Sony Vaio Z2 versus rMBP

I know I'm not the first person to make this comparison but I posted a few thoughts at NotebookReview and thought I might share here.


The "Zoinks" thread is here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/app...cbook-pro-retina-impressions-windows-guy.html

I've had a Z2 for the last year and now I'm moving to the rMBP. I got a good deal on a slightly used model on eBay so I thought I would give it a try. The rMBP has won me over.

One note I would make on the thread is that ZoinksS2k noted that he gotten much faster performance in Adobe Lightroom on the Z2 over the rMBP. I can only assume that he did the testing under windows/basecamp. I've done some import testing in LR using Mountain Lion and the rMBP is faster than the Z2. Of course the new Z3 is also a quad-care (the Z2 is dual) so I imagine they are comparable now. Certainly the unique Sony RAID 0 SSD drive produces very fast R/W times.

I haven't found the size different to be a big deal. The extra two pounds is noticeable but I've adjusted.

Things that are better (for me) on the rMBP:
- The retina display (duh)
- Quad-core speed
- Keyboard
- Speakers (much better -- the Z series has the worst speakers I've ever had on a laptop)
- Trackpad -- Z2's isn't bad (if small) but Apple still makes the best trackpad I've used
- I know this is also trackpad, but I'm hooked on the two finger "right click"
- Even though I've been a Windows user all the way back to Windows 3.0, I've found a number of features in Mountain Lion that I really like. I'll adjust.
- The rMBP feels very sturdy and well made. The exterior finish on my Z2 is very, very easy to scratch


Things I like better on the Z2:
- 2.5 pound weight -- that's insanely light.
- A matte screen that is excellent -- the Z3 has better aRGB coverage than the rMBP
- Really fast SSD
- Power Media Dock (not optional on the Z2) made using the Z2 as a desktop very easy to hook up
- Playing HD video (as a test), I get 4.5 hours on the internal battery and 8.5 hours with the battery slice.
- With the battery slice attached, the Z2 is still nearly a pound lighter than the rMBP

Finally, Mobile Tech Review did a nice rMBP to Z2 comparison:
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/u****reads/showflat.php?Number=42839

 

I sure hope there's a market for used Z2's!

There are a few for sale on eBay. I saw one new Z2 with my config sold for $1950 so I don't have much hope of getting anything close to the $4K I paid for it.