Sony Vaio SZ: Low Build Quality or just the demo I used?

Regarding the Sony Vaio SZ review, I think it was good but it was not critical enough of this laptop. I was recently in the Sony Style store and got a chance to use it and there were two issues I think were overlooked in the review:

1) The Bad Keyboard which is mushy, awkward, and cramped (but there's another thread on this so let's just stop here with that.)

2) The flimsy build, especially around the screen and hinges.

Let's focus on #2- the firmness (or lack thereof) of the hinges leaves much to be desired, and is unacceptable in a notebook of this segment and price. Even the Vaios next to it were sturdier. While the bottom portion seemed reasonable (the aluminum felt solid) , the most stressed component (the hinge/screen assembly) is ridiculously weak for a laptop whose emphasis is portability.

The durability of the LCD housing is also called into question. It feel like a thin wafer and I do not expect it to last. The camera housing also looks chintzy, but that is subjective.

Could it be just the display model at SonyStyle, or are my expectations simply too high? I was hoping for something that could at least rival the solidity of a Macbook Pro or Thinkpad. (I will admit I had played with a Macbook Pro in the Apple store beforehand but the SZ felt flimsy even next to other Vaios)

My initial conclusion is that this is a C-, D+ laptop.

 

I don't know, maybe there are some of the SZ's that are just trash. Mine is nothing like you have described. To get a display that has no flex, you would have to overbuild the frame around it. This does not work in a ntoebook designed as an ultra portable though. Even my Dell D600 flexes a little if you force it. The camera IMHO is what it is, a tiny web cam. Nothing more, nothing less. I missed the housing altogether though, mine is mounted flush in the display, and really has no "housing" per se, and looks to be a perfect form fit.

I don't know how anyone can say the kbd is cramped. It is a FULL SIZE notebook keyboard. It has the same key pitch as a standard desktop kbd, it is only the placement of special keys that is different from a standard kbd. ***** about the stroke, or large flat landing area of the keys, or even the space bar, but you are insane if you really think it is cramped. Its hard to take anything else you say seriously after a silly comment like that...

 

No I think its just the demo model. I felt the same way about the demo model, but when I purchases the notebook, I knew it was an awesome notebook. The build is great, I carry it everyday use it every hour basically with it being on hibernate when not using it.

p.s - im on it right now and the keyboard feels great to me, but this depends on the person and there previous laptop experiences.

 

Hey bluecoyote,

About the keyboard, I believe it's a subjective thing Some people here agree with you and think it's ****, but some of us think it's fine too. I tried to point that out and encouraged people to try the keyboards out in person. Whereas it's easy to objectively say, for example, that this CD drive is faster than that CD drive, it's more difficult to measure keyboards against any sort of objective scale. I didn't think it'd be fair to bash on the notebook too much for something that's so dependent on individual user preference.

As for build quality, did you really feel that strongly about it? My SZ was nowhere near as bad as you described. Compared to the other notebooks I've used (admittedly, most of them are ordinary consumer-level ones), the build quality seemed fine. My screen hinges were tight. Maybe the demo unit really was overused -- have you tried a demo model anywhere else (Best Buy might have one)?

The SZ may not rival the solidity of the all-metal MacBooks, but that says more about the MacBook than the SZ. The MacBooks are great machines and I'd love to see the ultraportable/12" version if Apple ever releases one. If Apple doesn't sacrifice too much in their design, an ultraportable MacBook may very well beat a lot of other offerings -- especially if they turn out to be capable of running Windows.

 

The keyboard does take some time to get used to, but then it feels very comfortable, except maybe the spacebar. Regarding the build quality, Sony is top of the line. It was definitly only a demo model.

 

Personally, if I saw a demo model that I felt as strongly about as has been negatively described here and other threads, I would have a really hard time even considering making the purchase. I mean I know the machine will get more use by me in the first month than a demo sitting on a shelf in a store will see in twice the time or more. If it doesn't hold up as a demo, it is not going to last in my hands for very long. I guess I'm glad none of the demos I've seen have been in that bad of shape. So far so good for my SZ.