Sony Vaio TZ...Now or wait?

Hi all,

I am new in this forum and I say hello to all you guys

Two weeks ago it happened that I went to a store for my son and I saw this fantastic laptop, the Sony Vaio TZ. After thinking a lot, I decided to buy one of those. My question is: Buy now or wait for a better model (perchaps with better cpu and bigger storage)?? I saw that the first models came with 32 GB SSD and now Sony refresh it to 64 GB SSD.
Do you guys know when isd expected Sony to release a new model of the Sony TZ? Any thoughts about any chanches?


Thanks in advance!

 

This year or in the very beggining of the 2008, INTEL launches the only ULV CPU that will have 1,33GHz - but i dont think that 133MHz faster CPU would be that much better (no doubt that SONY will place price a lot higher).. Somewhere around here I read that new TZ is coming to US market - 198N/RS (or so) an it should have opportunity to get bigger storage..

But, this industry is developing so fast, that you can wait for a years.. Now you'll wait for TZ refresh then with the launch, SONY will anounce another refresh etc.. You should buy it now or never

 

I hear the Asus U1, an 11.1" similar to the TZ, has been recently updated to the 965 chipset and X3100 graphics, I have a feeling the TZ will also be updated to that and the 1.33ghz processor in January/February.

I won't be able to buy a new laptop until the end of this semester as a reward so I may just wait for that.

 

Sony generally updates about every 3 - 4 months depending on your country. There will always be something better, faster, sexier, cooler ... at some point, put a stake in the ground. The C2D ULV 1.33 won't be significantly faster than its 1.2 counterpart.

As rahulnirmal says, the bigger upgrade will most likely be the graphics chipset which it's unclear when/if Sony will add it to the TZ line. I predict in the spring refresh which is about 6 months away - but I could be wrong.

 

You're right -- this is a fantastic "package" -- it is truly the size and weight of a "notebook" -- but at a price! Having watched Sony developments for the past year, even if they refresh the current TZ line it's a virtual certainty they'll also increase prices to reflect the upgrades. Right now, the biggest impact on pricing is their use of a solid state drive (SSD). If you like the TZ with a standard hard disk drive (ie., spinning platter), the prices right now are pretty good (check out ebay -- some good deals there). On the other hand if you like the SSD option, Sony is just now releasing their 64G SSD version (with a 200G HDD and external DVD burner) the TZ198N -- very expensive although you can save ~$400-500 on ebay even on this model. With the rapid development of SSD technology, the price for these will undoubtedly drop over the next 6+ months, suggesting waiting at least that long.

Hope that insight helps -- in general, as with all cutting edge technology computers, prices keep decreasing but technology keeps improving and each new technology advance bumps prices back up.

 

Thanks guys for your responses. I'm not such an expert but the 965 chipset and the x3100 what difference will make? I don't do any gaming, if is only about this about.
Fender you are right, technology walks with incredible steps so if you expect always something better...you will wait for ever!! No, maximum untill February I can wait, furthermore no.
So, to sum up maybe they will put the 1.33 gHz ULV but yeah what a differnce from a 1.2 gHz. From what I read I will go definitely with the SSD and the DVD. Bruce how much more do you think Sony can high up the prices more than the actual?? Who can spend more for an ultraportable??

 

Amardillo, newbies should pay far more attention when posting. All your questions were answered in the posts above. Please read.

 

Same here armadilo!

I will buy a TZ or now or January. My hope is that they will put a 78 or a 128 GB SSD so definitely i will take it. For my needs 64 is still so little if is going to be your primary computer. So i think i am going to wait little more, not in a hurry.
But wow, you guys think that they will replace the graphic card also?

 

There are no 78 or 128GB cards that you would be able to afford, Jack, it's already $1000 for the 64GB, how much do you think a 128GB would be? $3000? $4000?

 

Sorry ubercool,

But the Sony thread is huge. Any link?

 

There is nothing that i can't afford my friend! lol

I read somewhere that they have been released the 128 Gb and 256 Gb SSD. But still not for massive production. As for the price I don't think that will cost so much more. Few people can buy a 5000$ laptop and Sony I don't think they are so stupid to put in the market a product that a minority can afford. Of course it will be a premium but not the prices you said!

 

if you want an ssd that big, wait till the middle of next year

 

For the record Ubercool does not own NBR, but he does make a valid point - albeit made it in a slightly unpleasant manner.

armadilo, just for the record, since you are new:

The Sony forum is huge - not the thread. A thread is something you post/start in the forum. To be able to find the information you are looking for, the best way is to search for specific topics related to your question. There are 2 main search functions which most people use when they have entered a specific forum:

- Search this Forum. Look to the right and you will find it next to "Forum Tools".

- Search. Look at the top right corner. This is a general search function which searches all forums for keywords.

Good luck and enjoy. And welcome to the forum.

 

JabbaJabba, that's a lot of notebooks you have (or had). Do you still use them all? Which one is your favorite?

 

You guys have a point, the upcoming 1.33ghz processor will bring very minimal difference, if the 965 chipset and X3100 graphics are implemented, that won't bring much difference as well. And of course laptops, especially Sony laptops, get refreshed and replaced relatively frequently and you'll just end up waiting forever to wait for the latest and greatest.

I'll be buying a notebook at the end of my semester to reward myself (plus if I bought one now, I'd so fail the semester, I have no self-control. ) If a new refresh will come out early next year, I may as well get that or get the older models at a bit lower price.

Unlike most of you, I am a poor student and buying a TZ would exhaust all of the money I've saved up. I'd hate to buy one and shortly after have a new model come out at the same price or the current model drop in price. I'd have to keep the TZ for quite a while as I have my current notebook.

 

Does anyone know if supposed upgrade to 1.33Ghz would decrease battery life? Long battery is quite an important feature for me.

 

i doubt you'll notice the difference

 

Buy now, unless you can wait till Montevina next year. That is when Sony will probably put in an LV 45nm processor into the TZ, along with Intel's new GMA X4500 (GM45) integrated graphics. and larger SSD drives.

 

Think of the TZ not just as an incredible ultraportable but also as one of the few notebooks that has the potential to be modified. Although it may take a little work (and void warranty) when was the last time you could buy a notebook this size and weight that came with a 200gb HDD AND there was still room inside to add an SSD of your choice at a later stage when prices and capacities make it more viable. Its basically a 1.25kg laptop with a storage expansion bay.

Personally im gonna go for it right now. Conics have finally offered the HSDPA as an option (I know its locked but if its inside I can replace with a mini-pci) which makes it the perfect road-warrior ultraportable for me.

As for going from 1.2 to 1.33 I very much doubt it will make very much of a difference. Think about it this way. In a normal laptop going from 2.2ghz to 2.4ghz really makes no difference to anyone except benchmarking nerds and no offence to these people but i'm buying a laptop to enjoy using it not show off to my friends (although the TZ is so sexy you can do that anyway)

As for going from gma950 to x3100 well honestly who cares. Vista Aero flies along on a gma950 and the x3100 is a POS for gaming anyway. If you want a gaming laptop get a gaming laptop. It wont make a difference anyway.

If you want an amazing piece of notebook engineering which is capable of doing an entire days work on a single charge while remaining incredibly portable and has one of the best screens in the business then get the credit card out, bite your knuckles, order your TZ now and dont shoot the DHL guy when he knocks on the door (ya might hit the laptop)

 

i think the lv or ulv versions of montevina will be out later than that.

 

I just pulled the trigger on my third TZ, so call me "trigger-happy!"

 

Which one this time?

 

I bought the TZ198 from Colpic on eBay. Unfortunately, he tells me, delivery is not scheduled until Nov. 12 at the latest!

Oh well, I just got Parallels up and running on my iMac and will do my iBook as soon as my 200GB Hitachi shows up, so that will keep me very busy -- melding the three hard disks!

 

Yeah, the lead time on shipment sunk my own interest in a TZ198. In any event, you're already one-up on SonyStyle, who have apparently taken the model completely off the line-up. Here's to hoping the next model is a 64GB+DVD!

 

Wow, they did!

I wonder what that is all about.

 

No they didn't... At least, I can still see it. This morning it was listed first instead of last but now it is back to its position at the end of the page. The individual product page is here: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665253598

I am assuming you were talking about the US SonyStyle site...

 

Hehe, DOH!

 

Yes -- it's back with ship date of Monday -- Nov 5th!!!

 

Wow, so that means Chris should be shipping our units pretty soon after.

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that mine will arrive Monday. He told me (before he left on company travel) that his western Canadian rep had rec'd it and would be shipping it directly to me but the soonest they could get it to me would be Monday. Sounds like he has more in that shipment so maybe yours will be showing up sooner than you expected. Because he's traveling he wasn't able to get me a tracking number -- says he'll get it to me Sunday evening.

 

Now I just have to sell this SZ670 so I can afford to pay for the TZ198 -- got myself a bit over-involved with laptops this past month and I need to settle down on just one.

 

Same here, I bought five laptops this year, insane!

 

Everyone suppose that the next refresh of TZ will have the Santa Rosa chipset and the X3100 graphic card.
Let's suppose is true. What will change in terms of performance and battery life? The machine will produce more heat?

 

This question has been answered ad nauseam in the other TZ195 thread, do a search!