Sony FZ - First Santa Rosa Notebook Available at Retail This Sunday?

Just looked through the Sunday BestBuy ad, and they have the Sony FZ145E/B for sale for $1199, meaning it seemingly should be available this Sunday.

As far as I know, it seems like this would make it one of the first Santa Rosa notebooks you could buy at retail.

-Zadillo

 

Do you think this means Sony will start selling the FZ series on its website Sunday?

 

I think they already do? At least the FZ130 and FZ160 can be "Added To Cart" (the FZ180 is listed as for pre-order, so I assume there is a distinction).

Either way, the main point of interest at least as far as I can see is that this is the first Santa Rosa notebook I've seen advertised for sale at a regular retail chain and that could be bought in a store.

-Zadillo

 

Yep, I guess you're right. Unfortunately the FZ model with the 8400M (VGN-FZ190) is not yet for sale. All the FZ models being sold now have that x3100 crap. Any estimates on when the VGN-FZ190 will be available?

Oh by the way Zadillo, I live in Fairfax, VA. You're right by me lol

 

Cool....

I would say that if someone didn't specifically need to do any high-end gaming or something, the FZ with the X3100 would still be just fine (it doesn't look so bad from the scores in that T61 review, for example).

Again, the main point of interest as I see it is just finally seeing some Santa Rosa notebooks actually available to pick up and purchase (as opposed to being able to preorder them, etc.).

I imagine over the next few weeks there should be a flood of them.

-Zadillo

 

FZ 140 can be bought this sunday at sony.ca
http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/se...1&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&productId=1004015

 

Looks like theres already an FZ on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/SONY-VAIO-VGN-F...QQihZ015QQcategoryZ140084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

Do you think the x3100 would be suitable for a casual gamer? I really only play two games: Counter Strike a lot, and Command & Conquer Generals from time to time. How would the x3100 hold up with these games?

 

I know people who play counter-strike on laptops with the GMA950, so the X3100 should certainly be able to handle it as well. Might need to turn down some graphical details, but should certainly be playable.

Pretty sure Generals doesn't require anything too intensive either (can't speak for Command & Conquer 3 though).

 

Hmm interesting. Are they able to play those games without lag and with good rates using that card?

 

Yeah, generally (again, sometimes requires running on lower detail settings, but a game like CS:S can be very playable on even a GMA950, and I expect it to be able to run even better with the X3100).

If that was all you needed, I think you'd be fine.

Of course, the version of the FZ with the GeForce 8400M should be able to handle significantly more (as well as higher quality settings even with a game like CS:S).

 

Oh, thanks, that's good news.

I don't think SONY is selling any FZ models yet with the 8400M. And they might not be for weeks.

 

I just went to the FZ page and the VGN-FZ190 (which has 8400M) can now be added to cart. I think it is available now.

 

sorry, I know this is not properly the right place, anyway, any info about european prices of the fz series?
"official" pricing is avaiable only for UK...
Are Us prices lower than the original Fe series?
Thanx

 

In Belgium you can already find one model of FZ in stores:
http://www.sony-center.be/city2/fr/?inc=products&cat=-3-13-126

Usually the prices in Europe are higher.

 

ty inspired
I'm from Italy, we both have that model on the official site even if there is still no "official price". I found it on some e-shops @ prices between 1200 and 1390 €. Unfortunately I cannot make a comparison with Uk's prices as same products are often cheaper here, but sometimes is true the opposite!
It seems we just have 2 wait ...
Anyway I'm interested in "our" FZ11S...

 

Here in Sweden the price for model VGN-FZ19VN is:1 291,94 EUR or 1 739,36 USD.
Sony Vaio VGN-FZ19VN C2D 1.8 2048/120GB 15.4tum DVD±RW WVB

 

Sony laptops have been looking uglier every generation ever since the FS series. What's the deal?

 

indeed..except the FE
this FZ looks like the N series in "thinner version"


hope it looks better in real

 

I went to Best Buy today to play around with the FZ and it was actually better than I expected. In the pictures the black keyboard looks really bad but in person it actually offers a nice contrast separating the keyboard from the rest of the system. The system was running really fast and cool, but it wasn't hooked up to the internet so I couldn't test that. One thing I absolutely hated was the feel of the keyboard. The keys are way too big, I had trouble adjusting from a normal desktop keyboard. I played with the SZ a little bit and found that keyboard much more comfortable for me (Just for measurement I'm about 5'10" but my hands are a little bigger than my height would suggest.) The people at Best Buy wouldn't take the laptop out of its security thing, so I couldn't really pick it up and get a good feel for it, but after 15-20 minutes just playing with it I can recommend it, but only if you can deal with the keyboard. The screen was beautiful and Vista ran like a pro, if it weren't for that keyboard this would be a must buy for me.

 

I went to Best Buy to check it out also. It exceeded my expectations in looks and I was impressed with the screen despite the model being ECO instead of HC. It looked good but when I checked out the HP from afar I could tell it was a bit brighter so I'd be interested in seeing the HC screen on this Sony. I loved the feel of the touchpad, very responsive. Overall it was a good deal, $1199 but was missing the faster processor, HC screen, and nVidea graphics card for me to purchase.

 

so we won't see a full review with real pics until the end of June ?

 

yea can we get pics of FZ , still didnt make my mind which color i go for ?


that would be awsome

 

I'm from Canada and sony canada does not have this unit for sale. I decided to get a family member living in the US to order this system for me. I just ordered the system two days ago from US sony style consumer sales. The shipping date is June 13 with 6-8 days of ground shipping (free). The sales rep gave me an additional $100 off the system.

Specs:
FZ190 CTO with blu-ray
T7700
white keyboard
2gb ram
80gb hd (5400rpm)
8400M GT
Hi-Color screen
vista ultimate

I decided not to upgrade the ram to 4 gb as the asking price of $1k was too steep. I can find 2x 2gb of pc5300 notebook ram for about $350 on newegg. I also did not upgrade the hard drive as I want to get a 160-200 gb 7200rpm drive (Seagate 7200.2 or Hitachi) when they are more readily available. I'll just use the 80gb hd as an external pocketdrive.

The only thing that I wish this notebook had was the turbomemory option (Robson) for the santa rosa chipset. I guess we'll see some benchmarks whether or not it makes any difference.

I'll keep you guys updated.

 

I'm ordering mine on Monday, I'm getting:

2GHZ C2D
80 gb hard drive
X1300 gfx card
2 Gig memory

and black keybord!

can't wait!

ill post pics when I get it!

 

thats great!...i really want to get the FZ160....but unfortunately none of the FZ series are available in canada yet....the FZ140 is coming to stores next week here in Mississauga, Ontario....but the specs vs price for FZ160 is better...

would anyone know if the FZ160 is readily available in sony stores in New York area? i can see the add to cart option online....but it would be too late to get it shipped to someone in NY......im just gonna request them to pick it up from the NY store...

 

I saw an FZ at Bestbuy yesterday (5/25/07). This after the sale employee told me they didn't have any Centrino Pros.

 

The salesperson wasn't incorrect. Centrino Pro refers to the version of the Santa Rosa platform with vPro included (the technology for remotely administering a laptop, etc.).

Regular Santa Rosa without vPro is referred to as "Centrino Duo", which includes the FZ (the only Santa Rosa notebook that BestBuy currently carries).

 

Bought a FZ140E/B 3 days ago at CircuitCity for $1149.99 after $100 rebate. Overall, I like this laptop. Thing I hate the most is battery rattle problem, it won't affect performance but you know, it does not feel good. If you also own a FZ, please post a reply if you also notice rattle battery on yours. Thks.

 

Hey Tguyla, why don't you give us a great review? You are among the first buyers of the FZ and you could make editorial history by writing a good review here !

 

Battery rattle is an issue that has existed on a variety of Sony laptops, although I hadn't heard of it coming up recently.

With the old S series though, many owners solved this problem by applying an extra layer of something to the battery (some people got adhesive velcro strips and added the "soft" side as a strip, which acted as a buffer and kept the battery from rattling.

You might try something similar.

 

Yeah, Scotch tape was used as a quick fix. It's good to know if this is a common problem of FZ series. By the way, this is the official full specs for who are interested in VGNFZ140EB:
http://www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/VGNFZ140EB_mksp.pdf

 

awwww man!! i picked up the FZ140E from circuit city in buffalo on saturday (4 days ago) for $1399....afraid they might run out of such a hot product .....and ur saying the next day they dropped down to $1149.99 .....just wasted an extra $250.....darn it!......anyways i still love it!

 

It'd be great if some of you guys who picked one up was able to write a review

 

I'm almost positive they will do a price match. Usually stores like CC, BestBuy, etc. have a policy where if there is a better price within a certain period of time (say, 2 weeks or 30 days), if you bring in your receipt they will refund you the difference.

 

Hi Shazzz, do you experience any battery rattle with your new Vaio FZ? By the way, I am sure you can get 110% price match from Circuit city, which bring the price down to about $1125. Great deal!

 

Quick review of Vaio FZ:
* What I like:
- FSB 800Mhz, Core 2 Duo T7100, 2Gb DDR2 PC2-5300 667 Mhz
- Price: $1149.99 after rebate (at Circuit City). It's a steal (remember, it's a Vaio. Try to customize a simliar one from other brands and you'll know what I mean)
- LCD: crystal clear, very sharp. I am even able to read clearly under direct sunlight.
- Very lightweight, thin and cool: under 6lb and you get a 15.4" screen at the size of a 14" laptop.
- Wireless: Draft-N ready.
- Battery: last about 2.5 - 3 hours, work for me.
- Boot up time: after removing most of the unused startup software, it takes less than 25 second to bring me from power on state to Windows desktop.
- AV mode: watch DVD, pictures, listen to CD without booting up operating system, very convenience.
* What I dislike:
- Rattle battery, at least with the one that I am using. Good thing is it has not caused any problem so far.
- 4200 rpm hard drive, kind of mismatch here. But 200Gb worths the trade off.

 

Thanks for the review! I'd really like to see feedback from a couple more owners before making the plunge. Can you comment on the noise level (rattling battery notwithstanding)?

 

Hey, everyone. I am absolutely new in the site. I am pretty interesting on the FZ. Can anyone tell me that the cpu of the FZ notebooks which is Santa Rosa is newest chips? Does it have better performance than the old chips? And anyone knows will the FZ come with black body later on? thanks!!

 

Santa Rosa CPU's in the FZ are T7100 (2mb cache,1.80 GHz), T7300 (4mb cache, 2GHz), T7500 (4mb cache, 2.20 GHz), and T7700 (4mb cache, 2.40 GHz). Not sure about performance.

 

Thanks, but is it the newest chip of the Intel Core 2 Duo ?

 

Thats a fairly common problem with Sony laptops. The FJ, FS, and FE all have it.

You should write a review, I would be interested in seeing it. The FZ seems like a pretty interesting notebook.

 

The laptop is absolutely quiet, quieter than than whitenoise.

 

A very detail description on Amazon.com about VGN-FZ140E/B, check this out:
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-VGN-FZ14...0?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1180587649&sr=8-1

 

I'm curious about the "A/V Instant Mode" feature that allows you to play multimedia without booting the O/S. Does anyone know what formats/codecs are accessible this way? (XviD please...)

 

This explains all: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino#Santa_Rosa_platform_.282007.29

 

thanks alot for the advice guys....i'll surely go for it....

@tguyla: yes.....it does seem that the battery rattles....but it isnt that bad as i had expected it to be.....it doesn't move more than a millimeter from its place...the rest is good so far....i'll post some of my experiences with it in the next couple days.....by the way....is your keyboard totally flat? if i look closely...it seems like the middle part (around the keys T,Y,U,G,H,J,etc) is sinking in.....and the F2,F3,F4 keys area is slightly lifted up.......looks like a small wave going across the keyboard.....maybe its just an illusion or im just being too picky

 

You guys tested the battery life yet?

 

I'm really considering going to pick one of these up today. Can anybody tell me if the VGA output will drive a 22" 1680x1050 external LCD in addition to the laptop's LCD (extended desktop mode)? I just wish it had DVI.

I have never owned a Sony laptop but I always considered them to be a cut above the normal consumer laptops. True or not?

Thanks,
Greg.

 

I'm not quite sure but I believe the version with NVidia will have HDMI. If yes then wouldn't it be possible to use HDMI->DVI adapter?