Tz Owners Problems

Hi I starting this to list the little annoyance of our beloved TZ. I have used it for about a month and the only real gripe I have so far are the grease marks from typing on and using the touchpad from our fingers. I noticed that it picks up grease marks faster than my past laptops maybe because its black so its easier to see. My brothers TZ touchpad is worst because he had it longer and uses it more I tried to wash it off with damp cloth but it just helps alittle

 

I am about to get a white one. Wonder how that will be on the cleanness issue. From my experience of using a white Mac in periods, it will be no problem. Unless, of course, that you first read a paper and then use the machine intensively without first washing your filthy hands...

 

There was a thread here made from someone from Hong Kong a while back detailing its internal problems. Like that the DVD drive is connected by a USB port to the MB and when its in use, the external USB ports operate at a slower speed.



EDIT: here's the thread.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=138052&highlight=TZ+USB+DVD+wireless

 

the reason sony connects the optical drive to usb port is so you can disable it to achieve more battery life. I just disable everything like optical drive, camera, memory stick reader, ect... and I disconnect the plug the laptop says it has 10:20 mins remaning on battery impressive feat.

 

how do you disable the camera and memory stick reader? thx

 

sony vaio power management

 

I had in rapid succession two TZs, first a TZ190N (32GB SSD) and then a TZ195N (48GB SSD), and their differences were illuminating. I'll refer to the two laptops henceforth as 32GB and 48GB.

- The fingerprint reader on the 32GB was so sensitive that I would frequently activate it just by using the trackpad. I think it would read the edge of my thumb while I moused around the pad, and then pop up an error box. This was extremely irritating as you can imagine. I never encountered this problem with the 48GB machine, which is probably why no one responded to my plea for help last week .

- The DVD writer on the 48GB is clearly "louder" than the one on the 32GB. In particular, you can hear tiny squeaks as the head jumps during access or writing. It's mildly annoying, especially since I know that the drive on the 32GB was just a smooth whoosh of air, "silent" by comparison.

I actually took apart the 32GB to see if I could swap the drives, but I chickened out after I couldn't figure out how to remove the ribbon cable from either the SSD or the DVD writer. For those who have done it, you'll know that the SSD and the DVD drive are connected to the same ribbon Y-cable. I could remove the entire subsystem, but not the individual drives. Frustrating, and also makes me wonder if I will ever be able to swap the 48GB for a bigger SSD in the future..

Otherwise, the semi-clean install worked brilliantly and I'm waiting on the arrival of some DL discs so that I can recover the hidden partition, so that I can just carry a single recovery disk with me when traveling. A little Vista tweaking, an 8GB Memory Stick Duo, and it's smooth sailing!

 

wow you have two tzs? Why the need for two?

 

I ordered the 32GB because I had a pressing need for the TZ, but would've ordered the 48GB if it hadn't been on a pre-order basis at the time. Lo and behold, I was a couple days into my ownership of the 32GB when the 48GB came on sale, so I did a swap. I'm sure the 64GB (with DVD) is just around the corner, but this time I truly can't wait! Besides, I have the good fortune of being able to live with 48GB: the OS drive on my XP machine, stocked to my satisfaction, only just broke 50GB recently, and I'm only using the TZ as a MS Office/web surfing machine.

 

I disable the finger-print sensor each time I boot. Just click on the Protector Suite QL icon in the taskbar and choose "Disable."

The 8GB Memory Stick is now in stock at Buy.com for $139. I also have the 8G SD one, which cost me less than $120.

I noticed from the pictures of the U.S. model that the letters appear to be much brighter than on my two Japanese TZ-90s, which is one of the biggest weaknesses of these TZs: you need bright light to compute with because you won't be able to see what you type in dim lighting.

Interestingly enough, the spec sheet for the TZ198 says that it only has two USB ports, and if that's not a misprint, which is likely, than the Japanese hard drive models have an extra port not found on the U.S. version.

I also hope that the fan doesn't come on as frequently as my current TZ, because the hard drive model definitely requires more heat dissipation than the SSD-only models.

Besides poor keyboard visibility, some fan noise on HD models, and the markings I have seen from the top-part of the LCD bevel "scratching" the palmrests, which has happened on two models I've owned now, I can't really say there are any major negatives to the TZ, which in this day and age of major compromise, is saying quite a lot about how well Sony engineered this lappy.

 

For those of you worried about the "shiney keys" from picking up grease and general wear and tear check out the COOSKIN range of silicone keyboard covers that are available for most brands. I have a TZ specific one that I bought off EBay and it works great. I also had one on my SZ and when I sold it I was able to recoup alot of the cost cos it looks brand new cos there's no wear or grease on the keyboard. They COOSKIN is washable and is so thin. It also reduces the noise of they keyboard when you're typing. It takes a couple of days to get use to the feel, but it definitely has been a great purchase to keep my VAIO clean and safe. If you drop crumbs or drops of water they won't disappear into the keyboard because the COOSKIN protects it. You can find they for about $10 in most EBay auctions, and don't forget to mention you exact models so they send you the right cover. Like I said they make them for most brands like SONY, HP, DELL, ACER etc.

www.cooskin.com

 

Interesting. The cooskin site shows several versions of the product (TPU, Silicone, etc) -- which do you use & like? Thanks.

 

i havent see any scratching from the screen on the palm rest yet lets hop its not a tz wide issue

 

can you post a picture of the cover on your tz, or sz

 

my tz90 with the 5400rpm hd (no dvd) squeaks on the right side.

thats the only hw problem I have.

I'm however disappointed by the performance. I have xp installed and playing flash videos via firefox will still skip once in a while. Kinda lame...

 

can't imagine paying this much for a tz, mostly for looks and then putting a hideous silicone keyboard cover on it's most beautiful part

 

It's not a very good picture, but you get the gist of it. It is moulded specifically for the model so you can see each button has its own indent so it "fits like a glove". Being clear you see right through it.

It does ruin the reflective piano finish of the TZ, but hey... I would take this over scratches or oily grease marks...

I'll add more pics of it on my TZ later on.

 

For those that have had their TZ for a while, have the keys become worn out and shiny?

 

mine hasnt but my brothers palm area and touchpad is more greasy looking than my and his touch pad is getting shiny he has had it for like 2 months. I guess because its black. Mine still looks great because I baby mine and had it in less amount of time

 

Sorry to bump this old thread up, I've had my TZ for little over three weeks and my touchpad has become worn out on the left side where my finger hits it. The keyboard still looks pristine, for now....

It also looks like whenever I put in a disc and tilt the laptop even very slightly, there are severe circular scratches on the edges of my discs, but I don't hear any grinding sound you hear when you tilt an optical drive while its running a disk.

 

Does the shiny plastic keyboard area show surface scratches easily? Im thinking about getting a TZ in the next week or so, but dont think i could live with the scratches if thats the case...

 

Yup, the material glossy black, anything with that surface will get blemishes quickly. I got some scratches on it, its going to happen! I was bothered by it too but eh, it won't last me forever, I'll get a new notebook next Jan latest.

You could get a keyboard cover for it, there is one made specifically for the TZ, the maker is Cooskin, there's some threads on it somewhere here.

I'm just worried about my DVD drive, I barely use it, but if its going to scratch my discs if I move the laptop even a little bit, thats not good. I need to try out more discs to confirm. I hardly use the drive, I wish I could replace it with the 2.5" hard drive option. I wish Sony could make it hot swappable. A large 2.5" HDD in this machine would be perfect.

 

Dont move your laptop when the DVD is spinning. It says something about it in the manual somewhere. It causes the DVD to wobble.

 

thanks for the heads up on the cooskin! i want to preserve my keys as much as possible..

 

I got my cooskin off ebay

 

quick question for those w/ the cooskin on the TZ: does it cover the speakers above the backspace key and the ~ key? not that they're great speakers or anything, but i use them sometimes for listening to podcasts when i don't have my headphones around... just wondering if this renders them useless

 

The Cooskin has cut outs for the speakers.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love this machine, but apart from it struggling with Vista, my gripes are these:

1. Poor contrast on the keyboard. Very difficult to see the keys in anything but substantial light. I find myself tilting the screen to see the keys, in low light, particularly when hunting along the top couple of rows. This has never been an issue on any other notebook. Apple backlit the keys on the Air. Good move. Even painting them luminous would've helped.

2. Because the lid is so flimsy and flexible, everyday pressure on it (say when it's in your bag) is enough to leave prints from the keys on the screen, which may or may not clean off. Several owners (such as me) have also broken their screens.

3. Speakers are poor. Really really crappy in fact.

4. No dedicated volume control. There are (utterly useless) buttons for DVD control (who on earth uses them?) but none for the volume. You have to use an awkward key combo.

5. Loud DVD drive. I wouldn't even dream of watching a DVD. It sounds like a plane taking off.

6. Awkward fingerprint sensor. And what if it stuffs up and locks you out of your files? The sooner you deactivate it, the sooner you can move on.

7. USB ports on the left only. Don't know about you, but I use a mouse on the right.

8. On/off button cute, but impractical. Too easy to accidentally press if it's in a soft case in your bag.

9. No TV-Out. No DVI. No HDMI. C'mon, if this isn't meant to be a movie player, why all the Instant-on rubbish?

10. Bloatware. FFS, why can't we have a clean install out of the box?

That'll do pig (for now).

TT

 

# 7: The cabel of the mouse is always long enough, so that there cannot be a problem of placing it from the USB on left side, to the back side of the TZ and forward to the mouse placed on the table on the right side of the machine.

# 8 is incorrect, I think: When in a soft case, I think the TZ must be closed, and then the power button is deactivated.

I am much more concerned with the REAL problems mentioned by rahul: The possible dvd destruction while moving the TZ a bit during playing and the crackling of the surface, with normal use, I suppose.

 

Just tested it, and it seems you might be right about #8. Makes sense. At least, you can't switch it on. You might be able to switch it from standby to off, though. If that's an issue.

I previously had a TR1. It eventually became a highly unreliable DVD player. Wouldn't read the entire disk. I use the DVD so infrequently that I can't comment. My take would be to make sure the machine is completely still while burning or playing.

TT

 

What about whilst in a plane though - that is where mine, when i get it, will get the most use out of the DVD player. Although 2 hrs of email sounds very appealing - honest!

 

Watch AVIs instead. Easier on the battery too.

TT

 

Yes, my screen also has light prints on it from the keyboard and a small mark on the middle on the screen which won't come off.

The previous TX has dedicated volume controls, why did they remove them from the TZ?

Yes, my drive is incredibly loud as well and has scratched several of my discs. I still need to see how much I had moved the notebook (if I even did) to warrant such scratches. Need to put some blank discs to try out.

All of the Vaio T series have had their USB ports on the right. I know, not that smart since I'd also use a mouse on the right. I suppose get either a
Bluetooth or wireless USB mouse.

When the lid is closed, you cannot turn it on, but I was able to turn it off though by holding the button down.

Shame, the just released 11.1" Asus U2E has VGA and Mini-DVI output. Get this on your next T series Sony.

Its on all of their notebooks but a real pity, since the lower end machines especially are virtually unusable out of the box.

 

Well mine now has a huge crack across it so the marks are the least of my worries. I'd welcome any tips on how to keep the incoming replacement clean though. I tried putting the supplied cloth between the keys and screen when carting it, but that left even worse marks.

TT

 

In my previous TZ90 I used the cloth that comes with it and also I purchased from ShaggyMag an additional screen protector that helped a lot.
After three months of intensive use not a single scratch.

http://www.shaggymac.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_5&products_id=91