Sony SA Series Discussion Sony's next new 13.3 laptop

What did you not like about the macbook pro ?

 

oops sorry

 

Says who?

at least. hoping for FHD.

 

guys from sonyinsider.com. There is a special thread in the forum, dedicated to the new Z. I put the info here because many of those waiting the new Z are not aware of yesterday's publication.

 

"no optical drive" kills the deal for me on the Z or new Z.

However I do feel that when the Z replacement comes out, then the VAIO SA/SB/whatever series will have to fall in price.

It is possible they will also add Thunderbolt I hope to the high end SA/SB/whatnot series to make it more competitive with the Mac Book Pro.

13.3" is light enough to have a bigger screen and optical drive added.

I have scouted the entire market of notebook PC's and the only one competitive Ive seen. Mac Book Pro has onboard graphics. And all the players like Asus and others are using less powerful discrete graphics.

In other words: Everything but the Sony on the marketplace Ive seen is worse specifications. So the best of breed 13.3" thats under 4lbs with the best CPU, Video, HD with sandybridge i7 on the market is Sony.

Noone else is even making a model with comparable specs at the moment that I know of that has been announced.

So how long before Sony VAIO SA comes out and when will VAIO SB be in stores is the question now.

Ive heard that Sony could only have a few weeks of supply left and its still questionable if VAIO SA/SB will ship out at all even if it was made in China.

Any japanese components will have to replaced by other vendors and quality of the parts will not be as good.

It wasn't just the factories for Sony and others which shut down, it was the Power for the entire nation, the shipping ports, the airports, and transportation for the workers (roads, trains). It was all destroyed.

Estimates are after the 4 weeks supply is gone, it will take years to rebuild.

 

NVIDIA GeForce GT540M 2GB is the highest end GPU being used on the 13.3" Notebooks now with the Acer 3830 that I can find.

Sony uses a slightly less powerful AMD 6630M as its upgrade cpu on the SB however it also consumes less power.

To date: Acer has the fastest GPU offering on the 13.3" ive seen while Sony has a slightly slower one which uses less juice.

Unclear on Acer's other specs but Acer generally doesn't fare well.

GT540M is recommended on 15" and up notebooks while AMD 6630M is recommended for 14" and up.

Leaning Sony though at the moment. As models come in though they may offer more grades of GPUs and the like on models so its still unclear.

Sony seems to be the lightest of the 13.3" ones out with a decent overall GPU with the optical drive built in.

 

The only clear difference btw. the SA and SB seems to be display (resolution and overall quality).

Have any specific details been revealed such as the brightness (in nits), contrast ratio, and viewing angles?

I tried looking around, but it is hard to find these kind of details, and they are crucial for assessing the REAL difference...
which would help determine whether the price difference is worth it.

 

what's the weight of that acer?

 

1.8KG, the same with Acer 3820TG..

 

I tried to track down all known sandy bridge 13.3" model.

Do you think the AMD 6630M with lower juice tho almost as powerful as the Acer video card is more appropriate?

Either one will suck up a lot of juice though so Im sorta thinking the AMD 6630M is more appropriate on the notebook. The Nvidia is a faster chip with more VRAM though.

I won't be gaming with the system but I do use some 3d based applications and I want a fairly powerful machine.

Also regarding sound, I notice only a microphone port. Am I correct in that Sony VAIO has audio available on the HDMI cable so I can use that port for external digital sound sans some sound features that sony didn't pass thru the HDMI port?

I know I can get a USB adapter for optical sound output which are quite cheap but are these good quality or am I better off using the audio from the HDMI if available?

It does seem more than likely the Sony will be the one I get in some derivative either now or after Ivy Bridge is showcased in June.

 

There's also the headphone port for audio out. (located behind the disc drive.

 

The HDMI will certainly support surround sound digital output. The single jack port can switch between being a microphone or a headphone port. The nvidia has more than 1gb ram ? even my desktop gpu has 1gb ram and rarely needs that. 3d based applications need precise graphics cards with optimized drivers and high bandwith.

 

I meant microphone + headphone.

There are USB adapters for optical outputs running on USB 2. Haven't seen any running on USB 3 but I presume usb 2.0 would pass thru as good of audio as it should get unless I use the HDMI port for audio.

 

FActor in the weak screen of teh current 3820TG that many complain about and Sony loosk more appealing.. all guesswork though I guess until we see real world reviews.. but on paper.. Sony has my $$ especially if they honour the Canadian $200 coupon, free slice and free processor upgrade that I had configured already!

 

I agree. Will also look for coupon codes, credit card promotions or whatnot if and when I plan to order.

CC promos only work with sonystyle though.

Has anyone been to the Madison Avenue Sony store before? I wonder if thats the best place to see the VAIO when it is out though I do know other NYC retailers will have it sold for less money unless a credit card promo or direct coupon promo is available making it worthwhile to get it from the Sony Store directly.

I don't like Dell's BTO model anymore. I think it was great in the old days because it made decent well equipped machines but nowadays I want to check out the computer fully in the store and use it in person.

Sony's engineers and stylists are top notch I must say especially on this range right now. Dell has gotten a lot worse in performance and specs since all the notebooks and config options are weak when in the old days they used to be on par with the best configs and specs u can get but be at a cheaper pricepoint even though it didn't have the Sony oomph factor and the like.

 

Anybody have any idea when the US will get CTO on the SB's again?

 

Lenovo T420s happens to be a nice design. Fits in a full 14" in the same weight as the Sony VAIO SA/SB.

However, the Lenovo T420s does not come with discrete or switchable graphics and only comes with the i5 2nd gen sandy bridge processors, an i7 nor the discrete gpus are available.

Seems like if I want discrete gpu the answer is Sony Vaio. If I dont want discrete, and can do with a core i5, the Lenovo product is quite nice.

Dell used to be very competitive with laptop offerings tho poor design and engineering quality on some models. Nowadays they aren't even in the running.

As far as CTO's go, no clue. Sony needs to resolve supply chain issues of Japanese components I would gather. Could take a while.

Internals show several japanese based components on chips/capacitors and the fan even though its assembled in china.

If Japanese factories even get restarted, they will be running with reduced electricity if they can even be run plus ships were destroyed as well as one of the ports and the airport and the like.

 

where did you get the benchmarks on the gt 540m and the 6630m? Are you sure the rebranded gt 425m can be better than a new card? Even if it was on par to the 6550 aka 5650?

My guess is that you dont, and that I would be gladly surprised if that is indeed the case.

 

Benchmarks are public information on mobile graphics cards.

Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News - Notebookcheck.net

They compared all the mobile gpus in speed. The Acer 3830T graphics was faster than the upgraded VAIO however uses more juice and will drain power more. It also had double the memory onboard as well. All the information is on that website, they will break it down and categorize it clearly.

With that being said: All the new models are showing up on youtube videos even before released in high detail.

My favorite is the Sony VAIO overall at the moment. If it holds up to be the best for my needs, I'll get this one. Especially with Japanese supplies being tight, I bet the Sony's will sell out very early and it will be a long wait for the SA or for more SB to come in stock even if things stabalize in Japan.

 

you never trust an unreliable site as notebookchek for that kind of thing.

you also dont know either that the TDP measurement is also different for each company.

you also fail to see that there isnt any info (benchmarks, games...) on the 6630m as well, there is only the as good as nothing 3d mark 06.

So the fear of a glow in the dark laptop is also lost?

 

Apparently people in the UK start to receive their CTO SB today.

 

My sb arrived this morning to the uk. I'm in Paris though so I can't open it yet.

 

Yeah the load that shipped Thursday (I think?) apparently hit the UK today.

Mine should hopefully ship today, I'm gonna call later and check. I just want the damn thing now.

 

The dual-core Sandy Bridge laptops have arrived! Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Sony start shipping systems -- Engadget

Logistics issues aside, I told you guys it was due to a release date issue. Intel have now released the chips so all your systems should arrive from this week...

Make sure you post pics please!

 

Well, it seems they are still insisting the laptop is being made in japan and even told me the factories are running at a lower rate. My laptop is coming out of japan today and going to be in the netherlands tomorrow or the day after that.

I really have no idea what to believe right now.

 

lol, it's definitely made in China. the guy in the UK already posted photos of his CTO SB, the bottom says "Made in China".

 

Well, doesn't matter anyway. Ill just hope my laptop comes in soon. Then ill make up my mind when i see the bottom of it

 

The SB's in Hong Kong are also made in China.

 

Where are these photos posted? Thanks!

 

hope you can read Chinese

¡¾SONY VIAO SB ¿ª»ú·ÖÏí¡¿Ë÷Äá±Ê¼Ç±¾ÂÛ̳_IT168±¾ÓÑ»á

 

Just became interested into the Sony S series, really don't know much about VAIO's, too expensive typically. But hey, you get what you paid for. the new 13.3 that is now on order, what are these SA/SB/SC abbreviations. Different revisions or different configurations? Help me to join the Sony fanclub

 

Consolation is that with the VAIO DISPLAY PLUS color screen viewing angle increased significantly more

Seems the screen might not be that bad (google translation on the link)

 

So has anyone on this forum actually got their hands on theirs yet?

I can't see any of the photos on that Chinese site.

 

he also says the fan is noisy, and the bottom of the screen gets hot because of the freaking fan

 

for everyone who is lazy, i uploaded the pics here.

 

I didn't like the thick bezel around the screen...

 

Thanks (not lazy, but they were blocked wherever they were hosted before!)

NOT happy it's made in China, but oh well.

Anyone know what the other Vaio is in the first picture?

 

I am guessing it's the VPC-Z.

 

i think it's SR, since he keeps mentioning it.

 

That's what I was thinking too. It's a bit of an eyesore.

 

Will be interesting to see a teardown to see what's behind the bezel - maybe loads of antennae or something?

I think it's more likely that what is in the bottom half dictated the size though, & the cynical part (i.e. 95%) of my brain then thinks that even though you could probably get a 14" screen in there with the size of the bezel, they'd lose a load of custom from people who wanted a 13.3", even though this particular 13.3 is the same size as a lot of 14s.

At least the rubbish resolution will be slightly less annoying on a 13.3 than a 14"!

Edit: the bezel doesn't look that much thicker than my old SZ, actually... (working off pictures tho, as I no longer have the SZ)

 

The laptop isnt that large, its only a little deeper than usual with 13 inch laptops.

 

I thought someone had posted dimensions of a 14" earlier in this thread that was the same/slightly smaller footprint? That was what I was basing my statement of there being enough space for a 14" screen on.

(can't remember what manufacturer, or be bothered to look through the thread)

I suppose it's only 6mm wider than the MBP 13 though, and that doesn't feel oversized for a 13".

 

The Lenovo T420s has a bigger screen but the same weight without discrete video. Thats the only 14" i know of with the same weight.

Online chat was trying to get me to place an online order for the VAIO but when I asked if the Sony Store had them in stock they said no first so I don't know if they actually know.

If anyone pops in the Sony stores, let us know if they have VAIO SB in stock.

Seems like businesses like to make use of online ordering these days especially with these being shipped on a Build to order basis from China but one would think they would at least have a display model at the Sony store and some inventory.

With a notebook computer especially one that has limited units out, one would like to see it in person before they bought.

I guess when they get more supply in for the coming days the Sony Store should have them if not already.

 

As of this weekend, I didn't see any S series in the Sony Style stores. According to the people at the store, they should be getting them at the end of the month. From what the website shows, the SBs should be available on 3/25/11, that's the pre configured model with the 6630 GPU. The cheapest model is already available and not in pre-order status although not available in store yet.

 

Seems like some messages got deleted here. I posted but it and other peoples posts are now missing.

 

No, adam023, an official owners' thread was created and two posts were moved. You've since it seems posted in that thread.
Those that get their laptops please post in the owners' thread.

 

People in the USA - Where are you seeing the SA/SB to customize?

 

Those at the Consumer Electronics Show 2011 in Las Vegas already saw the unit so its old to them.

But for me I want to buy in the store locally plus I want to check out the unit before I buy it.

I am not an owner so I wouldn't have posted in the Owners forum but I did respond to an owner in this topic so it got moved along with them.

 

Sony Canada rep just told me the SA was due to be released here today (Which is what I was told by E-mail and also by phone pre-quake) and he said they have received an E-mail saying the release is being delayed for approx 10 days due to the issues in Japan as they are being produced there (So he says). Anyway looks like us Canuks will have to wait until April.....