Hands-On with the Sony VAIO Z Ultra-Thin Notebook

Since 2008, every year that passed witnessed the introduction of a new VAIO Z series ultra-thin notebook model, and during a local press event we had the chance of going hands-on with the latest of these units, the 13.1-inch VPCZ21.

When taking a look at the new VAIO Z, the first thing one notices is just how thin and light Sony's ultra-portable really is, the chassis measuring only 17mm in depth (about 0.66 inches), while the whole notebook weights just 1.2Kg (or 2.6 pounds).

In order to achieve such a thin profile and low weight design, Sony's designers had to resort to all sort of tricks, like the use of a single sided motherboard or to a fold-out RJ45 port, while the chassis is made out of fiberglass and reinforced with aluminum.

Thanks to these high-quality materials, the entire notebook feels surprisingly sturdy and should be able to survive the abuse road warriors will put it through.

The unit we had the chance to play with was configured with the standard 1600x900 resolution panel which fits the 13.1-inch display quite nicely and also features a special anti-glare coating for improving legibility in direct sunlight.

Under the hood, users can find a selection of Core i5 and Core i7 processor topping with the Core i7-2620M which features dual computing cores and a 2.7GHz base frequency (up 3.4GHZ in Turbo mode).

   

This can be paired with up to 8GB of system memory, 256GB of storage space via two SSDs in RAID 0 and graphics is provided by the integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics core.

The powerful configuration is seconded by a wide range of connectivity features, such as 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, optional 3G, USB 3.0 and HDMI ports as well as Intel Wireless Display 2.0 support.

Like most of you surely know by now, the USB 3.0 port used for the VAIO Z is also employed for connecting an external dock using a Light Peak interface (this actually uses light to transmit data, not copper wires as is the case of Thunderbolt).

   

When the Power Media Dock is connected to the VAIO Z, this adds a slot loading optical drive, a second USB 3.0 port, as well as HDMI, and VGA video outputs.

The latter are driven by an AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics card with 1GB of video buffer included the dock, and enable the VAIO Z to support up to four independent displays simultaneously.

In the US, the Sony VAIO Z notebook retails for $1,970, while its European price hovers around the 1600 Euro mark, not including VAT.