TT or Z?

Hi everyone. I currently have an SZ140 and it has done fairly well for me, although at this point the plastic bezels have pretty much fallen off. At any rate I have decided to get a new one

I am a student, so whatever I get needs to be able to take a bit of being thrown around, in and out of my backpack. I originally got the SZ as my only computer, but I now have a real desktop to compliment it, so I don't need huge amounts of power or storage space, I need mobility. I considered a ThinkPad or an E-series latitude, but anything smaller than 14" in those lineups doesn't seem to be worth it. I definitely want 13" or smaller.

So I've come back to looking at Sony, and it seems like the Z or TT are my best bet. I'm pretty torn. On one hand, I like the James Bond edition of the TT - it looks like a great deal to throw in the 64GB of solid state and a nice leather case. It's tiny and yet has all the features I need. On the other, I am a bit concerned that the size might be a bit too small and underpowered. The Z does have a normal processor and much larger screen real estate.

So, what are your opinions?

 

I would go for Z if I were u, since TT is too small for me. And u dont need that much power for a small notebook with ridiculously high price. I rather get a netbook like Asus EEE than a TT.

 

Well, in my opinion, paying about $2400 to be Bond with a tiny 11.1" widescreen LCD display is a bit of a stretch for me ... so I'd say go for the Z.

 

Honestly it's not so much the Bond thing as it is what you get... 64GB of solid state is really enticing, and it includes a leather case that's normally $150. If you configure a TT, non-007 version, with 64GB solid state drive, it costs over $2600, and that's not including the case.

If I got the Z I would upgrade to solid state eventually, but it may be a year or two before the price of solid state drops enough for that.

 

In a way you are asking a ridiculous question as these laptops are as different as chalk and cheese.

If you want power - Z
If you want battery life - TT

The TT will be fine for Word and PowerPoint - which I suspect you'll need at university.
The Z however will do all the "heavy stuff" along the way.

(PS: I got an SZ71VN/X before they discontinued it this year - love it - and its with me at university every day)

 

I would get the Z as you are used to the size of your SZ and the Z is actually a bit smaller than it. A TT may be too small for you if you are used to the SZ.

While the TT will get better battery life, the Z still comes quite close and you can always buy a second standard battery or a larger extended battery. So you can always upgrade on that front.

But with the TT, you cannot upgrade its power in case you need additional power later on in the future. The Z is much more powerful but only slighter larger than the TT and the battery life isn't much worse than the TT.

Plus with the Z until December 31st, you have the option of getting a free Mobility (additional standard battery, stick AC adaptor and carrying case) or Productivity (docking station, wireless bluetooth mouse and stick AC adaptor) Bundle which doesn't apply to the TT.

 

Thanks for all the input so far.

I'll probably go back to the SonyStyle store again this weekend and feel them up before I make a final decision, but in the mean time I would appreciate any other input people may have.

I realize they are slightly different classes of laptops, but I've been all over the board finding the right one... been looking at stuff as small as the TT all the way up to the T40 and E6400 14 inch laptops.

What does this mean? Does that mean I can't upgrade the RAM or hard drive on the TT, but I can on the Z?

I do like that bundle, however I would likely order from SonyStyle (since there is no pre-configured models with the larger resolution that don't have Bluray) and I'd still like to make sure that's valid. I guess I can always call them up. $400 worth of accessories for free is a pretty good deal.

 

I believe Rahul is referring primarily to the CPU and GPU.

The TT uses one of the Mobile Penryn series Ultra Low-Voltage cores, which naturally clock lower than the standard Mobile Penryns which the Z uses.

On the GPU front, the Z comes with the NVIDIA 9300M and switchable graphics (integrated X4500/dedicated 9300M switch, not hybrid SLI), whereas the TT only offers integrated X4500 graphics IIRC.

That said... if you don't game much, the TT works just fine, minus maybe being a lot smaller than what you're used to. If you are planning on gaming, and dedicated GPU is nice to have.

 

Because you are a student, the Z. While the TT is smaller i find it much more difficult to type on due to the size of the keys. I'm a touch typist and probably couldn't continually use that thing.

 

Do you already own a desktop which you use for games? If so, why do you need a faster cpu as in Z? For your school work, TT is plenty. It is easy to carry and battery lasts longer. On the other hand, if you do not have a reasonably fast desktop, Z is a great choice, especially with a docking station.

The spec of Z is very tempting, not much larger, and much more powerful, great valuse for money. I suggest you write down what you need to do with the new laptop, assign positive points and negative points against each of your needs, and see what laptop comes out ahead based on your needs. TT costs a lot more. You are paying for its small size. BTW, it is very cool running.

 

TT runs quieter than Z. It's build quality is better than Z.

If I have a desktop, I'll be with a TT. I don't so I choose Z.
(Actually I choose UX if I really have a desktop.)

 

Go for the Z
I used to ponder about either the TT or the Z as well
In the end i got the Z

 

how much smaller are the keys on the TT compared to the Z...from pics it looks like a full size, but i heard it isn't. I believe the Z has a full size keyboard, without the page up/page down, etc buttons, correct?

 

i figure the best way is just to go to a sony shop
and have a feel it for yourself?

Before you buy a shoe, wear it first and have a walk to see if its comfortable XD.

 

The height of the buttons and distance between buttons are different.

 

I do indeed have a nice desktop that I built for gaming, so for extended use I always have it for papers and anything else I wouldn't need on the laptop.

The price difference actually isn't too much for me, the way I specced the Z and the TT, the TT only comes out to about $200 more. That's for the 007 TT vs the Z with a P9500 and carbon fiber lid.

I will definitely go feel them up this weekend and do a little typing to compare keyboards and see if the TT is too small.

Also, can anyone confirm that you CAN access the RAM and HD on the TT? I'm sure you can on the Z at least, right?

 

I would vote for the TT. You have said that you don't need to write papers on this laptop for extensive amounts of time so i see no reason why you should not get the TT now.

It looks better in my opinion and it is more portable as well with better battery life. It also meets all your needs and more. The keyboards are very similar as well on both of these laptops.

I take my 13.3 laptop to university with me and i did use a 10.6" and that did fit much better. An 11.1" should be ideal for you for uni i think.

I did order a TT premium laptop and then I cancelled my order for a couple of reasons. I started to think i might struggle a bit if i tried to use it as my only computer because there are days that i can be stuck in front of my laptop writing papers all day long. It may have worked out but that was a bit of a gamble to take. Also the keyboard i do prefer having a dedicated home and end key especially if it is going to be my only laptop but i guess that is the price that you pay for getting a smaller laptop and something that maybe someone would get used to in time.

Also i already have a laptop and cannot really deal with Ebay and selling my laptop right now.

If i needed to pick a travel laptop (and have one for home) though and money was not an issue i would then definitely opt for the TT.

 

I can confirm that you can access RAM very easily. Look at the bottom where there is a small cover and uncrewing it will show the RAM slot. I have 1 GB ram module in that slot for a total of 3 GB.

As for the HD, I think it is much involved. You can take a look at some threads here about opening it to replace the drive. My TT comes with 160GB 5400 rpm sata. It is much faster than TZ, and the size is ok for me, so I don't foresee replacing it.

 

agreed

No they are really not, i have own a Z and have typed on both a TT and a Z right next to each other in the sonystyle store; the TT keys while "ok" for light typing use are much smaller in size than the Z or even the SR for that matter and your hands will be much closer together which makes typing more difficult. If the OP isn't going to be doing a ton of typing on it then it's a moot point.

 

Well, I went and played with them at the SonyStyle store for about 30 minutes today. (heh, the sales guys weren't too happy with the fact that whichever one I chose, I'd be buying online)

The typing did seem to be a minor thing. I tried typing quickly on both of them, and I made more mistakes on the TT The higher res on the Z was pretty enticing, and the weight difference was so small it's almost negligable. However, the screen on the TT did not bother me at all, I could read the screen very easily. Boy are those LED displays nice! I'm glad I get one either way.

I came home and priced them again, and realized that the Z configuration that I want is over $400 cheaper than the TT. This is the Z with a P9500 and carbon fiber vs the 007 TT. It turns out my student discount applies to the Z but not the 007 TT. So if I got the TT, I'd be paying $400 for 64GB of solid state and a leather case, which I probably wouldn't be using anyways. I'd also lose the better processor and hybrid graphics. Solid state prices are coming down, so I can just wait it out and get a better one for cheaper in the future and install it myself.

So... I think I'm going with the Z. That factored in with the productivity bundle pretty much seals the deal for me.

Thanks for all your input everyone.

 

Just wanted to mention that I decided on buying from Portable One. I don't get a student discount there, but I don't have to pay sales tax either, so that basically cancels out. It will also ship sooner, because they have a model that works for me - the Z590 with a P9500 and larger display screen. Amazon and Newegg don't have a model with those specs (without Bluray, which I don't need)

http ://laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=VGNZ590NGB&Category_Code=SONYZ

The total price is about $39 more than SonyStyle, but I'll get 3GB RAM instead of 2GB, a 250GB HD instead of 160GB, Vista Business instead of Home, AND I'll be definitely eligable for the Sony Productivity Bundle - free docking station, AC adapter, and bluetooth mouse! Woot!

 

VERY nice! Congrats on your purchase - hope you love the Z, I took care of it better than a newborn lmao (I wouldnt bring out for 2 days while keeping it plugged in and doing the vista tweaks rofl)

 

Yes, congrats! And thanks for sharing your experience with the two. I can't see either, but it's great to hear a hands on account of them. I'm going to order a Z590CTO in a week or two here, so I'm especially excited that you found it so enjoyable. I hope you love your new laptop!

Price wise, it's good you looked around. I kind of wish I could get the same cost from a place like Portable One to get the bundle, but I get the student discount and don't have any tax, so it's cheaper from Sony direct, with the Provantage warranty, then the discounted accessories bought with the coupon. It's funny how everyone arrives at their own best price, so many things factor in. That's why I don't understand some of the blanket "x place has the best price" posts. It varies for your configuration, discounts, tax, shipping, etc.