Bought MPB i7 8GB Intel G2 - now looking for VAIO Z11

M

mttcee

macrumors newbie
there's is just this day left to return my new MBP with extra RAM and Intel's G2. I love this machine but it's really heavy and clunky (I'm coming from an Airbook).

I installed few days ago Windows 7 via Bootcamp and Parallels and was surprised how well Windows was running. My last Windows experience was on a Thinkpad with XP three years ago.

Today, I checked Sony's new VAIO Z11 w/i7 and that Full HD display. I was impressed by this powerhouse, especially the resolution independence of W7 got me: Windows does scale so good on that screen resolution. Don't get me wrong, Windows 7's GUI looks terrible, too much colors, edges and ugly fonts. But the scaling on high dpi screens is marvelous. I had a few days the HR screen MBP i7 with about 133dpi and got eye strain after few hours. Despite scaling possibilities within apps you had to stay with micro fonts in menus, toolbars etc. So I changed to the normal screen. And now this 160dpi full hd thing crammed into 13" looks much better than the mbp hr with this tiny fixed osx GUI. I needed just two weeks to decide between hr or non hr and then glossy or non-glossy.

Now, I see this Sony thing and feel disappointment: Microsoft manages scaling very well and Sony got all this high-end hardware into 13". Frankly, I waited almost three months for this i7 MBP update because of my ignorance towards Sony and Microsoft.

So, I don't think I'm gonna return the MBP. The Sony's trackpad feels crappy (you can work with it but the Apple trackpads are far better regarding gestures etc.) and the Quad-SSD feels somehow slow: boot-time W7 on Vaio 34sec on MBP with Bootcamp and Intel G2 24sec. Further you have loading times for starting IE (maybe one sec) and pressing right mouse button on desktop (half a sec). Maybe thats W7's fault. Finally, I am too lazy and it's too much hassle (returning all that **** + new installation and migration on the VAIO).

But the VAIO's overall package feels much better than Apples: top-notch hardware in small space, even features like HSDPA are included and that great screen resolution independence of Windows 7.

There is a bit uncertainty left in me, so please tell me that I have to keep the MBP and forget the Z11 for now.

Thanks.
 
Keep in mind that the i7 in Sony isn't the same as in your MBP, it's 2.13GHz. Also, what GPU does it have?

You could change it to 13" MBP if it's too big
 
Hellhammer said:
Keep in mind that the i7 in Sony isn't the same as in your MBP, it's 2.13GHz. Also, what GPU does it have?

You could change it to 13" MBP if it's too big
Click to expand...

no it was exactly the same with 2.66. the 13' mbp with a three yrs old c2d is no option, sorry
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
Hellhammer said:
Jeesus! That thing really needs some serious cooling! And look at the price! You could get two MBPs! It look very good though, so if you have the $, it might be worth it
Click to expand...

price is ok. in germany you get this package for 2,500 euro less than i paid for the mbp with 8gig and intel ssd
 
Hellhammer said:
Jeesus! That thing really needs some serious cooling! And look at the price! You could get two MBPs! It look very good though, so if you have the $, it might be worth it
Click to expand...

Well, you do get 8GB of RAM, 256GB worth of SSD storage, full HD 1920x1080p screen and 512MB more video RAM, compared to the top i7 MBP. All in a smaller size and lighter weight to boot.

OP, a friend of mine is considering the Sony mainly because of the size and weight. So even if the 15" MBP was better than the 13" VAIO in all respects except size and weight, it wouldn't satisfy his primary needs and wouldn't be the better computer for him.
 
Search for posts by fr4c and myself. We've both owned the Z and made comments about it.

For me, my mobile machine of choice until a new MacBook Air is released is the 13" MBP. I couldn't return my Sony fast enough ...

Screen has viewing angles, trackpad sucks and it's a warm running machine with hot air constantly blowing out that left side vent ... using it for mobile use not so good.

That's the third Sony Z I've tried in 3 years .... no more Sony for me.

Agreed the 15" MBP is a little heavy/clunky for 'anywhere' use.
 
mttcee said:
there's is just this day left to return my new MBP with extra RAM and Intel's G2. I love this machine but it's really heavy and clunky (I'm coming from an Airbook).

I installed few days ago Windows 7 via Bootcamp and Parallels and was surprised how well Windows was running. My last Windows experience was on a Thinkpad with XP three years ago.

Today, I checked Sony's new VAIO Z11 w/i7 and that Full HD display. I was impressed by this powerhouse, especially the resolution independence of W7 got me: Windows does scale so good on that screen resolution. Don't get me wrong, Windows 7's GUI looks terrible, too much colors, edges and ugly fonts. But the scaling on high dpi screens is marvelous. I had a few days the HR screen MBP i7 with about 133dpi and got eye strain after few hours. Despite scaling possibilities within apps you had to stay with micro fonts in menus, toolbars etc. So I changed to the normal screen. And now this 160dpi full hd thing crammed into 13" looks much better than the mbp hr with this tiny fixed osx GUI. I needed just two weeks to decide between hr or non hr and then glossy or non-glossy.

Now, I see this Sony thing and feel disappointment: Microsoft manages scaling very well and Sony got all this high-end hardware into 13". Frankly, I waited almost three months for this i7 MBP update because of my ignorance towards Sony and Microsoft.

So, I don't think I'm gonna return the MBP. The Sony's trackpad feels crappy (you can work with it but the Apple trackpads are far better regarding gestures etc.) and the Quad-SSD feels somehow slow: boot-time W7 on Vaio 34sec on MBP with Bootcamp and Intel G2 24sec. Further you have loading times for starting IE (maybe one sec) and pressing right mouse button on desktop (half a sec). Maybe thats W7's fault. Finally, I am too lazy and it's too much hassle (returning all that **** + new installation and migration on the VAIO).

But the VAIO's overall package feels much better than Apples: top-notch hardware in small space, even features like HSDPA are included and that great screen resolution independence of Windows 7.

There is a bit uncertainty left in me, so please tell me that I have to keep the MBP and forget the Z11 for now.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

This vaio is a best machine than any macbook/pro available on the market.

The only cons is that you can't install OSX.
 
@entatlrg, think I've read all your posts in the "Titans Thread". Good to hear your opinion: I believe too that I wouldn't be happy with the Z and W7 and after using I'd find more and more drawbacks but still disappointing that Apple doesn't manage to build up-to-date hardware and totally forgot about resolution independency.

Was the Z11's fan very loud?

BTW, I still use my Airbook, slow but the form factor is simply unmatched.

entatlrg said:
Search for posts by fr4c and myself. We've both owned the Z and made comments about it.

For me, my mobile machine of choice until a new MacBook Air is released is the 13" MBP. I couldn't return my Sony fast enough ...

Screen has viewing angles, trackpad sucks and it's a warm running machine with hot air constantly blowing out that left side vent ... using it for mobile use not so good.

That's the third Sony Z I've tried in 3 years .... no more Sony for me.

Agreed the 15" MBP is a little heavy/clunky for 'anywhere' use.
Click to expand...
 
entatlrg said:
Search for posts by fr4c and myself. We've both owned the Z and made comments about it.

For me, my mobile machine of choice until a new MacBook Air is released is the 13" MBP. I couldn't return my Sony fast enough ...

Screen has viewing angles, trackpad sucks and it's a warm running machine with hot air constantly blowing out that left side vent ... using it for mobile use not so good.

That's the third Sony Z I've tried in 3 years .... no more Sony for me.

Agreed the 15" MBP is a little heavy/clunky for 'anywhere' use.
Click to expand...

Did you own the model with the full-HD screen though?

If you're comparing the VAIO's trackpad to the MacBook Pro's it's really hard to beat the huge, intuitive one the MBP has.

It may very well be a warm running machine but it uses the same CPU and GPU as the MacBook Pro so theoretically the total heat output should be very similar. The MacBook Pro blows the hot air onto the screen which I think is less desirable than the VAIO blowing it out of the side into the open air. So why do you think the Macbook Pro is better? Or are you comparing it to the 13" MBP?
 
OP, you posted on a Mac Forum that you want people to tell you to keep your Mac and forget about a Windows machine... and people here will tell you that. Doesn't mean thats what you should do. The Sony's screen and BD capability is impressive. But I agree, the inability to run OS X is too big of a drawback to me.
 
fine, day is over and i have to keep the mbp! this 14 day return period always makes me mad when buying new gadgets.

I still believe that the mbp will give me the superior work experience. Windows catched up in lots of areas like desktop search, usability and speed but I don't trust windows 7, its appearance is deceptive. no real unix-like kernel and i am sure that after two yrs of usage you end up with a slow and bloated machine as always, endless boot and shut-down times, 100 blinking useless icons in the tray, non-removable applications and the fear that you just downloaded a trojan keylogging all your passwords and cc numbers and posting them to some underground boards. my mba is admittedly slow with bigger apps like office and cs4 but it's still very fast with lightweight use and that after two yrs running from a full crammed 5400k hd. and this is osx's merit.
 
mttcee said:
fine, day is over and i have to keep the mbp! this 14 day return period always makes me mad when buying new gadgets.

I still believe that the mbp will give me the superior work experience. Windows catched up in lots of areas like desktop search, usability and speed but I don't trust windows 7, its appearance is deceptive. no real unix-like kernel and i am sure that after two yrs of usage you end up with a slow and bloated machine as always, endless boot and shut-down times, 100 blinking useless icons in the tray, non-removable applications and the fear that you just downloaded a trojan keylogging all your passwords and cc numbers and posting them to some underground boards. my mba is admittedly slow with bigger apps like office and cs4 but it's still very fast with lightweight use and that after two yrs running from a full crammed 5400k hd. and this is osx's merit.
Click to expand...

And this is exactly the best advantage the MBP has over the Vaio. I think you made the right decision if a stable experience is what you value.
 
I bought the new Vaio Z, and ended up returning it for the MBP. My main issues were:

Flimsy build. The Z screen would bend at alarming angles, and distort. The case was light - too light, I think. It said it was built with carbon fiber, but it was really just carbon-reinforced plastic.

Loud. Noisy fans.

Trackpad. Did you use the trackpad on the Z? Absolutely terrible. IMHO, this is the single most important and advantageous features on the MBPs. Night and day difference. The trackpads on the high-end Sonys, Dells, and HPs are just junk. This ruins otherwise pretty nice hardware.

Little things on the Z just didn't work, like automatic screen brightness and keyboard backlighting. For example, with the screen brightness above about 50%, the keyboard backlight would turn OFF. I ended up putting a sticker over the keyboard backlight sensor to prevent this. Dumb design. The MBP uses data from the single isight camera for screen brightness and keyboard backlighting, works perfectly.

Shovelware. The amount of bloatware on the Sony was STUNNING. I just can't stand buying a Windows machine, only to have it loaded with tons of crap I don't want and is very hard to remove. Just try to get rid of Norton or Symatec preinstalled on these machines. Maddening.
 
mttcee said:
fine, day is over and i have to keep the mbp! this 14 day return period always makes me mad when buying new gadgets.

I still believe that the mbp will give me the superior work experience. Windows catched up in lots of areas like desktop search, usability and speed but I don't trust windows 7, its appearance is deceptive. no real unix-like kernel and i am sure that after two yrs of usage you end up with a slow and bloated machine as always, endless boot and shut-down times, 100 blinking useless icons in the tray, non-removable applications and the fear that you just downloaded a trojan keylogging all your passwords and cc numbers and posting them to some underground boards. my mba is admittedly slow with bigger apps like office and cs4 but it's still very fast with lightweight use and that after two yrs running from a full crammed 5400k hd. and this is osx's merit.
Click to expand...

You'll be happy with your decision. How will you use your 15" / what do you use it for? Will it be your mobile laptop?

To answer your questions above with regards to my experience with the 2010 Sony Z.

Before anyone can really give accurate comments you need to try them both for a week. Try the 13" MBP for example and then if you can try the new Z for week.

First, I can't understand how a low resolution screen on the 13" MBP can look so much better than the screen on the Z at 1650x1050 resolution. Say I'm nuts but first compare them side by side, text, movies, photos whatever....

As far as Mac OSX versus Windows7 ... I can use both either OS is fine with me.

The Z blows warm air out the left side vent, that's been agreed to by others in this thread. Some it bothers others it doesn't...

But the statement above about warm air venting up by the screen on the 13 and 15" MBP's and that being uncomfortable is not true.

My reviews are based on user experience not spec's. As mentioned try each for a week then you'll know which one is for you.

It was an easy decision for me, I choose the 13" MBP, I could of used the 15" MBP for a 'take everywhere' notebook. While the screen is so nice on the 15" it's little extra size and weight is just enough to make me not want to 'grab and go' with it. On the other hand the 13" is easy and fun to use anywhere. 1.5 pounds heavier than the Z yes, I'll sacrifice the extra weight for the beautiful screen, excellent keyboard, trackpad, and very quiet cool running notebook that handles even 'heavy lifting' tasks VERY well.

You could say I'm foolish for comparing an out of date 2010 C2D 13" MBP to this i7 super powerful Sony Z....

Really? Read on ... I used each one for a week, for technical design drawing, 3D, torrent downloads, spreadsheets, surfing, light work in Windows on the Mac via VM Fusion, plus the regular movies, surfing and emails both machines got a good work out.

During the week I used the 13" MBP it handled everything no problems whatsoever, the only time I heard the fans was running Windows. Excellent screen, no dark spots, super trackpad, keyboard, windows7 runs perfect, I have a 256ssd and 4gb ram in my 2010 2.66 C2D 13" no special spec's there.

Now for the week I used my Sony Z now matter what tasks you're doing the fan blows and you notice, it's quieter than previous Z's for sure, it runs warm not hot but all the time you're using it you can feel it's working. Not struggling of course but not smooth, cool and quiet running like my 13" or even my 15" MBP. Take into consideration you loose vertical screen real estate, the screen is NOT good in MY opinion, I've driven to enough Sony stores by now and talked to a person at the Airport with one ... the 2010 screen on the Sony Z at 1650x resolution is not as good as the '09 or '08's. That have to be using cheaper or different panels. The Sony store staff notices it too... this with the little trackpad, not quite as nice keyboard ....

I couldn't get back to my 13" MBP fast enough, after two days I wanted to switch back from the Sony to the Macbook, but I wanted to give each a try for 7 days well within the return/exchange period. After day 7, going back to my 13" MBP is was GREAT.

At least now I know for sure which machine is right for 'me' ... By the way, going into this I wanted to keep the Sony, I wanted to make it work and have a dedicated Win7 laptop to use ... the Sony didn't cut it and I was disappointed. What else is there in the Windows world? The Lenovo x201/301 series, been there, done that, talk about horrible screens, I've tried the Dell ultra portables ... for me the Mac hardware is the best.

Who'd of thought, the under spec'd, out of date C2D 13" MBP 2.66, 4gb ram, 256ssd in my day to day computing tasks did everything better than this new Sony Z that's supposed to be Sony's "best" the latest, greatest, fastest for me it was much disappointing when comparing to the 13" MBP.

This is my little (long) description, I work in an office with 11 other tech enthusiasts, using a combo of Mac's and PC's, their opinions after spending time with the Sony Z is very similar to mine. Everyone was excited to see it and try it, and expected after seeing mine they may order one for themselves. As it turns out they didn't order a Z ... they haven't ordered Mac's yet either ... like many they're holding out for the MacBook Air update.

Hope all these words help someone.
 
OP,

I'm glad you kept your MBP, as it's a wise choice. Both entatlrg and I share the same frustrations when it comes to the new Z, and I even went as far as getting 2 different units. I'm not bothered by w7, in fact I use it almost on a daily basis. What bothers me is the build quality, as well as the overall inferior computing experience that comes with the Vaio Z. The poor LED panel and trackpad, probably 2 of the most important things on a portable laptop is virtually unusable, where I have to force myself to view and sit at the correct angle as well as use a portable bluetooth mouse. This should not be the case on a $3000 laptop, and I'm very disappointed in the fact that I can't comfortably use it as a primary computer.

The computer looks awesome and I get plenty of compliments. I just nod and smile because I don't have much else to say.
 
I often wish I could settle on my 15" as my only notebook, many people do and are happy with it.

I can't get used to using the 15" MBP anywhere / on the go, except I love the larger screen when I do take it along.

But for the amount of time I'm on my computer, replying to a LOT of business emails and working on various projects on the go I'm a good candidate for an ultraportable.

The MBA needs an update, the Sony Z wasn't for me, for now the 13" MBP
is my best option.

Actually I'm l'm liking the 13" so much I've thought of replacing my 15" for it and rigging up an ACD monitor in my Den where I do a lot of creative/prototype work.

I'd have the best of both worlds in a way, a great small 13" for mobile use and a 24" monitor for work at home, beats a 15" screen and allows me to work from one computer instead of two. Not sure how an ACD monitor would look in the Den, wife might not be so interested in that idea .... My tech stuff already spans the house :)

I wish my iPad was better for input and creation that would be an amazing tool, it's not there, yet..


there's a lot of advantages to a one notebook system.

DropBox and mobile me helps manage multiple computers
 
@entatlrg & fr4c thanks for your long replies! they give me confidence regarding my decision. It's good to read other's experiences. Especially Vaios are strange animals: the high-end models are very tempting when brand new, polished, full-loaded with cutting-edge hardware sitting behind a glossy showcase. but after using them it was just the good specs that got you. I even dislike Sony's design, it changes with every generation, doesn't have a recognizable identity and looks at the end of the day like a typical Windows notebook by Samsung or Acer and ages very quickly. my mba still looks as new.

Anyway, maybe Apple engineers ordered some Z11's to get an idea how to put a 35TDP CPU in their next 13" macbooks.

entatlrg said:
You'll be happy with your decision. How will you use your 15" / what do you use it for? Will it be your mobile laptop?
Click to expand...

Yes, definitely. I use it at my office, at my flat and at my girlfriend's place for web, mail and office. for time to time i wanna use cs4 or just be quicker with office and so I decided to migrate to the 15" i7. I notice that I don't take the 15" with me so often as the MBA (I took it really everywhere because it's so light and feels good everywhere, on your lap, on the sofa etc.) Even now I am writing this post on the sofa on my lap on the MBA. Who knows, maybe I am gonna employing both w/Dropbox.

And I am so much faster with OSX: it's the small things which boost your productivity: the great mail app with better exchange integration than outlook. command-shift-4 for screenshotting with integrated cropping. multi screen operation is better, the GUI looks decent, not colored and loaded like a funfair, installation and deinstallation of apps works better, Expose (i don't understand what special or good about Aero Peek), apples font rendering surpasses cleartype and last but not least the trackpad is far beyond any windows machine (and i've been an ibm thumbstick fan!). osx's only drawback is the missing screen resolution independency
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Back
Top