Sony Vaio 2008 models comparison: Z / SR / FW

Sony Vaio 2008 models comparison: Z / SR / FW

This thread is intended to provide you with some helpful information about the new Sony Vaio laptop models: the Z (13.1” , SR (13.3” , and FW (16.4” . The data presented here has been gathered from a variety of locations, although all information here has been verified to some extent unless otherwise stated.

Rather than listing a set of advantages / disadvantages for each model in turn, the following attempts to examine various aspects of all three models, offering objective comparisons and subjective observations on each topic. The topics covered will be:

• Visual (screen)
• Audio (speakers / headphone jack)
• Input (keyboard / touchpad)
• Portability (weight / battery life)
• Build quality (chasis quality / screen flex)
• Performance (cooling efficiency, benchmarks, etc.)
• Connectivity (ports, wireless support)

Pictures (Vaio Z, Vaio SR, Vaio FW):


Note: If you find any incorrect or missing information, please let me know. I will try to keep this thread up-to-date.


Visual (screen)

Vaio SR: 13.3” diagonal @ 16:10 w/h ratio (11.29” x 7.05”
LED XBRITE-ECO LCD Technology - 1280x800 (113.49 PPI)

Vaio FW: 16.4” diagonal @ 16:9 w/h ratio (14.29” x 8.04”
XBRITE-ECO or XBRITE-HiColor Technology – 1600x900 (111.94 PPI)

Vaio Z: 13.1” diagonal @ 16:9 w/h ratio (11.42” x 6.42”
LED XBRITE-DuraView Technology (100% color saturation) - 1366x768 (119.61 PPI) or 1600x900 (140.13 PPI)

PPI = Pixels Per Inch, or the number of pixels along a 1 inch horizontal/vertical line on the screen. In general, higher PPI is better for displaying movies / pictures, while too high a PPI will result in text, icons, etc. being uncomfortably small (possibly to the extent of causing eye strain, although this depends on the individual), unless you specifically enlarge text / images with software features like Vista's DPI scaling (keep in mind though that this feature of Vista will not work on all applications).

In terms of pixel density, the SR, Z (low res model), and FW are similar – the FW at 112 PPI, the SR at 113 PPI, and the Z at 120 PPI. The high res Z model (1600x900) is unusually high res, at 140 PPI. At 140 PPI, the high-res Z model is similar in pixel density to the Sony Vaio TZ, so if you have the ability to view a TZ, this would be a good reference as to the default text size, etc. on the high-res Z.

The color quality and brightness of the three models is mainly subjective at this point, with no real brightness / contrast measurements available. Sony does claim that the Z has “incredible picture quality with 100% color saturation”. Judging from a comparison video (Berlin Press Conference), the Z clearly had a more vibrant color range when set next to an SZ model. The Z also features multiple layers of filters, which produce a less harsh glare when exposed to sunlight or strong lighting conditions, making the Z suitable to outdoor use. The Z "also features a special hard coating on the LCD that helps protect against the scratching and wear that is common to frequent day-in, day-out use and travel", according to Sony.

Early reports from SR owners indicate that the SR screen has extremely good color quality and viewing angles, with very black blacks (although not quite completely black).

Little is known about the FW's screen quality in comparison to the SR and Z, but some viewers of the FW screen (on display in a store) have expressed concern that the XBRITE-ECO screen looked somewhat mediocre in quality compared to a SR sitting next to it. The XBRITE-HiColor may be better, but this is unverified.

Regarding size, the numbers are pretty much self-explanatory. The Z screen is slightly smaller than the SR, and the FW is considerably larger than both. The main topic of interest here is probably the unusual (for laptops) aspect ratio of the Z and FW: 16:9. This means that the Z/FW will be a slightly wider in ratio compared to the traditional 16:10 ratio found on most laptops.

For the Z, the 16:9 ratio, combined with it's slightly smaller 13.1” display size means that compared to the SR, you lose some screen height (0.63” / 8.9%, to be exact), while gaining only 0.14” in width. Here's another way to picture it: The Z screen is a little bit wider than a standard 13.3” screen, and a little taller than a 12.1” screen.

Note: While the Z's screen is about 8.9% shorter (vertically) than a standard 13.3” screen (as in the SR / SZ, MacBook, etc.), the Z's higher DPI means that, when even the low-res (1366x768) Z model is compared to a standard 1280x800 13.3” display, you actually lose only 4% of your vertical pixel space (while gaining about 7% horizontal pixel space). This is important to know for editing/reading papers, etc., where vertical screen space is important to reduce the need for scrolling.


Audio (speakers / headphone jack)

The speaker and headphone jack quality of the Z and FW is currently unknown, although there are some early reports from new SR owners. The SR's headphone jacks have been reported to be free of interfering noise or buzzing when turning the volume up all the way. The SR speakers are said to be of average quality for a laptop of it's size (not so good with low bass or at very loud volumes, but adequate to watch / hear a movie.

Judging from photos of a Z model with it's keyboard panel removed, the speakers on the Z appear to be quite small – about half an inch in diameter. This means the Z will most likely not be able to reproduce lots of bass and probably won't be very loud, but this is not surprising considering the compactness of the laptop.


Input (keyboard / touchpad)

The keyboards on the SR, Z, and FW are all similar in that they're all full-pitch (19.05mm), and use calculator style keys (more like traditional buttons rather than the convex keys seen on most keyboards / laptops). To illustrate, here's a picture of the Vaio Z's keyboard:



Here are the “stats” for the keyboards of all three models:

Vaio SR: 19.05mm key pitch, 2.0mm stroke
Vaio FW: 19.05mm key pitch, 2.0mm stroke
Vaio Z: 19.05mm key pitch, 2.5mm stroke, extra spacing between keys to “reduce typing errors”

The Vaio Z has the better keyboard when compared to the FW/SR, with it's longer stroke length (the distance from the key being fully released to fully pressed down) and more spacing between keys, although this is subjective.

The Z keyboard contains only two custom non-standard buttons (in addition to the standard key set): S1 and S2. These can be customized to launch applications, perform actions, etc. The SR keyboard contains more custom buttons than the Z: a Mode button, a Setting button, and 5 extra customizable "switch" buttons. The FW has more custom buttons than both of the others: 1 generic customizable button, volume + / - buttons, a play/pause button, a stop button, a rewind / previous track button, a fast-forward / next track button, and an "AV MODE" button (customizable).

The touchpads of the SR, FW, and Z all appear to be very generous in size, almost completely filling the palmrest (except for horizontally, of course). The SR mouse buttons have been reported as being slightly harder to press than the average laptop. The SR has been reported to use a Synaptics touchpad, and the FW an Alps. The Z is currently unknown.


Portability (weight / battery life)

Weight and battery lives (MobileMark 2007 rating with standard capacity battery):

Vaio FW: 6.4 pounds, 2.1 / 2.4 hours battery life (depending on model)
Vaio SR: 4.14 pounds, 3.5 / 5.0 hours battery life (depending on model)
Vaio Z: 3.31 pounds, 4.5 / 5.4 hours battery life, or 3.42 pounds, 4 / 5 hours battery life (for the VGN-Z590UAB model)


It's interesting to note that only the VGN-Z590UAB model from the SonyStyle US website weighs 3.42 pounds – the rest weigh 3.31 pounds (according to Sony spec sheets). The Z590UAB is unique since it contains dual 64GB SSD disks, which is assumed to be the cause of the extra .11 pounds of weight in the Z590UAB compared to the other models with standard hard drives. Also, according to the US Sony spec sheets, the Z590UAB has a claimed battery life that is about 0.5 hours less than the other models. This 30 minutes reduction of claimed battery life is assumed to be mainly due to the dual SSD disks, and partially due to the higher resolution (1600x900) screen found on the Z590UAB (and other models).

The lower battery life rating for some FW models appears to be due to the use of a Intel T9400 processor, which consumes more power than Intel P-series CPUs. This slight reduction in battery life may also be due to the XBLACK HiColor screen technology found on these models. Either way, the difference is relatively small (2.1 vs. 2.4 hours), unlike the SR / Z differences, described below.

The two MobileMark 2007 battery life ratings given for the SR represents the difference between SR models with the discrete video chip (ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470) at 3.5 hours, and integrated video chip (Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500MHD) at 5.0 hours. The Radeon card will obviously perform much better for gaming, while the Intel card apparently increases the battery life by about 1.5 hours.

The two MobileMark 2007 battery life ratings given for the Z also represents the difference between using the discrete or integrated video chip, but unlike the SR, all Z models include both video cards at the same time. The Z has a "Speed / Stamina" switch which allows you to dynamically switch between it's two video cards. This means you can get ~5.4 hours of battery life while doing web browsing, word processing, etc., and at the same time have the capability to play graphically intensive video games (which will get you a slightly less battery life of 4.5 hours).


Build quality (chasis quality / screen flex)

All three models (Z, SR, FW) have been reported to have excellent chasis build quality, with little or no flex when being picked up by a corner, for example. The SR chasis and FW chasis are built from magnesium, while the Z chasis uses carbon fiber. Some parts of the SR and FW, particularly removable panels and side panels for ports, appear to be made of a strong plastic rather than magnesium. It is unknown whether the removable RAM panel under the Z or the side port panels are made out of carbon fiber or plastic.

In addition to the Z being the only model with a carbon fiber chasis, the Z also has a full brushed aluminum palmest and keyboard backplate (all one piece of aluminum). In other words, the entire face surface of the Vaio Z is made from a single sheet of sturdy brushed aluminum.

Accorind to early user reviews of the SR, it is overall very study and well built. Some flex is present on plastic keyboard plate (not the keys themselves) near the bottom right corner of the laptop (where the DVD drive is). The battery is locked in place very securely, although loose enough to allow a very slight "wiggle". The power adapter plug also was slightly loose.

The SR's extremely thin screen does flex a little, but not dangerously. Keep in mind that, according to the Berlin press release video, the new Sony screens are more flexible than before, which reduces the risk of cracking when flexed. Screen flex on the Z and FW models hasn't been reliably determined yet, but are expected to be somewhat better than the SR, since the Z screen is cased in multi-layer carbon fiber, and the FW seems better reinforced (thicker).



Performance (cooling efficiency, benchmarks, etc.)

Cooling

Currently, the practical cooling effeciency is only known for the SR. According to user reports, the SR is very good at keeping itself cool - even when running intensive 3D games, the SR seems to keep moderately cool, without the need to speed up the fan too much. The chasis gets slightly warmer on the left than the right, due to CPU placement. Air exaust from the fan is fairly hot, which is a good sign since this means the heat is being removed from the laptop and ejected properly.

The FW also uses the fan minimally, which keeps noise levels very low, although unlike the SR the FW is somewhat below average when it comes to cooling. According to a reviewer, "lap performance would score probably a C-, making my legs sweat after about an hour of surfing the web on the balanced profile".

The Z cooling effeciency is currently unknown, since production models won't start shipping for a few weeks. However, looking at the design can reveal some very interesting facts. The only vent slits on the underside of the Z are located on the removable RAM access panel. What this means is the Z was most likely designed to keep cool even when sitting on your lap, bed, etc., unlike most other laptops which rely heavily on bottom-mounted fans and air vents to keep cool. At the very least, the convenient location of the Z's only bottom vent makes it very desirable for "lap top" use. Also, photos of the Z's internals show a very well designed fan and cooling system, using copper thermal tubing to transfer heat from even the hard drive to the fan area for venting.

Benchmarks

One unique feature of the Z is it's "Speed / Stamina" switch. Unlike most laptops, you don't need to permanently choose between a high power video accelerator for gaming, or a slow video accelerator that maximizes battery life. You get both - the "Speed / Stamina" switch allows you to dynamically swap between one of the Z's two internal graphics chips: NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS (for high speed gaming performance), or Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (for longer battery life). This way you can switch to "Speed" mode when on AC power, for example, and the Z will be able to play games fairly well, and when on battery power, you can switch to "Stamina" mode, which will draw much less power overall, at the expense of lesser gaming performance. For more info about the battery lives these two modes give, see the section on Portability / battery life.

(Todo)



Connectivity (ports, wireless support)

Vaio SR: 2 USB 2.0 ports, ethernet port (10/100), I.LINK (aka. Firewire) port, VGA port, headphone / microphone jacks, ExpressCard/34 slot, SD memory card slot, Memory Stick slot, WLAN (Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN - 802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth, dial-up 56k modem (phone) port

Vaio Z: 2 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI port, ethernet port (10/100/1000), I.LINK (aka. Firewire) port, VGA port, headphone / microphone jacks, ExpressCard/34 slot, SD memory card slot, Memory Stick slot, WLAN (Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN - 802.11a/b/g/n), WWAN (Sprint), Bluetooth, dial-up 56k modem (phone) port

Vaio FW: 3 USB 2.0 ports, HDMI port, ethernet port (10/100/1000), I.LINK (aka. Firewire) port, VGA port, headphone / microphone jacks, ExpressCard/34 slot, SD memory card slot, Memory Stick slot, WLAN (Atheros 802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth, dial-up 56k modem (phone) port

As you can see, only the Z supports wireless "cellular" internet (using Sprint Mobile Broadband Service). The SR and Z support 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN networks, while the FW supports 802.11b/g/n. The lack of support for type "a" networks on the FW shouldn't be a problem, though, because it's an old standard and is almost never used.

Also interesting is the location of ports. On the SR and FW, all the USB ports are on the right side, while the Z has one on the right and one on the left. On the FW, the headphone and microphone jacks are located on the front (near the right). On the SR and Z, they're located on the left side, although on the SR they're near the back and on the Z they're near the front. The SR's positioning of these is slightly less convenient because you'll need a longer headphone cord to reach farther back, and your headphone plug may get in the way of the power cable if both are connected at the same time (depending on the size of your headphone connector).

The SR is the most lacking of the three in terms of supported ports - unlike the Z and FW it does not include an HDMI port, and it's ethernet port isn't as fast (10/100, rather than 10/100/1000).

 

Niiiice!

 

Interesting. Good job though.

 

WOOOOOOW!! Dude... what a useful comparison snapshot. This is exactly what I was looking for since I'm in for replacing my FZ with either the Z or the SR and knowing that I won't be able to see these machines displayed in a local store (I live in NE Florida.. there aren't any SonyStyle stores within 200 miles) I needed a way to get some idea of how big (in this case, small) will the monitor be compared to my FZ and also the details on keystroke are just plain AWESOME....!!!

You see, I'm a very heavy busines user and did good 1 month of research before settling for the FZ last year. What tilted my decision most in its favor was the keyboard, which I think is absolutely fantastic for a very frequent typist and the monitor/screen brightness, which is just outstanding. Too bad the other issues are now forcing me to get rid of this machine.

For the benefit/knowledge of others who are looking to purchase the FZ. Make sure you look at the "whites" of the screen with the Nvidia 8400GT card based machine and the battery life on this thing is quite practically not even worth commenting on.. Let me just say that If I could run it on 4 fresh AA batteries, I may give the included battery a run for its money. And I'm not being sarcastic here..

Anywho.. Thanks a bazillion again for the awesome write-up AC500. Hopefully more people will shower you with well deserved kudos.

AJ

 

Excellent thread idea ac500!
I am disappointed the FW and SR have media control buttons but not the Z, especially when its the most expensive and has HDMI out and Blu-Ray option. Though its predecessor, the SZ, also lacked these buttons...

 

Nice work. Should add the fact that the SR is the only one of the three that doesn't come with a digital video / HDMI out.

 

well done. good effort here.

 

Good info. Thank you!

Yet. It's pretty obvious that they left room for it on the side of the unit.

 

Yay PPI and length/width measurements! I was getting enough of a headache trying to compute them backwards from screen size.

 

Sony UK have listed on the UK Sony Style website that the Z battery life is up to 4 hours 50 mins but Sony US have listed the battery life as up to 5.5-6 hours.
Before Sony Style had the previous gen models SZ6/SZ7 listed as having up to 6 hours and 5 hours 30min battery life and the US site had them listed as both having up to 6 hours battery life also. Btw, the Sony Style UK site also give the SR model with integrated graphics a battery life of up to 5 hours.



I think that the UK site is probably wrong but it will be interesting to read a review of the Z and see what the situation is really in regards to battery life.

 

I personally think that this is just a revised specification in advertissment. I notice that it is not just Sony that lowers the performance number on the batteries, but apple is doing the same thing with the latest macbook and macbook pro models, bringing down the length of time the battery can perform

cheers ...

 

Thanks for all the comments / info. I'll probably be finishing / updating this today.

 

Ok, I've updated the media keys info, and finished the rest of it except for the benchmarks section. Phwew. That took longer than I expected

Thanks again for all the feedback, I appreciate it

 

Well, the Z and the SR are nearly the same hardware wise, tbh, so in my humble opinion I think they should get very similar battery life.

And the US/UK site battery life discrepancy? Brits have morals, Yanks don't and lie. XP

 

Update: The battery life section has been updated with the more trustworthy MobileMark 2007 battery life ratings from SonyStyle UK.

 

why did sony put the faster ethernet port on the cheaper FW model, but not on the SR model? what the hell. Anyway, what is the significance? Is 1000 used much at all?

 

No HDMI out for the SR, huh?

Any way's around this? Can I somehow hook it through my PS3 so I can watch HD movies on my HDTV from the laptop? Love me some Sony, and my Samsung TV craves it.

 

The SR and Z get 5 hours of battery life? and thats with the standard battery right?

This is very nice. Good job ac500!

 

I don't think you can hook it up directly, but I think you can stream media from the laptop to the PS3 though.

 

thank you this post was very helpful im going with the Z

 

5 hours of battery life on the SR? Is this accurate can anyone confirm? I've been hearing 3 hours of battery life. A slightly better graphics card over the 9300 vs a Vaio Z's integrated (the 9300 GPU turned off) having the same battery life makes no sense to me.