Wow, it only took 24 posts for someone to reply to SOPH's original question in the spirit it was asked.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macbook Air vs. Sony Vaio Z - anyone?
- Thread starter soph
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Ahh see, I find that interesting. Sony hasn't changed the ultraportable laptop game, they've just kept up. The MBA was never supposed to be a 'netbook' or 'getting by with as little as is necessary' option when it was released, quite the contrary. It was the example of what you could do with a tiny (ultraportable) laptop and it was brilliant... until they let it go so far out of date.
I do database administration and development as a job and in so have a need for virtualization and virtual machines that preform as close to physical boxes as possible. I work in windows almost exclusively (save for a little bit of Oracle and MySQL playing) so not being able to virtualize isn't really an option for me. I (I think like most people) enjoy the portability and novelty that the MBA offers, it really is a treat when you open it up and use it for the first time (or carry it in your backpack). For me this machine is off-limits as an actual work machine though. I've borrowed my boss's MBA and the only way it was usable to me was to RDP back to my workstation and do actual work there.
That being said, I also use OS X and am kind of ambivalent on it. I really am a hardware junkie and the Mac Pro, MacBook Pro and even the Air *USED* to be an amazing value for performance (performance/portability in the MBA's case)... not so much anymore. I see a trend across all of
's line that could best be called complacence I think. They're making money off of some great products, and innovating in those realms... but they're not the products that I'm interested in anymore. Maybe I'm being forced into planned obsolescence...You're adressing some of my major concerns. While I don't so much worry about disk space (I've only a 8GB iPod after all
) the number of USB ports and the 3G connectivity do bug me. There's USB thingies to work around both issues, but they add to messiness.As computer experience, how do you like your Vaio?
the bottom line in all of this for mine, is that regardless of specs, weight (or lack of it), and so forth -
the Sony Vaio Z-whatever runs bloody Windows -
whereas the Air is more than capable of running both OSX (a far superior OS in my most humble opinion) and also Win-bloody-dows.
thus the conclusion to my 'review' is that the Air beats all-comers
the Sony Vaio Z-whatever runs bloody Windows -
whereas the Air is more than capable of running both OSX (a far superior OS in my most humble opinion) and also Win-bloody-dows.
thus the conclusion to my 'review' is that the Air beats all-comers
the bottom line in all of this for mine, is that regardless of specs, weight (or lack of it), and so forth -
the Sony Vaio Z-whatever runs bloody Windows -
whereas the Air is more than capable of running both OSX (a far superior OS in my most humble opinion) and also Win-bloody-dows.
thus the conclusion to my 'review' is that the Air beats all-comers
It is obvious that for many this discussion is not about MBA vs. Vaio Z, but about OS X vs. Windows.
So instead of comparing Apples with oranges, we could install Ubuntu on both machines and then compare. Wouldn't the Vaio Z be the superior machine by 239 lightyears or so?
You do have a point, that would make it a machine-only comparison. As long as OS X is put back on after and the Sony is returned
What's cool is that distance you picked. That's the exact distance (239.12 LY actually) to the Cepheid variable galaxy NG-217667b, discovered by Tsume Miyaki, brother in law of the founder of Sony. Was this intentional?
You do have a point, that would make it a machine-only comparison. As long as OS X is put back on after and the Sony is returned
No, I'd rather hack the Sony and instal OS X on it.
LOL. Well, The nearest galaxy to ours is about 2million lightyears away. Yes, the Sony is fast, but not so fast that it can cut a corner by 1999760.88 LY or so!
No, I'd rather hack the Sony and instal OS X on it.
LOL. Well, The nearest galaxy to ours is about 2million lightyears away. Yes, the Sony is fast, but not so fast that it can cut a corner by 1999760.88 LY or so!
No guarantees how it would run on the Sony
New Contender?
Endgadget (from vozExpress) reports
Toshiba building world's lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery.
World's lightest 13 inch laptop (less than 1Kg (2.2 lbs)). Available in Core i3, i5, or i7-620 configurations with 4GB of memory, 500GB hard disk or optional 512GB SSD, 16:9 aspect ratio, USB 3.0 dock and a 2nd SCiB (Super Charged ion Battery) power source (charging to 90% in just 10 minutes).
I am looking forward to Apple's 2011 response.
Endgadget (from vozExpress) reports
Toshiba building world's lightest 13-inch laptop with fast charging SCiB battery.
World's lightest 13 inch laptop (less than 1Kg (2.2 lbs)). Available in Core i3, i5, or i7-620 configurations with 4GB of memory, 500GB hard disk or optional 512GB SSD, 16:9 aspect ratio, USB 3.0 dock and a 2nd SCiB (Super Charged ion Battery) power source (charging to 90% in just 10 minutes).
I am looking forward to Apple's 2011 response.
Another Player
I have to now wonder how this Toshiba might play in this discussion: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/toshiba-building-worlds-lightest-13-inch-laptop-with-fast-charg/
EDIT: Just saw someone beat me to this by about 10 minutes!
I have to now wonder how this Toshiba might play in this discussion: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/07/toshiba-building-worlds-lightest-13-inch-laptop-with-fast-charg/
EDIT: Just saw someone beat me to this by about 10 minutes!
Wow, where I was already impressed by the Vaio Z...this thing is DA BOMB!
It has everything+ you can find on the old wishlists in this forum!
Ahh see, I find that interesting. Sony hasn't changed the ultraportable laptop game, they've just kept up. The MBA was never supposed to be a 'netbook' or 'getting by with as little as is necessary' option when it was released, quite the contrary. It was the example of what you could do with a tiny (ultraportable) laptop and it was brilliant... until they let it go so far out of date.
I do database administration and development as a job and in so have a need for virtualization and virtual machines that preform as close to physical boxes as possible. I work in windows almost exclusively (save for a little bit of Oracle and MySQL playing) so not being able to virtualize isn't really an option for me. I (I think like most people) enjoy the portability and novelty that the MBA offers, it really is a treat when you open it up and use it for the first time (or carry it in your backpack). For me this machine is off-limits as an actual work machine though. I've borrowed my boss's MBA and the only way it was usable to me was to RDP back to my workstation and do actual work there.
That being said, I also use OS X and am kind of ambivalent on it. I really am a hardware junkie and the Mac Pro, MacBook Pro and even the Air *USED* to be an amazing value for performance (performance/portability in the MBA's case)... not so much anymore. I see a trend across all of
I disagree about the MBA. I do believe it's about using as little power and performance as is necessary to keep the weight and thickness down. It is about giving the user the complete footprint and full-sized display and keyboard, yet minimizing the weight and thickness. The MBA has been successful because it's a true Mac, yet it doesn't have any extras that aren't needed. The MBA is truly a MacBook! It does everything the mobile professional could need from his or her MB. It provides, looks, and feels better than a netbook because it tricks the user into thinking he or she is using a MB while actually using it. It "tricks" them because it has a full-sized LED backlit display, full-sized keyboard, backlit keyboard, large trackpad, capable CPU w/6 MB L2 cache, DDR3 RAM, SATA-II SSD that makes it feel extremely fast, and etc. However, they benefit completely when they're holding or carrying the ultra-lightweight computer. It has all the benefits of the real deal yet is extremely portable. Apple got rid of the optical drive, 35W TDP CPU, 2.5" drive, two RAM slots, and extra battery. By removing those items, Apple got the weight and space down to as little as necessary but yet still providing the Mac EXPERIENCE.
I don't own a MBA but I do own a Vaio Z.
In all fairness, the Vaio Z is a good laptop.
It's light, superior screen, mine came with a blu-ray burner, HDMI output, great keyboard (surely they copied apple!). I loved the switch to go from crappy intel graphics to nvidia and back.
But, it's crazy fragile! Yes the carbon fibre is durable but it's so flexible. You can literally press the body of the Z between your fingers and feel it crunch!
And sadly, it's not well protected under the hood.
It gets really hot too. And the fan is almost constantly on, at least gently and when you go full on performance, the fan also goes full on crazy too.
The heat coming out of the fan vent is mega hot. It's best not to keep anything near by.
The worst thing about it is the bloatware rubbish that comes with it, and some of it you just can't get rid of because your vaio will depend on it to control certain vaio specific features like the performance switch and so forth.
All in all, some awesome engineering to get the weight down but sacrificed too much for it. And absolutely no thought put into making it user friendly.
In all fairness, the Vaio Z is a good laptop.
It's light, superior screen, mine came with a blu-ray burner, HDMI output, great keyboard (surely they copied apple!). I loved the switch to go from crappy intel graphics to nvidia and back.
But, it's crazy fragile! Yes the carbon fibre is durable but it's so flexible. You can literally press the body of the Z between your fingers and feel it crunch!
And sadly, it's not well protected under the hood.
It gets really hot too. And the fan is almost constantly on, at least gently and when you go full on performance, the fan also goes full on crazy too.
The heat coming out of the fan vent is mega hot. It's best not to keep anything near by.
The worst thing about it is the bloatware rubbish that comes with it, and some of it you just can't get rid of because your vaio will depend on it to control certain vaio specific features like the performance switch and so forth.
All in all, some awesome engineering to get the weight down but sacrificed too much for it. And absolutely no thought put into making it user friendly.
EXCELLENT comments/review there, well said. As a former Z owner as of about a week ago you nailed it bang on.
I was used to a superior screen on the '08 and '09 Sony Z's we purchased but the screen they put on the 2010 Z's are sub par. Surprising too considering they're super high resolution on such a small 13" screen.
The viewing angle/contrast dark spots when you move your head a few inches was the problem. Color was good, screen was clear but has that darker / shadowy / anti glare film look to it.
Some of the expert reviews online reference the same concerns I had with the screen.
I'm glad to be past the Sony Z experience and back to my Mac's
I'm using my 15" MBP mostly now, I'd use a 13" MBP full time long before I'd choose a Z, I'd deal with the 1.5lbs extra in weight for the more pleasant user experience you get from using the MBP, or I'd take the Air ahead of the Z and just deal with it's shortcomings.
I swore I'd never buy Sony again, I heard so much about the new 2010 Z I had to try it myself - complete waste of time for me. I've learned my lesson the second time around
Apple copied Sony for the keyboard style. Sony was the first to release a laptop with individual key design.
Yeah, such a great keyboard! What I meant by it is that surely it was sony that copied apple and not the other way around since it's such a great idea!
And the keyboard is one of the best things about the Z.
Love it. It's actually on a bit of an incline too which makes it easier (personally for me) for typing.
And ENTATIRG, I have never used the 2010 model but I have heard some good things about the dual and quad SSDs. Super fast write speeds.
At the end of the day for the thread starter, it really boils down to OSX vs Windows.
Even if the Vaio Z is the perfect machine for you in terms of specs and ergonomics, if you don't like windows then you're never going to like the Z.
That makes no sense. Apple copied the idea of Sony. Not everything you consider a good idea is Apple borne.
I'm sorry if I offended you with my unreasonable love for Apple.
I also apologise for not making my statements clear enough. I'm not much of a wordsmith.
Sony did the keyboard thing before Apple, but my unreasonable love for Apple wishes that it be the other way around, that Sony copied Apple. This sentiment is what I attempted to capture when I said that 'surely Sony copied Apple!'.
They are not even comparable. One runs Max OS X and the other Windows.
If you buy the Sony you can't run any Mac OS X software. However if there is some Windows software you must have then the Mac can run it.
It all comes down to what software you need to use. Little things like fan noise and heat and the thickness of the plastic or un-important details compared to software.
As an example (may not apply to you) I use both Aperture and Logic. So even if some one gave me a Windows PC free I'd have not use for it as it could not run the software I use.
This I find the biggest recurring shortsightedness in this type of thread.
A Mac or a PC can both run Ubunty instead. Ubuntu, which is a Linux OS, is just like OS X a Unix variety. And many things you like in OS X and mis in Windows can be found in Ubuntu as well. And it's free!
I have both, Rev. B MBA with SSD and the Vaio Z.
I haven't used Windows since XP, then switched to Apple, and now I'm back to Windows 7. Frankly, I love this OS, especially the taskbar, it simply blows the "Dock" away. And Windows 7 is pretty damn stable so far. *knocks on wood*
The Air is frustrating when it comes to heavy use. It's thin and all, but I don't mine carrying a tad thicker laptop, the Vaio Z (with the specs in my signature), to be able to do literally everything on it on the go. I run 3 VM plus Windows apps, this thing is a powerhouse.
I've had my Z for a month now, and haven't used the MBA for, well, a month now!
I can manage to squeeze 4-5 hours battery life, which is pretty decent.
And oh, Love the FHD screen.
I haven't used Windows since XP, then switched to Apple, and now I'm back to Windows 7. Frankly, I love this OS, especially the taskbar, it simply blows the "Dock" away. And Windows 7 is pretty damn stable so far. *knocks on wood*
The Air is frustrating when it comes to heavy use. It's thin and all, but I don't mine carrying a tad thicker laptop, the Vaio Z (with the specs in my signature), to be able to do literally everything on it on the go. I run 3 VM plus Windows apps, this thing is a powerhouse.
I've had my Z for a month now, and haven't used the MBA for, well, a month now!
I can manage to squeeze 4-5 hours battery life, which is pretty decent.
And oh, Love the FHD screen.
Interesting, you and the poster above posted somewhat contrasting reviews, he is concerned with overheating and durability while you are satisfied with those factors...
Interesting indeed. And Windows 7 does seem to be a huge step forward compared to the Vista debacle. It is something I have often read in press and user reviews.
Ubuntu with Windows 7 in a virtual machine perhaps?
I am relay playing with the thought, but I keep my promise and I will wait till the end of June for an MBA update.
I don't own the Vaio Z, but I do own the Vaio TT also made out out carbon fiber and I can't say the device is flimsy or fragile. I can actually hold device from its screen without much of a worry(I rarely do it but still), which is something I could never do with my 12in iBook or or first gen 15in MBP. I actually prefer the build quality of my TT over my iBook and give it the edge over the MBP(metal is flaking off or something). I will say it is kind of a dust magnet, but that could be due to the color showing dust more? I also, really like the fact that the Z and the TT screen come with a matte-ish screen, which is turning to become more rare in the 13in and below category.