Sony Vaio SZ vs Z Series

in your opinion would you upgrade to a sony vaio Z series or stick to your lastest SZ ?
there are pros and cons though. juz looking for some opinions

what i really like about my SZ650 is the screen size...
not sure abt the Z series which looks rather small for everyday use

 

I was totally with you before today's event.
The one-piece aluminum keyboroad panel looks soooooooooooooo cool.
Z's got a greater design and the only thing I dont like about is the video card. I hope when the nvidia lines upgrade the better video card will be used.

 

I think if your computer works fine, you're happy with it, stick with it.

Yes the specs are better on the Z (CPU, GPU etc.) however I already strongly dislike it, keyboard dfesign, also missing keys, dreadful hinge (for my tastes)...

So I'm very happy that I got an SZ7 a little while ago (German top-range-model) and I'll stick with it for some time.

Before I used a laptop for close to 3 years (1,6 GHz Centrino, upgraded Ram from 512Mb to 1Gb though...) and in a way I was fine with it until I ruined the keyoard and it isn't worth replacing (got an external one).

So I would say only get a new laptop if the old one isn't good enough for you.

Most people will tell me I don't need the power in my SZ, true, but hopefully I can use it for at least 3 years (the more the better) until I get a new one.

So I say, if you like you SZ, keep it!

(Oh, and by the way, there might be some design flaws in you initial Z...)

 

i am so happy the z is coming, since i hate the low wxga resolution and the sloppy keyboard on the sz. i would always take an z over the sz because of these features.

 

Sloppy keyboard on the SZ??
I truly love the keyboard - and already hate (yes I know its a strong word) the look of th new keyboards, so there are some very different views out there.

And what low resolution? I'm perfectly fine with films in 600*800 ...

Also the higher your resolution, the greater your energy loss, so every little piece will have to become more efficient to keep energy consumption on an acceptable level...

I think its the same discussion as with blue ray. Sone people say they need it, can't live without it. I'm asking what for? What's wrong with DVDs?? I'm missing VHS already...
(By the way, I'm only about 18,5 years old so... just don't say I'm physically old)

 

it's all about preference. i am used to work on a higher resolution and i don't like the "small" and trendy 1280x800 and it is stated in so many tests and i tried it for myself that the sz keyboard is crap. the tz (like macbook air) keyboard that is now used for the new vaios is waaay better than the old stuff with to much travel and no real feedback. ok the macbooks is even worse but i am really happy that they (finally) changed to another type of layout and keys.

 

I'm also perfectly happy with mine SZ71VN/X (Carbon, 2.5GHz, 4GB RAM, 200GB HDD 7,200rpm), but I really like new Z series (european Z11VN model), I would trade it in no time with mine. My only concern is as you indicated screen resolution as I also believe that 1600x900 is pretty damn small for 13.1" size

 

interesting views
but i do like the SZ keyboard design, havent tried the new Z keyboard layout
dont need that much power or graphic card on my SZ

what i really like about the new Z series is the "on the fly" speed - stamina mode

 

Well I don't quite think the "on the fly" swapping is enough to justify the price of the Z, especially if your else happy with you SZ and the Z is liable to having slight "faults" like a rattling battery (see report on SZ1, no personal experience)...

But you choice. I still recommend you stay with your SZ.

 

Are you saying you hate it based on how it looks? Have you used it? I have a TZ which has the same keyboard design and it is fantastic to type on.

I won't bother arguing the point about it's aesthetics, even though I fail to see how anyone could think it doesn't look nicer than a traditional keyboard, but it's an excellent design in terms of usability.

 

I too dislike the look of the keyboard.

But, I too have heard that they are excellent to type on (although I haven't tried one myself yet).

 

hey guys juz wanted to know if the SZ line will be discontinued?
or will sony still be updating the SZ?

 

As far as I know it will not be updated any more. According to the specsheets the Z series replaces the premium SZ models.

 

However I think Sony isn't sure how to handle the SZ.
On previous updates they always lowered the price of the old series, now they seem to be keeping it at full price.
Maybe there were that many positive responses to the SZ that they don't like the idea of discontinuing it?
I could imagine that the SZ would get an update if people bought the SZ "en masse" and ignored the SR and Z series (compared in numbers), but else its sadly going to die, I think ...

 

I believe Sonystyle usually keeps the prices high, while the retail channel offers the lower prices.

 

Actually the Sony Centres in the UK have dropped the price of all the SZ series laptops dramatically. The top is £600 off. It's a shame because I loved the SZ series and I was so close to getting one but I'm getting the Z now.

I think if you're new you should definately go for the Z but there is no real point in changing. The only other thing is that the SZ are now a lot cheaper so maybe it is a good time to grab a great laptop

 

Overall the Z is looking to be an excellent laptop overall. It's main features over the SZ are the Centrino 2 platform, new display and aluminum keyboard panel. They also kept the curved front-panel design, so your wrists don't rest against a sharp edge when typing. But, why did they only put 1 USB port per side? This makes for quite an annoyance when using a USB-powered HDD. The side-mounted power button also scares me a bit, I would be worried about it getting turned on in my bag.

 

What about battery life? Is the Z going to have 6 hours+ like the SZ with the extended battery option?

 

Battery life of the Z will (most likely) be a bit better than the SZ.

CPU, memory and videocard all use a little bit less power.

 

I was hoping to buy a Z just because I want something new to replace my two year old SZ but the Z isn't much faster than my current SZ. Also, I use both the expresscard and the pcmcia card slots. I use the pcmcia slot for a Verizon Wireless EVDO card and the expresscard for eSata or a 16gb flash drive depending on the situation. If I only had one slot it would cramp my style.

Once I see the Z in person, things might change but it is going to have to look really good for me to dump 3k. The only real benefit that I see in the Z is Blu Ray with a high resolution display, but that hardly justifies the price. On my SZ I use the Nvidea video card profile 100% so changing on the fly, while it is a nice feature, isn't important to me. I was reading an article from Sandisk CEO/President today were he comments that Vista is not optimized for SSD so I can't see spending any money on that.

Dell, Asus, Toshiba, and IBM are offering very nice product that needs considering too but I really don't see a reason to change from the SZ. If I didn't already own a SZ things might be different but I do and it is plenty fast.

 

Its natural for you guys to justify about being happy with ur laptops and that its "better", which is great, but the new one truely is better and more beautiful. My advise to you, stick with the SZ780, no point switching. If its an older SZ then yea I would recommend switching. And don't forget SZ's have come a long way so there probably wont be flaws as such with the Z. Maybee if at all a few cuz its a whole new design but still.

 

MxMoney,

For me, the pcmcia and expresscard is huge. I help a lot of my friends and family out, and having the legacy pcmcia port helps keep me compatible with older hardware. But it is easy to see why they removed it from the Z: it's a legacy port that requires additional space and hardware. The good news is that you can buy (for about $100) an external adapter that converts expresscard/34 to pcmcia.

 

It may come down to preference, i was debating between a SZ and TZ recently and ended up going with the SZ purely on the screen size and resolution. I can use the SZ when I am wearing my glasses which are an old prescription ( I usually wear contact lenses) I could not have done that with the smaller and higher resolution screen on the TZ. Everything else was a compromise, more power with SZ, more portability with TZ.
The Z sounds like it would be a good compromise between the two.
I love my SZ 780, but would probably jump on the Z if I was still looking.

 

Personally, I also think the Z looks to be a great balance between portability and performance. It's quite light! But I'm hoping the screen is much more like the 13.3", and that it'll feel plenty large enough for class, on the go, etc. use. It still packs a punch with the newer CPU, a decent graphics card for average use, an improved screen, faster memory, etc.

I can't quite commit myself to it yet, but I guess being with no laptop ... I'm viewing the Z and SR as better contenders for me than the SZ. Had I already gotten an SZ, I think I'd just enjoy it ... sit back ... wait for the Z to become the 'older' model and grab it cheap if you still want one then and your SZ is ready to retire ... laptops are constantly better, the moment you blink.

 

The SZ does look better to me i am also not a fan of those type of keyboard on the new Sony models. I had one on a MacBook and i didn't really like it. I prefer standard keyboards to type on.

Also the SZ is more ergonomic in design and i can imagine that it would be more comfortable for me to use.

Points of for the Z models not having carbon fibre lids those carbon fibre and premium carbon fibre lids on the SZ look classy.

For general things like itunes, web surfing, pictures you are not going to notice any difference in terms of performance with an SZ or a Z model. The T9300 processors were by no means a slow processor and they perform about the same as a P8600 in most tasks.

I use the integrated card and never use the dedicated card other than trying it out once.

If you need the better graphics card and an HDMI port then go for it. If you don't though and you get an SZ at a good price then it is worth looking at. Battery life is also around the same.

VGA-->HDMI adapters can also be bought though for the SZ model.

 

You got a fairlyy good point there, but ur right, the Z series dont use Carbon Fibre, they use Carbon Fibre 2!. Cheers man.

 

Hi i am not sure that i am getting your point about the carbon fibre 2. What do you mean by this?
The new Z models do have carbon fibre chasis but they do not have a carbon fibre lid the lids are pretty much standard like they were with the Sony/B models.

 

rachuk,

Is the Z lid plastic or some metal alloy? I wouldn't be surprised if the Z lid is plastic, the more flexible LCD in the Z would allow for weaker lid construction.

 

No, the lid is not plastic, it is carbon fiber (a different type I hear though).

According to Sony:

Now, it may not have that fancy, expensive, useless "premium carbon fiber weave" pattern availible (currently, at least), but just because it doesn't have a weave doesn't mean it's not carbon fiber.

And regarding flex, I've only seen flex in the SR - what video are you referring to that shows the Z screen flexing so badly?

 

Again, be careful when assuming that it's not carbon fiber just because it's smooth black, and not weaved. In the Berlin press event, I think they said that the carbon fiber casing was a different type of carbon fiber (lighter, I think), so it looks different.

What else could "carbon fiber defends the LCD's exterior panel" mean?

This quote: "Strong, multi-layered carbon fiber defends the LCD's exterior panel while the XBRITE-DuraView™ display uses a special hard coating to minimize scratches.", can be found here:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644570897&parentCategoryId=16154

 

It looks like you could be right then well at least it has settled that debate then at least for now.
I do think that the old style premium and premium carbon fibre lids looked nicer though.

 

The 'premium carbon' lids of the szs are the same as the 'carbon' lids except that they have a clear sealer instead of black paint. It's more expensive because the weave has to be laid perfectly with no buckles or excessive waviness and then carefully painted in order to show of the raw fibres. Strictly speaking, it's carbon fibre reinforced plastic, so it's still plastic in that sense. Generally you can be sure that a lid that thin (in the order of 4/5 mm) will be carbon fibre or metal simply because non-metallic non-composites just don't have the stiffness required (Al 70GPa, CFRP 120GPa+, Ti similar to Al but stronger) to make something so thin sufficiently stiff in order that it won't sag down and touch the keyboard. Magnesium is well below that value and so you'll see those screens are thicker (it has the benefit of being very low in density).

 

I agree they look nicer (I have it ) but I guess Sony must have decided that it wasn't worth the special production and hand-spraying for a low-selling finish - it's a fair bit more expensive for no actualy performance except that there's a couple of grams less paint!

Probably a good business decision, although I would have rather they'd gone the other way and just made them all raw carbon finish by refining the process. In the same sense of raw or anodised metals and leather, I really like seing materials rather than paint.

 

given the choice of paying more for exposed carbon look, to cheaper painted carbon, i'd take the cheaper route...

seeing carbon on a computer is pointless.

 

i think the sr has a plastic lid (no carbon)... not quite as slim as the z, BUT still thin. and to your point, the sr's screen is very flexy in my limited experience with it.

 

Is the premium carbon weave finish lid for the SZ now on all new premium models? I had seen this, which states that particular look was a Japan only finish.
http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=2892

I think it looks cool, but I don't think the plain black carbon fiber casing looks bad. More plain, but it's thinner/lighter than standard laptop lids so I still like it. I guess I'd hardly choose one over the other simply because one has a weave finish and the other doesn't. It'd be nice if they still did a more fancy weave pattern, but I completely agree that on Sony's part it was probably a money/time thing,

 

Google is a great place, we use it here in the West. Just go to www.google.ca...

 

Heres guyss...This is the video for the Z series press conference in Berlin. Tells you alll about the Z series and even the inside of the laptop.

http://club.vaio.sony.co.uk/clubvaio/gb/en/vaio10/flash.jsp

 

Ok i think that this has been sorted out already but thanks anyway.
And btw thanks for the hint about google i did look on google UK but it did not give the information that i was looking for but once again thanks.

 

Theres no room for sarcasm in the West.

 

it would be nice if Sony designed the Z series optical drive as an built in drive (if you know what i mean)

something like Apple's optical drive designs
the Z series would have a much nicer and sleeker look

 

I know this thread is about the difference between the SZ and the Z but I was actually wondering what's causing the large difference in price between the SR and the Z. It seems to me that they're pretty much the same hardward except the Z is a little pricier. Is it the graphics card that makes it more expensive or is the slight decrease in size?

I'm looking at buying one of these in the next two weeks so I'm trying to get as much info as possible. I'd like a "premium" computer that will last a solid 3+ years.

 

EDIT: read AC500's response

 

There's a very big difference between the Z and SR:

- The Z is built from carbon fiber, the SR is built from magnesium. Carbon fiber is supposed to be 5 times stronger than steel, and is lighter than magnesium or aluminum I think. This means the Z will not only be lighter, but more sturdy than the SR.

- The Z's cooling system appears to be better designed than the SR: there are no air vents on the bottom except for some slits in the middle below the RAM. This is a big advantage for people who set laptops on their laps, carpet, couch, bed, etc.

- The Z has a better screen (100% color saturation), with special glare reduction and a unique coating to resist scratches. AFAIK, there's no other laptop in the world that offers this.

- The Z is about .85 pounds lighter than the SR, and it's "footprint" is several inches smaller in depth (while the screen is only about .5 inches smaller in height).

- The Z has a slightly better keyboard than the SR - it's keystroke length is slightly deeper, and there's more space around keys to reduce typing errors (although this is really a preference thing).

- The Z has two dynamically switchable video cards: one for battery life, and one for performance. With the SR, you have to make a choice before you buy and stick with it for ever (either good battery life or good 3D performance).

- The Z can be configured with blu-ray if you need it, or with SSD(s) (single or dual).

 

Not sure with the slot drives, I somehow like closed lids.. DELL XPS has a slot drive, and everyone seems to have a problem with the noise it generates..

 

Background: I bought a SZ90PS. Its the first batch from Japan.
My problem with mine is that the game I play wanted more than the nvidia card can offer:

I just dropped into a shop to try out the Z keyboard. Its much easier to type on than the SZ but my silver SZ keyboard looks much better. However, I think that I shall try and find workarounds for my SZ, because the Z screen size is a few inches squatter then the SZ.

I hope that I can find away to overclock my SZ nvidia GPU, and then shall have no need of the Z series.

However, I have to stress that I found the Z keyboard really easy to type on compared to the SZ. The Z just looks crap and some keys (Home End PgUp PgDown) are now on the arrows (one has to Fn+key to use these ). If Sony released the Z with a silver kbd and in gold, similar to the golden TT, then I may well be inclined ...

Screen size on Z... grrr. ****.. bollox.

 

Is is not a bit brave/foolish to overclock an Nvidia mobile GPU similar to those which have had well publicised problems with heat cycling causing physical damage?

But I agree that the Z keyboard is nice to type on (and that it's a bit annoying about the Home, End, PgUp, PgDn keys!).

 

I haven't logged onto this website for a week or two and was surprised to see this thread alive again . Reading this forum over the last few years has always been one of my passions. Speaking on passion, this thread is evidence of how much we love our very cool Sony product. I owned several older Sony laptops before the one I currently type from, including a SZ260p. I purchased this laptop SZ691 less than 6 weeks ago. I had plenty of time to review both the "Z" and "SR" models. I liked the "SZ" so much that I went with it again. One of the biggest reasons is how easy it is to view text on the 1200 x 800 display. Another fact that helped me was how comfortable I was with breaking down the machine. The first week I had it I installed 320gb 7200 rpm drive and X9000 2.8ghz processor and 4gb ram. I don't know if the Z would be able to run an X9000 because of the smaller cooling area. Once I installed the X9000 I read more about undervolting and now it runs at max 1.05volt and very cool so maybe the Z could run it??? Anyway, I think I would be very happy with a Z but I love my SZ all the same and I use the PCMCIA slot often. Fact is, I have all slots filled always. My config is pcmcia - evdo, expresscard - 16gb ssd, ms slot-4gb ready boost ms duo pro ultra card. I know pcmcia will eventually fall to expresscards but now I have 3 laptops which all have pcmcia and can share my aircard so giving that up today would be a problem. We all have our reasons but I could have bought a Z and I chose SZ. And my SZ is faster than any Z currently on the market. Add the weave pattern carbon lid and you have one hell-of-a badass laptop. Plus I have 4 power supplies and a docking station from the older laptop. Anyway, I like reading everyone's reasoning and my opinion is in no way a dig on the new Sony Z. It is a sweet machine, too!!!

 

MxMoney, where did you buy your Intel X9000 CPU? How much does it cost? What is the CPU temp you get on average after under-volting?

 

SpeedwithJJ,

I paid $400 inc shipping. I purchased an engineering sample because there are no retail stores that sell this chip. Intel only released it to system builders as oem. It sells for $851 so $380 was a great deal if it worked!!!. The eBayer had 100% positive feedback and I found out that I was buying from AOpen. I did run exhaustive stress test and benchmarked the hell out of it. That is when I decided to try and undervolt.

The X9000 is rated at max 105c but that really is too hot to sit with your laptop resting on your legs, you know? Before undervolting the X9000 would heat up to 91c after 1 hour of running both cores 100% stress testing. After undervolting it now tops out at 77c. It now idles at 37c and web surfs, LocationFree, or word processing tasks will go from 40-46. It rarely gets over 50c and I honestly think it is running cooler than the stock cpu which was a T7700 that some lucky NotebookReview forum reader got for a sweet price from me.

I modifed the profile "Performance On Demand" in RightMark CPU Utility and the top multiplier (14x but unlocked) is set stably at 1.05v. Stock v is 1.30v so it was a big difference for the entire motherboard to run it .25 lower. The cpu is awesome and power is there whenever I need it. There are plenty of times when it goes to 2.800ghz for brief periods so it isn't really overkill at all.

Jimmy

PS I wish there was a way to edit the BIOS so I could run the clock at 15x or 16x??