Sony VAIO VGN-P530H/Q Lifestyle PC - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I've always been a fan of ultraportable computers, and I've owned a few, which include a Motion LS800 tablet, Raon Everun, Vaio TX, Vaio TZ, and an Asus 1000H. So, my review is based upon my experience with those machines. The Vaio P, in my opinion, is the ideal combination of portability and functionality, if typing is an integral part of your computing needs. I bought 2 of them (one for me, one for the wife) as soon as they were announced on the Sony website, and have been using it for about 2 weeks.
PRO'S:
(1) SCREEN RESOLUTION: One issue that I have always had with any ultraportable (outside of the Vaio TX and TZ) has been low screen resolution (e.g. 1028 x 680), which has always lead to lots of scrolling and/or zooming-out. The resolution on the Vaio P is, in one word, incredible. EVERY webpage is viewable in its entirety on the screen, as is EVERY document I need to read or edit. The downside is that text ends up being VERY small on the screen, but still legible to me (I type documents in 10-pt Times New Roman font). However, there is a personalization option available that allows you to make text/icons 125% larger than normal, which makes things much easier to see. My wife wears glasses and has trouble reading the text at normal settings, so she uses that mode and it works well for her.
(2) PORTABILITY: Okay, let's not kid ourselves here. This thing will NOT fit in your shirt/pants pocket (unless you're wearing very baggy cargo pants), but it will fit in a purse or any small satchel. Weight is negligible, even with the extended-life battery attached. Portability is a big thing for me in my profession (medical student, MD in a few months), and this machine can easily fit in the pocket of my white coat when I'm on the move.
(3) THE KEYBOARD: I type extensively as part of my profession, and having a usable keyboard is a component that has always been missing from any computer that I could carry on my person. My Motion tablet and Everun were useful for reading on-the-go, but essentially useless for typing anything beyond a short phrase. My Vaio TX/TZ have great keyboards (I've typed thousands of pages on them), but the machines themselves are too large to carry on me at all times.
Let me also take this opportunity to point out that, in comparison to the Asus 1000H, the Vaio P is not just another crappy netbook. The keyboard on the 1000H, for many reasons, is a low-quality component that definitely shows with heavy use. Any typing mistakes made with the Vaio P are genuinely my own keystroke mistakes, which was not the case with the Asus (90% of the time, it was just the junky keyboard causing mistakes). The right-shift key on the Vaio P is truncated, but its placement to the left of the arrow keys makes it a much more natural motion to hit, and something that you can become accustomed to without causing you to alter your typing accuracy on a normal-sized keyboard, which was really just impossible with the 1000H (that had the right shift key placed to the right of the arrow keys).
(4) FUNCTIONALITY: It is a fully-functional PC, capable of running any program you might need to run, given that you're not trying to use this as a gaming PC. I have installed Windows 7 on my Vaio P, which has made it much more efficient at running multiple programs simultaneously, as well as improving stability. I would highly recommend this upgrade for anyone purchasing this machine.
CONS:
(1) VISTA: This machine should have come standard with XP. Vista boot time is horrendously slow, even from hibernation, and installing Windows 7 does not fix this problem. My other ultraportables running XP were able to return from hibernation in about 20-60 seconds. The Vaio P takes probably 2-3 minutes. Maybe I'm a little impatient, but I want my computer to be ON when I turn it on. The integrated instant-on technology is not terribly useful to me because I generally need to use programs other than Media player or Firefox when I fire my machine up.
(2) NOT USER-UPGRADEABLE: As I understand it, the RAM is soldered to the motherboard and thus not upgradeable. 3 GB of RAM would have made the VAIO P much faster, and would have alleviated problem (1) I described above, and with 3 GB of RAM, Windows 7 would not even be a necessity because it would then be able to run Vista acceptably.
(3) STANDARD BATTERY LIFE: Sony touts 4 hours of life with the standard battery, which is of course a lie. It's more like 2.5 to 3 hours with screen brightness turned down to 1 or 2 (at which it is still very much readable/viewable), with WiFi on. I also have the large capacity battery, which takes it to 6.5 to 7 hours at the same settings. The large capacity battery adds maybe 1 to 1.5 cm of height to the machine, which is something of an eyesore, but I will make the sacrifice because the added battery life is worth more to me than the 0.2 lbs (not noticeable) and increased size.
(4) LACK OF TOUCHPAD: This omission is well-documented in other reviews; the pointing stick does what it is intended to do and it does it well -- however, it does NOT replace the touchpad or a mouse. Most people are already well-aware of this issue before purchasing the Vaio P. One thing I would liked to have seen instead is the optical mouse like on the Raon Everun, which is an intuitive and exceptional pointing device that is easier to use than the pointing stick.
*CONCLUSION: the Vaio P is an exceptional device of modern engineering that allows its owners to maintain productivity at a level comparable to that of a laptop while away from home, or when lugging a laptop case is impractical -- thus, I must stress that it is intrinsically a COMPANION PC. One should not expect this to REPLACE a primary PC, nor should one anticipate using this as their laptop 100% of the time, 24/7, because it simply would be foolish and needlessly uncomfortable to do so. I would make the analogy of comparing WiFi to a T1 connection -- given the choice and availability, no one would choose WiFi over a T1 connection, but the convenience and mobility of a WiFi connection are advantages that the T1 cannot match. In the same way, the Vaio P offers unmatched portability and convenience, but its purpose is of a different nature than the primary laptop/desktop -- so, as long as you keep that difference in mind, the Vaio P should enhance your productivity and live up to its tag of being a "lifestyle" PC.

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Sony VAIO Lifestyle VGN-P688E/G 8-Inch Laptop - Green Review

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(More customer reviews)Maybe I got a fluke, but Sony's so-called "full laptop" computer in an 8" form factor is like trying to run Vista on your mom's old P3. Seriously, this thing absolutely crawls. All this would be acceptable were it not for the very mediocre battery life (forget 4 hours, I couldn't even manage 2 with moderately heavy use), when any other netbook (that's right, netbook) for well under half the price outperforms it in battery life AND performance. Ironic; the 1.33Ghz processor really is a step down from the 1.66Ghz Atoms in netbooks, despite what I've been told to the contrary about the different "architecture."
But that's just on the hardware front. It powers on fast enough, but right from the get-go you're slammed with loads of bloatware and tons of programs that are slow to load into memory, one after the other (that's right, it's not even a dual core). These can be uninstalled--though not cleanly, as they leave some registry junk data behind. But there's little that can be done about yet another software-related problem: drivers. The video driver on here is one of the worst experiences I've had to date with video displays. HD video was an absolute disaster, even though the chipset (google "Poulsbo" or GMA500) claims it to be able to decode 720p HD video. So when I tried to play a simple HQ youtube vid (not even HD) and met with stuttering far worse than my friend's Asus Eee PC, which cost about 350, I was understandably upset. As for the faster disk drive with the SSD, this may be true. But when you can't run even basic productivity apps at full speed, any HD speed increase was unnoticeable. My Eee for instance has a conventional "slow" HD but gets the job done (except for copying files) much more quickly.
A lot of this might be Vista's fault. But before you think of downgrading to the faster, lighter XP, let me warn you--you'll have even more issues with Sony's drivers. Linux? Forget about it; Intel's Poulsbo drivers are in a pitiful state there too. When the most appealing attribute of the system--the hi-res screen, mind you--is nearly unusable with any other options, one can't help but feel a bit ripped off. The webcam's quality isn't very good (the Eee wins again), and the WWan (mobile broadband) is locked to Verizon, so don't think about other companies unless you "unlock" the chip: more time and trouble. The wireless-N support is supposed to be great, but it was dodgy on my home network (maybe it was just my unit or config...or vista, but again, my other devices worked fine). They keyboard and ergonomics are fine, but again, the only good words for this unit, for this price, are surface-deep.
Parting advice: the reviews on this "Lifestyle PC" are low for good reason. I really wish I'd seen Amazon's reviews earlier. (This unit wasn't from Amazon but from Sony themselves).

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Your portal to the world, the fashionable VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC delivers your entertainment and computing in a single go-anywhere design. Features like built-in mobile broadband and real-time GPS functionality tell only a partial story. The bottom line is that this chic little 1.4lb (with standard battery) computing sidekick will make a perfect fit with your life, whether it’s for business, pleasure, or both.

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Sony VGP-BPL15/B VAIO Extended Batteries for P Series Lifestyle PC (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Like all extended batteries, you can not expect it to fit the design of your laptop perfectly. I'm happy Sony at least made it extend downwards, keeping the laptop in a downward like angle, as opposed to making extend backwards. I prefer the Vaio P be on a little angle, besides, I think it makes it easier to type, as opposed to having the battery extend backwards and not allowing the Vaio P to fit into one of it's designed cases. ...yes, even with this battery, the Vaio P will fit comfortably into any of the cases Sony has designed for it, even the leather one.
As for performance, and again, like any battery out there, don't expect it to last as long as Sony promises, unless you really dim the screen to like nothing, turn off the wireless, speakers, etc... By dimming the screen to about 3 bars (still comfortable for me, the Vaio P has a SUPER bright LCD) and wireless off, I get about 6 hours, with the same settings plus a Sprint USB Internet Card I get about 5 1/2 hours.
Before I purchased the battery, I Googled images, but found none showing the battery on the laptop, so I'll post images of what that looks like, for future shoppers. ...as well as images of what the laptop will look like while in the leather Sony case with this battery on it.
I was iffy about giving it 5 stars, since the battery is a bit heavy (not SUPER heavy, but I'm sure it could be lighter), but it does it's job pretty well, and it's just a battery (can't believe I'm reviewing a battery LOL).

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Sony VAIO VGN-Z820G/B 13.1-Inch Black Laptop (Windows 7 Professional) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been an owner for about 3 months now and I can tell you I am pretty impressed with this notebook.
Make no mistake, you pay for what you get.
This is for someone that is always on the go and do not want to buy a crappy netbook because the Z series is extremely light. The beauty is in the fact that this is also for someone who wants good processing power and video card performace. I was able to play Counter Strike with full 100 fps and tf2 in medium setting with 40+ fps (with the dedicated graphics card), wich is pretty amazing for a notebook that is this thin. Technology like Intel's Centrino 2 and the fact that you can change from discrete to integrated graphic card (with functions perfectly, by the way) makes it possible to use it, on the go, for six hours straight. I made this test with the standard baterry and the baterry life is awesome.
Some other things like integrated 3G and GPS receiver and the VAIO Care software, that from time to time does a full verification of your notebook and actualy makes it faster by cleaning useless files and the registry, makes this notebook simply perfect.


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Sony VAIO VGN-Z820G/B Notebook Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 (2.53GHz) Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 320 GB HDD 4 GB of RAM

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INTELCOREI5-520M/2.40GHZ/3.06GHZ/4G(2GX2)/128G SSD/13.1LCD/DYNAMIC Hybrid Graphi Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this Sony Z12 (i5 520, 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM) laptop here on Amazon.com via the seller called Vanns about a month ago now. So this review is past the so called "honeymoon period" but relatively early on in the product life still.
First I will say that overall I'm quite happy with the Sony Z12. It does have some faults but more or less hits the mark for a certain usage pattern - the "road warrior" who wants a super portable but full service laptop with high-res screen. I've used various laptops in this mode in the past, including the Sharp Actius, the Panasonic W5 series and Y5 series. That is the perspective from which I review this unit.
The Sony Z12 weighs exactly 3 lbs with standard battery, which is super for a 13" unit and that makes it great. Its easy for me to carry it all sorts of places with basically no burden. The screen is bright, the 1600 x 900 resolution gives you a lot to work with, although from time to time you'll need to CTRL + or - to scale fonts up now and then. I cant imagine needing the 1920 x 1080 version! I would say this is probably the 2nd or 3rd best screen I have seen on a laptop, exceeded only by the MacBook Pros (13 15 and 17 inch versions) which remain a cut above this laptop. But compared to most PC laptop this screen is way better in brightness, clarity, black levels and contrast.
This battery lasts me about 4 hours in "Stamina" graphics mode with Windows on "balanced" power setting,, while I am using wi-fi surfing the net, typing documents and screen brightness at 50& or 60% ish. If I dim screen more and use the most aggressive windows power savings I get about 5 hours. That's pretty good for a unit of this type. I had considered getting the extended battery, which would have taken total weight to 3.5 lbs,but so far it doesn't seem necessary.
The keyboard is excellent. I was not expecting it to be so comfortable but it is. Good size and spacing to the keys. Much better than other implementations of the "chicklet" keybaord that I have experienced eg in Acer 1810 and the Apple Macbooks. No surprise though as Sony was actually the originator of these type of keyboards.
The unit is very speedy after doing all the updates to Windows and the VAIO updates. And it boots up and shuts down really fast. But out of the box it was a paradox: operating very fast yet booting and closing really slow. All that changed when I did the Vaio updates. The one that seemed to make the difference there was the update to the BIOS. And that is with a factory install of Win 7 pro. I didn't reinstall the OS,although I deleted one or two of the junk programs pre-installed.
Another issue I ran into was that wi-fi was fine for first two weeks then one day I connected to a Zyxel 802.11 g router at home and the wi-fi suddenly started cutting out, requiring a reboot of the unit. I eventually installed an update to the wifi card from Intel's website and that did the trick.
I operate almost only in "stamina" graphics mode and in this mode the laptop is whisper quiet - and actually quite cool. Looks like they didn't skimp on the copper inside. I have played around with the laptop in "speed" mode and there it does get noticeably noisier - a level of noise that for me would be a little annoying. But for my usage the integrated graphics is more than good enough so I really have no need to go to the dedicated graphics card at all.
A small disappointment is the AC adapter, which is clearly not fully thought out as a companion to a ultraportable of this type. The adapter is actually quite light for a 90 Watt power unit, but is a little bulky and has no facility for winding up the wires. On this one Sony gave a bit of effort (I've seen much heavier 90Watt adapters e.g. on Dells and Lenovos) but Sony could have done better still for their flagship laptop. The AC adapter on my old Panasonic Y5 was smaller and lighter - and that was like 5 years ago.
The build quality on the laptop is pretty good from what I can see. I keep it in a Zero shock memory foam sleeve so that I have protection without compromising on the light weight. It's a 3lb laptop so of course there is some flex - unit of this type will get its durability in fact by having some flex rather than the rigidity that can be built into a 5 or 6 lb unit. But I can see that it is built well. And the palm rest seems like it wont scratch easily as some. At least so far that's what I've experienced.
Overall this has been a great purchase from my view. I don't think its a laptop for all people. But for a classic road warrior who typically buys ultraportables, I think this is a laptop I would recommend without hesitation.

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The VAIO(R) Z Series laptop gives you the power and functionality of a larger PC packed into a durable notebook that weighs just over 3 lbs (with standard battery). From its convenient backlit keyboard to its Dynamic Hybrid Graphics system that delivers power when you need it, this computer has all the features that make for a world-class mobile computing experience.13.1 Widescreen LED Backlit Display (1600 x 900) Built-in MOTION EYE camera and Microphone with face-tracking technology NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M GPU with 1GB of Dedicated Video RAM and Intel GMA HD (Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System) Intel High Definition Audio DVD+-R/RW with Double Layer Drive Intel Centrino Advance-N 6200 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Bluetooth Stereo A2DP (2.1 + EDR) Multimedia Card Reader MS PRO (Standard/Duo) media slot with MagicGate(TM) functionality, ExpressCard / 34 media slot, SD media slot Pointing device - Electro-static Touch Pad Biometric Fingerprint Sensor Ports -3 x USB 2.0, Headphone Output, Microphone Input, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45 Ethernet, Port Replicator Connector Dimensions (Approx.) -12.4 (W) x 8.3 (D) x 1.0-1.3 (H) inches Weight (Approx.) -3.04 pounds (with standard capacity battery)

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Sony VAIO P Series VGN-P588E/Q - 1.33 GHz - RAM 2 GB - HDD 64 GB - GMA 500 - cellular modem ( HSPA ) - Gigabit Ethernet - WLAN : 802.11b/g/n (draft), Bluetooth 2.1 EDR - Vista Home Premium - 8" Widescreen TFT 1600 x 768 - camera Review

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(More customer reviews)I've owned this exact unit for more than six months now. I purchased it strictly for road trips, as I have several custom-built desktops and a larger/luggable Lenovo notebook at home. It's a terrific travel UMPC. You need to get used to the still-usable smallish keyboard (with a Return key way too close to the up/down arrow keys) and the very tiny fonts/display (even when enlarged to 125%), but still very good. It's terrific having the SDD instead of an accident-prone spinning HDD. There's no need for a separate PC case, it fits right in my carry-on along with its very tiny power supply.
My only issue is: even upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium with all Intel and Sony video driver patches, it still can't do video of any quality or size without stuttering/hiccup'ing, which is very annoying for any netbook/notebook in this premium price range.

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Sony VAIO VPC-Z112GX/S 13.1-Inch Laptop (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am more of a Mac user usually, but I need a windows machine occasionally, and this is far and away the best piece of hardware I have ever had (in case you wonder, I also have a thinkpad X200 and macbook pros of all sizes). The hardware spec is very similar to the last generation of macbook pro (same graphics card, similar CPU), but this is a 3lb machine, vs a 6lb mbp). The SSD is blazingly fast, the machine never gets even slightly warm (despite the fact that I usually run a number of CPU hogs on it), the keyboard is amazingly comfortable (It has a similar chicklet layout to the MBP keyboard), the screen is phenomenal (by contrast, the Thinkpad screen is much too dim). I am sure there is a bit of bloatware, but I don't notice it (256GB is a lot of bits), and the default browser is Chrome. Windows 7 is the most usable Windows release yet, which may or may not be saying much.
To comment on another review: I am very much a unix person, but if you want to run unix on a laptop, just get a mac, and certainly DO NOT get a sony. Sony has always made slightly incompatible hardware (I got my first Sony ultraportable in the late 1990s -- same problems). That said, I have NEVER had a linux laptop which ran properly (Thinkpads, Dells, Acer, you name it). Power management is always goofy, the display drivers are always a little off, etc, etc. Run linux at home/work, and use a vnc client to connect, if linux is that important to you. Every single old unix hack I know carries a mac (that includes some of the fathers of the open source movement) -- essentially every useful piece of linux software runs (sometimes better) under OSX.
Anyway, giving two stars to the Vaio because it is not a unix box is like giving two stars to your ferrari because it won't go offroad (or conversely, to your landrover because it can't keep up with a mustang GT from a light). Use the right tool for the job.

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Built tough for business, the VAIO Z notebook offers the portability of a 3 lbs (with standard capacity battery) form factor with the functionality and performance of a larger computer.

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Sony VAIO VGN-Z550N/B 13.1" Laptop 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600, 3GB RAM, 250GB HDD, Vista Business) Black Review

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(More customer reviews)First vendor did not exist. Tied up funds/credit card for a month with no delivery. This guy was exactly what I would have expected. On time, virgin machine. No hassles.
TNX

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Sony VAIO VPC-Z135GX/B 13.1-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Background:
I am an above average user, although by no means an IT person. I have owned three Sony Vaio laptops and one Toshiba laptop, not including this one. My consideration in looking for a laptop were as follows: I wanted a powerful laptop that would rival a regular desktop in its features and specifications. It needed to be ultra-portable since I take my laptop everywhere; I learned a life-long lesson back in college when I was toting around heavy 15-inch laptops that made me walk with a stoop. It needed to be fast; when I am working, I need to be limited only by the free flow of my ideas, and not by the time it takes software to open up and load. It needed to have a port replicator, so that I can conveniently plug in a monitor at home and speakers which don't have to be unplugged everytime I leave my house. My laptop for the last 2 years was a Toshiba Satellite U405-S283; a 14-inch laptop that did most of what I needed, but which became so sluggish that I could feel myself aging and my beard growing while waiting for programs to load. But the most important requirement was the battery; I needed a laptop that would remain juiced up on intercontinental flights, so that my mind can be freed from dark thoughts of the plane losing gravity and depositing my earthly remains somewhere in the Bermudan Triangle. My search led me to the Z series. I had left the Sony Vaio family because conventional wisdom has it that all laptop manufacturers purchase the parts from the same location, so why pay the hefty premiums that I am accustomed to paying for Sony Vaio laptops? With technology changing as rapidly as it does, in two years any model is completely outdated. Hence, I thought it would be prudent to spend less, so that I can happily discard the laptop for the next when the time comes.
Enter the VPC-Z135GX/B:
The most noticeable thing about the Sony Z series is its hefty price tag. It costs an arm, a leg, and a good portion of the pelvic bones. At $2,200, the VPC-Z135GX/B is in the upper medium range for the price of a Z series laptop. The cheapest in the Z family that I found is a silver colored one which goes for about $1600 on the Best Buy website, but which only has a 128 GB hard drive. The most expensive top-of-the line model is part of the signature series which goes for about $4000 on the Sony Style website. The signature series offer 'infinite stripes' and 'premium carborn.' Both are raised styles on the chassis of the laptop itself. The next logical query is whether the utility justifies the cost.
Looks:
The Z series laptops are beautifully crafted, and look like artifacts that are more appropriate in a modern art museum. The style and chassis speak of understated elegance. It has a very slender frame that feels almost flimsy, yet there is no flex, buckle or give. It is extraordinarily light, and weighs less than most of the law books in our office. In fact, if the screen had the ability to be folded all the way down, I would be all-too-pleased to use this laptop as a tablet. I was eyeing the iPad and RIM's Playbook running the Blackberry version of the tablet, but I might just hold off for now.
- Keyboard: The keyboard is the so-called 'chiclet' style which was apparently first introduced by Sony. It is best described as akin to the keys on a calculator. It is a clever design that seems more ergonomic than a full desktop keyboard. The keys are very responsive without caving in at the tap of a finger. The keys also automatically light up in darkened conditions. Although it is supposed to work automatically, it would have been nice to be able to manually control the function. There have been times when the keyboard did not light up, and yet the conditions demanded it.
- Chassis: Chassis simply means the external body of the laptop. While the Z series can come in silver, or in black with the somewhat diagnonal stripes or the carbon fibre of the signature series, the VPC-Z135GX/B is a simple unadorned black. 'VAIO' is emblazoned across the top lid in silver in an iconic scrawl. It is the very simplicity of the design that makes it so elegant. Ironically, Z series with their stripes and cost more, yet this sober black is my preference. The ultimate effect is that this laptop is not as attention-seeking as its signature style cousins, yet exudes a quiet sleekness that suits those with quiet refined tastes. For those with more flamboyant tastes, the alienware laptops would be more appropriate.
-The Screen: The main sacrifice in purchasing this laptop or any other ultra-portable design really lies in the reduction in the screen real estate. It is an unavoidable trade-off, until a clever manufacturer patents a screen that slides out or somehow widens at the touch of a button. A 13.3 inch laptop, however, is extremely convenient. During long flights, at meetings or in bed, using this laptop is truly a dream because of its size. Yet its small screen, of course, means that viewing movies, for example, is apt to be better on a 15-inch laptop. Sony makes up for this with the vividness of the screen. With its 1600x900 resolution - not found in any other laptops I had considered - Sony seems to be saying that bigger is not always better. I heartily concur; colors jump out of this screen, etched in clear and startling detail. Watching Avatar on this should be quite the experience.
- Power Cord: I am not a fan of the power cord; the cord feels thicker than necessary. But it is designed in such a way as to lessen the chance that the wire would eventually fray at the juncture where it connects to the box.
- Buttons, USB ports, SD card slot, HDMI output: The power button is another simple, yet lovely contrivance. It glows green when the laptop is on, and orange when hibernating. It is located at the right hinge, where the screen meets the keyboard, and is a particularly clever placement. Given that this laptop is not much bigger than a netbook, there are no compromises. It features three USB ports; even the Goliaths of all laptops are apt to feature the very same number. It has a muvh-appreciated HDMI input on its left side, as well as a front-facing speaker and microphone outlets. A VGA output is tucked away neatly on the right side, which is almost entirely taken up by the CD/DVD drive. The innovative eject button for the drive, rather than being on the side of the laptop, is actually at the top of the keyboard. There are three one-touch convenience keys aligned side by side. The 'Assist' button launches VAIO care which is supposed to diagnose any problems with the laptop. The middle button is configurable, and I promptly assigned the mute function to it. The 'VAIO' button launches the VAIO media gallery, which is discussed in greater detail below.
Utility:
-Processor: Equipped with its i5 intel core processor, this laptop is really quite fast. Although I was disappointed that the start-up time is about as long as it takes most conventional laptops to do the same, opening up programs is a breeze. I did some research on processors, and found that the new i5 is actually the optimal processor for most users. The i3 does not come equipped with the turbo boost feature which, I imagine, comes into play when the laptop requires more resources to handle a variety of programs. The i7 is expensive, yet useless for most users who will never need the power it brings; its use is limited to scientific programs and such that can benefit from the enhancement.
-Solid state hard drive: This is my first laptop with a solid state hard drive. Solid state hard drives, like all new technology, are expensive, and is partly the reason why the Z series laptops are so expensive. The snappy performance of this laptop no doubt owes its existence to the combination of the processor and the solid state hard drives. One of the main reasons that I purchased this model is because it has 256GB which is just the perfect size. I had considered several cheaper models with 128GB hard drives, but I couldn't do it. Over the years, I have accumulated about 35GB of music, and every year the size grows exponentially. 128GB just wouldn't cut it, especially since a sizeable portion of the hard drive is preoccupied with system functions. For example, when my laptop arrived and I checked the hard drive, it was at approximately 220GB, with the remaining 36GB presumably taken up by the system.
-1GB NVIDIA GT 330M: I will never again buy a laptop without a dedicated graphics card. Watching videos on this laptop is an incredibly seamless experience. I was watching 4 videos simultaenously on Windows Live Photo Gallery, and one on Windows Media Player with nary a lag in sight. I am not much of a gamer, but the games that I tried worked like a charm. While this is obviously not a gaming laptop, it has the muscle to be one. The only draw-back would be the relatively small screen size.
-Windows 7 Professional: Conventional wisdom is that Windows 7 is worlds better than Windows Vista, but the difference is not as stark as I was led to believe. There are numerous cosmetic changes that I won't delve into because they don't necessarily increase functionality. Setting up Microsoft Outlook was the most painless experience ever, although I am not sure whether to thank the OS or Microsoft Office Professional 2010. Usually, I would have to check the internet for the correct settings to set up my e-mail accounts. This time I merely entered my name and e-mail address, and it was all configured for me. When I used the same Microsoft Office Professional 2010 on Windows Vista, it was not nearly as painless.
-Browser: The laptop comes equipped with two versions of the Internet Explorer: 32-bit and 64-bit. I ran into flash problems attempting to watch videos with the 64-bit, so...Read more›

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Sony VAIO Z Series: Premium Power To Go
Built tough for your business travel needs, this ultra-portable Sony VAIO Z Series laptop (model VPC-Z135GX/B) weighs just over 3 pounds and measures 1.3 inches thin, yet it doesn't compromise on the powerful computing features you've come to expect from business-class VAIO notebooks. It offers a 13.1-inch high-resolution LED-backlit screen, the latest Intel Core i5 processor with dual-core processing power, solid state drive (SSD) technology for a rapid boot-up and quicker access to applications, and a dynamic hybrid graphics system that lets you easily switch from high-powered graphics performance to energy saving mode to extend battery life.
The Sony VAIO Z Series laptop in black (see larger image).

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