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    Sony VAIO TZ First Thoughts

    Discussion in 'Notebook News and Reviews' started by dietcokefiend, Sep 12, 2007.

  1. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    <!-- Generated by XStandard version 1.7.1.0 on 2007-09-12T10:40:53 -->

    by Kevin O'Brien

    Demanding business travelers know that unneeded extra baggage weighs more, and slows you down as you are running around an airport or around a city. This type of user is very demanding about their laptop, which has to be not only very small and sleek, but have enough power to run most if not all of the programs they use in the office. Sony came up to the plate with the TZ for this market, cramming everything a business user could want into an extremely small package that could almost fit into a large coat pocket.


    The pre-production Sony TZ (VGN-TZ190N) we are going over today has the following configuration:

    • Windows Vista Business (32-bit)
    • Intel Core 2 Duo Processor U7600 (1.20GHz, 2MB L2, 533MHz FSB)
    • Mobile Intel 945GMS Express Chipset
    • Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN (802.11a/g/n)
    • Sprint Mobile Broadband (EV-DO Rev. A)
    • 2GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM (1 slot, maximum capacity 2GB)
    • 32GB Samsung SSD Ultra-ATA HD
    • 8x DVD (+/-R double layer) drive
    • 11.1&quot; diagonal widescreen XBrite TFT LCD display at 1366x768 (WXGA, Glossy, LED Backlit)
    • Intel GMA950 w/ up to 224MB
    • MOTION EYE camera and microphone
    • Bluetooth version 2.0 plus Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)
    • ExpressCard slot (ExpressCard/34)
    • 5-in-1 media card reader
    • Memory Stick PRO (with MagicGate functionality) Secure Reader
    • VGA, Modem, 1Gb LAN, IEEE 1394, Dock, and Mic/Headphone connectors
    • IEEE-1394s (FireWire)
    • Two USB 2.0 ports
    • Dimensions (WxDxH Front/H Rear): 10x7.8x0.9/1.2
    • Weight: 2lbs 10.5oz actual, 3lbs 4oz travel weight
    • 60W (16V x 4A) 100-240V AC adapter (10oz)
    • Standard Lithium Ion battery (11.1oz)
    • 1-Year Standard Limited Warranty

    [​IMG]
    (view large image)

    Build and Design

    The overall build of the TZ is very sleek and lightweight, but does show some weakness with its thin panels. Sony included a carbon fiber based material for the top cover, allowing the panel to stay very thin, but still protect the LCD underneath. At times the screen flexed more than I had ever seen a screen flex (and not break) in the past. Even when opening the display under normal use the entire panel flexes, but doesn't show any hint of breaking. This may just be a downside of creating such a thin panel and it pushing the boundaries of rigidity.

    [​IMG]
    (view large image)

    The main body of the laptop feels very solid considering many of the pieces are paper thin. The palm rest has some mild flex where it has a hollow space underneath, but it holds up to the pressure from your wrists during typing just fine. Chassis flex is minimal for a device so thin, but still a bit more than what you would find in a full-size laptop. With the display closed, one problem the notebook had was the keys pressing against the LCD, leaving oil residue marks on the screen. These could be wiped off, but was still a pain considering the mildest spec of dirt shows up on the glossy displays.

    One minor issue with the design of the display hinge is that the left side of the hinge rotates more than the right side. This means that the display will actually twist if you open the screen as far as it will open.

    [​IMG]
    (view large image)

    Screen

    The Sony TZ happened to be the first LED backlit notebook I have played around with, and I am pleased to say that I quickly fell in love with it. Colors were magnificent making tasks ranging from typing a report or watching a movie pleasant on the eyes. The white color displayed on the screen from the LED backlighting had only a hint of blue, and was the closest to true white I have ever seen on a LCD before. The backlighting was very even across the entire screen and stayed consistent even as brightness was lowered for power conservation. For comfortable viewing, I found the 60-70% brightness mark to be just right. Anything above that and I felt an urge to grab a pair of sunglasses. Backlight bleed was mild, but noticeable on most dark backgrounds.

    [​IMG]
    (view large image)

    Speakers

    As other people in my office could comment, the speakers on the slim 11&quot; notebook came through loud and clear during movies. For such a small notebook (and even smaller speakers) they produced a nice clean sound letting you easily follow the dialog in a flick. The only downside I found with the system was lack of lower volume adjustment. Playing Half-Life 1, gunshots and splatter came through almost too well at the lowest setting.

    Keyboard and Touchpad

    Just like the notebook itself, the keyboard is very tiny. Key size is much smaller compared to other notebooks, and it took a bit to get the placement remembered to type without looking at the keys. Once you get the hang of it, it doesn't seem more difficult to type on than other keyboards. Key tension was very soft, giving your fingertips little stress as you pecked away at the small keys.

    [​IMG]
    (view large image)

    The touchpad had a nice even texture, similar to other business notebooks like the ThinkPad series. Tracking was spot on, and the computer showed no lag under fast movement. The only complaint I had was no upper boundary existed above the touchpad, allowing your finger to slide off the top without warning.

    Performance and Benchmarks

    The Sony TZ is no gaming machine, and never will be. With the special low voltage processor, it is geared towards extended battery life and not necessarily high-end performance. Though you may not be able to run BioShock, you can run older games to kill free time between (or during) meetings. I found Half-Life 1 to work out great on this laptop so its not just limited to solitaire.

    Port Selection
    Front

    [​IMG]
    Headphone, Micrphone, dual memory card readers, and media controls(view large image)

    Right

    [​IMG]
    Optical drive, VGA and the power button. (view large image)

    Rear

    [​IMG]
    Nothing here except the battery. (view large image)

    Left

    [​IMG]
    (Under Cover) Lan, Modem, Firewire, ExpressCard 34 slot, two USB ports and a security lock slot. (view large image)

    Software

    The Sony TZ came with its fair share of preinstalled bloatware. To make the machine run smoothly, and get the best battery life, anything that didn't control a certain feature on the laptop was uninstalled. Luckily this was a very simple process, requiring only a handful of visits to the program listing section in the control panel to remove the software, and an equal number of system restarts.


    Why this is a first look and not a full review?

    At the start we had planned for a full review of the TZ, but late in the review our pre-production review unit suffered a few hardware failures. First the battery was charging at a greatly reduced rate (10 percent an hour), and then the SSD drive failed. Normally the SSD drives are claimed to be much more reliable compared to standard hard disk drives. While playing Half-Life on the TZ the game froze, and when the machine turned back on again the BIOS could not locate the drive. Since this is obviously far from normal behavior we had to cut our main review short until a new review unit arrives.

     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
  2. JabbaJabba

    JabbaJabba ThinkPad Facilitator

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    Thanks Kevin. Looking forward to the full review. Thus far, your comments are not far from my experience with the Japanese TZ90 version.
     
  3. chong67

    chong67 Notebook Deity

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    You can see the 150 model displayed in just about every BB store.

    Is it somewhat similiar to this one?

    It sure does cost alot.
     
  4. Ken Wind

    Ken Wind Notebook Deity

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    The TZ-190N is one of the premium versions that comes with an SSD. In the US these retail for $3000+.

    Edit: I was actually at the Sony Style store in SF yesterday, and I was really disappointed with the TZ and and SZ. The TZ felt incredibly flimsy to me, and it was just way too small for me. I did like the keyboard and the weight, and the screen was gorgeous. Something else I like about both notebooks is that the screen hinges allow the the screen to be opened a full 180°. I wouldn't carry the TZ around in anything other than a hard case though, which kind of negates the fact that it's an ultraportable.
     
  5. John Ratsey

    John Ratsey Moderately inquisitive Super Moderator

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    I look forward to the full review with interest although I won't be in the queue to buy one of these until there's a magnifying device for the display.

    It does look a little fragile.

    John
     
  6. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    Mag-Glasses aren't needed until we can hit 1920x1080 on a 11" screen ;)
     
  7. Andrew Baxter

    Andrew Baxter -

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    It's too bad Kevin broke this laptop and couldn't do the full review, it really was nice for the 6 or so days it was working. I guess it just wasn't meant for playing Half Life. It was pre-production and as such these things happen.

    Assuming the TZ is in working order it's the nicest little notebook I've seen in terms of looks. It is a little flimsy, but that's mostly by design for it to be light, the material is thin. It flexed but never felt like a type of flex that would break. Call it the Gumby of notebooks if you will. Except not green.
     
  8. Woodgypsy

    Woodgypsy Notebook Evangelist

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    It is so expensive, but seeing it in person invokes strong "I want it!" feeling - of course, there's no use in it for me so I am not getting it, but hey. I should probably get Panasonic instead if I want the toughness.

    I think its screen is made in a way that it bends to absorb shock. That being said, it does feel bit fragile, if understandable for its size. Too bad about SSD drive, though.
     
  9. Jerry Jackson

    Jerry Jackson Administrator NBR Reviewer

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    I wouldn't be too concerned about the SSD drive issue at this point. SSD technology is much more reliable than HDD technology ... but there are still some failures.

    Kevin's just one of those incredibly lucky people who end up with a failure on an SSD with a failure rate of 200,000,000 to 1.

    We'll only start worrying if the next SSD we get fails.
     
  10. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    Well I did go through ~6 broken laptops before I settled on my C100.
     
  11. liuzerus87

    liuzerus87 Notebook Enthusiast

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    And the other admins still trust you with review units? (jk)
     
  12. Fade To Black

    Fade To Black The Bad Ass

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    Definitely not his fault at all. I'm 100% sure. If it can do it, then it's not supposed to break.
    I'd like an ultra-portable. They're nice and easy to carry around, but would really hate to watch 3000$ going to waste after a year or so.
     
  13. tias

    tias Notebook Enthusiast

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    Nice preview! A sweet little machine. Perhaps we can see a SZ6 review soon as well :) I need a DJ notebook and the the TZ screen size is probably too small.
     
  14. darkspark88

    darkspark88 Notebook Evangelist

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    Perhaps you're one of those people that can break computers just sitting next to them...

    I know somebody that can make error messages appear on any computer, by just using them for a few minutes. He's convinced computers and electronics hate him. I'll never let him use my laptop. :D
     
  15. Ken Wind

    Ken Wind Notebook Deity

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    I would love to see a review of the SZ6 too. Actually, if somebody could do a review comparing the M1330 and the SZ6 to each other, that would be perfect. A lot of people have been trying to decide between those two notebooks, and they're similar enough to warrant a comparison.
     
  16. Gautam

    Gautam election 2008 NBR Reviewer

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    Looks like a nice little portable. Goes well with the VX Nano ;)
     
  17. weezedog

    weezedog Newbie

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    I'm a tech and they bought one of these for a VP a month or 2 ago and I had to set it up. Putting XP on it was a pain, hard to get drivers, but do-able (had no choice, Vista is not allowed).
    The power connector is horribly flimsy, it will definately break over a short period of time. I hooked an external monitor up to it, and the cable would hit the power button and turn off the laptop. The power button is reallllly cheezy too, its a thick clear acrylic plastic that glows green. It looks tacky on this laptop. It's also damn near impossible to eject the CD drive, the eject button is almost microscopic. I think there's a media key to eject it, but I couldnt get it to work in XP.
     
  18. Ch28Kid

    Ch28Kid Notebook Deity

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    Interesting..

    I've been thinking about TZ for awhile since my T series broke down.

    I want to get it from conics.net but I just notice they new one is call TZ190 and conics.net only offers TZ90. :'(

    What is the big difference between TZ90 and TZ190? The wireless N?

    Conics also offers bigger battery for 40 US which sounds like a good deal but I'm not really sure how big (size) it is.
     
  19. JabbaJabba

    JabbaJabba ThinkPad Facilitator

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    The TZ90 is the Japanese version which was launched about 3-4 months ago in Japan. The TZ190 is the top US version which was only recently launched. There is no need to start crying cats and dogs just because of a model number. There is no real difference other than the fact that you can CTO the TZ in Japan, but not in the US where Sony offers fixed models instead.

    There are three battery sizes, but it seems one cannot purchase the lightest/smallest one in the US.

    If you have other questions about the Vaio TZ I suggest you go to the Sony board. There are so many threads discussing the TZ intensively. I don't think there is a single question which has not been answered.
     
  20. Redline

    Redline Notebook Prophet NBR Reviewer

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    I dunno, the thinness of the screen lid is really scary (as it is on the TX, R500, and SZ Premium). It flexes so easily, and bends with the lightest touch....Most of the SZ/TX/TZ screens at my local BB are broken. I was chatting with the salesmen about the TZ, and they managed 2 days before someone broke the LCD. Pretty pathetic, and its not even an isolated event: the TX they got last November managed about a week and with the series of SZs (from 1 through 5), every single release has had at least one screen broken (they carry display models of the Premium and regular models). Their SZ6 hadn't broken when I went last, so that may be a sign of improvement? I have not seen another broken screen at BB, so iono. Maybe people are just cruel to the Sonys and not the HPs and Gateways? Not sure, but that alone is reason enough to stay away from them for me. If you take really good care of it, it should be fine, but still I would like a notebook to have a bit more durability.
     
  21. roor

    roor Notebook Deity

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    when i went to best buy to check out the tz the screen was broken too.
     
  22. calot

    calot Notebook Evangelist

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    I have a tz191, and let me tell you, its the prettiest little piece of electronics Ive ever owned.

    Im extra careful with it, but because I want to. I feel that I need to take care of this beautiful laptop. The screen is gorgeous, sure if you close it really hard and dont give a crap about something that costs you 3200 dollars, then you would probably break it.

    But thats the price you pay to have something as good-looking as this. If you want an enormous, ugly-looking-cheap-material HP laptop that you can throw and smash with no regret, then DONT get this.

    If you want to have the best looking laptop (and performs REALLY well for its sice, due to the SSD) then get this. You WILL NOT regret it.
     
  23. Redline

    Redline Notebook Prophet NBR Reviewer

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    Please, HP makes the best looking laptops available for under 1500, other than Apple. Use Acer or something like that, please. And obviously, at the store, no one has paid for it, so nobody really cares for it. However, that does give you an indication of how much abuse a notebook can take, and for these, thats not much.

    You can beat the hell out of an HP or Dell with little consequence, but the TZ and SZ cannot take the abuse given by a road warrior. Even my larger FJ didn't survive it.
     
  24. calot

    calot Notebook Evangelist

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    Still. Theres no better-looking laptop than the tz191
     
  25. rb6p

    rb6p Notebook Enthusiast

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    anyone here knoe how much sprint is charging for the Sprint Mobile Broadband. also - how reliable is the network?
     
  26. dietcokefiend

    dietcokefiend DietGreenTeaFiend

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    My T60 :p
     
  27. THAANSA3

    THAANSA3 Exit Stage Left

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    Hi and thank you for another review. I have to bookmark this for a later read, but I will definitely be back. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to produce another seemingly in-depth review.
     
  28. epbrown

    epbrown Notebook Consultant

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    They've got a 2-tier plan. You can get 40MB/month for $40/month or unlimited for $60/month. I haven't tried the service yet. I'm going on a trip next month and figure I'll activate the month-long free trial before I go and see how it does.