Sony VAIO Z Series (2011) review: first look

Sony VAIO Z Series (2011) review: first look

***We’ve now published our comprehensive review of Sony’s VAIO Z Series, so click here for the full lowdown *** Sony’s VAIO Z Series is one of the finest ultraportables to ever travel the Earth, but now, several years after its 2009 debut, Sony has ripped up the rulebook and started afresh. At a launch event in London, we caught our first up-close look at the all-new Z Series.

The hardware

After several generations of subtle tinkering – not least the addition of super-fast quad-SSD arrays in the most recent models – the new Z marks a quantum shift. Sony has pared the chassis down to an impossibly slim 16.65mm, and it now tips the scales at a barely-there 1.18kg. While it looks unhealthily slender, fear not: the carbon-fibre construction feels stiffer and stronger than you’d expect.

If you’re wondering quite how Sony managed to shave off those grams, the answer’s simple: the optical drive and dedicated AMD graphics chipset have been shifted into the external 685g Power Media Dock (pictured right).

Part docking station, part outboard graphics powerhouse, it uses Intel’s Light Peak technology to provide a high-speed link to the AMD Radeon HD 6650M graphics chipset inside. Just don’t call it ThunderBolt: as Sony’s utilised a tweaked USB 3 port to connect to the dock, it isn’t actually compatible with the products we’ll soon see for Apple’s port, and Sony told us not to expect any handy USB-to-ThunderBolt adaptors either.

Still, it’s a nice idea: in addition to the optical drive and graphics chipset, there are also VGA and HDMI 1.4 video outputs (which allows for up to three external displays at any one time), Gigabit Ethernet, twin USB 2 ports and a single USB 3 port.

While we couldn’t help but shed a tear at the loss of in-built discrete graphics, the VAIO Z promises, gram-for-gram, to remain the fastest ultraportable out there. Even the slowest model includes a 2.3Ghz Core i5-2410M processor, and it’s possible to upgrade to the dual-core 2.7Ghz Core i7-2620M. Battery life remains a critical question mark, but Sony claim up to seven hours from the internal lithium polymer battery; a figure doubled by the optional battery slice (seen clipped to the underside in the picture below).

The essentials

Drastic changes aside, the redesign hasn’t forgotten the essentials. The thin chassis means that the backlit Scrabble-tile keys have less travel than on previous models, but the spacious layout and crisp feel make for comfortable typing. The decision to integrate the buttons into the touchpad’s surface immediately set off alarm bells, but we didn’t notice any issues in our time with it. We’ll reserve final judgement until we get a full review unit.

Above the keyboard,  the VAIO Z’s 13.1in display is as great as ever. The matte finish minimises eye-straining glare, and with even the lower-specced VAIO Z boasting a generous 1,600 x 900 resolution, and a 1080p panel available as an optional upgrade,there are plenty enough pixels for proper multitasking. Viewing angles were also far better than those of the S Series.

Two USB ports (one USB 2, one USB 3) nestle alongside HDMI 1.4, Gigabit Ethernet and a single audio in/out minijack. With dual-band 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1 and optional 3G covering the airwaves, the VAIO Z ticks pretty much every box going. And, even if you’re concerned about the Power Media Dock using up that solitary USB 3 connector (see the close-up to the right), the dock adds three USB ports of its own.

The price

In a word: expensive. In several: very, very expensive. Head over to Sony’s configure-to-order page and its possible to make even Platinum credit cards wilt under the load of a fully-laden VAIO Z .

Without a Power Media Dock, the base model clocks in at £1,454 inc VAT. That includes a Core i5-2410M, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD and a 1,600 x 900 screen.

Some of the upgrades are surprisingly affordable: a 1080p screen costs a reasonable £40; the battery slice, £60; a 3G modem, £100; a backlit keyboard, £15. Others, however, quickly push past the £2,000 mark. The basic Power Media Dock with DVD writer costs £400, while the Blu-ray writer-equipped version costs £525. Expanding the 128GB SSD to 256GB costs £410; pushing up to 512GB a stratospheric £1,130.

Throw caution to the wind, and a VAIO Z with all the trimmings costs a mere £3,634 inc VAT.

If you’re having trouble deciding whether to buy a car, a luxury holiday or a laptop with that four grand burning a hole in your pocket, the new VAIO Z’s likely to make your decision even harder. With the pre-production models at today’s event returning home for the finishing touches, Sony expects to have review units with us by the end of July. Until then, best get saving.

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