Sony SA Series Discussion Sony's next new 13.3 laptop

I was looking at the expanded specs of the top end SA in the EU VPCSA1Z9E that will retail for 2,700 euros.

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It's may be interesting about the 3D or may be this is to be expected with the next gen laptops?

 

ouch at 2700 that will def put it out of the price range of many people

 

^HDD based configs will start at about $1200, SSD will start at about $1700.

 

Hey beaups,

If it isn't too much trouble, I do have just one more very basic question about all this. Since I'm really hoping for a HDD-based model, can I expect similar form factor and supplemental specs from those models? In other words, can I hope for an i7 and a Z-quality 1600x900 screen in a HDD-based SA/B?

Thanks; and I hope this isn't asking too much. This will go a long way in determining where I look for my next machine.

 

Oh no...

Sandy Bridge chipset flawed, Intel stops shipping

I hope it doesn't delay the release too much.
If the starting price of i5 SA with HDD with 1600*900 screen is about $1200, then I might as well just go with that and not wait until summer. Unless there is some big problem like potential hinge issues, terrible screen, or what not.


I don't think it's worth the upgrade/price premium (at least $150 more) to a i7 unless it is a quad core.

I already bought crucial 1333 8GB ram for $80. Was originally for my refurbished Z1290cto which I returned.

 

I know, I was referring to the top of the line model, it's pretty expensive, and here I was hoping SSD prices would fall this year, maybe by December.

 

ahhhh mannnnnnnnnnnnnn that´s bad news...

 

beaups,

turning back to the compact design of the renewed Z, do we get a machine which is as weightless as 1 kg, - let's saying, as at first glance?

 

I think a Z-series weighing below 1kg will probably be a disappointment for the focus group (business men who need a small and light powerful notebook) since such a notebook will have the MacBook Air problem: Too less ports, no ODD built in. But maybe Sony has something totally new und surprising up their sleeves. Let’s wait and see.

 

Fortunately this may be confined to certain desktop chipsets and not the entire line. Engadget updated article to include this information.

 

engadget to continue their streak of good service has been wrong again.

Intel Discovers Bug in 6-Series Chipset: Our Analysis - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

it all the 6 series chipsets.

remember chipsets

The chips are fine

 

So this notebook will probably be pushed back till April. Sucks

 

As long as there is either the Z or SA option I will be happy Just depends what is available at the time.

 

it actually depends the B0, B1, B2, are affected by this issue, the B3 is apparently out of this mess, the B4 is the stepping to replace all of those. The all the B# are in production currently, the first deliveries of the B4 are going to happen in mid feb. Constant production is going to happen in march

The problem is located in the southbridge and affects, on the notebooks that I have info, the Sata ports 2-5, so the usual 0-1 that we use for the HD and dvd are out of the problem, if the notebook has esata and some other sata ports its going to be affected.

according to anand the issue has a fail probability of 5-15%, that fail is the degradation of the sata capabilities.

 

I think Z has a Premium display and SA so far only has been shown to have Display plus. Does it mean that SA display will be inferior?

 

The chipsets affect SATA performance. Not a good thing regardless of whether the chips themselves are fine.

 

This is not good at all. I would be replacing one laptop with potential Nvidia 8400GS problems with another with potential chipset problems. Let's hope they sort this out properly.

 

I had decided to wait for a Sony Vaio Z refresh with these new Intel Core i7 2Gen processors and new graphics solution and this is what Sony is going to offer?


The overall design looks worse than today's Sony Vaio Z if you ask me, why would they replace the brushed matt finish of Vaio Z with this glossy finish? It just begs for fingerprints and gives the machine a much cheaper look overall if you ask me, I didn't really like the new design around the keyboard either but they have at least stayed with matt finish here. And glossy touchpad buttons?!

And there is no auto, stamina and speed option anymore? Just stamina and speed? There is no 1920x1080 option for those of us wanting to pay for it?

It also seems to be both deeper and wider compared to today's Vaio Z?



So they've upgraded the specifications.. And there is no doubt that the specifications are good despite my huge disappointment with the inferior lower resolution screen compared to today's 1920x1080 option.. But the exterior has gone down the drain? Replacing good looking and professional matt finish with this cheapo looking glossy stuff and also making the space around the keyboard looking fussy with all those markings and on top of this there are glossy touchpad buttons?! And there seems to be enough space for additional keyboard buttons this time around as the machines is obviously wider and deeper but this space just goes wasted?


This can't seriously be the replacement for Vaio Z? There has to be something other than this coming towards the summer? Something close to looking like a premium laptop instead of this thing that could easily be confused with something released by MSI or Acer.. Good thing is that the material used should be quite good, but that doesn't make it look any better or feel more premium now does it?


Does anyone know whether the webcam has been upgraded from the dreadful one on current Vaio Z models?

 

@ RamGuy, pictures you seen are of SA model which will be temporary z replacement until real replacement comes, hopefully early summer

 

Good material doesn't make it feel more premium?

Anyway if you look through the thread you will see some details about the actual Z successor.

Or see this post by Rachel

 

Beaups said that a true Z successor should be released this summer (but will supposedly be very different from the current model).

I think the SA and SB are rather successors of the S series and are thus not so "exclusive" as the Z.

 

That's good to hear! I'll be waiting for the summer holidays to start before I'll start looking around for a Sony Vaio then I guess.

 

Talking about the design of these SA/SB series with them being bigger & wider, I can't help but wonder if the main reason/motivation for doing this is so that in their next refreshes, it'll be "easier" to fit in the required components for the SA/SB series to be fully 3D equipped?

 

Sorry I didn't follow this whole thread yet, but will they be using traditional SSD's in the SA/SB? or the proprietary caseless ones still?

 

According to specs leaked by some retailers they will use RAID 0 so it sounds like the same proprietary drives found in the Z.

 

Thanks +rep for taking the time to respond. I would think with this revision they would allow for stock SSD's or 1.8" ones at least. Of course I'm sure some genius will figure out a work around. Problem is if you have to open the case of any regular retail ones it voids the warranty.

 

If you buy the HDD models, I'm sure you could upgrade it with a conventional 2.5" SSD. (That is if the SB model uses conventional 2.5" HDD, which is most probable.)

 

Think the screen of an SA will be installable in a Y series? This is under the assumption that the screen is available for purchase separately from vendors after its release.

They're both LED backlit and 13.3" in size... The Y is perfect for me because of its 2.5" bay (I need a good blend of cheap space + speed, not expensive SSDs) and support for 8 gigs of RAM. The only thing that sucks about the Y... is the screen

 

The black version looks like it will be matt. The SA/SB will also have speed/stamina switch buttons.

 

Sorry if this has already been asked but is the Radeon HD 6470M that should come with the SB good enough for current games? Cos if so I'm definitely buying it...

 

not at all. It could barely play. If minimum is what you want go grab it.

 

The 6470 will play 720p games sufficiently but some new games may need lower res and graphics, would suggest something a little stronger if you want a little more lifespan out of graphics card (more than sufficient for fluid gameplay on very casual games though).

I'm just concerned about what the release date has been impacted to - I was hoping to get this around an Easter trip to US, but now people are talking of 1-2 month delays, I don't know how long I can hold out on the SA for.

 

^Nobody really knows for sure how bad the dates are going to be for S/B models, mfrs also tend to not want to release product mid cycle. At this point I would not expect to see SA/SB before the scheduled June refresh.

 

Do you know whether this will affect the release date of the new Z?
Or is the new Z even expected to come out around the June refresh?

 

Guys,

My company has offered to purchase me a new laptop. I currently have a Vaio FW. I was planning on purchasing a new Z, but in doing my research I learned of the Sandy Bridge chip sets and in turn I learned of the new SA Vaio.

My question to you all is: Do you belive it will be worth it for me to wait for the SA or even the new generation Z or should I purchase myself a Z now?

I will use my laptop mostly for mobile computing so I need the best battery life (thus waiting for the more efficient sandy bridge powered machine). But I will not be playing games or anything like that.

Sorry for being so long winded.

Thoughts?

 

If you don't need a laptop now, I would wait for June. If you need a laptop now, buy one.

 

June?? *breaks down in tears*

 

No point in waiting. I guarantee that if you wait for 6 mo. there will be some other "must have" feature on the horizon. If you need it now, buy it now (and just know that no matter what you get, it's already obsolete the minute you do). As for battery life, get the extended battery. But in any case, the Z is not really a long battery life kind of a machine...

 

June now for the SA/SB . I don't want to say that is shocking lol but that is some time to wait! I'm hoping though that it is released first in the EU may be a couple of months ahead of June at least but i doubt that.

 

Darn; I need mine by May at the latest. The E3 expo takes place in June...

 

^Buy a Z13.

 

I'm in the exact same situation and I am going to wait. Sandy Bridge suits me perfect with its extended battery life (thats my only worry with the Z).
There might be some other interesting products on the market by the next months, don't you think so?

 

Thanks! This answers my question and is good news

 

Like Ivy Bridge based notebooks?

No point in waiting for the next greatest thing, otherwise you'll never buy anything.

 

It depends on how big the changes are. If there were rumours of a 12+-hour battery life Z-size/weight machine, or a new Sony without a crippled BIOS and proprietary drives, I would definitely wait. If it's just going to buy 10-20% speed increase, it's not worth waiting for.

 

I thought so too but the silver ones are out of stock all over Europe. Sony.ie is useless and freakishly expensive and Sony.co.uk isn't useless but still freakishly expensive.

On the deals front, you guys haven't thrown us a bone in over a year. Circulate an email for us Beaups and maybe some sleeping Sony Euro employee will wake up and cop on.

 

I think this video has not been posted yet:

YouTube - VAIO SA e SB, notebook da 13" in concept

 

How do you know so much about their product release schedule then?

Mind blown.

 

^ posted / saw it already. that's the infamous laptop with all the fingerprints

 

Sorry if it has been posted. I remember only seeing a similar video without comments (only some classical music in the background) here.

I think the copper color would be really nice (though I'd go for the standard black/grey one), but those fingerprints are very ugly.