Somebody help me with Sony Y series, or any vaio series explanation

Im new to sony and i swear the only reason i stayed away is cause of the price and also cause its so freakin complicated with the model numbers. Dell is very easy and HP with the names like XPS 14 or Envy but with sony all i know is that I find a laptop in a certain series like the Y series, and takes forever to find out that the specific model im looking at is discontinued or an older model.

I found a Z series and thought it was a good buy and found out that the newer ones dont have core2duo and also have SSDs but the model numbers are the same?


Anyway, more specifically, I am looking on craigslist at a Sony Y series. It has a 13.3" screen, Core i5 ULV processor, 6gb ram and 256 SSD. I dont know if its been upgraded or came stock but it def came out of the box that way. Also purchased in Aug 2010. Its like a dark aluminum all around with grey keys.
Does anyone know what model i'm talking about? And how much they are going for these days?

this ones listed at around $1100 or so with the 256ssd and the upgraded ram. Not sure about the graphics card though.

 

That's a good deal for that Y IMO. Sony had been selling it for $599 with a hard drive (no SSD), core i3, and 4gb RAM. The SSD alone was a $500 upgrade. I forgot the model number but I'm pretty sure there was only 1 13.3" Y series anyways. And it had 2 options for the video card, ATI graphics, and intel HD. Ask the seller which one it is. And also, the new Z series are VPC-Z, the old ones were VGN-Z.

 

Awesome, thanks for the explanation. Okay, would a newer Z series, VPCZ112 in excellent condition and a little less than a year warranty left for $1250 be a good deal or a bad deal? I don't see Z's for sale on Sonys website anymore. its like they never existed.

 

Yeah they just discontinued the Z series a few days ago...it would depend on the specs, the Z series are configurable. There are 4 different versions of the VPCZ series, Z11, Z12, Z13, and Z14. The Z14 is not available in the USA so Z13 is the latest here. Although that one is a Z11, there's minor differences between them I wouldn't worry, just post the complete list of specs and we'll be able to tell you how much it's worth.

 

Yes, it is discounted in the USA market. However, there are some configured clearance models in the SonyStyle Outlet store that you might want to check out. You may also find some of those pre-configured models still remaining at retailers such as Fry's, B&H Photo, J&R, PortableOne, etc.

Good luck.

 

If the owner purchased that configuration direct from Sony back in Aug 2010, it would have cost around $1500-1600 depending on the going rate for RAM and whether it included ATI graphics. The base price for the Y back then was $769 and the SSD alone was a $550 option. If the owner purchased it with the standard 4GB RAM and HDD and then did the upgrades, it probably would have cost more like $1300-1400.

If you want the Y and you're in the US, drop into a Sony Style store and ask them to search for leftover stock or unsold display models. You may still be able to find one with a full warranty for $500 or so. Only i3 with integrated graphics though - as the i5 and ATI options were CTO only.

And a Z11 for $1250 is a way, way, WAY better deal than $1100 for a Y.