What do you prefer, new Z or old Z, external optical and gpu or internal?

So, the new Z has been revealed but not officially. As we've known for some time the gpu will be external and so will the optical and other ports. It's looking like the external gpu will be a 6630.The laptop will weigh 2.5lbs as is and the external unit weighs 1.5lbs.
You can view pictures here of the new Z.
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I thought that i would make this poll as it was suggested by a forum member some time ago in the Z thread but no poll was made. This way we get some indication of what the general opinion is.

The Z series was largely perceived as being a powerhouse in a 3.1 lbs 13.1 chassis. Now, with Sandybridge the performance of the IGP has improved, so for many it will be good enough as is. With the X series reaching EOL, it appears that the Z may also have to fill that void. Laptops are also as we all know becoming thinner and thinner.

So, where do you stand on this? If you've bought previous version of the Z series will you still purchase the Z and if not what laptop are you considering?

 

Not too impressed with the new Z. It has its merits, ultra portable, light etc, but docking station required for any intensive work. In my mind it defeats the purpose of the Z.

It is a wonderful peice of technology though, and will have plenty of takers. I'm very happy with my Z13 so wont be upgrading.

 

I have to wait until the official specs come out.

Official weight, battery life and screen information is needed as well as what type of Graphics Card will be housed in the GPU.

For the moment, I am leaning towards new Z.

 

I do prefer internal OD drives and also internal dedicated graphics.

I would have liked the ODD to have been a choice and i would have opted for that. The dedicated graphics not being a power user i could manage that being external, even though it's not a preference.
Sony has never i think done what Lenovo and Fujitsu has done and offered a removable internal battery/dvd drive so it seems pointless considering that.

That external device actually looks a little bulky to me if you only intend to use it as a dvd drive. If i did buy this i would probably buy my own external optical drive at about 0.5lbs.

The SA is there but it doesn't have a premium display and the display that it does have is distinctly average. It's seems like it would have been a natural alternative.

In terms of looks, i prefer this new Z to the last one. I prefer the more integrated palmrests. Although, i'm a bit concerned about the hinge and don't like the silver trim at the back of the notebook so much. To me though the trim does look better on the gold model.

I'm sure that the new Z will appeal to many, will it have the wide appeal that the last Z had? well i don't know about that and we just need to watch and see.

 

^Agree to that. I think the average user does not need the dedicated GPU on the go, the SB graphics are capable of HD content playback and slight gaming / 3D application. What I do like about the older Z is that it comes with everything inside one light package. It's just a nice, sleek allrounder. You can just pop in a BD and watch that on the go, a beamer or do some gaming when not at your own desk - if you had to bring that external unit all the time, its just inconvenient and even heavier than the older Z. The new Z splits this all-in-one feature and bragging rights up in order to get some (slightly) more mobility.

 

The photos of the external unit are shot from a poor angle. It's really pretty small IMO.

 

Personally, I prefer external ODD and don't really have any use for dedicated graphics so this new version would be perfect if not forced to buy the external unit.

I really want something with the latest tech, in a 13" or lower form factor, light, and with a hi-res good quality display which is why I am interested in the Z2.

Oh, and I wish they had used a DisplyPort instead of VGA. No problem for me to carry a VGA adapter around or buy a new cable for projector. Better to have the latest port in something as special as the Z series.

 

I prefer an external GPU and ODD, or actually even eliminate the external ODD altogether if it allows for more space for a better cooling system, GPU and battery life. Most people don't need the GPU on the move (unless you treat it like a mobile gaming station), and it cuts off a big chunk of the weight. As for the ODD drive, you might as well just buy a USB ODD drive to serve as a burner specifically for that purpose, than to have it passive in your computer and take up unnecessary space.

The decision of whether of not to replace the Z really lies on the GPU really, as the current Z already boasts more than sufficient CPU power. The GPU of the current Z leaves much to be desired though. If it's at least the 6630 like the SA/SB (My guess it will house the GT 540M, which is better than the 6630), then it's worth considering. Otherwise, no.

 

^You've already been told it's a 6630 yet you keep guessing it's a 540M

 

As I wrote in the other thread, I like the concept of the new Z, because I rarely need an ODD or a strong GPU. On the other hand, the big advantage of the previous Z was that everything was there in one small package when one needs it.

But based on the information we have, there are a few things which make the new Z a bit less appealing to me: relatively weak GPU in the external unit (6630M), big bezel and thus probably larger footprint, strange hinge. Of course, until the official announcement and until I see the laptop myself, this is just speculation.

 

The new 1.16kgs Sony Z2 is awesomeness in a box. I do agree that the external ODD/GPU should be an option. Some users may opt out putting savings towards their own Thunderbolt based eGPU using a Sonnet box + desktop video card like GTX560Ti. A $36-delivered ebay USB ODD would suffice. External ODD+GPU is my preference and Sony is delivering it . Wonder if you can do QUAD RAID-0 mSATA SSDs in this thing as well?

 

The issue is more complicated than the polling options allow for.

As an example, backlit keyboard are an issue that's near and dear to me, and I usually jump down people's throats when they make obnoxious "hurp durp I don't get backlit keyboards why not just learn to type lol????" posts. But when it comes to optical disc drives, I'm exactly the same way. I think they're a miserable waste of space, and the only reason I look for them in a laptop is because it means I can pop them out and use two drives (either an SSD+HDD, or two SSDs in RAID). I would much rather just see dual 2.5" slots in small machines, but laptop manufacturers have a raging hard-on for avoiding cool things at all costs, so it's unlikely we'll ever get that.

I'm sure there are niche use cases where people need an optical drive on a laptop, but I just don't understand them. Admittedly, I keep an optical drive in my fileserver for ripping music CDs, and I keep a USB DVD drive kicking around for operating system re-installs. But other than that, I flat-out do not use optical media, and trying to envision the scenarios where you crazies who do insist on optical would use it gives me the giggles. Are you all a bunch of jet-setting business professionals that spend 40 hours a week attending fast-paced business conferences wherein you do nothing but swap vital optical media with esteemed industry colleagues who refuse to move out of the 1990s? Are you all quirky, stubborn Netflix subscribers who do more DVD-swapping than video streaming and insist on watching said DVDs on your 13-inch laptop screen instead of a television like a normal person? Are you so befuddled by Windows' clunky file sharing otpions that the only way you and your significant other can share files is via burning stacks of CD-Rs that are immediately trashed after use?

The phenomenon just doesn't make sense to me. Optical is obsolete, at least insofar as its necessity on a mobile computer where every centimeter of space counts. By insisting on optical, you hold the market back for the rest of us. If I had a job wherein I regularly expected to receive work materials on CD or DVD, I'd throw a slim USB DVD reader in my bag and recognize that it's 2011 and I'm working with retro media out of necessity for a paycheck.

The external GPU issue is even weirder. I would submit that internal GPUs are downright toxic to laptop longevity. They're bulky, they're expensive, they dramatically underperform relative to desktop counterparts (which makes their useful lifespan feel even shorter), they murder battery life, and when they're not murdering battery life (via Optimus) they're murdering Linux support and forcing you to let Nvidia decide when to toggle them on and off ("oh, I see you're running Chrome.exe, don't worry, I enabled your GeForce for you!"). I've been wading through nando4's thread on DIY external GPUs lately, and the whole thing is just a huge eye-opener. People are pairing eGPUs with inexpensive laptops and posting monster scores. There's no reason you shouldn't have an ultraportable that can blow past 15K on 3DMark when you're at a desk. My biggest wish is for the concept of the eGPU to be commercialized properly (which Sony surely won't do, because they suck) so that we can get some better-sized external enclosures that make it easier to transport your rig. I'm too old to hassle with LAN parties anymore, but I could definitely manage tossing a reasonably-sized eGPU in my bag with my ultraportable to play games at my buddy's place for a couple hours.

Think about laptop hardware from 3-4 years ago. The GPUs offered in most are positively ancient and worthless by today's standards, but the CPUs are modestly-powered Core 2 Duos (many of which would support some mild overclocking) and would still stack up favorably if paired with a modest, modern external GPU.

I know people are going to freak out because they absolutely "need" to play Crysis or WoW in the airport and simply cannot handle plugging in two devices for this clearly ultra-mobile task, but I submit that these people suck. There's a line of bulky all-in-one units for these people, they're called Alienware, and Dell is only too happy to take your money for one of these machines and then again six months later when the strained GPU already starts feeling incredibly restrictive and ancient.

The decision to drop optical and the internal GPU is great. Sony's implementation won't be.

The beauty of removing this stuff is the modularity it affords you. Why do I need to bring an optical drive I'll literally never use when I want to bring my GPU? More importantly, why do I need to be limited to proprietary crap for the GPU? I want to shove a desktop GPU in my backpack -- not have some small, underpowered, impossible-to-upgrade GPU forced on me. It's all the pointlessness of internal laptop video with all the inconvenience of having to haul crap around. Nobody wins!

Except Sony. They always win.

EDIT: ^^^ Thanks nando, I completely forgot about the Thunderbolt port. So maybe this system will be good for external GPUs after all, especially if you can bypass Sony's proprietary junk. We probably won't see a commercial, nicely-sized desktop GPU enclosure with built-in power supply, though. For that, you'll be stuck with whatever GPU Sony choses to offer.

 

kalibar:

I agree with you on the ODD part, especially considering that there are USB ODD's out there!

However for the GPU part, your logic seems to be a little flawed. Yes, they do murder battery life, and the Optimus thing can be problematic at times, but don't you know that Sony doesn't use Optimus? You get to choose what GPU you prefer for whatever task you're on.

Also, some people (I'm actually one of them too) spend most of their time with their laptop. I'm going to boarding school this fall and I will almost exclusively use my laptop for 90% of the year. I'm not a gaming freak, but would certainly love my laptop to have the ability to game when I want to. There are just times when you're too bored and want to play a game or two, but definitely not at the airport lol.

 

I am going to keep and upgrade my Z12... but I'll probably have to buy one of those Gold Z2's with 1080P and i7. It is like a super powerful X series. I don't need it and it won't replace the Z12 but I like it enough to want to have it also.

 

I wasn't speaking to Sony's implementation specifically; it's actually the best case I can imagine. But it's still an underpowered GPU taking up precious space inside a tiny chassis where every cubic millimeter is precious. Their engineers surely realized this too, which is why we're seeing the changes we're seeing for this year's model.

If you're using your laptop for 90% of the year, that's all the more reason to want higher-powered external graphics. Plug your hypothetical eGPU in during these "times you're too bored". If plugging an eGPU in is too much of a style cramp, get a bigger laptop (like an Alienware M14x).

 

Um, what's the difference between options 2 and 4?

 

I think it depends significantly on my use cases, I also think the user experience is important.

My Z came with a HDD and hence no ODD. I have an external USB DVD writer and that works out pretty well. After all, I rarely use it, and when I do, I use it at home, where my DVDs are. It also does not make sense to me to have to fork out new $$ and lose space on the laptop for technology that is slow changing, compared to say GPUs. Also, quite a bit of my storage has gone onto HDDs that are mounted on an external enclosure which is accessed via eSATA, that's similar in usage to the ODD.

If those external devices can be grouped into one, and if I can connect just one wire (or dock) to access both the ODD and my external HDDs, that would be great. Sure, the current system works, but the user experience is not as great. And I care about the user experience, as do many consumers, shown by Apple's success in the iPhone.

So, I prefer external ODD: always have been, and happy to live with that. To me, in terms of architecture, the external unit should comprise of technology that doesn't have to move as fast.


The GPU is tougher to think about. I have a netbook, and the problem with that is that although it is fine almost all the time, it isn't just a little bit of the time. Those times can be categorized into (1) doing everyday stuff like watching HD videos and (2) gaming.

Category (1) times just bug the hell out of me. These short periods, though short, were enough for the entire experience to be spoilt. Sure we can say 'Watch the video again when I get to a better machine', but that is not a good experience. Just like saying backlit keyboard is not necessary because we can touch-type: that is not as a good an experience. Or saying that we should all bike to work, because when work is 40 miles away, the experience gets terrible. For category (1), I need the IGP to be good enough. I hope the one on Sandy Bridge makes it.

Category (2) applications are usually done at home (2a), or a couple of times when I'm at a hotel (2b). I will never game with Z1 in public, besides not wanting to look strange, the other really good reason is that the GPU fan is fantastically loud. Like, REALLY, REALLY loud. I think it's the kind of loud where, if I do it at the airport, I will be getting stares from concerned passengers for a minute or two, then I'll be escorted to the nearest interrogation room. The loudness of the fan is not a good experience, it is ok at home and when I put my earphones on. So, in terms of having the GPU reside externally, it would be better if the cooling becomes better as well.

In terms of (2b), for me it actually is a matter of clearing the TSA security checkpoint. That is a strange thing to say, but I've just gotten tired of taking stuff out and putting them back into my bag. I recently began traveling with a tablet (Samsung Q1), I didn't have to take it out, and the experience was better. I doubt the Z2 external unit needs to be taken out (or at least, TSA hasn't thought about that), so if I end up taking out a smaller laptop, I would be happier.


So, really it depends, and it's probably a little too early for me to tell what the experience will be like. But I will probably buy it, just because the concept is different, and there may be use cases which I have not thought of before and have not been able to experience.

 

Δ what kind of movies are you watching that the igp wasnt good enough?

 

I know lol, i realised that a little after i posted but i didn't want to eliminate that option because someone had already voted for that option.

The 13.3 upcoming MBA with Thunderbolt port is going to be a competitor for the Z.

 

That was the netbook's IGP, it couldn't handle any HD movies.

In addition to movies, there's the question of scaling with load. For instance, having multiple tabs on my browser.

 

^Got it. GMA5700 is pretty flawless IMO for everything but gaming/modeling, etc. HD3000 is even better. Issue with GMA in netbooks is anytime a video isn't encoded properly to take advantage of HWA, the CPU is incapable of taking over. Not an issue with the Z.

 

I wasn't crazy about the idea of the external GPU/ODD when I first heard about but I'm coming around. Still, I can see why people would want an old Z-like option such as an SA with a premium screen.

Sony decided they needed to redesign the Z. They could probably have waited for Ivy Bridge for the update but chose to go with it now. When the Z was redesigned, it seems inevitable that it would lose the ODD. As others have remarked, they are obsolete. GPUs are becoming obsolete for many non-gaming applications and will head further into obsolescence once Ivy Bridge is released. The Z's identity is as an super-premium executive notebook/toy. Gaming is not a major activity (particularly on-the-go activity) for much of the client base.

Instead of killing the ODD and GPU off altogether, they decided to package them together as an external unit which is in keeping with the concept of the Z as the only 3lb or so DTR. Without the outboard drive/card, the Z would become a direct but much more expensive competitor to the MBA. With the external unit's capabilities, it becomes more powerful/capable than an MBP but lighter (most of the time) than an MBA. Pretty cool.

It's possible that Intel worked with Sony to promote Thunderbolt, an emerging technology that, so far, has only limited application/use. Or, Sony just wanted to make sure that their flagship/halo product included all the latest and greatest bells and whistles it could.

Since the external unit is apparently intended for only limited or no battery use, I'm not sure why a more powerful GPU wasn't used although the thermal constraints when making the unit as small/light as possible may be a factor.

If the rumored integrated support for LTE 4G service (in the States) is true, that will be a bonus for people who can take advantage of it. I like the idea of 2.5lb notebook with near-always on access to a high speed connection.

The new Z won't be for everyone looking for a 13" notebook, either because of a frequent mobile need for optical media, a desire for a more powerful GPU, or price.

This sucker's going to be expensive. A version with 1080p screen, a 256GB SSD and Blu-ray with probably run close to 3K USD. Go with a 512GB SSD to get close to the storage of most premium laptops and the price tag could be in the $4,000 range. In short, you can probably get about 3-5 premium laptops for what this one will cost.

The high price will be, at least in part, because of the nature of the ultralight, high power beast. It's also possible that the high price is part of Sony's overall brand identity strategy. By creating an object of laptop envy/lust, Sony may well be helping create a high-profile image that will lead to increased sales of their less expensive (but far from cheap) computers. Companies from GM to American Express use versions of the halo marketing strategy because it works, at least sometimes. Expect much sophisticated and non-obvious marketing associated with the new Z.

In short, the new Z design was probably a good idea. Too bad its not coming out now with an Ivy Bridge chip but, as it's written in the Book of Jagger, you can't always get what you want.

 

With the new photos and details leaking out, I'm starting to feel this new "Z" is more a replacement for Sony's below 12" T series, the last one being the TT released back in late 2008.

I also took a peek at SonyStyle Japan's website yesterday and no sign of the Z on their front page with all their other models. Also I have seen it removed from Conics.net, which imports computers from Japan to us foreigners. I saw the Z there earlier this month though.

 

id go with internal odd...and external gpu.. as long as the gpu is upgradable. if it isn't then internal on both.

fyi - i just bought an old Z...because i couldn't warrant a minimum of 100% increase in price for what the new Z was offering...for my basic usage, i would see no noticeable gains...let along the idea of carrying around external hardware.

 

^100% increase in price? What'd you pay for your Z?

 

He got a $999 refurb. one from SonyStyle Outlet. They were quite a steal, really.

 

People who travel a lot, and don't have time to rip DVDs to USB or HD. Buying a couple of DVDs at the airport can make a miserable long flight bearable.
Unfortunately, you can only do that on a couple of trips, because of the #!(*$&(#&$ region control that only lets you change your DVD region four times.

And, with the Z, the main reason for an optical drive is so you can replace it with a standard 2.5" HDD/SDD.

 

Um, no. It's even bigger than the old Zs - it's more a competitor against 14" Macbook Pro.

I really wish that Sony would make a TT successor; a high-end small notebook. But consumers aren't willing to pay the premium, and go for sub $500 netbooks instead.

 

I loved the "old" Z style laptops, and almost bought one on several occasions, only the price and proprietary SSD's prevented me from buying. If we could have swapped out with any SSD I probably would have bit. But I digress.

@ Kalibar - While I understand where you are coming from, I think an internal optical drive would be ideal, primarily an optional blu-ray drive. This is the sole reason I have an optical drive in my laptop right now. HD contents is too large to store on the precious SSD space too. But if it were an option so one could opt for a second SSD or the blu-ray drive, it would be ideal.

As far as GPU, the new Intel IGP's are decent for low res gaming and playing HD video. I am a gamer, but with a machine like this, if it means lower heat, longer battery life, and a lighter machine, I'm all for it. That being said they only dropped 6oz's from the machine to drop both the optical drive and dedicated GPU. To me that's not worth the sacrifice.

If the Thunderbolt eGPU takes off quickly, then Sony will have major egg on their face offering an underpowered and proprietary GPU compared with with what other machines with Thunderbolt can get. In any case I don't understand why the external odd/gpu can't be optional as well and save users a few hundred bucks if they really don't need it. To many it will just be an expensive external optical drive.

 

yeah what Skyshade said. $999 refurb old Z > $2k+ new Z for me...not for everyone...but for my basic use.

 

I will not be spending my money on a new laptop any time soon. Certainly not for this one. For one, I don't have a clue how to mod drivers for the ATi graphics, so I'll have to rely on Sony for driver updates, and we all know how well they do in that department.

Thunderbolt is a new technology - only time will tell whether or not it has a future. Case in point: Hybrid graphics used to be all the rage, but the latest nVidia driver 275.50 beta does not support it. If nVidia drops support for hybrid graphics altogether, all us hybrid graphics owners are going to be left high and dry. I'm pretty sure my next gaming platform will be a self assembled desktop. For regular stuff, my current Z1 will do for me as long as it lasts.

 

A 16 GB SD card will hold most any HD movie, and cards are dirt cheap these days.
An external slim HDD is nice for larger collections, and takes up about half the space of a single BD case.

 

^ agreed. /10 chars

 

Even I find 720p is fine, but still can take over 4GB even with good compression, and I don't have time to rip all my BD movies either (or acquire them by other means), so best to take the disc.

 

If the external GPU/ODD requires AC power, as a reliable report has it, then it becomes significantly less desirable.

 

The LG P330 was also announced:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/lg/585292-lg-p330-i7-nvidia-555m.html

13.3", IPS panel, i7 2nd gen, 555m. No optical drive though and 3.6 lbs. But that extra 1 lbs is probably mostly due to cooling that GT 555m, which imho 3.6 lbs or 2.5 lbs, who cares. Looks like a competitor to the S and Z.

 

Internal ODD will be obsolete before end of life of Z21

 

Not for HD video content. Still too large for local storage with smaller storage space on SSD's becoming standard, and/or streaming due to bandwidth caps with most major ISP's. That is the main reason I see ODD's sticking around (Blu-Ray of course) for a while. But for data, I don't see it being used much if at all in the near future.

 

I think most likely the computer that i might purchase next may be the 15" MBP later this year. I would just have to live with a usb 3g stick if i want to use mobile broadband. It will be good to have the choice of both operating systems.

I'm slightly underwhelmed by the SA because of the display and don't think i would be that happy keeping it for 3-4 years. It's a shame.

The new Z is a little bit of a risk for Sony, they cannot afford to really get this wrong. May be they should been more incremental and made the optical external and then gpu.

I still use physical media very regularly, my music collection is mainly still on CD and i have less than a few gb of music on my iPod. I buy BD's and DVD's and use them at leisure and do not find external options very convenient in my day to day life. I prefer to have things there when i need it.

I now have unlimited broadband but i don't download. But, i do realise that optical drives will soon be a thing of the past and in a few years in the 13" space it may well not be possible to buy such a laptop with a optical drive. I guess many are just not quite ready yet for the gpu or optical drive to be external.

 

I like the concept, but for practical reasons I would like to have at least an internal GPU (not in the dock). The last generation was already the lightest and most powerful notebook in its class.
What I really don't understand is the choice for the GPU in the dock. They had the chance to actually choose a powerful GPU, but ended up with a 6650M.
Right now, I would like a SA with the Z's screen.

 

@Rachel the SA still has a higher res screen (not to mention much higher dpi) than the 15" mac. Have you seen the screen in person? I saw it for the first time yesterday and didn't think it's as bad as everyone's making it out to be and I use the 1080 Z at home. (although I didn't have the two side by side).

 

When you configure the Z in the sony online store the base configuration starts at € 1.834,98, but that's without the dock, you have to pay an extra € 400,- for it (dvd not bluray).
Wow, I've lost all interest, I imagined it would be expensive, but that's really expensive.

base configuration: i5-2410M, 128 GB SSD, 4 GB, 1600x900, windows 7 home premium (for a business class notebook)

 

it looks like a small desktop computer with the external gpu and odd. lol
the old Z is way better. the external gpu and odd just complicates things.
looks like the SA will be way better than having external odd and gpu on the go.
IMO

 

xxGenericSNxx, the SA is only CTO where i live and not viewable in store. I think though it can be safe to say that the SA has an average display and i don't think that is what i quite looking for.

The MBP high res option is fine for me, i was ok with the 1440x900 MBP that i owned before. If i go with a MBP i would get one with a matte display also.
I do realise that the MBP doesn't come with a BD but then there are other pros as well that i do consider. It does have a better display and of course i can use OSX. I use Sony Vegas for HD editing but i wouldn't mind exploring iMovie. The SA would cost me about £1,500 and so would the MBP be around that figure. May be i'm not compelled enough to buy the SA.

It might be a different for me if i didn't already own a 11.1 ultraportable but i do and i'm not planning on parting with it yet.

 

Depends on where you are in this world.

At the moment, I am a student. So I would prefer to have a built-in 3d gpu, dvd player, lightweight, and stylish (if i could afford the price)

I got Z1


but now where I am working, it adds a new stipulation to mobility. We dont use desktop. we all have work laptops. our work laptops have docking station to make life easier connecting things and dual screen what not.

This is where I see the NEW Z answering some of the void but through evolutionary way.

Sony is always been the first in announcing breakthrough technology or innovation or high end blend via their high end series (TZ, SZ, Z etc..)

This time they are answering business professional via the means of lightpeak technology which i think is awesome! They are taking out the cdrom, intensive 3d gpu unit (even thought imo they could of gone with something better!), adding quad monitor support IN ADDITION to a docking station.

So i think this is the new definition of portability and sony is again bringing something new that no other manufacturer has done.

I like it. I am a business professional. I am a student. And i am a tech geek

 

I can see what you're saying but the new Z is 2.7lbs without a dock, the VPC Z was 3.1lbs and as light as 2.95lbs in some configurations. I do travel for up two months at a time sometimes to more remote parts of the world. The perfect travel laptop for me is a laptop in one unit.
The dual displays though is clearly a plus with this new Z.
Clearly for many it will tick all the right boxes.
I think though Sony could have done a bit more with the SA.

 

"Understandably, the dock must be powered externally, but it does pass on power to the notebook for recharging."

Sony's new VAIO Z ultraportable laptop with Power Media Dock hands-on -- Engadget

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z41x_w4NEaw

 

From the images I can't see a Thunderbolt port. Sony just refer to it as the docking port. Hmm.. if it's proprietory then will add some issues for the Thunderbolt-based eGPU using a Sonnet Echo Express.

Below I have the old MBA 13" weight and the new Sony Z2 weight. Not much in it. Hope Apple can match the Sony Z2 or better it. It will definitely have a stock standard Thunderbolt port so eGPU users may want to hold on a little longer.

Code:

13" Sony_Z2$	  2.60lbs (1.18kgs). 0.66" thick. 900P/1080P. Raid-0, HD6650M. Proprietory Thunderbolt link.
13" Macbook Air$  2.90lbs (1.32kgs). 0.68" thick. 900P. Thunderbolt port. ETA - Jul 2011.

 

Nice... we shall see if apple can step up to Z this time.

FOR CHRIST SAKE APPLE ADD A HD DISPLAY ON THAT 13IN

 

Hmmm, poll option 2 and 4 are the same... confusing