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[Merged] Sony VAIO Z Series Notebooks
- Thread starter fr4c
- Start date
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Was just going to post, you beat me to it. The replacement is pretty much the same, with somewhat poor viewing angles either way you look at it. The diagonal line issue on this one is pretty abysmal, and is even worse than the unit I had before. People who are unaware of the issue may not even notice (though I doubt how you can miss such a flaw), but it bugs the hell out of me. I know I previously stated that the screen on this unit was pretty good, but after running some tests I'd say its about the same.
Other than that, the machine is a charm to use. I love the portability and the power, and would have definitely promoted the Vaio as my portable workstation if it wasn't for the screen. I do a lot of programming and web design, and often have a lot of windows open. I'm on the computer 10 hours a day if not more, and the 13" screen is just too small for me
I'm much too used to my 30" ACD, and a 15" is the smallest I'll go.My GF is eyeing the laptop, so most likely this will be her toy. She complains on how much heavier her 13" MBP is, and wouldn't mind having something lighter. Because we all know you need an i7, 8GB, and RAID SSD setup to check your Facebook status.
Hmmm.
I couldn't give a toss about 'power', that is what desktops are for.
When it comes to notebooks all the things that I care about-battery life, ergonomics, a sexy looking case, a quality screen, features that make it easy to use. The mac has.
If one is obsessed by numbers, or bang for buck as I believe people phrase it, the MBP isn't the best choice.
But if one wants a splendid portable PC in a small and sexy package the macbbook is the way to go.
I want a powerful laptop. I won't need a desktop for that. I care about what you said EXCEPT for sexyness. I really don't care about that. Its not really important, but it is for Apple customers.
I was in the same position, but choose to keep the Sony Vaio Z and sell the Macbook Pro. The Sony Vaio Z was more expensive in Australia compared to the MBP, but I felt it was a much better laptop for only a small price increase.
Thanks for the update f4rc.
With your 15" MBP as your portable how are you finding it for size/weight, mobility, day to day travel, using on your lap at home etc etc. I'm satisfied with my 15" MBP, it's large, beautiful screen helps make up for the extra size and weight. For travel I still take my 13" MBP. You may be better off trading your Z for your GF's 13" MBP
With the Z screen my experience was the same. I tried hard to make it work ... went to all the local Sony Stores, the screens are the same, poor viewing angles, dark/shadowy areas. If you compare the Sony Z screen to other PC laptops it's probably much better than most. If you compare the Z screen to a Mac, it's a different story. I find it odd the screen my low resolution 13" MBP is better, clearer and much easier to read from than the high-res Sony Z. This along with the trackpad and a few other shortcomings made me want to stay with my MBP's.
With your 15" MBP as your portable how are you finding it for size/weight, mobility, day to day travel, using on your lap at home etc etc. I'm satisfied with my 15" MBP, it's large, beautiful screen helps make up for the extra size and weight. For travel I still take my 13" MBP. You may be better off trading your Z for your GF's 13" MBP
With the Z screen my experience was the same. I tried hard to make it work ... went to all the local Sony Stores, the screens are the same, poor viewing angles, dark/shadowy areas. If you compare the Sony Z screen to other PC laptops it's probably much better than most. If you compare the Z screen to a Mac, it's a different story. I find it odd the screen my low resolution 13" MBP is better, clearer and much easier to read from than the high-res Sony Z. This along with the trackpad and a few other shortcomings made me want to stay with my MBP's.
It does the job well, but is still quite troublesome to carry especially during the summer heat+commute to work. It's times like this where I wish I had a smaller 13", but I guess you can't have everything. I'm hoping that the new MBA refresh rumor is true, so I'm going to hold judgement until more news come out. But recently I found myself using the iPad more and more, and nothing beats that in portability + battery life.Thanks for the update f4rc.
With your 15" MBP as your portable how are you finding it for size/weight, mobility, day to day travel, using on your lap at home etc etc. I'm satisfied with my 15" MBP, it's large, beautiful screen helps make up for the extra size and weight. For travel I still take my 13" MBP. You may be better off trading your Z for your GF's 13" MBP
Ditto on the iPad. Now that I have the 3G version, (rigged to work in Canada
, I have more interest to use it and bring it with me. When I had the wifi version I left it on the coffee table often).iPad was going well until I typed a long email reply on it earlier this evening, get's frustrating, there's just no substitute yet for a a laptop for inputting data. When I get into the situation where I'm checking my emails and work via the iPad and then see something I need to do the first thought that comes to mind is I wish I had my laptop ... especially my MacBook Air.
I'm very hopeful for a MacBook Air update tomorrow. Add 4gb ram, a little faster processor, glass trackpad and it would enable me to completely reorganize my computer set up - use and carry fewer devices. Not sure that's what Apple wants it's customers to do though, lol.
I have about the same experience with my 15". I really like it don't get me wrong, when I open the lid and see that screen, it's big the extra 2" is nice, can manage two windows side by side etc --but-- it's cumbersome, not really a grab and go computer.
For frequent use, at work, on the go, home office, couch etc my 13" MBP is the one I grab for, since it's so easy to grab and go I'm more inclined to use it and bring it often, which is a benefit to keeping up with my office/work....
I have to say I'm very pleased with this April/10 13" MBP, the ssd makes it snappy and as I'm typing here my battery shows 8:11 remaining, that's close to an iPad.
I still use the 15" at my home office/den/living room not because I don't like the 13" but I figure I may as well benefit from the extra screen space and resolution...
Anyway, my experience so far as I set up my killer system.
Your signature is funny / ironic / a little bit weird.
Could you help me out and delete as appropriate, please?
just wanted to add my personal experience on macbook pro vs vaio z..
my white macbook died after three years of intense usage,
and i religiously waited the refresh to buy a pro 13' with the new generation of intel processors.
after the initial disappointment for the lack of i5/i7, i decided that maybe going to the 15 pro with the high resolution option wouldn't be that bad.
then i discovered the existence of the sony z.
the z and a similarly configured apple 15 matte high-res + ssd cost more or less the same.
the crucial difference is that the z is smaller than the 15 and lighter than the macbook pro 13.
i know, it's no OS X, but to me the point is *not* to have windows, and linux is a valid alternative.
end result, bought the z.
i'm sure i'm not the only one requiring a small powerful laptop, i wonder how many customers apple lost this round.
to the hardware.
this thing is light, fast and does not get hot (outside) even at extreme loads.
the screen is gorgeous (1600x900), i have no problems with diagonal lines and the color reproduction is quite amazing.
the fan is silent at slow speed and the chassis seems robust.
never had a sony before, hopefully it will stand years of use and maybe after i'll g again with some great new mac.
funny that after a long time reading the forum, i finally decided to write when i no longer have a mac
my white macbook died after three years of intense usage,
and i religiously waited the refresh to buy a pro 13' with the new generation of intel processors.
after the initial disappointment for the lack of i5/i7, i decided that maybe going to the 15 pro with the high resolution option wouldn't be that bad.
then i discovered the existence of the sony z.
the z and a similarly configured apple 15 matte high-res + ssd cost more or less the same.
the crucial difference is that the z is smaller than the 15 and lighter than the macbook pro 13.
i know, it's no OS X, but to me the point is *not* to have windows, and linux is a valid alternative.
end result, bought the z.
i'm sure i'm not the only one requiring a small powerful laptop, i wonder how many customers apple lost this round.
to the hardware.
this thing is light, fast and does not get hot (outside) even at extreme loads.
the screen is gorgeous (1600x900), i have no problems with diagonal lines and the color reproduction is quite amazing.
the fan is silent at slow speed and the chassis seems robust.
never had a sony before, hopefully it will stand years of use and maybe after i'll g again with some great new mac.
funny that after a long time reading the forum, i finally decided to write when i no longer have a mac
just wanted to add my personal experience on macbook pro vs vaio z..
my white macbook died after three years of intense usage,
and i religiously waited the refresh to buy a pro 13' with the new generation of intel processors.
after the initial disappointment for the lack of i5/i7, i decided that maybe going to the 15 pro with the high resolution option wouldn't be that bad.
then i discovered the existence of the sony z.
the z and a similarly configured apple 15 matte high-res + ssd cost more or less the same.
the crucial difference is that the z is smaller than the 15 and lighter than the macbook pro 13.
i know, it's no OS X, but to me the point is *not* to have windows, and linux is a valid alternative.
end result, bought the z.
i'm sure i'm not the only one requiring a small powerful laptop, i wonder how many customers apple lost this round.
to the hardware.
this thing is light, fast and does not get hot (outside) even at extreme loads.
the screen is gorgeous (1600x900), i have no problems with diagonal lines and the color reproduction is quite amazing.
the fan is silent at slow speed and the chassis seems robust.
never had a sony before, hopefully it will stand years of use and maybe after i'll g again with some great new mac.
funny that after a long time reading the forum, i finally decided to write when i no longer have a mac
thanks for sharing burp, glad to hear someone is enjoying the Z. you are correct, the fan is just as silent as a MBP during normal usage but does get quite loud under heavy load. it's also extremely hot, especially since all the heat from the CPU and GPU is getting pushed out of that one opening. but one benefit is that the rest of the chassis stays relatively cool, as compared to the MBP which acts like a giant heatsink.
keep us updated on your VAIO, especially on its durability over time.
fr4c -
I recall reading a while back you travel overseas, do you or will you bring your new 15" with you? If so, do you backpack it, or messenger bag?
I don't mind my 15" as much when I carry it in a backpack ... but then again I've traveled most often with the MacBook Air, after that anything seems thick/bulky/heavy.
I recall reading a while back you travel overseas, do you or will you bring your new 15" with you? If so, do you backpack it, or messenger bag?
I don't mind my 15" as much when I carry it in a backpack ... but then again I've traveled most often with the MacBook Air, after that anything seems thick/bulky/heavy.
Nope, I will most likely bring my iPad and possibly the VAIO Z. It's already a hassle sometimes carrying the 15" to and from work. I just can't imagine myself taking the MBP on the plane. I like to travel light
Nope, I will most likely bring my iPad and possibly the VAIO Z. It's already a hassle sometimes carrying the 15" to and from work. I just can't imagine myself taking the MBP on the plane. I like to travel light
Yea, I can't get used to it either. I really like my 15" MBP for office, home office, den use ... but for heading out going smaller has many conveniences.
A MacBook Air update would make me happy, a 15" MacBook Air with even half decent spec's would blow me away - that's my dream machine - big screen yet thin and light, someday ...
Z's with Ubuntu may be my next choice
Glad I found this thread ... I'm one of those that is looking for mobility. My venerable 12" PB is plugging away and I've waited so long for a solid 13" but can't bring myself to pay for C2D. When a better solution becomes available from Apple, I would then probably have to wait for Rev B after personal experiences with Rev A releases. A little tired of waiting now.
Rather than looking at Z with Windows 7, I'm seriously thinking of going strictly Ubuntu with it. I've been using 10.04 and am really liking it. I want an OS where the *nix command line is freely available to me. OS X has been so great and represents a solid user experience in my eyes.
But I'm falling for the specs of the Z and the size. When Ubuntu is fully there for it, I may actually give up my PB for it. That's saying something, because I've been such a die-hard Apple user. I'm a little concerned with the screen issues I hear about and the trackpad in comparison to the MBP but I just may take the plunge with the Z. I'll be checking back to see how others are doing with the Z here especially those using Linux such as Burp.
I can say that Lucid Linx is looking very good to me and can imagine it on the Z as a serious replacement for my PB.
Glad I found this thread ... I'm one of those that is looking for mobility. My venerable 12" PB is plugging away and I've waited so long for a solid 13" but can't bring myself to pay for C2D. When a better solution becomes available from Apple, I would then probably have to wait for Rev B after personal experiences with Rev A releases. A little tired of waiting now.
Rather than looking at Z with Windows 7, I'm seriously thinking of going strictly Ubuntu with it. I've been using 10.04 and am really liking it. I want an OS where the *nix command line is freely available to me. OS X has been so great and represents a solid user experience in my eyes.
But I'm falling for the specs of the Z and the size. When Ubuntu is fully there for it, I may actually give up my PB for it. That's saying something, because I've been such a die-hard Apple user. I'm a little concerned with the screen issues I hear about and the trackpad in comparison to the MBP but I just may take the plunge with the Z. I'll be checking back to see how others are doing with the Z here especially those using Linux such as Burp.
I can say that Lucid Linx is looking very good to me and can imagine it on the Z as a serious replacement for my PB.
Wondering
I'm curious what in particular you appreciated about the 13" in comparison.
Just purchased the Z for my daughter (who dislikes Macs
I was thinking about snagging a Z for myself, but after playing with my daughters I think I'll pass.
I'm curious what in particular you appreciated about the 13" in comparison.
I was in the market for a new and upgraded 13'' notebook and since an update to the MBPs was due i waited that out. I was very disappointed with the update apple did, however i still went to the apple store where i usually buy my apple hardware and tried it out, even installed most of my software. After that i tried the Vaio Z and i have to say it beat the MBP especially in computing power and portability, which is the major selling point to me as i'm travelling 220 to 260 days a year.
So far it is working well and i have no hardware problems at all, i'm extremely pleased about the light weight and the form factor, even the screen is pretty good although the viewing angle isn't the biggest in the industry, however the nice side effect is that the guy sitting in the next seat on an airplane can't read my stuff either, which is actually a bonus. The only big downside is of course that it doesn't run the right OS, but since my software is available for both i can work around it.
So far it is working well and i have no hardware problems at all, i'm extremely pleased about the light weight and the form factor, even the screen is pretty good although the viewing angle isn't the biggest in the industry, however the nice side effect is that the guy sitting in the next seat on an airplane can't read my stuff either, which is actually a bonus. The only big downside is of course that it doesn't run the right OS, but since my software is available for both i can work around it.
He opted for the Anti-Glare model, which essentially is a MBP sans glass screen "cover" and black bezel.
what screen do you have?
i picked up a 1600x900 (US model) and the viewing angle is good.
i could easily watch a movie with the guy next seat
Gotcha, thanks. Man it's fugly. Think I'd rather look at glare than that bezel.
MBA or Sony Vaio Z, convince me
My work is ready to buy me a new machine and I am torn between the MBA and the Sony Vaio Z. The MBP is simply too big for my needs. I am torn because I love Apple but the Vaio is a better spec'd machine and I am in Windows a majority of the time anyway. I would love to hear some other thoughts.
Sony specs:
3.04 lbs (with standard battery)
12.4"(W) x 1.0 - 1.3"(H) x 8.3"(D)
Intel® Core i7-620M processor (2.66GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
128GB (64GBx2) Solid State Drive with RAID 0 Technology
13.1" VAIO Full HD Premium Display (1920x1080)
4GB (2GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1066
$2069.99
Apple specs:
3.0 pounds
12.8 inches (W) x 0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm) (H) x 8.94 inches (D)
2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 1066MHz frontside bus
2GB Memory
128GB solid-state drive1
$1799
My work is ready to buy me a new machine and I am torn between the MBA and the Sony Vaio Z. The MBP is simply too big for my needs. I am torn because I love Apple but the Vaio is a better spec'd machine and I am in Windows a majority of the time anyway. I would love to hear some other thoughts.
Sony specs:
3.04 lbs (with standard battery)
12.4"(W) x 1.0 - 1.3"(H) x 8.3"(D)
Intel® Core i7-620M processor (2.66GHz) with Turbo Boost up to 3.33GHz
128GB (64GBx2) Solid State Drive with RAID 0 Technology
13.1" VAIO Full HD Premium Display (1920x1080)
4GB (2GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1066
$2069.99
Apple specs:
3.0 pounds
12.8 inches (W) x 0.16-0.76 inch (0.4-1.94 cm) (H) x 8.94 inches (D)
2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 1066MHz frontside bus
2GB Memory
128GB solid-state drive1
$1799