Review: Sony VAIO TZ Notebook
In Steve Jobs’ MacWorld 2008 keynote, when he unveiled the new MacBook Air, he referred to another notebook a number of times. When he needed a model notebook for high-end portability Jobs chose Sony’s TZ above all others. He, of course, had a number of reasons for choosing the TZ, but he did so in part because it is slim, lightweight, and beautifully designed. It is also quite expensive, which distinguishes it as an “executive” notebook and made the Air seem that much more affordable despite its comparatively limited feature set.
The Sony VAIO TZ is not only Sony’s flagship ultraportable notebook, but it is also the notebook that most other companies are gunning for with their high-end sub-3lb models. This is due not only because of the big price tag and impressive design, but because Sony has long been perceived as a leader in the ultraportable segment. Whether or not this is still true is up for debate, but it is clear that other manufacturers have largely caught up. The actual TZ models vary based on their build (for example the VGN-TZ180N/RC), but the TZ100 models are the US release, as the computer was first released in Japan as the TZ90 and it took some time to get it to the US, during which a number of competing ultraportables were released.
Specifications (as tested):
Sony VGN-TZ150N/B
Processor: Intel ULV U7500 Core 2 Duo, 1.06GHz
Chipset: Intel 945GMS
Memory: 1GB DDR2, maximum 2GB
Display: 11.1″ LCD with XBRITE-HiColor, LED backlit, 1366×768
Storage: 100GB 1.8″ 4200RPM Toshiba MK1011GAH
Optical: DVD+-RW
Communications: Bluetooth, Sprint WWAN, Intel 4965AGN WiFi
OS: Windows Vista Business
Extras: fingerprint reader, 1.3MP webcam, memory card reader, Memory Stick reader
Price as tested: $2099.99
Weight: 2.7lb
Claimed battery life: 4.0-7.5 hours
Windows Experience Score: 2.0
Processor: 4.3
Memory: 4.1
Graphics: 2.0
Gaming: 2.6
Disk: 3.9
The VGN-TZ150N/B is actually the entry-level TZ model in the US market. The price for other SKUs can get as high as $3699.99 with upgrades like dual storage (64GB SSD and 250GB disk), the higher end processors (U7600 and U7700), and 2GB of memory.
Just to run down the features list, it quickly becomes clear way the TZ is so attractive. It’s under 3lbs, has a long battery life, an LED-backlit display, SSD options, and it still manages to pack in an optical drive. Having that optical drive makes it prime competition for other high end ultraportables, like Toshiba’s R500 and Panasonic’s W7. Another reason the TZ is so desirable is its design. The notebook looks quite cool–not only does it have an exceptional display that is incredibly thin, but it uses spaced out “MacBook style” keys and it has green LEDs shining on the power cord and the power button (when it is on). The overall effect is that the TZ is very good looking and it is a status symbol and piece of industrial design as much as it is a notebook.
The notebook has some limitations that users should make note of before investing in the TZ. The first is the lack of an ethernet port. While it is no surprise that the modem jack was dropped, Sony took things a bit further and kicked ethernet as well. The TZ also uses a 1.8″ 4200RPM disk, so drive performance is going to be well behind that found on competing notebooks that opted for a 2.5″ disk. Going with the 64GB SSD or even the 32GB option will help out with this, but if you opt for the top model (with dual storage) you will lose the optical drive. The notebook also only has a single memory slot, so the maximum amount of RAM is 2GB.
Overall the TZ gets high marks for its design. It is very portable and quite light, yet it still feels relatively sturdy. The keyboard is not quite at the level of the ThinkPad X61s but it is surprisingly usable and is preferable to much of the competition, including the R500 and Toughbook W5, though the separated keyboard is definitely an acquired taste. The cursor control is also workable, and while the buttons are not amazing, navigation is quick and easy. The notebook feels great in your hands and while the battery could fit in the chassis a bit better, the barrel hinge is a useful design that not only adds to visual appeal of the notebook, but gives the LCD cover a solid feel despite its thinness. That noted, the LCD bezel was a bit creaky in a few areas and some backlight bleeding was noticeable in areas (though I was not the first person to test out this particular unit and it clearly has some miles on it).
While it may have seemed like a good idea to compare the MacBook Air to the TZ, the Sony has a full range of connections that the Air largely lacks. The TZ is equipped with two USB slots, headphone/mic, a card reader, Memory Stick reader, VGA out, and that optical drive. Additionally Sony also managed to stick multimedia controls (six buttons) and a radio on/off switch. As for features you can’t see from the outside, the TZ has built-in Sprint mobile broadband which is really useful and a necessary option on a notebook in this category.
One of the most interesting aspects of the TZ is the 11.1″ LCD display. The widescreen display runs at 1366×768 which is not huge, but it offers sufficient screen real estate, especially if you are used to the 1024×768 found on standard aspect ratio ultraportables. The LED backlighting gets quite bright and image is always clear and sharp. There is considerable backlight bleeding, especially along the bottom, but that may be an isolated incident. Even as the backlight level drops the screen is quite usable, but it looks best at the upper levels. Because LED backlighting is most efficient than other technologies you can keep it on the brighter side and not worry about killing your battery.
During day-to-day use, the Sony TZ stood up very well. It is a pleasure to get from place to place and while it is not rugged, it managed to survive for a few 12+ hours days of walking around a trade show and a flight across the country and back. On the software side the TZ often felt sluggish, even compared to some other products in the category. The Core 2 Duo processor is an ULV model at the lowest available frequency and with 1GB of RAM Vista tends to choke. Normal work is not always affected, but it can definitely be felt more often than you would like considering the price of the notebook. The big factor is probably not the processor, and while it could use another gigabyte of RAM, the 1.8″ hard drive is a bottleneck. The small drive holds 100GB but its operation is unavoidably slow due to its small size and the slow rotational speed.
During benchmarking the performance findings from general use were confirmed. The TZ may have a big price tag but you trade off weight for performance. As expected 3D synthetic testing was the low point, with scores of 2388 and 640 for 3DMark01 and 3DMark03 respective. These were considerably lower than that on other ultraportables, including the Panasonic W5, ThinkPad X61s, and the ThinkPad X60s. PCMark scores were a bit more competitive but still behind the levels were we would like to see them. PCMark02 scores were 3862, 7599, and 496 (CPU, memory, disk). PCMark04 and 05 scores were 2471 and 1916, respectively. The biggest single indicator here is that, as expected, the hard drive performance ratings are very low due to the use of a 1.8″ model. Finally SuperPi calculation times were also very high compared to other notebooks, including 65.286 seconds for 1M and 144.690 seconds for 2M.
The battery life of the TZ is one of its strongest features. During testing, with the backlight at about 75% or so, the notebook was able to last about six hours during a number of separate outings. This was for general use, mostly internet work, so for more intensive work I would say to expect between 4-6 hours, depending on your TZ specifications. Using the optical drive for drain testing yielded a battery life of a bit over three hours, which means you can get through a full movie on your next flight.
So, how does the TZ stack up to all the hype? Ultimately, the notebook did pretty well. As ultraportables go the TZ is in or near the lead when it comes to design, form factor, display quality, and battery life. The VGN-TZ150N/B is over the two thousands dollar mark and does not have any of the extras, like the SSD, but it is still an exceptional notebook. Unfortunately the performance of out test unit was not always up to par, at least given the price. Whether it was Vista or the use of just 1GB of RAM the notebook was usable, but was not nearly as snappy as it could be. The Core 2 Duo processor, even the ULV, is a great foundation for an ultraportable, but this one suffered from extended boot times and sluggish loads. The notebook runs cool and quiet and was generally a pleasure to use if you don’t mind waiting from time to time. As far as battery life and portability go, the TZ is a great pick, there is a performance trade-off though.
This would be the right notebook for someone who wants something flashy and impressive that can easily get from place to place, but who does not require a whole lot of power. The optical drive is a great feature and helps set the TZ apart from almost all the competition, except for Toshiba’s R500, which is probably the closest competition to this system. If you are going to spend the money to buy a TZ, definitely opt for the memory upgrade though.
Tags: pvr, hi fi, plasma, Ogg Vorbis
Sony Tz said
am January 26 2008 @ 6:22 pm
[…] Review: Sony VAIO TZ Notebook […]
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