Vaio TZ - Protective Case that is affordable? Suggestions?

Hi, I've been browsing through these forums for a while now, and I've noticed that people here use a variety of cases to hold their Vaio TZ. I need some help, though.

I want a case that is strong enough to protect a Vaio TZ when placed in a backpack with books. I'm a university student, so I will be lugging the Vaio TZ around all day, in a backpack. Any suggestions?

I'm noticing some horrific stories from some people on these forums. Some people have broken their battery latches, cracked their screens, etc. I really want a very sturdy case that will prevent these horrific incidents. Advice, anyone?

One case that looks interesting to me is this: http://www.pocketables.net/2007/10/review-sony-vai.html

Does anyone use this case? Is it durable? Any suggestions and information is welcomed. Also, I am willing to spend up to $100 for a Vaio TZ case. Thank you.

 

To start the ball rolling, give us your budget.


rgds.

 

I'm willing to spend up to $100 for a Vaio TZ case. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Got a suggestion :

http://shinza.com/product_info.php?cPath=5_10_15&products_id=77

Also, read about a similiar enquiry as yours :

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=201022


rgds.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. The ZeroShock III case sounds interesting, but it looks incredibly thin, which could be good. I'm just not sure if it will give enough protection for the Vaio TZ while in a book bag, though.

The official Sony leather case looks excellent. Is it hard? Soft? All I'm worried about is protecting the Vaio TZ against pressure from textbooks while in a backpack.

 

I assume you are refering to the VGP-CKTZ2/B leather case. If so, it probably is beyond the budget you cited above. It is very elegant though.

In any case, there need to be understanding that :
a) The TZ is not semi-rugged as ThinkPad X61.
b) Only a hard case can really provide good protection against pressure. Both the VGP-CKTZ2/B or ZeroShock III only provide average protection.

If you are not using a hard case and your TZ experiences great pressure, you'll need to provide a layer of divider between the keyboard and screen so that the keyboard will not leave marks on your screen.

You may like to refer to a thread on this discussion :
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=3088147#post3088147


rgds.

 

For your purpose is Shinza or Sony VGP-CKTZ2 inappropriate. TZ is a filigree masterpiece of computer technology and a student's backpack with books a very rough place for it.

The right one for your purpose is this case: http://www.pelican-case.com/1080-laptop-cases-by-pelican.html. This case offers the best protection for your TZ.

User review & pics: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=221250&highlight=pelican

 

Pelican hard case is an excellent product.


rgds.

 

Thank you for the suggestion, Visioneer. Wow, the Pelican case looks perfect for my needs.

Thanks for the clarification on the Sony leather case, Benjamin Chin.

That Pelican case looks great for me. It looks very solid and able to withstand pressure from my textbooks. Thanks a lot for the information.

 

I have a question about the Pelican case, though. So, there is a layer of foam inside the case that is perforated into cubes, correct? Would I have to physically cut into the foam, with a knife or something, to create a large enough indentation to put the Vaio TZ in?

 

No need to cut anything. When you close the case, the foam will mold itself to the shape of your TZ, thereby holding your TZ firmly.


rgds.

 

It's not correct Benjamin Chin. You have to cut the lower foam layer as you can see here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=15389&d=1203480773.
But it's not an issue, the foam is already perforated.

 

So, how should I cut the foam material? Measure the dimensions of the Vaio TZ and use an X-acto knife to cut the foam material appropriately?

 

Pelican uses Pick 'N Pluck Foam:



You can use xacto or a razor knife.

 

Oh, I understand now. Wow, that seems incredibly easy. Thank you so much for the suggestion, Visioneer. The Pelican case looks wonderful for my needs.

I am still open to more suggestions, though. Thanks everyone.

 

Hi Gazelle,

I've got the pelican hard case, I made the other thread with the pictures.

It really does give awesome protection, I chuck it in my bag with textbooks and carry it round uni all day. I don't even think about the TZ, that case is so solid you could stand on it and your TZ would still be safe. It adds a bit of size but I'm carrying a backpack around anyway so it doesn't really matter.

About the foam:

The pick and pluck part is easy. However, once that is done, I wasn't comfortable with how much pressure was required to close the lid. I have the six cell battery and so the laptop sits a bit higher on one end, and while the foam in the lid is reasonably soft and will compress, I felt like it was taking a little too much pressure to fully close the lid. Now I'm not saying that it actually does close too hard on the laptop, for all I know it might have been fine, but I couldn't shake an uneasy feeling about it. So what I did was painstakingly trim away little pieces of the egg crate style foam in the lid, test the pressure required to close it, trim a bit more, test it, trim it, test it, etc, etc, etc. until it closed with an amount of pressure that I was comfortable with. I tried to take photos of what it looks like, but I couldn't get one that was clear enough. Basically I just cut the peaks off the foam in one area. But in the end, I didn't really cut much foam away, and while it was a bit of a tedious process it was completely worth it. I could have chosen to store it without the battery connected and this would never have been an issue, but that would be a pain in the arse.

Don't let that scare you off, I know how you feel about your laptop and nothing compares to the peace of mind you get with this case, with anything else you will always be worrying about your TZ's safety. And this thing is even water proof and dust proof, which is awesome.

Hope this has been helpful.

 

Wow, thanks for the great input bmoc. So, are you using the large capacity battery? BPX11? I'm planning on staying with the standard size battery that the Vaio TZ150 comes with, the BPL11. I'm just kind of afraid that the large capacity battery may detract from the good looks of the Vaio TZ150. By the way, how does the large capacity battery look, on the Vaio TZ?

Thanks for the info, bmoc. That was very reassuring.

 

Nope, I'm using the standard BPL11 battery.

Given how slim the interior of this case is, plus the foam, the rise at one end is enough to make a difference.

 

Does any owner of TZ use wrapper from w****rs.typepad.com? I am really willing to buy one, but I read somewhere that the sleeveis not as tight as it should be..

 

Today, I purchased the VGP-CKTZ3/B case from Sony. The inside features a plastic hollow sheet which is separated from the actual laptop by a polyurethane foam. The exterior is a visco-elastic polyurethane foam with a one side made of leather.

The case has a firm/solid feel upon attempting to flex the front and back protective walls. When the laptop is inserted into the case, the resulting size is very comparable to the laptop alone. I needed this case ASAP and paid 69.99 at a Sonystyle store. You can probably find it cheaper online.

Here is the link to the SonyStyle Online store to view the VGP-CKTZ3/B

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665227492