What features would you like on the next Vaio Z

Hello,

They didn't make enough changes on the current model Z for me to pull the trigger. I'm hoping next year will be a complete redo with some technology that isn't really out there at this point but will be by the time they come out with a new Z.

I love my two Z's first model z and the first mid model release with a SSD (although I wish I could just put in a standard ssd and reduce boot time). I replaced the old spindle drive on my first z with a standard SSD and it now boots much faster than my newer sony z with ssd even though the newer one has a faster processor (both were imaged from the same drive). There is about a 15 second delay due to the sony proprietary raid ssd even registering before it can start windows. The newer standard ssd actually has faster read/write and operations than the raid solution from Sony.

If this thread is anything like most, I won't be able to add poll items so feel free to post all the things I didn't think of. I did make it so you could select more than one item.

Some people will post it is too far away to worry about since they just came out with the last slight upgrade model. Others will say if I posted 6 months ago the features are already locked so don't worry about it.

 

I haven't noticed the RAID registration slowing things down - if you turn off the RAID setup option from displaying, it seems to go right by it at startup.

- Tim

 

Let's see:

1. I can't see how Sony is going to make it thinner without loss of features, it's not exactly bulky and plus its not supposed to be an ultrabook. But if it is possible then hell why not.

2. Sure, as long as I can still use VGA via a dongle since most projectors at uni and businesses still use VGA. I've yet to see a projector with a display port. I'd like Ethernet to stay it's more reliable, but that's my personal preference I guess I could get a dongle for that.

3. Intel will do that for us with Haswell, Sony does not need to make the machine bigger.

4. Z series is supposed to be Sony's flagship machine, so it needs the full voltage CPU to differentiate itself and to remain powerful

5. The chassis is already too thin for standard SSDs. Although perhaps sony could implement the mSata ones instead of their proprietary crap.

6. Yes that's a feature that many people would like actually to be able to use two external monitors at the same time.

7. Wireless 802.11ac - well it would be nice. However businesses are still using 802.11b/g and only a few are using n. So it's not that essential.

8. esata? Nope, usb 3.0 or thunderbolt/lightpeak can replace that. In fact not many laptops come with esata these days.

9. Well only if Sony moves back to the 16:10 resolution (unlikely) or make the machine shorter (more likely).

10. Well I can agree on that for all machines.

11 & 12. Well chips would have gotten more efficient then, so battery life will inevitably improve, such as Intel Haswell/Skylake, even GPUs would have vastly improved by then.
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Stuff I'd like to see on all Sony laptops in the future (not mentioned on your list)

1. Much better Speaker quality.
2. Much better screen quality (excludes Vaio Z)
3. Give us 2 upgradable ram slots (Vaio Z needs industry standard ram instead of their proprietary card)
3. Less/No crapware. (All manufactures not just sony)
4. At least include one other item other than just a cleaning cloth (look at asus)
5. Native and official SATA III support

 

As for "2. Much better screen quality (excludes Vaio Z)" - why would it exclude the Vaio Z? I think they should be using IPS screens.

- Tim

 

If you are talking about the Z1, the boot delay can be fixed, check my post here. The fix is in there somewhere. The RAID "controller," incidentally, is actually software and is by Intel.

To get me in a new Z, Sony will need to:

1. Up the PPI to Retina levels, or there about
2. Make it a touchscreen without impacting thickness. If you don't want a touchscreen now, you will (Windows 8).
3. MAKE THE MOTHER-LOVING TOUCHPAD LARGER
4. Use cooler-color backlights for the keyboard, we want blue not yellow.

I'm actually one of the people who couldn't give two s about the speakers, but they best do something about it or the people who do care will riot.

 

Cooler? As in color temperature, or as in "Man, that's COOL!" cool? I don't need cool, personally. Just functional.

PS Not everyone wants a touchscreen; I'm a software developer, and I NEVER want to use a touchscreen unless I am forced to (eg. my phone). I don't want to interact with my PC as a touch device - I'm far far far more efficient with mouse and keyboard.

- Tim

 

Whichever definition of cooler works for you

On the touchscreen, I hear what you are saying and I get it but mark my words, you will want one in the next 12 to 18 months. If I'm wrong, you can poke me with a stick or something, but methinks we are in for a paradigm shift.

EDIT: Oh, and not as a primary navigation instrument, btw. Touchscreens will be for desktop management and other large navagation tasks.

 

Hey, dass cool.

I think I must get my stick ready now.

Honestly, when doing software development, I need a lot of precision pointing and typing, and those aren't things that a screen can give me. Moving between a mouse and a keyboard is annoying enough (which is why I prefer Thinkpads and their 'trackpoints'); having to go between a keyboard (for textual typing) and the screen (instead of - or in addition to - a mouse) will just be one more thing I don't want to add to my input device stack.

Have you done software development? A ton of mousing around and text entry and jumping between windows. Sure, you could do that on a screen laid out on a desk, but there's not really any feedback (key press depth), and I really want that. So, needing that, having to jump to a screen *as well* will not be something I will want to do.

So... my stick will be prepared. *poke poke*

EDIT: Ah, I saw your edit just after. Yes, I could imagine it for a few large-scale desktop management tasks. But if I'm using a keyboard, the last thing I want to do is lift my arm to the screen, really, no matter what task it is.

- Tim

 

I added a qualifying statement in my last post.

I don't develop personally, but I run a development team. That count?

 

Not necessarily - have you ever been a software developer? I just was wondering if you have had to deal with the vast number of files in, say, a very large "enterprise" Java project, where you need to run several servers, run Eclipse, do lots of file manipulation with accuracy, etc. I just couldn't imagine using a touchscreen for that kind of work (even supplementally).

- Tim

 

A thunderbolt port is top of my list, but that isn't unique to the Z series as it is for most of the market.

 

You are missing the point although I might not have explained it well, but yes.

Let's wait and see

 

Naw, I think I get your point. But believe me, while working in that kind of environment, I wouldn't want to use a touchscreen. Even if the OS had all kinds of hooks to make it appealing. Rilly rilly.

- Tim

 

I just want a good screen with nvidia video chipset on-board ...

 

What about thunderbolt port ?? I want that more than anything else in the next vaio Z.
Secondly, IPS/MVA/OLED panel with aRGB coverage and calibrated.
Thirdly a (much) more powerful PMD ??
And at last, 16 Gb of RAM ?
+ Fastest dual core and faster quad core CPU.

 

I have the Z1190x- I've turned off the screen - doesn't really speed things up. My older computer that has a standard ssd (that I put in myself) boots much faster as the post time for the bios with RAID is dramatically shorter.

 

Ahh - there is one of those things I wish I could put in the poll but I can't edit it.

 

Thanks - I got about 9 pages in and decided I'd rather buy a macbook than read any more of the thread but I appreciate your attempt to help.

 

IPS vs TN doesn't mean very much these days - A superior TN panel easily trumps a mediocre ips panel (Like the ips display used in the sony vaio S15/ Hp envy 15 which has the orange gate issues). Ips now only really gives extreme viewing angles. The screen on the Z has generous viewing angles already - I doubt you're going to be using your laptop at a right angle.
I could potentially see MVA being used as it is cheaper than IPS.
OLED would only be used when it reaches maturity (not for a while), it is very susceptible to screen burn in, more so than plasma screens.

The only improvements I can see is for sony to improve the panel is to give 100% Adobe RGB colour range since its only about 95% covered.

I am sick and tired of the touch screen gimmick, I'd much prefer a bigger track pad, touch screens = more cleaning. What was wrong exactly with the keyboard and mouse? Plus touch screen will add weight and thickness. Heck even Apple didn't bother putting touch screens in their Macs. Only Acer and Lenovo currently touch screen laptops.

Windows 8 - I'm going to quickly dismiss it as Vista 2.0, in its current state with metro and traditional desktop environment is a discordant mess, I have got the Release Preview and well let's just say I hate it, don't expect business adoption with it, hence they're all getting windows 7 to avoid windows 8.
Metro however works well on a phone and tablet. Getting Rid of the start menu is also a mistake, Apple added Launchpad which is essentially a 'fat' start menu.

Following Microsoft's recent history, I guess windows 9 would be better.

 

I want decent speakers. They can use the speakers from the iPod Touch from 4 years ago.

Agree with voyanger about the missing start menu in Windows 8 - I really miss it too.

 

Oh yeah better speakers! that's really needed!

 

The main issues for me are the terrible speakers and low keyboard travel. I'd love to see a deeper keyboard and better speakers.

Secondary recommendations: make the bezel smaller and the touchpad larger (even just making it wider without increasing the height would be an improvement).

 

Thanks for everyone taking the time to participate - I'll probably let this thread die off in a few days and create a new one with more poll items I forgot such as touchpads, speakers, weight...

 

1) Better speakers
2) RAM user upgradeable
3) Mini display port (get rid of VGA)
4) Bigger trackpad
5) Smaller bezel

 

^ sadly.... i think i still need a VGA port so that i can plug the laptop into the projectors found in the conference rooms here and in other buildings everywhere else...

 

Aren't there vga to display port adapters?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

hmm.. yeah that DP-to-VGA dongle should work (if i can remember to bring it along because i travel light )

 

The new Z:

13,1 inch screen in a bezel made for 13,1, not for 14 inch.
Depending on the lower bezel the overall footprint of the Z shrinks to the footprint of the VPCZ1.

Optinal touchscreen.
PMD which can be attached under the Z like the Sheet battery.
Single SSD which can be easy replaced. For speed fanatics there should be an option for Raid 0.
replaceable RAM.
a bit larger trackpad.
Fingerprint reader can be unchoosen!
A color for the metal body that is more scratch resistant (I have scratches where the PMD plugs in and on the corners... ;()


MH that would be great!

 

But you could use an adapter, when I can't do anything to use my 30" display at its native resolution!

 

Agreed. I don't want to have to find a dongle every time I need to hook it to a monitor. Maybe in about 7 years when VGA is akin to PS2 ports.

 

I'm not quite sure if you are promoting a smaller footprint or a bigger screen.

Myself, I would love a bigger screen for the same footprint. I don't care for the really small laptops ask the keyboards are crampt and they tend to throw keys all over the place with alternate function requirements.

 

None of those choices are anything i want in the New Z

How about... you put a dedicated graphics card into the new Z, and i will buy it again. At the moment, i see absolutely no reason to buy a Z.

My current Z1 is still the best laptop around, and Z2 and Z3 are just a disaster.

There is a point where thin no longer matters, and the Z is easily at that point.

When you are sacrificing keyboard quality for thin, you know its "too" thin.

and for the love of god dont get rid of VGA for Display port, i have yet to see anyone use display port, see a cable for 1, or ever even think about using it. I have used HDMI and VGA 100's on my laptops and so have my friends. All the one who have Display port, have never even it.

The reason i stopped buying Lenovo, is because they refuse to put HDMI and put display port.

i will not pay for a laptop with no HDMI

 

QUOTE=cenkaetaya;8728066]None of those choices are anything i want in the New Z

How about... you put a dedicated graphics card into the new Z, and i will buy it again. At the moment, i see absolutely no reason to buy a Z.

My current Z1 is still the best laptop around, and Z2 and Z3 are just a disaster.

There is a point where thin no longer matters, and the Z is easily at that point.

[/QUOTE]


I strongly disagree with it being at the point where it no longer matters. I do agree the keyboard quality should not be sacrificed to make it thinner.