Z3 "coming soon" says sony rep??

^nope.

10char

 

My money will be on Z25 if it's not called Z3...

 

Hmmnn, maybe I should have waited a bit before pulling the trigger on a new Z purchase? I just placed an order CTO through Sony for a fully configured new Z, thinking that they just had a recent refresh with the Verizon LTE. Ship date is 3/28. What are the chances they will substitute the refresh in for the one I ordered, like IB mobo/chipset and newer SB processors?

The Z2 that I ordered is configured well above my needs, though, and I will be happy with it in any case!

 

no chance, they'll ship what you ordered. They have a nice discount going, if it's already overkill already you risk paying much more for a likely identical experience

 

I'm intrigued by the idea of a Z with an IB quad-core, even a "slow" one.

 

Sure, I figured as much ...

Got a healthy discount anyway, 15% plus $200 off with purchase of sheet battery and 2yr warranty that covers accidental damage.

 

I'm intrigued as well but I played with the top end Z2 and an SA today for a good hour under the watchful eye of a SonyStore rep and the short keystroke of the Z2 really bugged me. I know it's a perennial issue with ultrabooks. Of course, that 1080p screen was a beauty.

For my money though, I am set on waiting for IvB. If the Z2 gets IvB in the relatively near future and it overcomes the fan noise / overheating issues that the i7 version is plagued by, I may have to strongly consider one. Also, for my gaming needs, I expect the vastly improved HD4000 (over the HD3000, which isn't saying much, but still) will be fine. It also remains to be seen which other ultrabook manufacturers start putting in 13" 1080p screens with the IvB refresh (e.g. Samsung, Asus, etc.).

 

Just saw that sale earlier this week, very temping, great savings all around. I think it's a good buy unless you honestly needed quad core.

 

I got used to it pretty quickly but it felt really weird at first. Actually, it still does but now it doesn't bother me.

 

AlphaG -

I see the 15% off sales on sony's site but don't see the $200 off in addition. Can you point me to where to find this? I tried adding 2yr warranty & sheet battery but that didn't kick-in the $200 either.

Thank you!

 

I called them! I asked them honestly if there was any benefit in ordering on the phone with them vs online. He said he could see what he could do. During configuration he offered the first $100 off with purchase of the sheet battery as an accessory. The next $100 discount was offered if I purchased one of their extended warranties. I chose the 2 year express ship with accidental damage coverage (I'm hoping this will be wasted money on the warranty!).

This is in the US, so don't know about others, but either way it's worth a shot!

 

Can u share with us when it will be announced or released?
TIA!

 

Late June.

 

Thanks for the info. Just goes to prove that everything is negotiable, you just have to ask.

 

Will it have the same design ? like the prototype seen at CES 2012 ?

 

Thanks beaups!
Is that announcement or release date?

 

Right when I thought I've decided on a Z2, I stumble onto this thread. I wasn't expecting a new Z at least until Dec. 2012. Any leaks to images? What was the prototype that was mentioned earlier at CES 2012? This is awesome. I hope Sony gets rid of the PMD and do an all-in-one.

Edit:

Just saw the prototype. Looks kind of thick. The polished hinge looks questionably cheap.

 

the prototype isn't the new Z, it's the ultrabook. beaups said the new Z has no physical changes.

 

Thanks. Where does the ultra book fit into Sony Series lineup? Will the ultra book now be Sony's flagship model over the Z?

 

beaps, slightly off topic but do u have any info on the vaio u hybrid pc? do u know the screen size? also, will it use ivy bridge? thanks in advance.

 

Oh interesting!
Maybe current Z2 could be upgraded ?

 

It will. Stylistic, that is, minor ones.

 

Will Sony put displayport or thunderbolt in any notebook this year? Or do we still have to wait till next year?

You can use adapters for VGA (or HDMI) with displayport, so I do not see why Sony should not change this. The port is also much smaller. Granted, you would need to carry an adapter, but the tradeoff is well worth it as this is similar to a simple cable for USB.

 

Oh really?

 

That product isn't happening.

 

^ that's a shame... thanks for saving me from needless waiting...

 

Does anyone know when Vaio SA/SB will be updated with the IB?

 

For me, it will all be about price.
With competitors and ultrabooks aplenty, the VaioZ is no longer the only SSD drive, i5 or i7 processor equipped model with a fantastic screen on the market sub 1.5kg.

The Dell XPS13, Samsung, Toshiba 835, Asus UX31 amongst other models slightly out of range like the HP Envy / Spectre 14" - there is a lot of option under $1500.

Will be interested to see what Sony come up with. I adore my Sony VAIO Z128GG and still think it is the best Sony Vaio Z design to date.

 

keep in mind the "i7" in ultrabooks is low voltage - it's no where near as fast. For most users though it probably has 0 impact.

 

Seems very unlikely. Ultrabookz, by Intel's definition, cost no more than thousand dollars while the Z, at its cheapest, is almost twice that price and can easily be triple the price without coming close maxing out the options.

As far as I can see, there's no true Z competitor (full voltage i5/7 processor, FHD option, Gen III SSDs, under 3 lbs, etc.) on the horizon.

 

I hope not to dash your hopes, and it is true that the Z's tend to be pretty reliable electronically and mechanically - after the usual 5% or so infant mortality. But these are very delicate machines phyically and cosmetically (the latter not covered by the ADH wtty) and so regardless of your warranty, you need to be prepared to treat it gently and protect it well when moving/traveling with it. The worst kept dirty secret is that some, not all, but a lot of "somes" (!) have had tremendous difficulty getting Sony to honor their warranties. When the problem is purely mechanical, they claim it stems from the owner's "abuse" of the machine and thus not covered by standard wtty and when you have the ADH wtty they say that the damage is "cosmetic" and thus not covered by the ADH wtty even though mechanical damage was done in addition to the cosmetic damage. Also, much "cosmetic damage" arguably should be covered by the ADH wtty, even the std wtty - eg, the Z1 palmrests that fade because they are nothing but plastic painted with metalic looking paint that isn't even of a grade which stands up to human hand oils!

Bottom line: be very careful when transporting the computer and expect it to get easily scratched unless you are extremely OCD about protecting it - and you are on a thread of OCD Z users! - and strongly consider saving your, er, "savings" on the Sony wtty and get a Square Trade brand extended wtty to include ADH. It costs less than the full price of the Sony wtty at full price and has a sterling reputation. Their commitment: receive you machine repaired (including from severe damage from handling) in 5 days or they refund your entire original purchase price.

Many threads have been written on this subject if you search (using Google, not this programs rotten search engine) and decide for yourself. Btw, you can negotiate the price of Square Trade warranties over the phone as well.

 

I did read about your ordeals with Sony and their ADH warranty, unfortunately, though, after I had purchased it. Otherwise, I would have gone with the third party warranty instead. Fortunately it was less than $200. I do plan on treating the laptop reasonably carefully, but do hope that it stands up to some regular use. I hope the ADH is a waste of money and I don't have to use it or try to use it, as the case may be

 

If you bought from Sony USA, you should have up to 30 days to return anything (warranty included)

I'd also go squaretrade... I mean their business IS electronics... and you've not seen the horror stories about Sony warranty and customer service yet have you? (i've personally had a decent experience, but nothing really bad happened) If i were to shell out that much cash, i'd go squaretrade, sometimes they have $20 or $30 off their warranties (check out slickdeals.net)

 

I will certainly keep it in mind for next time. I had a custom engraving on the laptop, so no returns. On a positive note, Sony just sent a message that it is being configured... So should ship soon!

 

Hum, if 1080p IPS panels turn up in 11.6" UX21 ( http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/12/2864340/asus-ux31a-ux21a-ivy-bridge-ultrabook-specs-exclusive), Sony will have to come up with something good to keep me in. I'd still prefer the Sony design then, but as I said, I am already happy with the performance of Core2 Duo P9700 in VGN-Z790 (comparable to the i7 in UX21 today), and I'd be hard pressed to shell out three times the money for a Z.

I guess I am the guy for ultrabooks then, if they start showing up with good screens. :/

 

Actually, it seems likely I won't jump on the UX bandwagon: they max out at 4GB of RAM, and my laptop from 2009 has 6GB already. I'd only want to move up to 8GB.

 

Why? If you need performance an ultrabook isn't a good match anyway (as they use low power, lower performance CPUs) and if you don't the difference between 4GiB and 8GiB isn't noticeable. More RAM = more power draw too.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I personally have never had an experience - good or bad - with Sony customer service. Knock wood, I have never had a problem with a Z, at least not something a warranty would cover, and have never even called them with a question (so many better things to waste time on!). I have just read so many discouraging stories that I always point people to ST for reasons stated. But again, these are pretty reliable machines so fairly rare (despite the fact that it seems every bad experience is reported on NBR!) to have problems with a Z, other than scratches on exterior (not covered) or worn paint on Z1s (not your issue). So, yes, let's just hope you don't drop or submerge your Z and you won't have to deal with the Sony service juggernaut!

 

Strange, on Laptop Parts & Repair, Notebook Computer Repair, Printer Parts - Spare Parts Warehouse, there's a new Z2 listed, it was not listed three days ago, it is the Z21ZDZB. Weird name but it doesn't look like IB Z too

 

Off topic but how is your Z2-egpu project going?

 

A month later and my hopes remain the same -
a) 2 video outs on the laptop direct (no external dock or optical required)
b) improved SSD - but use a standard size so I can replace it
c) option for 802.11AC without having an external dongle.

 

It will be working within the next three weeks
It will only have 1.1opt performance, unless hwtools launches a new PE4L 2.1 - PM3N :/

But I've changed my mind concerning my eGPU mod idea, it will be different, It won't as well implemented as I wished but.. it won't be an ugly mod.

I'll post pictures when it's done




[edit] By the way, will the new Z implement PCI-e 3.0 ?

 

Oh cool. Never know, they seem to be quite a receptive lot (hwtools), in terms of listening to people and ideas. Definitely will continue to keep a eye on your progress

 

There are different definitions of the "performance", and ours apparently do not agree. This "low power, lower performance CPUs" are faster than what I got in top of the line Z in 2009 (according to cpubenchmark.net, and it has two cores with HT, which my Z doesn't). That's sufficient CPU power for me. It's very interesting that you know whether 4GB vs 8GB is noticeable for my use patterns. In a similar (generalising) manner, I can only guess it's coming from a user of a system which is no good at multitasking (like Windows; I am solely using Ubuntu on my systems since I switched to it from Slackware in 2004).

Not that I'd mind the better performance (or nicer design) of Z vs UX21, but there's the price difference (likely to be $2.7k vs $1.2k; in Europe, price difference would be even greater with comparable Z starting at €3k or $4k) and the form factor.

 

A larger RAM configuration would be a nice feature for me, too - as I am using Virtual Machines intensively, several running at once. You can never have enough memory for such scenarios.

 

Here's yet another example of this. The hinge on my Z13 failed after 6 months. The hinge joint just started pulling out, exposing the wires underneath. I bought ADH and a tech was dispatched after half a month to repair it. He broke the screen. Not just scratched it, but broke it in many pieces. After 3 MONTHS of waiting, with my calls being gradually escalated to the highest level, I gave up and fedex'd their main office in FL a notice that if the notebook was not repaired to its original condition in 2 weeks I would sue them in small claims. That was ignored too (except for another call from their supposedly super-secret top priority line). In two weeks I filed the paperwork in my local court against their registered agent, and guess what? In 24 hours they called me and agreed to write me a check for the same amount that I paid for it originally (9 months before). So there's the secret if they don't honor their warranty: keep scrupulous records and don't just threaten to sue, but sue. It cost me $60 in court fees, and the court date was easy to cancel.

 

Interesting. Did you get reimburse, the $60, for filing the claim? Who was their registered agent, was it the tech dispatched to repair your notebook?

 

Again if you are a power user 8 GiB RAM could help. But it will not in most cases. Yes if you multitask a _lot_ it helps but still SSD and a faster processor would be better in most cases. If you are continually working on HD videos memory helps, if you are working on huge ASIC/FPGA designs it helps, if you are compiling large amount of code all the time it helps. But a faster processor would be helpful too.
Can you please tell me what you do that requires large amounts of RAM?

Windows not good for multitasking? I hope you are trolling. Doubt you are though.

 

This is completely off-topic, Megol. For my purposes, I need more RAM than CPU. When I am talking about multi-tasking, I am talking about *me* multi-tasking, not my computer multi-tasking (at least not heavily with "user-facing applications", since all systems of today are multi-tasking all the time).

Is it possible that your imagination stops there? I commonly have 30+ applications (heavy on memory) open, several web browser windows open at the same time, usually with a total of over 100 web pages open in them. I keep my work organized in workspaces (even OS/X took that from different Unix-based GUIs where it's been present for decades already), and I can easily switch between them.

Perhaps WebOS-like card-stacking would be an improvement on this as well, but no good implementation yet exists on the desktop that I know of.

I am not trolling, but just sharing my limited exposure to the system in the last 10-15 years (I always get frustrated at how slow one is at doing proper work in it). No, I don't want to minimize my windows to see the other ones. Yes, for performing a single task, I need multiple applications. Yes, I want those applications grouped together so I can easily switch between *tasks* (that's not the same thing as applications, which are units to a computer, and not to me as a user). And no, I don't want to close that application where I am in the middle of things just to be able to launch that other one without my system slowing down (even if I might come back to it only tomorrow or two days later). And yes, I want all those restored on login (though I mostly just suspend anyway).

Any of those things missing (and there are more, but we are on the wrong topic to discuss this), and system sucks for me at allowing me to multi-task. Windows, thus, sucks for me at multi-tasking. I hope I don't have to add a footnote to anything I say of the type ("for me and my use cases, at least").

Anyway, a few other things popped into my mind why I might still be getting a Sony Vaio Z NG when it gets out, so let me summarise what I want out of it:
- high resolution, bright panel (1080p, but 1440p ideally)
- lots of memory (8gb minimum)
- low weight (~1.1kg)
- good battery life (+sheet battery/300g for >10h, oh yes)
- >160gb of very fast ssd (at random/small file access, I don't need 500MB/s sequential read/write)
- small physical depth (I am tall and often stuck in economy flights, when opening up a laptop is impossible unless it's a 12" laptop or a Vaio Z)

I still don't need the latest or greatest CPUs, and would be happy if [whatever the IB successor to i7-2677M is] is offered as an option (especially if that gave it an >8h battery life without the sheet battery).

 

Where did the quad-core Z2 rumor start? The initial list of quad-core IB laptop chips shows them all at 45 TDP or higher.