dock for Z series? plus issues with battery, shipping time, etc.

Though I've been following the huge "leak" thread for some while, this is my first post. Thank you everyone for posting such really informational material.

I'm deciding to buy the z-series. But there are a few issues:

1) I really need a dock. When do you think those will be available?
2) If I buy the extended battery, will it look like an odd lump sticking out of the laptop? Is the extended battery worth it?
3) It says ship in mid-august. So if they do that, what's the advantage of pre-ordering it now... whereas I could just order it during mid-august. I also live in SoCal, so would they beable to ship it to me by... say 8/21-ish? (problem is I leave for college on the 25th)!
4) Is the promotional discount for ordering by phone still there?


Thanks so much in advance!!!

 

sorry and one more thing

how easy is it to change a new harddrive on this laptop... because otherwise I would get the 7200rpm 200GB (worth it?)

thanks!

 

1) I'm not sure, but maybe the SZ docking station does work for the Z as well? On many websites I see the SZ docking station offered as an accessory for Z models.

2) The extended battery for the Z doesn't look terrible IMO. It does actually have an advantage as well because it lifts the back of the Z a bit, such that vents can suck in air far more easily, and your Z stays more cool and silent. Is the extended battery worth it? If you travel a lot, maybe? It's a matter of personal preference. You pay for about 50% additional battery life.

3) No idea

4) Yes

I'd personally happily get the 5400rpm 320GB; it's about as fast as the 7200rpm 200GB, however, it's cheaper, more silent, gets less hot, and you've got 120GBs more.

 

thanks Tomassi... have you seen the Z with the extended? and if so, would you have a picture of it by anychance? Because I'm thinking just to get two standard batteries.. thus giving me 6+6, 12 hours of life...

also, what about the processor? would you suggest the P8600 (2.4GHZ) or the P9500 (2.53GHZ). I heard that the difference is minimal and not worth the extra 150 bucks...

thanks!!!

 

Go to http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/Z1/, click on 'Reason of Z', on one of the pictures you can see the Z with extended battery.

Depends on what you want. P9500 is somewhat faster than the P8600, but as long as you don't perform very intensive activities (like multitasking, video-editing) you won't really notice the difference.

 

May be you should consider a more general docking station?
http://www.belkin.com/highspeeddock/specs/

 

http://vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/Z1/acce.html shows the dock.

 

yes.. that may be a possibility... i just need something to connect my keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, etc... i think that may work..

 

nice find FenderP!

problem is... how do I buy it?? why isn't it released in the US...

 

It will be. Be patient. The Z has not even been released

 

Nah, not a nice find. The Japanese site always has more info than the US one, so I tend to go there first. Not all of those accessories may make it elsewhere, but I would pretty much think that the dock will at some point. As Phil says, the Z isn't out yet, so no market for accessories yet. Give it a month or two.

If it's released at the same time as the Z in Japan, you'll be able to get it on eBay.

 

I saw that too and was wondering... I think it was even on the P1 as a z add-on, but I'm not convinced, if so, that it would fit properly.

I do, however, suspect that the Z dock it is exactly the same electronics as the SZ one as the ports on the back are identical and in the same order. I was a tad dissapointed at that as I thought they might add a speaker-out jack and maybe something else fun to the back.

Everyday I get to work, drop my SZ in it's dock, and then have to additionally plug my headphones in the side . It's sounds trivial, but this is the point of having a dock afterall.