Specifications :
1.33GHz Core 2 Duo U77002GB DDR2
64GB solid-state drive, 250GB hard drive
DVD±RW (external)
11.1-inch LED
Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Windows Vista Business
Review :
The $3,699 Sony VAIO VGN-TZ298N/XC is a 2.7-pound ultraportable aimed at business users who want a stylish, compact notebook with cutting-edge features. Be warned, however: You have to really value small size to opt for the TZ, because its tradeoffs—small screen, tight keyboard, and no on-board optical drive—are notable.
With a footprint smaller than a piece of paper, and measuring about an inch thick, the TZ is easy to slip into a briefcase. Its rigid carbon-fiber chassis lends durability and a sleek look, while the diminutive power brick keeps with the smaller-is-better design theme.
The downsides of downsizing, however, are evident when you flip open the notebook's lid. The keyboard has Chiclets-size keys with a pitch (the distance between the center of adjacent keys) of just 17mm, not the 19mm of a full-size notebook keyboard. The 11.1-inch screen also feels undersize, especially given the panel's 1,366x768-pixel resolution, which makes for some minuscule default text. We defy anyone to select a program from Windows' "All Applications" list without leaning in to read the names.
On the plus side, the LED-backlit screen is bright and particularly sharp, and the panel did a good job of reproducing colors and motion when we watched a DVD of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl via the included external DVD±RW drive. As expected, however, the machine's tiny speakers delivered rather thin sound, although volume was adequate for personal use.
Sony has equipped the VGN-TZ298N/XC with two drives: a 64GB solid-state drive (SSD) to house the OS and applications, and a 250GB traditional hard drive for storing files. The SSD helps the OS and applications load more quickly. Indeed, Apple iTunes launched in a quick 8 seconds, though the machine was still sluggish when booting the Windows Vista Business OS, taking over 2 minutes. Sony doesn't help itself in this regard with the trialware it preloads; the animated AOL Mail icon (one of five AOL items cluttering the desktop) alone added 10 seconds to the boot time. Thankfully, you get full versions of some useful software here, too, including Microsoft Works SE 9.0, Sony's VAIO Video and Photo Suite, and Corel WinDVD.
Sony has made good use of the limited chassis space, delivering three USB ports, a FireWire port, LAN and modem jacks, a VGA connector, a Webcam, and a fingerprint reader, as well as Memory Stick and SD card slots. You even get handy (if tiny) multimedia-control buttons on the front edge, although volume and mute commands still require a Function-key combo. The programmable AV Mode button lets you register application icons—such as Windows Media Player and iTunes—that appear in a quick-launch "ribbon" menu when you press the button. Sony has also included all manner of wireless connectivity, including 802.11a/g/n and Bluetooth, plus wireless WAN through Sprint Mobile Broadband.
The TZ delivered appropriate, if unimpressive, performance for an ultraportable. The 1.33GHz Core 2 Duo U7700 CPU and 2GB of RAM managed a score of 2,376 on Futuremark's PCMark05 and 1,493 on PCMark Vantage. The machine was slow on our Windows Media Encoder test (14 minutes and 24 seconds), but fared better—though still not wonderfully—on out iTunes encoding trial (8 minutes and 55 seconds). But 3D-graphics performance from the integrated Mobile Intel 945GM chipset was downright abysmal: The machine scored just 129 at 1,024x768 resolution on Futuremark's 3DMark06.
More important for this class, however, is the machine's impressive battery life: The TZ ran for more than 4 hours with all its power-saving features turned off and performance set to maximum; more judicious use could net you a full day of AC-power-free computing away.
Sony Electronics,
www.sonystyle.com
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