Sony Vaio Z: A Review

My first look at Sony's top of the line notebook, the Vaio Z, was at a media launch held by Sony in late July. Back then, I knew I had to try it out. So when Sony delivered the Vaio Z to me recently, I was extremely pleased. I've been using it for a week now and boy, am I impressed!

The Vaio Z is really designed for today’s mobile professionals. The model that I tested is the VGN-Z17GN/B. It is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P9500 (2.53 GHz). It runs on Windows Vista Business and comes equipped with a 320 GB Serial ATA 5400rpm hard disk and 4GB DDR3 SDRAM memory.

The Vaio Z is amazingly light. It weighs only 1.48 kg - perfect for lugging it to your business meetings. Its built-in 802.11n wireless LAN capabilities make it faster and easier to connect to compatible wireless networks. And thanks to its durable carbon-fiber casing and Sony's G-Sensor Shock Protection technology, you don't have to worry about all the knocks, bumps and accidents in your travels damaging your Vaio Z. And most importantly, there will be no data loss!

I love the bright 13.1-inch widescreen display. Sony uses its own XBRITE-DuraView LCD technology that prevents scratches and allows for 100 percent color saturation. The colours are rich and the images are sharp. The Vaio Z is ideal for use as both a desktop PC and as a portable machine. Its 16:9 aspect ratio is the same as Sony's BRAVIA HDTV, making it a larger desktop than standard size displays. Great for wide screen presentations and viewing multiple windows! And with the new pre-installed VAIO Presentation Support software, business presentations are now made easier. The software has a multi-display mode that projects your slideshow on the big screen while you view your presentation notes and upcoming slides in private on the Vaio Z's LCD.

The main feature of the Vaio Z has to be the unique hybrid graphics system that features on-the-fly switching between the power-saving graphics chip or the dedicated NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS chip for more robust performance. You simply toggle the Stamina or Speed switch without even rebooting!

Performance wise, based on my extensive testing, the Vaio Z is a performer! Opening multiple softwares at once is a breeze. It copes well with every high demand task. I do lots of photo and video editing and the Vaio Z excels at both. However, the battery life is only average. At full charge, it can last up to 5 hours on Stamina mode. I do love the seamless keyboard. Its isolated keys make it really easy and comfortable to type on. I think this is definitely one of the best notebook keyboards that I've used. Another pleasant thing about the Sony Vaio Z is that it doesn't generate as much heat as compared to other notebooks.

Overall the Sony Vaio Z is an impressive go-everywhere business notebook. It is sleek, powerful and lightweight. My only problem with it is the cost. The VGN-Z17GN/B sells at a whopping S$4299! You can get a cheaper version, the VGN-Z16GN/B at S$3199 but it comes with a slightly slower processor (2.40 GHz), a smaller hard disk (250 GB) and only 2GB of memory.

You can view more pics of the Sony Vaio Z here or click the thumbnails below.


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