VAIO Z Sleeves, bags and cases thread

I emailed mach3 about my latch issue, they're mailing me 2 replacement latches even though I only have a slight problem with one. They said if it didn't fix the problem, they would replace the case if I decided so. I'm a happy camper

 

Now that's some great customer service!

 

wish the mach3 case had a lock and kensington lock slot. its too valuable not to

 

Hi, I became a member of this forum to help answer any questions about our cases. We have been in work on a very detailed web site that will launch about 1 Oct. The goal is to allow you to really experience the case. I agree our current site certainly is limited, but that is about to change.

 

Overall the cases all have the same level of strength. They are also checkpoint friendly. The difference is mostly cosmetic. The carbon/Kevlar has quite an amazing weave pattern to it though.

 

I know how you feel. It is almost like a car. You can actually put a coat of car wax on it to help keep it looking good. And just like a car certain colors/finishes show dings better then others. The carbon/kevlar hides them very well.

 

We are also constantly adjusting the molds to improve the product.

 

We do have the matte finish. We are making some samples now and will add pictures to our new web site (launches 1 Oct) I think the matte will be a hot item because so many people like that raw carbon fiber look.

 

Sorry about having to do that. It is directly related to the cost of the Prepeg carbon fiber we use.

 

damnit, should have waited :| oh well, I'll just give my current one to the wife for her UL30vt

 

Mach 3 have updated the 12" case page to say ideal for the vaio z.

Do clarify postage if you order.

 

Yes, thanks. We did special ship a couple through US Postal. This is not our standard and they are not linked to our Web site. We found it gets to confusing on our end when we ship and it is not linked to web program. We are working to add some shipping options but right now we have to stick with FedEx. If you did get billed more then it cost make sure you let us know and we will refund the difference back to you.

 

I get the the first one. Membership has its privileges.

 

M3C, thank you for posting here, it's really great to see a small company with that kind of presence.

Any thoughts on a model with latch locks and Kensington lock slot?

 

M3C, looks like you have a pretty hot product, especially for Vaio Z owners-- as the laptop, excellent as it is, is a little on the fragile side, and needs all the protection it can get.

I'm looking forward to ordering one of your cases once the new Web Site (and matte finish) launches. One question though....

Seems that, size-wise, your 12 inch case is designed for the Macbook Pro, and is not a perfect fit for the Vaio Z. (It appears that the Vaio Z, being narrower than the MBP, moves around a bit in the 12" case.) It's quite understandable that you chose the dimensions you did, as there are a whole lot more MBP owners than Vaio Z owners; and it may not make business sense for you to tailor a model for a niche product like the Z. However....

Have you considered selling a thin piece of memory foam that one could velcro to the bottom of the case so that the Z (and perhaps other 13" laptops) could rest more securely? Just an idea.

Thanks for a great product.

 

Second that. It's so nice to have nearly perfect product....however it's a pity it's just "nearly" perfect product.


And thank you, M3C, for you answer about matte version, I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll surely order one, but will probably wait till the end of the year, when I'll be back in Japan, as sending cost over $100 to Europe is a bit extreme for me. To Japan it's at least half...


btw, M3C, could you please post external dimensions of the 12" case? Thanks

 

Are you thinking it gets attached to the case or just a design to fit it with the lock on it?

 

We actually designed the 12" case for the netbook. Our 13" case is aimed at the very popular 13" Mac. We were not moving very many of the 12" size because a netbook is so inexpensive no one wants to spend $180 on a case for a $300 notebook. Then as luck would have a Vaio Z owner purchased one and then blogged about it. We then sold 30 in a week. We went from a sitting inventory to a backorder state in a day. When you sell globally on the internet you can never tell what's going to happen next.
We can certainly look for a way to adjust for the Z. I do not own one so then my question is what dimensions should the foam have?
I travel with our 15" case, I like to put it in a backpack. I carry a Dell. It has a little extra space also. After using it over a year and taking it all around the world I can assure you because the case is padded and the space is so minimal that you will not damage your Viao.

 

13.8" X 10.2 X 1.8" +/- .2 I do not have a 12" with me but this is pretty accurate.

 

Thanks! 35 x 26 x 4.6 cm, that mean around the same as original Smart Protection case from Sony for VGN-Z. That's quite nice, even though I would prefer half a cm thinner to fit nicely my bag. Still, I'll surely get one, as I'm addicted to carbon fiber

 

As it is, the laptop doesn't move around much. The little that it does, is cushioned by the very nice padding on the inside. I think it's a non-issue that you'll realize once you actually get the case.

Like I stated before, mine came with some velcro straps, which could help but I don't even use them because it's a non-issue to me.

Once the case is in my messenger bag, the laptop already slides itself down the 1/2" and just rests there until i take it out. I never feel it move around. Unless you get to work on horse back, I think it's something 99.9% of you don't have to worry about

 

But if it is possible to get a truly custom fit -- that would be really nice. To me that is what high end products like these are all about!

 

Like inside padding in the shape of Z

 

M3C, thanks for your response. Again I don't expect you to build a case that's perfectly tailored to the Z. Based on the photos posted by In13In13 on pg 58 of this thread( http://forum.notebookreview.com/att...leeves-bags-cases-thread-dsc_3887_forpost.jpg) there seems to be a 1"-2" gap. Not a big deal, but I can imagine it banging around a bit as I run to catch my flight. A slice of (1"-2") memory foam (wrapped in the same material as the interior of the case) that could be adhered to the bottom or top of the bay would ensure that the laptop stays nice and snug. It would be an optional accessory that I, and I suspect many others, would buy.

 

We are discussing options now. I hope to have some information for everyone soon.

 

Are all the Z models the same size? I will will do a search. But can some of you post your dims so I can compare.

 

I found 12.4" X 8.3" X 1.3"

 

They're all the same size, those dimensions are correct

 

Yes, all the VPCZ11 and Z12s are the same size.

 

VGN-Z for that matter has the same dimensions.

 

I agree. Once you get the case, you will see that it is not much of an issue.

 

I was looking for a new bag tonight, so I was sizing stuff up, thought this might be interesting for some of you:

Sized Up: Timbuk2 Command Messenger (L) (1) vs Dakine Exchange vs Timbuk2 Command Messenger (M) vs Timbuk2 Classic Messenger (M) vs Mach3Composite Carbon Fiber Hard Ca

 

I ended up with an Eagle Creek Circada Laptop Courier bag. Fits the Z with room to spare but I use a sleeve as well to double-up on the protection so it's a good fit. It's got an extra compartment for a few books. I didn't want a backpack and wanted something relatively compact that had a little room to spare for other things. It's got a waterproof top to boot which is always a plus since I live in Seattle. Overall I couldn't be happier with my choice even if it was a little more than I wanted to spend.
Eagle Creek Cicada Laptop Courier Bag at REI.com

Had tried the Targus Unofficial Messenger from Best Buy out at first. Felt good, nice design, great fit for the Z. The problem is that it'll hold the laptop, your battery charger, a few pens, maybe a magazine, and that's about it. Not enough room for anything else in there. The other issue I had with it was that while it does have a shoulder strap, it didn't come with a shoulder pad. It doesn't cost much to buy one but it really should have come with it. The pad is a necessity imo because your shoulder is going to start to ache after a while. Overall it wasn't a bad bag. I do like it's style, simple looks, and feel. It just didn't have enough room.
Targus - Messenger Laptop Case - Black - TSM104US

 

Actually I disagree. The case is awesome and light. But the extra space allowed too much sliding for my piece of mind, so I rolled up the white dust cover the z came in and placed it in the back of the case, for more padding. I would def recommend all to do this. It would have been great if they had a custom case out.

 

I use my Esprit back and a Tucano second skin 13.3". The Tucano fits nearly perfect.

 

Integrated with the case would be best. So the latches themselves would have locks on them, and the Kensington lock port would be on either the left or right side (probably left). Alternatively (and this may have been what you meant), you could have a hole in the case where the VAIO Z's lock port is and connect straight to it. Hard for me to visualize how that would work, but it's a possibility. You could then have a rubber plug attached to the case that seals the hole for the lock port when not in use. In that case there would be no need for latch locks as long as you used a Kensington lock, but those would still be nice to have.

I have some experience with Google SketchUp, if you'd like I can try my hand at creating a 3D model using actual measurements (that part might be tricky since I don't have any good measuring tools beyond a ruler and protractor, though that might be all I need).

 

I just got the my Sony VGP-CKS3/B, really nice small and compact.Not flashy at all, to draw attention to what I have. I really like the compact sizze.

But I've been thinking about the

 

SGP Laptop Cover Skin for Sony Vaio Z11 $20.99






pardon my lights, my puppie kept on biting on my laptop so i had to record it in my kitchen ;;;

anyways this is how the surface feels when you touch the skin. I had no i dea how it would felt until i actually had it on hands so hopefully you should kinda know what you are actually ordering.

YouTube - SGP Premium Carbon Skin for Sony Vaio Z

SGP Laptop Cover Skin for Sony Vaio Z11 [Carbon]

 

Wow that carbon fiber skin is really nice looking and doesn't look half as tacky as I thought it would be! I would have matched the carbon fiber grain in the "O" of "VAIO" to be the same direction as the rest of the body though

 

We hear the Vaio Z owners loud and clear. We are working on some interior modifications to make a great fit for the Vaio Z. I do not think it will take to long to do. I appreciate all loyal customers who have given us their business and trust and taken the time to give feedback. We will evolve this into a great Vaio case.

Kevin,
President
Mach 3 Composites

 

Would there be any "upgrade" path for the owners of the case already?

 

Hard to say until we have approved a design solution.

 

I'll definitely wait for a custom fit matte finish for the Vaio Z... then I'll be the first in line!

 

I would imagine a memory foam or other insert under or over the lining would be all that is required. Would live to hear of an upgrade path having ordered a case.

Not sure if the Kensington lock idea is ideal or practical though. Locked clasps would add weight and make a simple design more complicated.

 

Hi Kevin,

as I told you few days ago, it will be not just one, but three Z models that share the same chassis/the same dimensions - Z11, Z12 and just in a few weeks the "new" Z13 (not to mention '08 VGN-Z530). So if a custom made CF/CK case for Vaio Z is out of question at this moment (but I still hope you're considering this option, and I would strongly recommend you to think about a possibility of having it offered via sonystyle, amazon etc.), memory foam attachment or even permanently attached inserts could be a temporary solution for some of early adopters like myself until custom design if ready .

Case with internal dimensions made especially for Z (12.4" x 8.3" x 1"...1.3") will be better fit for most 10"-11.1" laptops and huge population of netbooks like Acer Aspire One AO532, ASUS Eee PC 1015PED (10.31" x 7.01" x 0.93" - 1.43"), HP Mini 210-1180NR (10.55" x 6.90" x 0.90" - 1.11"), TOSHIBA NB305-N44 (10.47" x 7.57" x 1.43"), Gateway LT Series (10.17" x 7.28" x 0.99") than your 12" model designed to fir slightly larger computers.

Please note, the Vaio Z laptop is 1.3" thick on a battery side, but it is less than 1" thick on opposite (front) side. Let me know if you need high-resolution images and any other details.

--Serge

 

Hello Kevin,

Sorry guys for hijacking a bit, but I have a Vaio X Series 11.1 inch Laptop and am really excited about trying out the M3C 12" case with that.

Would it be possible to design a custom insert to snuggly fit my ultra thin laptop?

Thanks in advance,
Patrick

 

Patrick,
That is one thin laptop, and I thought the Mac wac was thin. Very costly to specialize to every market. The best solution is if they have skins or snap on covers for that laptop. Then it would eat up the extra space. A case in a case concept, not sure if you want that though. Our case is really designed for transport and storage. I wish I could give you a better solution.

Kevin

 

It is important to us we maintain the quality inside and out. When we customize the case for the Z it will be highly finished on the inside and out. We have a couple of plans to prototype first. If it passes my inspection we will make them available for order. I will work to keep everyone updated, you can also check our web site for information as we make them available.

Kevin

 

Sounds fantastic.

However, do think of us early adopters when you do come out with a new case for the Vaio Z. Would love a discount upgrade voucher or is there the possibility of a modification we can insert to our current cases?

Saves me having to cut out my own piece of memory foam and some double-sided tape.

In any event, really appreciate your constructive posts and response to feedback

 

Can we have a time frame on the custom-built version for the Z?