premiums at the same time and thus far (3weeks in) we have had no problems whatsoever. Mine is rock solid, without any of the usual problems.

And as far as the screen goes, the carbon fiber one just feels flimsy but I would better describe it as flexible. The non-premium actually seemed like it had more open space in the screen. The premium version definitely is a solid performer as far as I can tell

 

mine is a premium, SZ250p, sorry if i didnt make that clear

 

I've had 2 premiums, neither has had the problems described. (Both have had problems, but unrelated to the fact they were housed in a premium chassis).

Bit of a stretch to say "Maybe carbon fibre is the better material but that means **** if you get problems you don't have when you avoid it." based on the evidence at hand. Namely one hour in store and one post on a forum.

Since I was going to pay top $ for a Sony notebook I wanted to maximise the key benefits that were leading me to open my wallet. Otherwise I would have possibly gone for an Asus:

1) Screen
2) Size
3) Weight
4) Desgin

 

I've had two friends bought the SZ23 very recently. (And only 1 month apart.)

As I service the computers for them...I've had the opportunity to use the computer and have a good feel for them.

One of them is with me right now actually...

I haven't experienced the problem you are having...but I do thank you for pointing them out as I believe such problems may exist from bad manufacturing.

 

soo... do I have any recourse with these issues or am I out of luck?

 

Return it and buy something else...? <shrug></shrug>

I would submit that you [or more accurately your laptop] have no real issues; at least none that were equivocated in any of your posts.

The screen that you are complaining about has an LED backlight and is less than 1/4" thick. It is held together with snap-tight pieces and a few shallow screws; of course it's going to flex…WTF?

The reality of today's consumer grade materials technology is that one may have a rugged, seamless 6 lb or 7 lb laptop or a 3.7 lb laptop with less-than-perfect [yet perfectly functional] fit-and-finish.

Perhaps someday there will be a full-featured 2 lb laptop made from pure unobtanium 236 and with flawless fit-and-finish, but that day aint today.

Some may suggest that for the price of the SZ it should be "perfect" but take just a moment to understand where all of the money in the SZ actually went: LED backlight, CoreDuo processor [not cheap], dual graphics system, dual layer DVD burner, carbon fiber chassis, etc.

All that stuff, along with a great 13.3" display in a package weighing just 3.7 lbs is a heck-of-an achievement IMHO. Whatever you may think of the details of the overall build quality of the CF chassis understand that it is certainly better than standard plastic would be.

I am no fanboy and I certainly have several of my own issues with the SZ but in my opinion you a quibbling just a bit here.

The SZ was the first Sony laptop I have ever purchased and I purchased it not because it was a Sony [you might say that I purchased it in spite of it being a Sony] because for what it does at the size it does it there is – literally – nothing else currently on the market that can touch it.

Tomorrow [read – six months from now] may be a different story

 

That kinda nails it. Great reply. Sure, you may have some issues that may come from the idea to make it very light weight but I'd rather live with those "issues" (they are none for me) instead carrying around something like an 8lbs Dell. The SZ is very powerful (for its size and weight) and offers a lot to loe (screen, dual core cpu, magnesium alloy, aluminum etc). I searched the market for several months before getting my SZ2 and I was not able to find a better solutions in respect to build quality vs. power vs. size and weight.

And after beeing through 3 MacBooks and 2 MacBooks Pros, I know what bad build quality is. The Sony SZ is rock solid compared. I'm glad I gave up on the macs and got the SZ2.

 

I hold no idea that the sz should be pefrect and being a resonable person I understand that with a screen this thin it will flex. I ask only because others had said they do not have these behaviors with thier sz's. That being said I also agree that these may not be "issues" of any major sig, but I think we can all agree would would rather have a sz that is free from any issues than one that has some problems if we can do anything within reason to fix said issues. My intention was not to quibble but to use this forum as a sounding board to find out where my issues fell on a scale compaired to everyone else, a use this fourm is there to facilitate; as I dont have a large group of friends who happen to own an sz it would seem that it is a resonable use.

 

Where exactly does your left plastic edge start pulling apart when you apply force? Mine pops out of place about 1mm if I pull near the escape key and above. It's sturdy everywhere below. The right edge is a bit flimsier than the left, but it doesn't pop out near the speaker grille like the left edge.

Regardless, I can't imagine anyone deliberately or even accidentally pulling the left edge near the esc key and above, so this shouldn't be much of a concern. I didn't even know it could pull apart like that until you brought it up.

BTW, I don't think there's an area near the speaker grille where you can secure the left edge. There only seems to be two places where it's secured: in between the tab and caps lock keys and in the front corner of the palm rest.

 

its the same as yours, above the esc key.