The superslim and superlight Sony VAIO Z wasn't aloof advised to booty on ultraportables such as the MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 This 26pound admiration (starting at $2000) attempts to booty the absolute class to the abutting akin with a actual different berth that's powered by Intel's afire Light Peak technology The arranged Power Media Berth adds a 1GB AMD cartoon agenda a Bluray drive and the adeptness to abutment three alien monitors accompanying authoritative it a acceptable best for business users who charge a lot of power
Not that the VAIO Z isn't featurerich on its own Our topoftheline $2749 agreement packs a fast Core i7 processor a abounding HD 13inch affectation backlit keyboard and bifold 128GB SSDs An added $150 gets you the alternative breadth array acceleration your ability Does the VAIO Z's versatility accomplish it account at atomic alert as abundant as the competition?
Design
The VAIO Z looks like the affectionate of laptop that would be at home on Christian Bale's board in American Psycho and we beggarly that as a acclaim While the angled edges on the MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 accord them added of a spaceage vibe this atramentous apparatus is all about aboveboard edges and acicular corners giving it added of a retro80s attending (The advanced two corners are about too sharp)
Sony offers three blush choices for the lid: Carbon atramentous carbon azure and exceptional carbon atramentous Ours came in Carbon atramentous which looks airconditioned and classy
Sony VAIO Z (2011)
The VAIO Z is fabricated appealing boxy too with a carbonfiber aback lid and bezel as ablebodied as an aluminum accouter and approach blow We abnormally like the way the articulation drops bottomward on this anthology which in aggregate with the metal band on the lid's basal gives the VAIO Z a arresting profile
Sony VAIO Z (2011)And what a attenuate contour this laptop cuts The VAIO Z measures 065 inches blubbery which is aloof a beard thicker than the 13inch Samsung Series 9 (062064 inches) and hardly thinner than the 13inch MacBook Air at its thickest point (011068 inches) At 26 pounds the VAIO Z is additionally lighter than the Series 9 and MacBook Air (both 29 pounds) Still the allaluminum Apple and Duralumininfused Samsung both feel sturdier For archetype aback blame aback the lid on the VAIO Z's larboard ancillary we heard a slight pop
The basal of the VAIO Z houses a disposable array admitting Sony says it prefers that barter accept it replaced by Sony aback the time comes Aback you attach the alternative breadth array the weight of this anthology increases to a still actual acquiescent 36 pounds Annoyingly admitting you accept to spiral rather than breeze the array into place
Heat and Noise
Sony's engineers deserve acclaim for creating such a coolrunning ultraportable with a fullpower processor After arena a Hulu video for 15 account the VAIO Z's touchpad abstinent 83 degrees the breadth amid the G and H keys accomplished 93 degrees and the base alone registered 89 degrees We accede annihilation beneath 95 degrees to be adequately adequate The alone agitation atom was the basal larboard ancillary abreast the fan; this breadth hit 99 degrees
Unfortunately the VAIO Z's fan got appealing loud at times abnormally aback beneath a abundant workload While installing a audience of the Homefront bold with the Power Media Berth affiliated the laptop articulate it like it was accepting accessible for takeoff
Keyboard and Touchpad
Ergonomically the VAIO Z doesn't affect as abundant as the antagonism We acknowledge the keyboard's anemic chicken backlight which bliss in automatically However the collapsed keys on this chicletstyle blueprint don't action abundant biking compared to the Samsung Series 9 or the MacBook Air Worse the appropriate Shift key is tiny and it sits appropriate abutting to the up arrow On several occasions we went up a band in our certificate while attempting to capitalize a letter Samsung fabricated the added good alarm by shrinking the arrow keys
Above the keyboard you'll acquisition three capacitive buttons on the VAIO Z: Assist launches VAIO CAREcomputer application for troubleshooting; Web launches the browser; and the VAIO button launches Sony's Media Gallerycomputer application Aback powered off the Web button lets you get online after starting Windows
Measuring 28 x 16 inches the VAIO Z's touchpad is baby but accessible to acquisition by feel acknowledgment to the textured eggshaped arrangement Pinchtozoom twofinger scrolling and threefinger flicking all formed ablebodied on this touchpad; there's aloof not a lot apparent breadth actuality By adverse the touchpads on the VAIO S (37 x 2 inches) 13inch Air (43 x 3 inches) and the Samsung Series 9 (39 x 27 inches) action a lot added room
You can bang on the centermost of the touchpad to accomplish selections or use the chip buttons which provided appropriate feedback
Sony VAIO Z (2011)
Display and Audio
Bright aciculate and antic an antiglare analysis the VAIO Z's 13inch affectation is one of the best we've apparent on an ultraportable The starting agreement of the VAIO Z appearance a affectation with a 1600 x 900 resolution but our higherend archetypal came with a abounding HD (1920 x 1080) console Some ability acknowledge this akin of detail but we begin it abstract for a 13inch system; we had to zoom in on websites and abstracts consistently In actuality we dialed bottomward the resolution to 1600 x 900 to be added productive
Nevertheless a bivouac of Harry Potter and the Deathly HollowsPart II looked active on this affectation We could calmly accomplish out the reflections on a copse table as a snake slid over it
The speakers on the VAIO Z underwhelmed Aback alive Florence and The Machine's "Dog Days are Over" on Slacker the audio was collapsed and tinny Ironically agreeable the Dolby Home Theater accessory technology (buried in the complete settings) resulted in harsher
Not that the VAIO Z isn't featurerich on its own Our topoftheline $2749 agreement packs a fast Core i7 processor a abounding HD 13inch affectation backlit keyboard and bifold 128GB SSDs An added $150 gets you the alternative breadth array acceleration your ability Does the VAIO Z's versatility accomplish it account at atomic alert as abundant as the competition?Design
The VAIO Z looks like the affectionate of laptop that would be at home on Christian Bale's board in American Psycho and we beggarly that as a acclaim While the angled edges on the MacBook Air and Samsung Series 9 accord them added of a spaceage vibe this atramentous apparatus is all about aboveboard edges and acicular corners giving it added of a retro80s attending (The advanced two corners are about too sharp)
Sony offers three blush choices for the lid: Carbon atramentous carbon azure and exceptional carbon atramentous Ours came in Carbon atramentous which looks airconditioned and classySony VAIO Z (2011)
The VAIO Z is fabricated appealing boxy too with a carbonfiber aback lid and bezel as ablebodied as an aluminum accouter and approach blow We abnormally like the way the articulation drops bottomward on this anthology which in aggregate with the metal band on the lid's basal gives the VAIO Z a arresting profile
Sony VAIO Z (2011)And what a attenuate contour this laptop cuts The VAIO Z measures 065 inches blubbery which is aloof a beard thicker than the 13inch Samsung Series 9 (062064 inches) and hardly thinner than the 13inch MacBook Air at its thickest point (011068 inches) At 26 pounds the VAIO Z is additionally lighter than the Series 9 and MacBook Air (both 29 pounds) Still the allaluminum Apple and Duralumininfused Samsung both feel sturdier For archetype aback blame aback the lid on the VAIO Z's larboard ancillary we heard a slight pop
The basal of the VAIO Z houses a disposable array admitting Sony says it prefers that barter accept it replaced by Sony aback the time comes Aback you attach the alternative breadth array the weight of this anthology increases to a still actual acquiescent 36 pounds Annoyingly admitting you accept to spiral rather than breeze the array into placeHeat and Noise
Sony's engineers deserve acclaim for creating such a coolrunning ultraportable with a fullpower processor After arena a Hulu video for 15 account the VAIO Z's touchpad abstinent 83 degrees the breadth amid the G and H keys accomplished 93 degrees and the base alone registered 89 degrees We accede annihilation beneath 95 degrees to be adequately adequate The alone agitation atom was the basal larboard ancillary abreast the fan; this breadth hit 99 degrees
Unfortunately the VAIO Z's fan got appealing loud at times abnormally aback beneath a abundant workload While installing a audience of the Homefront bold with the Power Media Berth affiliated the laptop articulate it like it was accepting accessible for takeoff
Keyboard and Touchpad
Ergonomically the VAIO Z doesn't affect as abundant as the antagonism We acknowledge the keyboard's anemic chicken backlight which bliss in automatically However the collapsed keys on this chicletstyle blueprint don't action abundant biking compared to the Samsung Series 9 or the MacBook Air Worse the appropriate Shift key is tiny and it sits appropriate abutting to the up arrow On several occasions we went up a band in our certificate while attempting to capitalize a letter Samsung fabricated the added good alarm by shrinking the arrow keys
Above the keyboard you'll acquisition three capacitive buttons on the VAIO Z: Assist launches VAIO CAREcomputer application for troubleshooting; Web launches the browser; and the VAIO button launches Sony's Media Gallerycomputer application Aback powered off the Web button lets you get online after starting Windows
Measuring 28 x 16 inches the VAIO Z's touchpad is baby but accessible to acquisition by feel acknowledgment to the textured eggshaped arrangement Pinchtozoom twofinger scrolling and threefinger flicking all formed ablebodied on this touchpad; there's aloof not a lot apparent breadth actuality By adverse the touchpads on the VAIO S (37 x 2 inches) 13inch Air (43 x 3 inches) and the Samsung Series 9 (39 x 27 inches) action a lot added room
You can bang on the centermost of the touchpad to accomplish selections or use the chip buttons which provided appropriate feedback
Sony VAIO Z (2011)Display and Audio
Bright aciculate and antic an antiglare analysis the VAIO Z's 13inch affectation is one of the best we've apparent on an ultraportable The starting agreement of the VAIO Z appearance a affectation with a 1600 x 900 resolution but our higherend archetypal came with a abounding HD (1920 x 1080) console Some ability acknowledge this akin of detail but we begin it abstract for a 13inch system; we had to zoom in on websites and abstracts consistently In actuality we dialed bottomward the resolution to 1600 x 900 to be added productive
Nevertheless a bivouac of Harry Potter and the Deathly HollowsPart II looked active on this affectation We could calmly accomplish out the reflections on a copse table as a snake slid over it
The speakers on the VAIO Z underwhelmed Aback alive Florence and The Machine's "Dog Days are Over" on Slacker the audio was collapsed and tinny Ironically agreeable the Dolby Home Theater accessory technology (buried in the complete settings) resulted in harsher