Things I dislike about my new z12

Overall, I think it is a really good computer thus far (4 days). I have the 4gb, 256GB SSD, full hd screen, blu-ray player cto.
I am coming from a samsung x460. I was seeking an ultraportable computer that can do it all (as it will be my only computer) with good graphics, easlity, run multiple programs concurrently, and will hopefully have the hardware last 3 years (with a few upgrades of course). I was very close to buying a 13 inch mac book pro (MBP), but once I compared the specs, I realized that the z12 is a lot faster and will hopefully last 3 years with minimal upgrades. I would have surely purchased the mbp ift he 13 had i5 chip (15 inch is not portable enough). I am sure it will be an option (like in a year).


Here is a list of things that I wish was improved.
1. Dim screen
Yes, my auto brightness is turned off and the brightness is on max, but my Samsung x460 was a lot brighter. So far though, it has only been a problem when I work in a really bright room, but since I am always studying this will be the case most of the time. I really wish sony had improved upon this. I know, I should have opted for the non HD screen, as I heard it is brighter.
2. Smaller, lighter, less cumbersome power brick
Yes, I know there is a slimmer version for $90 on the sony website, but I ordered one but I found that the overall short length of cord not practical (thus it is on its way back). It is not lighter than the original but has a longer thicker cord and a shorter thinner cord. It would have made more sense to have the reverse. Also it is really expensive. The MBP adapter is a lot better. I wonder if the z12 and mbp are equal weights when you consider the power bricks. Also the mbp’s brick is more compact.
3. Durability?
Not sure if this unit is durable to last 3 years. I sure hope so, esp since I am hard on my computers. Seems to have a lot of flex to the screen, which won’t be good when it is placed in a bag constantly, by a mobile user like myself. I think the mbp has an overall build quality.


Feel free to add your wish list of improvements.

 

The flexible screen is a design feature, which allow it bend instead of beak.

Overall the aluminum body should make it last for quite a few years.

 

I make sure to place the bottom of the laptop toward me whenever I use my laptop bag. Otherwise, walking causes the screen to mash against the keyboard from bouncing. It left marks on the screen but I was able to remove them easily.

 

I had mine for about 4 days and our uniits are identical except I got premium carbon, ext battery, and no blu-ray

Likes
1. 1920x1080 screen is to die for. Very very crisp and clear.I also like the semi-matte finish
2. SSD makes any disk i/o feel super snappy!
3. Solid construction. Negligible amount of flex in the main chassis.


Gripes:
1. No FireWire. Should be mandatory
2. Premium carbon is barely noticeable. Next time i'll go for metal shield
3. no blu-ray combo drive
4. They could have gone bigger than 7800mAh for the ext battery
5. $150 VAIO Z leather has a flimsy strap closure and the fit around the battery should be more contoured.

 

here's a few of the things i dont like on my z690

speakers could be better

fan could be quieter

no dedicated volume/brightness buttons (annoying to have to hold on fn, and even more annoying to have to make sure that i'm pressing, for example, f4 instead of pressing f3 or f5 next to it)

no dedicated bluetooth switch (does anyone know if i can change the wireless switch to turn on/off bluetooth only?)

forced to open lid in order to turn on laptop (although this could be good in certain situations when you dont want the laptop to turn on accidentally)

troublesome to use updated official or custom gpu drivers

touchpad doesnt always sense my taps, have to tap rather hard

i came from a dell, if i moved my finger to the edge of the touchpad, the mouse would continue to scroll in that direction until i let go, but with this laptop, it doesn't do that, so i have to swipe again and again to get the mouse to the other side of the screen (even with fastest mouse setting)

touchpad scrolling not sensitive enough, sometimes i have to press my finger against it

scroll zones are too small, sometimes i miss it, and if my finger is in the zone, chances are it's also touching the metal to the side, which is uncomfortable

touchpad lacking bottom left and bottom right tap zones, which i would love to assign as forward and back commands (anyone know how to do this? i could do it on my dell)

tactile left and right mouse buttons are difficult to press, and smaller than i would prefer

and with the new z, the actual labels of the keys could be illuminated instead of around each key... the lights illuminate everything that doesnt need illuminating

and for me, personally, i noticed that i do not like chicklet keys, i find that i have to stretch my fingers apart unnecessarily with the only benefit being aesthetics

wish the new z would just get rid of the dvd drive to make room for full sized ssds so that we dont have to be forced to use their custom slim ssds

sometimes a little difficult to put the battery back in

and.. i think an extra vent, perhaps at the bottom, wouldn't be a bad idea just in case you are using the laptop sideways and the vent at the side is blocked, which happens when i am sometimes using the laptop on my bed

i'm sure i'm missing a few.. but here's a few!

EDIT: and BLOATWARE! why can't they just give us a clean install and only the necessary drivers

 

How do you get around the firewire problem?

 

I was having the same problems with my trackpad. If you go to the advanced touchpad features you can adjust all of the above. I did that today and it works much better.

Also, they should do away with the dvd tray and design it slot instead (like mbp). The tray if very flimbsy, I feel like it will be the first thing to break.

 

what is a blu-ray combo drive?

 

oh thanks for the heads up, ill give it a second try

and also, i think the reason they use a tray is because slot loaders cant read those small discs that you sometimes see, and because this is a business laptop, it has to be versatile..

those business people and their weird forms of digital media storage..

 

it's a drive that burns regular cd/dvd media, but will only playback Blu-ray discs, and not capable of writing them.

On other machines, it's a much cheaper alternative than full fledged Blu-ray disc burner.

Sony on the F, offers a blu-ray combo drive at only $80 extra

 

wow.... that would of been great. It would of saved me $420. Thanks for the info. I wish they gave us that option.

 

I use to have a Z one generation older than this. The screen is flex and be careful! I got it scratch up! Luckly I was still able to sell it on ebay. From that day onwards on any laptop, I put a little piece of cloth before I close it.

 

This drives me nuts on my Vaio FW. Is there any way around this? Any way to power on the laptop without having to open the lid?