CNET Editor's rating: 7.8 out of 10
Reviewed by
Dan Ackerman
Review date: 7/20/07
The good: Extremely slim and light; head-turning design, excellent battery life; includes integrated WWAN; manages to squeeze in DVD burner.
The bad: Slow performance; expensive; limited configuration options; bloatware clutters the hard drive.
The bottom line: Only the high price and sluggish performance detract from Sony's inch-thick flagship laptop, the VAIO TZ, which impresses with smart design and fantastic battery life.
Description:
This configuration of the Sony VAIO TZ150N is a 2.6-pound, ultra compact notebook computer.
Compared to other ultra compact notebooks on the market, it is midpriced at around $2,065.
Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.
Pros:
Has only a 2.6-pound weight, which is somewhat lighter than some similarly priced notebooks.
Also, this notebook comes with Microsoft Windows Vista business and Microsoft Windows Vista OS, which is somewhat more favorable than some similarly priced notebooks.
Cons:
Has only 1 GB RAM, which is less than some similarly priced notebooks.
For example, the
ASUSTek ASUS U2E
, a 2.9-pound notebook at around $2, 030, has 3 GB RAM.
Graphics-intensive applications (such as texture-rich games, DVD playback, and video editing) will hinder performance on a system that relies on shared video RAM.
Suitability:
A ultra portable notebook, suited for traveling light.
Preserve embarassing home movie memories for future generations by saving them onto DVD with this laptop's DVD writer.
Includes advanced word processing software -- capable of producing all the complex documents you may need to publish.
Use the bundled video software to produce movies uploaded from a digital camcorder.
If you have a
wireless network
at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.
Value:
In general, this notebook has great features for the money.
Suggestions:
(1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a
wireless access point
for your home, so that you can browse the Internet more conveniently from any room.
(2) To get the most out of this computer's Bluetooth capability, you could have a Bluetooth-enabled headset, handheld or other device, and be able to link it wirelessly to your computer within a range of 20-or-so feet inside the same room.
10 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 out of 10 - Spectacular
well worth it!
It's not too tough to clear off the junk software that comes preloaded... it's actually helpful:... Read more
by shipdriver (see profile) -
January 23, 2008
1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire,
1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm,
1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm,
1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11,
1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45,
2 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A,
1 x Docking / port replicator,
1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15)
Power
Power device form factor
External
Battery
Technology
Lithium ion
Installed Qty
1
Mfr estimated battery life
7.5 hour(s)
CNET Labs Battery Drain Test: DVD Playback (min)
247
Operating System / Software
OS Provided
Microsoft Windows Vista,
Microsoft Windows Vista Business
Software
Sony Click to DVD,
Microsoft Works 8.5,
Sony LocationFree Player,
AOL Online (90 days trial),
Microsoft Office 2007 (Trial),
Norton Internet Security 2007 (60 days subscription)
Environmental Standards
EPEAT Compliant
EPEAT Silver
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & Support
1 year warranty
Service & Support Details
Limited warranty - 1 year - On-site,
Product info support - Phone consulting - 1 year
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics'
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics' manufacturer rating (June 2008)
5.1
Greenpeace 'Guide to Greener Electronics' manufacturer rating (Mar 2008)
Manufacturer: Sony Specs:
Intel Core 2 Duo (1.06 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 2.6 lbs, 11.1 in TFT active matrix, EPEAT Silver, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Business
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