With no new Sony Z likely, what will you get next?

Hello,

I imagine many of you have the same needs who purchased the Sony Vaio Z in the past - extremely fast but very light and thin. If they came out with a new Z I'd get it but I don't want to half-a$$ it and get a "reasonably" light S or some underperforming "ultrabook" POS you can get at best buy.

I'm looking for:
the latest, fastest i7 mobile processor
a 13- 14" screen
something under 3lbs (ideally about 2lbs)
something very thin but with an rj45 nic on board.
hopefully something with the accidental damage warranty option like the Sony's have had in the past.

I support a LOT of execs who all complained about the price of the Sony Z but ended up buying new ones ever couple of years. I'm not quite sure what to buy the next time around as there are always new execs and execs who just want something new.

I figure with the newest intel CPUs coming out soon there have to be new models from other manufacturers such as ASUS and Samsung or Fujitsu but I haven't bought much other than Sony for many years so I'm not as familiar with what else is out there.

I'm sure there are many of you who have a Z and don't see a need to replace it anytime soon and that is very nice for you but I need to find a new next best Z alternative for people who don't have laptops.

 

While Sony is no longer offering a Z for retail purchase, there are still new Z laptops available for the time being. I would look at these (internet search to find) and consider the Z. I love mine and am happy I purchased mine last summer. So far (knock on wood) this is the best laptop I have ever owned/used.

 

Thanks, I did get a refurb one direct from Sony recently for an exec as he needed something right away and didn't have time for me to research alternatives. Many of the execs didn't like the external disc /video to plug into their monitors. In the end they won't want last years model as part of being an exec is showing off the latest phone and laptops when meeting with other execs. I'll need something newer, slimmer, lighter with the same size screen or larger to make them happy.

Most of the execs I support want them customized - e.g. 8GB of RAM, 500 GB SSD, fastest processor etc. The previous Zs were easy to replace the hard drive but the current ones are unpleasant.

 

Just get the Vaio S online and customize it to the max.

 

i also bought a refurb and I just sent it back. It is true what they say, they just clean them up and vacuum them out and resell them. This refurb would not work right from the first day. I have looked everywhere for an i7/512SSD NEW Z and cannot find one anywhere. /the only place I found it was in th UK for almost USD$5,000.00. I don't know what to do but am looking at the Duo 11 right now.

 

The S is not thin or light enough.

 

While I have few complaints about my F Series, I'll most likely purchase another brand of laptop.

 

Any thoughts on what you might get?

 

As a guy who needs laptops in the 4lb or under category (around 3 is preferred), you have options. It depends on how powerful vs. sexy you want. You can get lots of great machines that are powerful under 4lbs, but they won't be the best lookers.

Right now my main machines are a Duo 11 and the Panasonic CF-J10 - both very different beasts.

A lot of laptops won't have VGA out these days, so if you need that, it narrows down your choice unless you want to carry dongles.

The new upcoming Fujitsu E733 ( LIFEBOOK E733 - Fujitsu Technology Solutions) looks power packed (and comes in just under 4lbs) - you can even get the i7-3632QM. But from a screen perspective, it's not a Sony at only 1366x768.

The Lenovo X230 is a good choice if you want power and all the ports but again, not a looker or full HD screen.

The Samsung Series 7 Ultra also looks intriguing if they do release the 16GB variant.

I'd suggest something like the Panasonic NX2 or SX2, but again, not the sexiest but you can get power. You do at least get 1600x900. Their B series is also intiguing - just about 4lbs but blu-ray, 15.6", and full HD.

So what you really need to do is make a list of the 'must haves' versus the 'nice to haves' and go from there. As a lightweight laptop guy for over 10 years going back to the venerable U70P, you're not going to get crazy light AND powerful AND looks good. Pick one or two and figure out your tradeoffs.

BTW, people have a short memory. It was quite awhile between the SZ and VGN-Z (the first iteration). Sony has usually had a premium product somewhere in the line, but right now it seems they are again in that inbetween period where they are redesigning that flagship and if I had to guess, will announce in May/June (around Haswell) or wait until the fall. So we may go months without knowing what Sony will put in the line. Japan refreshes their laptops every 3-4 months, even if it is just a spec bump in some way. They just did one, so ...

 

I don't mean getting a refurbished set. I was saying purchase a brand new CTO Vaio S from Sony online and customize it to the maximum specs.

 

Based on your requirements, the next best choice with the most powerful overall specs in a 13.3 inch laptop would be the Vaio S. There is no such thing as all-in-one. There definitely has to be a a little compromise. Anyways, the CTO Sony Vaio S can be customized to the maximum of an I7 processor, Nvidia GT 640m (2GB VRAM), 12GB of Ram, 512GB SSD and 1600x900 resolution all in a 1.67kg body.

Unless you want a 15inch laptop, then the most powerful would be the Samsung Series 7 Chronos. If overall power, size, weight and style is what you want, definitely go with the Sony Vaio S. Trust me, you wouldn't regret it.

 

Except that the screen is rather disappointing, to say the least and the battery life could be somewhat better.

Maybe the best option would be to wait like 4 more months for the Haswell CPUs to arrive, since some leaks were promising performance close to the 650M (DDR3). I guess it's for the strongest CPU variants, not ULVs, but since it's a 22nm part and in a single package, it should definitely fit some ultrabook-size like laptop and bring Vaio S performance level (with a much better screen to boot and probably a thinner bezel, thus reducing the footprint - of course, the ODD should go, but some mSATA slot would do just fine instead of it).

 

Honestly speaking, besides a FHD screen, 1600x900 resolution is the next best and it's actually not bad. With the exception of viewing angles, it looks pretty nice when viewed directly. Text do look crisp and sharp. Besides, most, if not all of the time, we will be looking directly at the laptop so to me personally, this is a really small issue. Like I said, there has to be some form of compromise.

Of course, getting a laptop when Haswell comes out in June is definitely the way to go! Every brand will have new models of laptops with different design and better specs. I bought a Vaio S back in December, returned it after finding out about Haswell and now I'm waiting for the new models to be released after June.

 

Hello,

To be clear - the laptop HAS to be well under 3lbs. It has to have a fast i7 in it, it has to be at least a 13" screen. The Samsung Series 9 Premium 13.3" ultrabook is in the ballpark of what I'm looking for although not exact as I'd want a faster i7 than the i7 it comes with, higher resolution screen (for remote desktop), more memory and a larger capacity hard drive.

 

it's too heavy and chunky. Just not a Z...

 

boe, you can get Samsung with 512 SSD, FullHD, Core i7 Series 9 by late March. It's index is NP900X3E. If you need more in terms of specs, am I am afraid you overestimate both the industry and your needs as they are.

 

Thanks - other than the slow i7 processor and only 4GB of memory it is pretty close to perfect.

 

Like I said in my post a few back, you're not going to get crazy light AND powerful AND looks good. Pick one or two and figure out your tradeoffs. You want the unicorn. I stopped trying to find the unicorn a year or two into my light laptop era. Over the past year or two we're finally getting smaller and lighter that is pretty powerful because tech has somewhat caught up, but there is always something that isn't quite up to what you want.

The Samsung Series 7 Ultra ( Samsung SERIES 7 Ultra - YouTube) seems closest to what you want to be honest - balances power and looks. I just don't know if the 16GB variant will ever make it to market. I can tell you that the i7 (any variant) is more than enough to run multiple VMs. The 7 Ultra will have two main variants: touchscreen and non-touchscreen.

If they want really sexy and value looks over anything else, look at something like the NEC Lavie G type Z ( Dynamism - NEC LaVie Z, NEC Lavie Z Unboxing — The World’s Lightest Ultrabook « Ultrabook News and the Ultrabook Database).

The current Vaio Duo comes close in most aspects as well.

Stop chasing the unicorn.

 

That's my point exactly. He is looking for something that is the best of the best of the best in one overall package which is impossible. Nothing like that exists and every laptop, even the very best like the Vaio Z has to compromise a little. (No built in dedicated graphics card and ODD).

Apparently there is no laptop for him because the Vaio S is too heavy, the Duo 11 is only 11 inches, the Samsung Series 7 Chronos has a slower I7 Processor and only 4GB of RAM.

Final word: Everything laptop is unsuitable for him unless he makes a little compromise which, from the way he says, is not happening.

 

Actually you seem to be the one with the problem of the Sony Z not having dedicated display - I don't remember saying that was an issue in this post. The Sony Z is very close to ideal for almost all of my clients - now I'm looking for a current laptop that is most similar to it in weight, processing power and display since the Sony Z is discontinued.

 

I've given you plenty of alternatives. I could even come up with a few more - such as the Lenovo T430s (slightly heavier, but good processor, up to 16GB of RAM, HD display, easily changed out SSD ...).

You have plenty of options - some laid out here, others you may have to research on your own.

I wish you luck. I've been much happier since I stopped chasing the unicorn. The only non-negotiable for me is really weight. Everything after that is compromises.

 

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a really nice looking laptop. Under 3lbs, i7 processor, large glass trackpad, sturdy carbon build, etc. Pretty decent 14" display at 1600x900, and much better speakers than the last Vaio Z laptop. One useful feature is that it charges from empty to 80% in 35min.

 

Yup, all the suggestions have been given by us. All the next best laptops are not ideal for him so I do not know what alternative is he looking for since all out suggestions are not suitable for him. The Vaio Z is gone and we have given him our suggestions. I'm done.

 

THanks - You are correct, the weight is extremely important. I'm not giving up on the unicorn though, if I own a couple now (Sony Z) I can hope that another manufacturer will come out with a new unicorn.

 

Honestly, the latest Z wasn't even that unicorn. Outside of the full processor, it had no built in VGA, maxed out at 8GB of RAM, etc. Those are just some of the reasons that it didn't work for me. The Duo 11 for all its quirks IMO is a much more functional machine than the Z. Sony really needs to support 16GB in its flagship.

 

In fact, it had.

 

He must be talking about the Z2. The Z1 indeed had discrete, switchable graphics. Love mine. I love that I can run it at full power on battery, even overclocked to the max with MSI Afterburner, and get a good hour of gaming out of it. Most other notebooks cut the GPU clocks to worse-than-Intel levels on battery. The Z1 was the unicorn FenderP keeps talking about lol

 

I think I'll get an Asus next. Sony hasn't released a laptop I got excited about since I bought a VPCF series a couple of years back. And it was a bit of a disappointment to be honest, with several problems. Especially considering the premium price ($2000 laptop).

Asus has been making some pretty nice high-end laptops lately. While it's an ultrabook, the Asus Zenbook UX31A-C4027H (EU model) sports an i7 CPU, full HD screen, SSD and even a touchscreen. I think I saw another model with a dedicated GPU.

 

The UX32VD has a dGPU. It's only a dual-core ULV i7 though, which is not even close to the same league as the Z's full-voltage quad. The i7QM scores anywhere from 50% better to more than double on most benchmarks.

 

or try the ultrabook from gigabyte.. it has nvidia 650m or 670m i think. good for gaming though.. or try waiting for the release from sony

 

You must be talking about the mythical U2442F that no one is selling (in the US at least).

 

yeah you are right man. I forgot to include the model sorry for that..

 

Hello,
I must say i'm a little bit dissapointed also with the speed todays laptops are evolving. I've been looking for a high quality laptop since last year but still even today nothing catches my eye. I pretty much need the same specs as last years Macbook Pro w Retina (2.8gz i7, 768gb, 16gb ram, 7+ battery life) in the same sleek and light body. Untill now (almost a year later) i cannot find a laptop with the same specs and the same premium case amd size. I was hoping that sony would release a Z version in 15' this year that would compete but right now that does not seem it will happen. Quite dissapointing. I know there are many pc laptops that can match some of the specs, but it seems there is always a trade off. I don't like Apple and it's frustrating that no other brand seem to compete with them in this level.

If i'm wrong and there indeed is a pc laptop with same specs and no compromises then i'd be very greatful for the info...

T.

 

You mean other than the Asus UX51 and the new Sansung Chronos?

 

Thank You for the suggestions. Only from what i found the asus doesn't come with neither 16gb ram nor 768gb drive and only lasts over 5 hours. On the other hand can't seem to find if the Samsung 7 chronos comes with 768gb ssd? Also do they come with the intel i7 2.8gz processor(8mb L3 cache)? If yes, then the Samsung might be worth a look especially with it's excellent battery life even tho i've had bad experience with samsung products in the past.

 

I think that most of you can talk about weight and specs and screen-resolutions for hours, but you completely neglect one statement in boe's original post: "part of being an exec is showing off the latest phone and laptops when meeting with other execs", which IMHO is the main point in his question. His customers are executives who do not know what VM's are, who do not play games and use the laptop for emails, reading and maybe for Powerpoint. The most important spec for this clientele, the only one that matters, is that the notebook can be recognized as a halo device, the top of the line notebook on the market. One review about the Z mentioned that it has the word "expensive" written all over it, and this pretty much sums it up, even if it sounds pretty sad.

In my own line of work I am dealing with very expensive goods and negotiate with execs on a daily basis. I am an old-school nerd, need all the processing power and I am not an executive myself, but one of the reasons why I use a Z3 is that this machine carries a tremendous amount of prestige. The Vaio S is a consumer notebook after all and can't fill the gap. The same applies to any Lenovo and the Samsung S9. If Sony follows their usual pattern, the next top-device will be a Vaio X: Similar sized as the very successfull 11' MacBook Air, but souped up with much better specs, glossy carbon body and priced at > US$ 3000,-. So my suggestion to boe would be to put a few Z on stock and wait for the new Vaio X to arrive.

One more thing: I have created a Facebook page for Z21, Z23 and SVZ owners today. You are most welcome to join and like: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sony-Vaio-Z21-Z23-and-SVZ13-Owners-Club/346926888761138

 

To the untrained eye, the Z doesn't look all that different from an S13P, or arguably any other Vaio. I think you're overstating how awesome it looks because of your familiarity with it. The average Joe won't know what he's looking at. I too hugely appreciate the Z, but I know what to look for and I know what it is. The guy next to you at the airport probably only knows isn't a Mac.

 

I have a VPCZ1 for personal use and a Lenovo T430s for work. The Lenovo works fine, and it not to heavy to carry, I recommend you actually consider taking a look at one. But you can't beat a Z IMHO.

 

Holy CRAP - you actually read the first post and answered based on my premise. How dare you Seriously though - thanks for actually reading it. I'm glad you understand there is a particular market segment for high end laptops. Too many people think because they are expensive they are too much of a niche market. You know like high and phones, BMWs, Mercedes etc - too much of a niche market and just not enough demand since since the $500 1.2 GHz celeron, 8.3 lb laptop with 2 GB of memory and a 5200 rpm drive you get at best buy is perfect for everyone.

 

I actually addressed this point in my responses that looks were part of it. But looks + specs is generally hard to come by, especially in a lightweight package. I would almost predict Sony may wait until Haswell to release a new Z-type variant in the premium space. It makes no sense to do something in the interim. That means realistically later this year. Sony has always played in this space, and I would expect them to again. Like I've said, it seems like we're in that SZ to Z transition that happened a few years back.

I would say that the Samsung Series 7 Ultra if it ever gets released in the 8GB/256 SSD variant would be the Z stopgap for most. Since it comes in a non-touchscreen vairant and actually looks decent, I don't think an exec wouldn't be shamed by having one. According to one person, that config popped up in Best Buy Canada's system. If it got the 16GB it was quoted in early reports, even better. The Helix would certainly turn some heads, that's for sure. I know I get compliments on my Duo all the time. Unique can be good, but it has to be functional, and the Duo or Helix won't be for everyone. My biggest gripe with most of the new notebooks and laptops is that they are getting much, much harder to DIY upgrade parts especially memory. This trend of soldering onto the motherboard is one I'm not liking.

 

I agree about that. I have two z's the older one I replaced the hard drive with a nice SSD and it boots much faster than my sony one that came with an SSD raid that is ridiculous to try to replace. If it had the standard space for a laptop drive I would have done it on that one too. I use both laptops when I visit a client so I can have dual screens when comparing firewalls, switches, servers etc. They said they used the specialty drives so they could make the Zs thinner but both my laptops are the same thickness.

 

It's the price to pay to have such slim notebooks such as the Series 9 13,3", I'm afraid.. Hence why I gave my wife the Series 9 and got the S13 for myself.. The difference in screen quality is just appalling, though.

 

I'd like to think we can have it all, but I don't know but would hope we could get slim and modular.

 

Disagree. Many - but not all - older ultraportables (including ones like the Vaio G) were not impossible to upgrade. Panasonic allows you to on the SX and NX series. Without escape hatches and such for memory or drives (i.e. unibody), it's a "sexier" design. Your average users isn't upgrading anything on a notebook, so it makes sense in many ways. But for the smaller percentage that will want to change something, it makes our life a bit more difficult. It's like one of the gripes against machines like the Duo which some call too thick partially due to having a VGA port. We've become spoiled over the past few years. When Sony released the original X in what, 2003 or so, it was a crazy design and they didn't revisit it for a long time. Apple did before them. NOw we're back to an idea where thin is best.

We'll see what things bring over the next 6 - 8 months.

 

It is just the time to relax, guys. Sony merges Chinese and Japanse computer business. New product management unit is coming! Would you mind to get Vaio Z4 made in China? :hi2:
P.S. Day of fools? Nothing like that. But... read it carefully and enjoy for sake of speculations.

 

Here's something I just don't get: it used to make sense that they did not put a decent screen in the S13 so it wouldn't cannibalize sales of the Z. With no Z anymore, why not put a 1080p IPS screen in, at least as an option, couldn't add more than $100 to the list price. Just plain corporate stupidity, or what? Imagine how many Asus UX31/32 and Samsung S9's sales Sony could obliterate with an S13 with a good screen. Scratching my head so hard it hurts...

 

yup.

This is the only reason i did not buy a Vaio S

My friend got one and the screen is simply horrible.

I have old first i5 Z and it is such a better machine in every way except for the graphics card.

I am sorry but after using a Z screen i cannot go to the S no matter how good everything else on it is.

 

Not to mention the build quality of Z is better and lighter than the S...

 

Lisa Gade of Mobiletechreview did a comparison of the Vaio Z and Vaio S last year: Sony VAIO Z vs. Sony VAIO S Comparison Smackdown - YouTube

Her verdict: "In the end the decision comes down to this: do you want the lightest and fastest laptop on the planet? Do you want an elegant design that will turn heads? That's the Sony Vaio Z. Or do you want the Swiss Army knife of ultraportables that has all the creature comforts of a much larger notebook yet weighs just 3.7 lbs? That's the Vaio S 13.3."

 

I'm extremely disappointed by Sony discontinuing the Z line, and stopping production before the next generation of laptops are even introduced. I bought my Sony Vaio Z 3 month ago, and was just stolen from me two weeks ago, and now I can't even throw money at Sony to replace it! Ugh!

This is outrageous, and there are NO notebook out there with the same spec in the same form factor + lightness (Find me another 2.6lb or lighter laptop with a quadcore processor, 1080p screen and RAID0 SSD setup and I will paypal tip you $100USD--no joke...)