Sony VPCZ22UGX/N 13.1" laptop

I couldn't even find 1 mention of this laptop model number on this entire forum in a search. Of course its super expensive, with gold carbon fiber. But normally $2999 down to $2549 on sale. My local Microcenter has 2 in stock.

256gb ssd raid
full 1080p screen
i7 cpu
6gb ram

aside from price, are there ANY negatives to this machine? I guess one could be no DVD in the laptop itself.. and only 1 USB port in the laptop apparently? (But the dock gives you 2 or 3?)

 

Read the threads for the Sony Z2 series laptops to find all the info you need. The specific model numbers are just for different configurations.

The Z2 has 2 USB ports (one 3.0 and one 2.0). I consider the lack of an optical drive internally a positive. It's something I never use and glad it doesn't take up valuable space. It's a great machine and I love mine. Has downsides as well depending on your use and needs. Again, look for Z2 threads. Also, look in the Sony owners forum and look for the Z2 owners thread.

 

If I had the money I'd pull the plug. Amazinglly light machine, only downside for me is the ram is soldered and not upgrade friendlly. Consider that in your purchase.

 

true. well i have a new-ish Macbook Air 13 that i can get about $1100 for locally if i wanted to swap it up. 6GB ram would do me fine, this is just for playing around, nothing too serious.

 

The only negative I can think of is that these high end Sony machines in general are much more fragile in terms of their build than an Apple computer. While the aluminum unibody dings easily, it is very strong and will maintain its shape in the tightest of bags. For me, I have to baby my Z because the lid is so flexible in order to avoid the slightly chance of a bruised LCD. Just be wary that you may end up being a little more cautious with your Z than if you were to lug the MBA around.

For me personally, I like to be careful with all my electronics so being more or less OCD about my computer isn't that big of a deal.

 

I owned that exact model for a week. I returned it for personal reasons, including the fact that I found a never-used full wtty Z13 loaded for $1,050 and didn't think I would get anywhere near $1,400 worth of added value from the Z2. Well, I've somewhat regretted that decision ever since, but to be honest it's for a relatively dumb reason: that gold/red-umber color combo is the most stunning looking computer ever made!

My advice: if the money isn't a big deal for you, go for it. If the money matters, and especially if you do not love that gold Z2, I would at minimum look for one at a lower price. I have seen them going on eBay with those specs for under $2,000 and even the Sony Outlet is selling them well below $2,000, and if you call to place the order, you can get 10-20% more off the listed price. Some of the regulars on this forum have a "technique" they might pass along (and you know who you are!).

Also, it is true about needing to treat the Sony more gingerly than a Mac, primarily when traveling. That said, you're only risking cosmetic damage, not operational damage except under extreme circumstances. Also, if you can afford to, get an extended ADH warranty from Square Trade - NOT SONY! That pretty much equalizes the durability issue as well as the notorious horiffic Sony service issue.

Good luck!

 

if it dropped in price any more than the 2549 i would probably get it. but it's still a lot of money even for me.

 

By that do you mean to imply you are quite well off, if not infinitely wealthy? Because if so, I have a number of things for sale

Seriously, do check the Z2 threads on this forum - and less so reviews from the "popular media" because Sony Z's and Sony Z people are something of a zealous minority of connoisseurs and the Z2 in particular is just not a machine for everyone and an enigma to most.) It is something of an electronic/aesthetic masterpiece, but in pushing the performance/ultra low mass/weight envelope from the two previous Z's (VPC-Z1X, VGN-ZXXXXXXX!) it morphed from being an amazingly fast, powerful versatile and expensive DTR in a tiny, ultra-light package with truly peerless displays to, ah, well, all of that minus the versatile part due largely to:

1) removing the discrete GPU and the optical drive to a separate device (the "PMD") connected by a semi-proprietary version of Intel's "Thunderbolt/Lightpeak" technology which was a cool idea and technical feat but with underwhelming results due to a hugely disappointingly weak discrete GPU and absurdly un-portable solution if you need to use the GPU and/or a blu ray drive.

2) Vastly reducing the expansion options to, well, nothing but what you can accomplish via a USB port; You can't: change/increase RAM, change/upgrade SSD, add an additional SSD/HDD via what had been in previous models the internal DVD bay that converted easily to an additional SATA 2.5" drive bay with a $50 caddy.

3) Significantly reducing built in connectivity by eliminating the ExpressCard slot and reducing USB ports to 2.

Ironically, the vaunted Sony Z became something of a vastly more powerful, sophisticated "ultrabook-type" device with fixed/sealed design paradigm resembling more than anything else in the market - I hate to say it but it's true - an Apple MacBook Air! I would call this the ultimate irony if I hadn't already used that adjective one sentence ago, , but the Z had since 2008 been as un-Apple as a laptop could be and, with the Z2 in mid 2011, it became as paternalistically inflexible, as in: "we put everything you need into it so don't even think about 'improving' it because we made that virtually impossible to do!" in what may not have been intentional but sure did turn the model into a supercharged MBA. I truly don't mean this to pan the Z2, just to clarify something I sense you don't realize about what this notebook is, and isn't. Let's say that the Z2 is without a doubt the most powerful and sophisticated notebook you can get in anything less than twice it's 2.5 lb. weight and at least 2.5" greater screen size but what you see is what you get, and all you will ever get from the machine you buy.

But if it meets your needs now and for the foreseeable future, oh what a marvel of a device and truly dazzling (especially in CF gold/metallic umber color) joy to own and use! Even at $2 grand I can't really justify it as an addition to my "fleet" but on any given day, I just might pull the lever once again, this time for keeps!

Thanks all for once again letting me wax-excessive about this mystically irresistible affinity I have for these devices! (Hope it may be of some help to you, placcy.)