The Sony Vaio TZ

The Sony Vaio TZ is both a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the original Vaio 505, and a next-generation iteration of the T-/TX- series that features the latest mobile technology and best materials available.

We love the unrelenting innovation of ultralight notebooks; it is fun and interesting to watch design specs turn over throughout the years, as makers constantly reconsider ways to use the PC. So, it must be to Sony's credit that their first attempt -- elegant and simple -- has proved so enduring and prescient.

The original Vaio 505 was the first ultraslim notebook; it featured a 17mm key pitch keyboard set atop a touchpad and a 10.4" screen. It was initially released only in Japan--and it was purple. With its radical design and un-businesslike color, all but one Japanese chainstore balked at carrying the 505. The only chain that believed in the 505 did very well for itself: buying 5000 pieces and, in the end, having all the inventory of the year's hottest notebook.

The new Vaio TZ finds its design inspiration from the 505 (all the way down to the cylindrical spine), but takes its technology squarely from the future. The chassis is available in Premium Carbon Fiber, Black, Bordeaux, or Champagne Gold (all four models have Carbon Fiber casing -- only the coloring is different). Carbon Fiber is 30% lighter, twice as strong, and has much more rigidity than standard magnesium alloy. The TZ features a "floating" keyboard so that each individual key individually surfaces through a highly polished, glossy surface.

The 11.1-inch widescreen LED (1366x768) produces extraordinary color and clarity. It is truly a joy to work with the screen, or to watch your favorite DVDs utilizing the integrated supermulti-DVD drive. An integrated webcam rests above the screen.

Serious ultralight power comes from the Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 CPU running at 1.2GHz. This plenty of storage with the 160GB hard drive, or opt for a 32GB solid-state drive that is quicker, more resistant to data loss, and uses less battery power than a traditional hard drive. Or, skip the optical drive altogether and have both the 32gb solid state and 160gb HDD in the same machine!

Media control buttons located on the front of the chassis allow you to launch "AV mode" -- play music or movies without even turning on the computer or booting Windows. There are both MemoryStick and SD slots (with support for HDSD).

With so much power and gadgetry, you will be pleased to learn that the unit weighs only 2.26 pounds (1025g) and measures 10.9 x 7.8 x 0.88 inches (277 x 198 x 22.5mm). It is less than 1 inch thick with the light-weight battery! Even the size of the AC adapter has been reduced to 1.4 x 3.3 x 0.9 (36 x 83x 22.5mm).

Three battery options include the lightweight battery 6-hour (3-hour real world), standard battery 12-hour (6-hour real world), and enhanced battery 18-hour (9-hour real world). With the optional standard battery, the thickness is 29.8mm (1.17") and it adds 135g (0.29 lbs). With the optional enhanced battery, the thickness is 42.5mm (1.67") and it adds 290g (0.63 lbs).

The Sony Vaio TZ is a truly fantastic older light notebook.

Technical Specifications

Sony TZ

Motherboard Features

• CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo U7600 1.2 GHz
• L2 Cache: 2 MB CPU integrated
• RAM: 1GB (2GB Max)
• Chipset: Intel 945GMS Express

Storage

• HDD: 32GB Solid State Disk, 100 GB Serial ATA, 4200rpm, 160 GB Serial ATA, 5400rpm
• Optical Drives: Dual Layer DVD super multi drive (DVD±R DL)

Graphic / Video Features

• Chip: Intel 945GMS Express
• VRAM: 256MB (shared with main memory)
• Display: 11.1" WXGA TFT
• Resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels
• External Resolution: 1600 x 1200 pixels

Sound system

• Audio: Intel High Definition Audio, Built-in stereo speaker, Built-in monaural microphone

Interface

• Card Slot: ExpressCard/34, SD/MMC/Memory Stick PRO
• Communications: 802.11 a/b/g, 10/100/1000 LAN, Bluetooth v2.0 + EDR conformity, 56K v.90/v.92 Modem
• Integrated ports: USB 2.0 x 2, i.LINK (S400), Min D-sub 15pin, Headphone Ouput, Mic Input, Built-in Webcam, Docking Station Connector

Input / Output Devices

• Keyboard: 87 key, 17mm pitch, 1.7mm stroke
• Pointing Device: Intelligent Touchpad
• Battery Life: Lightweight battery pack VGP-BPS11 - 6 hours / Standard battery pack VGP-BPL11 - 12 hours / Bulk battery pack VGP-BPX11 - 18 hours

Power

• Consumption: 40W
• A/C adapter: 100-240V / 50-60 Hz

Physical Features

• Size: 10.9 x 7.8 x 0.89 [inch] / 277 x 198.4 x 22.5 [mm]
• Weight: 2.26 lbs / 1025g