VPC-Z with Invisible Shield Protection

As requested, I'll share how I got my Z fitted with 3M's Invisible Shield. This material is the same material that shops use for paint protection or "clear bras" on cars. The film is fairly thin, clear, and protects the finish underneath whatever it is protecting. The quality of the film is pretty high and it's not supposed to yellow over time (not that us computer users have to worry about that since the computer wouldn't be in the sun all day like a car might). The application does, however, require a solution to be applied (in other words, the film must be wet when it's applied to the surface).

I took my computer to a local window tint shop that generally works on real cars to have my lid, and the left and right side of the palmrests protected. They used a machine to laser cut the material, however, the technician said the machine can't cut that "U" shape of the palmrest as one piece so the area above my trackpad is the bare plastic. The application went right over the indented "VAIO" area on the left palmrest and it feels like it's embossed. There was, however, a thing stuck in the "I" before it was applied so now it's stuck in there unless I decide to get that redone.

The tint shop did the three pieces (lid and two palmrests) in about half an hour and charged me $30 for the job. Generally with the application process, they will apply the solution on the surface and the 3M material but since this was a computer, he just applied it to the 3M and it's been holding up fine.

A few complaints about the material in general is that there is some slight wavyness to it like that of orange peel if you're familiar with the paint term. You only see this in the correct lighting. When it's dark it's hardly noticeable. Since the surface of the palmrest is now glossy instead of matte, sweat and other grime sticks to it and requires cleaning more often than before. It's also much more finger print prone.

The technician also didn't cut the lid straight, and the trailing edge near the webcam is slightly wavy. I have a feeling that he cut 3 sides with the laser machine and the 4th side he cut with an Xacto to try and get as close to the edge as possible.

Since I wanted my trackpad and a few other areas protected from everyday wear and tear, I bought some of the 3M material off eBay and tried applying it myself. I cut out a rectangle for the trackpad, rectangles for the left and right mouse buttons, a "U" for the finger print scanner trim, and a small rectangle atop the fingerprint scanner. I tried to get the cut as close as possible with an Xacto but some edges are slightly off. I figure I can always take it off and try a new piece when it bothers me enough, but it's fine for now. I also used a wet solution when applying it but made sure to use it sparingly. The finish look the same to that of the "professionally" finished pieces next to it. I then cut a few rectangles and attached it to the battery, and various stickers underneath the machine. The usability of the trackpad has not changed in any way, only the texture has changed. I would highly recommend feeling the material first to see if it's something you'd like using every day.

I would say that the lid looks quite nice with the glossy finish on it. Before, I had the matte prem carbon finish as the glossy is only available on the $4800 Signature preconfigured machine here in the US. By putting this material on it, the lid became a glossy lid and it really brought out the texture/ pattern of the matte lid.

As for the keyboard cover, it's a silicone cover that someone on this board showed in the cases and bags thread from Taiwan. It fits the keyboard perfectly and has protected it from the dreaded shiny keys. Most say it's ugly but I personally don't mind it. I also find it quite comfortable to type on. For those interested I got it from here: ENJOY Keyboard Protector

Pictures (click on them to make them larger) Unfortunately this forum has a ridiculously small photo posting limit:

















Here, you can see the wavyness of the image:









Here you can see the image of the lid and how the colors and pattern is really brought out:



As for trying this yourself, I bought this material (same as they used in the shop) 12"x 24" Venture Shield Paint Protection Film clear bra - eBay (item 380255991987 end time Mar-29-11 21:45:00 PDT)
It's not awfully expensive so you can buy some and try for yourself. If you don't like the results you can try taking it to a window tinting place and have them do it.

I had the lid and palmrests installed one week after I got the machine back in November, 2010, so after four months of use, I haven't noticed any signs of wear and tear. There are a few scratches on the material, but it should be able to be taken out with some rubbing alcohol. There are only two marks on the palmrests and that's from each corner of the big rubber feet running next to the webcam hitting the film and leaving a mark when closed.

In closing, I found that the best way to combat scratches and the general color wearing off of the palmrest was to cover it with something. I think that this is the best solution on the market and it doesn't look tacky like some of the other ones available that's already precut. I hope you found this informative and if you need any additional pictures just ask for a better shot. (I can get a better camera if necessary).

 

Thanks for the guide GenericSN <-- haha i just got that

my first thought: Glossy! ... the lid looks like the Glossy Premium Carbon Fiber of the $4.5K Signature Series model.

Does the material attract as much fingerprints as i think it does? In a few of the pics you have some tree or something reflected and i thought on first glance that it was a bump.

In any case, that looks like the most babied laptop in the world

edit: nvm my fingerprint question, i just didnt read closely enough ><

 

I forgot to link this photo which was taken by a member on this forum. His is a factory glossy CF lid: fibra! | Flickr - Photo Sharing! and as you can see it looks more or less just like mine.

And yes the material does attract finger prints, streaks, etc. It requires quite a bit of wiping and the occasional cleaning with some car products. And yes the material is quite glossy.

I do end up babying this computer probably way too much. I ended up getting so worried about breaking it by bringing it everywhere that I got a P to take over most of the note taking duties in class.

Off topic: I never noticed that yours is a 192GB configuration. Did they only offer that in the US on the Z11? How much was that option if you don't mind me asking? The 256 option was $300 for me and I decided to pass on that since storage can be expanded other ways and the computer was way too expensive as is.

 

I think your Z is over protected, and I'm pretty jealous. Somebody ran off with my ZeroShock case and even though it was in a padded section of my backpack it only took a few days for the lid to somehow obtain a few scratches. I think my biggest worry is the palm rests, I need to get something on those before I get these large worn out areas that I see on everybody elses notebooks!

 

You want to hear something ironic, caldoer? I have a Sony VGP-SKZ1 hard case made out of fabric and leather: http://salestores.com/stores/images/images_747/VGPCKSZ1.jpg and on the inside there's a small Sony tag similar to a T shirt size tag. That damn tag has sharp corners and put a scratch on my lid within the first few days I got it!

At least you're lucky to only have lost your case and not the computer!

 

Yeah... mines got some really large wear patches (I got my Z in early May). Then again i got sweaty palms and i game a ton on these things... BUT at least i can prove to my parents i was working VERY hard at school, I got the evidence to prove it!

Yeah... I think we should petition Sony to make the lid actual carbon fiber so that it's scratch resistant and not just plastic with some carbon fiber dust... I noticed that in my Zeroshock 3 case that the lid is starting to look a little unpolished from the wavy material in the case, or maybe i'm just imagining it...

 

Mine is highly warn in the right side of the palm rest.
I don't really mind, it gives it that personal touch.
I got mine when they first came out in April.

 

Carbon fiber isn't scratch resistant either. My MC3 case got scratched within the first few days when it lightly rubbed against an aluminum tissue holder accessory sitting on the island.

Ultimately what would've been nice is for the plastic palmrest to be milled from the same piece of aluminum that the rest of the keyboard surround is made from. Nevertheless, I'm studying design in school so hopefully I can be the one to make these decisions one day. =]

 

Amazing!

Would any tint store be able to make a clear shield?

What exactly did you ask them?

 

I say find out where a few tint stores are in your area and give them a call. Just ask if they can custom cut some clear bra material (mine is 3M Venture Shield) for a laptop computer. My installer said it's possible and that I should bring it in for him to take a look at. When I brought it in he said it's very doable and that they take no liability if they damage the computer during the install. Just make sure you take the battery out when you do it in case an accident does occur.

 

Thank you for this, I might just get this done also.

mokeiko

 

I just ordered the skin material online, hoping to do the palmrests as soon as it comes. Question, how did you get the edges so nicely curved? Was it just good cutting?

 

The palmrests with the curved edges were cut by a laser machine at the tint shop. This material is actually kind of tricky to cut with scissors. You pretty much have to get a perfect cut the first time with an Xacto because it's hard to make fine adjustments if your piece is slightly too big.



BTW, something I saw for the new SB computer is a keyboard skin on Sony's website in white or black: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...productId=8198552921666291838&tab=featuresTab

I saw a picture elsewhere that showed that it's actually translucent so the backlight from the keyboard will go through it! It's also got the letters printed on the front. Since the SB appears to use the same keyboard as the Z I think I'll order one and see how it fits on the Z. I'm thinking it's going to just clear the two rubber stoppers on either side of the keyboard and just clear the palmrest area. When I get it, I'll let you know how it fits! I think the black looks much better than what I have now.

 

How do you apply the shield?

Is there a certain procedure or set of steps?

 

i'm interested also.. kindly let us know if it'll fit our Z1s

 

That eBay link had instructions on how to install the shield. Basically, you make a solution of X part baby shampoo, X part alcohol, and X part water. You then cut the invisible shield to whatever dimensions you need. Typically on cars or other non electronics, you put the solution on the surface of the object and on the underside of the invisible shield then you apply onto the surface while rubbing the air bubbles out. When I did it on my computer, I only put the liquid on the underside of the invisible shield and it applied fine.

When I get home I'll look at the instructions and find out what the solution was.

 

Generic, did you get my PM?

 

Yes, I'm replying to it now.

And the mixture is 8oz warm water, 2 oz rubbing alcohol, 5 drips baby shampoo. That's actually more than you'll need so you can halve or quarter the recipe. I put mine in a spray bottle and saved it in case I need to use it again. (Which I have for a few other applications such as the Apple logo on the iPad, my P's mouse buttons, and my old C series trackpad).

 

I got the VGP-KBL7/B SB/SC keyboard skin in black today. It fits within the Z's tighter frame and clears the speakers up top, clears the two rubber feet on the sides of the keyboard, but is slightly longer on the bottom and curves upward on the slop of the palmrest. This curve up doesn't really affect fitment.

Something odd is that the SB's keyboard seems slightly wider (like a fraction of a millimeter) when compared to the Z. The keyboard skin naturally lifts on the right side like it's not seated correctly. You have to stretch the skin a tad to get it to fit the corner on the right side on mine. It's not a really big deal.

What's nice about this skin is that the letters are all reprinted on the surface of the skin. All of the lettering is white so you lose some of the busyness that the stock keyboard has with all the colors. (I like the monochromaticism)

The texture of this is soft and fairly smooth. It doesn't really affect my typing.

It is translucent so the keyboard backlight goes through it, but it's quite dark to see anything. I hardly noticed my backlight was on when I placed my finger over the sensor.

Something of note is that the location that the letters are printed is slightly different than the Z's keyboard letter placement. When the backlight is on, you can see a "ghosting" effect with the letters printed in a different location. (You can see it in my pics)

It's also expensive for a keyboard protector at $25 MSRP.

In conclusion if you're looking for a keyboard skin and don't care too much about aesthetics and you want the backlight to really show through, but the $4 version from kbprotector.com in Taiwan. If you want something that looks really clean and like it's supposed to be there, get this Sony one. As for me, I'll probably use both. One at school and one at home.



"Ghost image" with letters printed in a different location:



Size comparison with the Taiwan skin:

 

Thanks for the pics!
You have a nice 3D effect there

 

I just realized they make a skin for the new CA. That skin might fit better since it has a tighter bottom area.

This skin does actually peel up on the left and right edges since my keyboard is so sightly wider. It does get annoying to have to reseat it. Your mileage may vary though?

 

Do any of those macbook air/macbook pro palmrest guards work for the Z? Since the MBA (13") or the MBP both have larger palmrest areas I guess I could trim and cut them to apply it on both sides of the palmrest. The (much) larger trackpad area of the MBA/MBP is kind of a bugger though, since I don't know if the leftover areas of the palmrest skin is enough to cover both sides of the palmrest on the Z.

Anyone know the dimensions of the MBP 13/15" and MBA 13" 's trackpad and palmrest areas? I don't need the dimensions of the Z since I can measure that myself.

 

Why bother doing that? You might as well buy the material itself and then cut it to the size you need.

 

Problem is I don't know what to buy and where to buy it. I've seen the palmrest guards for macbooks in almost every store, so I suppose I could pick up one of those and trim them to the size I want.

 

It's 3M Venture Sheild. You can probably find some in HK, it's such a big city [in terms of density]. Try any of the various car places first.

 

Ok I'll give it a try. One of the things I hate about HK is that it's quite an Apple dominated city. You can find all sorts of stuff for macs or iphones and pretty much nothing else. I can't even find a good Galaxy S case in HK! The plus side though is things are relatively cheap here.

BTW I just purchased the KBL-7 Keyboard protector for the SB. Works like a charm on the Z. Now I only need to protect the palmrest and the lid

 

Does yours curl up on the edges? Mine irritatingly curls up at the left and right sides after a few minutes of use and I have to "reseat" it in position.

 

Yes it does but doesn't really bother me much. It doesn't really affect me typing, though my typing speed in general has taken a hit from 83wpm to a mere 70wpm after applying the skin. I guess I still need time getting used to it but I'd trade some wpm for a greasy keyboard.

 

The reason I use it is so my keys don't get shiny as quickly! lol But yeah for some reason the Z's board attracts grease much more than any other computer I've used, aside from maybe a touchscreen device like the iPad.

 

I'm actually thinking how much I've already (and will eventually) spend on my Z's comestic issues. Here's my shopping list (bought_

VAIO Cleaning Kit (25 USD)
VAIO SB Keyboard skin (23 USD)
Screen Protector of unknown brand (22 USD), screwed in less than a month as even fingerprints scratch it
Capdase ARIS screen protector (30 USD), much better quality and served me for 2 months now.

These account for 100 dollars so far, which accounts for almost ~4% of my Z's price. Quite a hefty sum IMO.

I guess laptop bags don't count so I'll leave that out. These are items I might consider buying:

Moshi Palm guard for Macbookpro 15" (30 USD)
Moshi trackpad guard for MBA (10 USD)

I'll have to custom cut these to make them fit on my Z as I think I'll mess up using car film. These might be a better pick, but I'm in no such hurry to protect the palmrest and trackpad.

My grand total would be 140 dollars, more than 5% of my Z's price. That amount of money is actually sufficient to buy a USB 3.0 1TB external hard drive, which I've been drooling for.

 

If you don't want to go with the "clear" protection, I would recommend using SGP products. I bought their carbon fiber skin for the cover and their wristrest for the Z (2010) model since I have a Z13. The wristrest is nice IMO because it has a felt-like feel.

SGP Sony Vaio Z Skin Guard Set Series [2010 Model] - Z Series - Sony - Laptops

SGP Sony Vaio Z Wristrest [2010 Model] - Z Series - Sony - Laptops

I am still debating on if I want to go with a screen protector, but I'll probably comb the forums to see what screen protectors people like using. The thing that I probably still need to cover is the mouse buttons. Hm, I wonder if I should just custom that to match the wristrest.

 

SGP makes some awesome products. I have their clear screen protector for my iPad and it's of very nice quality. Too bad they never made a clear one for the Z.

Personally I find the textured stuff tacky, but to each their own.