Sony VAIO SZ Review (pics, specs) The Sony Vaio SZ- 1. B (model # VGNSZ1. B) is Sony’s entry- level SZ- series notebook. The SZ line represents Sony’s latest attempt to combine mobility and power without sacrificing too much of either. These ultraportable notebooks weigh in at a light 4 pounds, about average for their category, but they come loaded with features not found on other ultraportables. As of late March 2.
Sony SZ line is one of the few ultraportable Intel Core Duo notebook series currently available. Other notebooks in this category include the Lenovo Thinkpad X6. Asus W5. F, and the Toshiba Portege M4.
The Sony Vaio SZ-110/B (model # VGNSZ110B) is Sony's entry-level SZ-series notebook. The SZ line represents Sony's latest attempt to combine mobility and power.
SZ line from the others. General info about the Sony SZ line. Sony’s SZ notebooks are divided into two major categories, “Regular” (Sony just calls them “SZ”, but “Regular” is used here for clarity) and Premium: Regular SZ notebooks have magnesium bodies, weigh 4. Battery section below).
Premium SZ notebooks have carbon- fiber bodies, weigh 3. Battery section below). They use a different type of LCD screen and backlight, resulting in an ultrathin screen (4. Regular type — but the Regular screen already seems thin enough and bright enough, so the Premium one may be more of a luxury than a necessity. The Premium notebooks also have a slightly different type of keyboard, but the difference is subjective and preference will probably depend on the individual user. Lastly, some Premium notebooks come with an integrated EDGE antenna for wireless Internet access using Cingular’s cellular network. The two types are otherwise the same.
For more details, see Sony’s SZ comparison page. The SZ- 1. 10. B in particular.
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I too have had severe wifi problems on two new sony vaio duo 13's. I sent the first back and got a second, but it is no better. I posted this yesterday on the thread. Amazon.com: Sony VAIO SVD13225PXW 13.3-Inch Duo Convertible Ultrabook (1.8 GHz Intel Dual Core i7-4500U Processor, 8GB DDR3, 256GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 4400. Extensive review of the Sony Vaio VGN-FW51MF (Intel Core 2 Duo P8700, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650, 16.4', 2.9 kg) with numerous measurements, benchmarks and ratings. Sony brings you mobile productivity and tons of entertainment features with the fashionable VAIO FW373J/B notebook. The Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM.
The Vaio SZ- 1. 10. B (view large image)The 1. B is Sony’s lowest- priced SZ notebook (excluding the custom- configurable SZ- 1. This means: As a Regular SZ notebook, it has a magnesium body instead of the carbon- fiber body of the Premium notebooks. It comes with Windows XP Home instead of Windows XP Professional.
It has an Intel Core Duo T2. Ghz CPU instead of the 2. Ghz CPU that some others have. It has a 1. 00. GB hard drive instead of the 1. GB drive that some others have.
It does not have the EDGE antenna (for WWAN Internet access) that some others have. SZ- 1. 10. B Specs as Reviewed. Dimensions: 1. 2. W) x 1. 0″ - 1. 5″ (H) x 9. D) Weight: 4. 0. CPU: Intel Core Duo Processor T2. GHz Memory: 1. GB DDR2 PC2- 4.
MHz (upgradable to 2. GB) Hard Drive: 1. GB 5. 40. 0rpm SATA drive with G- Sensor Shock Protection Optical Drive: Dual- layer, dual- format DVD RW DL internal drive with max 8x read speed and 4x write speed Display: 1. WXGA 1. 28. 0×8. 00 XBRITE widescreen glossy LCD Graphics 1: (A built- in switch toggles between the two graphics cards) Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 9.
MB Shared Memory Graphics 2: (A built- in switch toggles between the two graphics cards) NVIDIA Ge. Force Go 7. 40. 0 with 1.
MB Dedicated Memory Audio: Sony Sound Reality Audio Enhancer Wireless LAN (Wi. Fi): Intel PRO/Wireless 3. ABG (8. 02. 1. 1a/b/g) Bluetooth: Integrated Toshiba Bluetooth technology Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with Service Pack 2 (the CD is not included) Battery: Standard- capacity lithium- ion battery with estimated life of 2. Battery section below) Power Requirement: 1. W+1. 0% Keyboard: 8. Pointing Device: Electro- static touchpad with two buttons and vertical & horizontal scroll areas Webcam: Built- in webcam and microphone Security: Fingerprint scanner Ports: 1x Memory Stick Duo Pro Magic. Gate 1x PC Card (PCMCIA Type II) 1x VGA output 1x i.
Link/Fire. Wire/IEEE 1. V. 9. 0 Modem (RJ- 1.
Fast Ethernet (RJ- 4. Gigabit Ethernet) 2x USB 2. Express. Card/3. 4 1x DC- in (for power) 1x Port Replicator Connector Card Reader: 4- in- 1 x. D/SD/MMC/MS Pro flash media reader card that uses the Express.
Card/3. 4 slot. Service & Support: 1- year Limited Warranty, 1- year toll- free 2. Installed Software: Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with SP2, America Online 1. Day Trial – New Users Only, Norton Internet Security 6. Day Subscription, Trend. Micro Anti- Spyware 3.
Day Trial, VAIO Security Center, VAIO Update software, VAIO Recovery Wizard software, VAIO Support Central, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Intuit Quicken 2. New User Edition (previous Quicken users may require additional upgrade), Inter.
Video Win. DVD, Microsoft Works 8. Day Trial Version of Microsoft Office 2. Student/Teacher Edition), Roxio Digital. Media SE, Click to DVD – DVD Creation, DVgate Plus – Digital Video, Sonic.
Stage Mastering Studio – Audio Mastering and Remastering, Sonic. Stage – Digital Music, VAIO Media – Network File Sharing, Image Converter – PSP Transfer, 6. Trial Version of Wheel of Fortune, 6. Trial Version of Jeopardy Reasons for Buying. DVD drive (view large image)I was in the market for a new notebook because my old one was too slow and too heavy.
I wanted a faster, more portable model and I looked around for a good match. Intel recently released their new Core Duo processors, and seeing the supposed performance gains in multitasking environments and multithreaded applications, I decided to get one instead of an older Pentium M model. A few notebooks had already begun to make use of the new processors and I examined the offerings from several major notebook manufacturers. Lenovo (which acquired IBM’s PC division) had the Thinkpad X6. I considered an absolute necessity. Toshiba had the Portege M4. Core Duo tablet, but it had a strange keyboard layout that moved or eliminated several keys I frequently used.
The Asus W5. F seemed like a potential match, but at the time, the product website was incomplete and buggy so I couldn’t find out enough about it and the product itself seemed to be unavailable for sale everywhere I looked. Then I found Sony’s SZ series. I traditionally avoided Sony products because — in my opinion — they tended to be overpriced toys that sold themselves based more on style and looks than functionality. Initially skeptical, I examined the SZ series’ specifications, and to my surprise, Sony’s expensive toy actually seemed to offer more than anything else out there. It has an internal optical drive (a dual- layer burner, no less); a regular full- size keyboard; a 1. PC Card slot (which I use for EV- DO wireless Internet) and an Express.
Card/3. 4 slot (which may soon gain popularity); 8. Wi. Fi; Bluetooth; Fire. Wire; a multi- card reader; a webcam; a fingerprint reader; and to seal the deal, a unique Hybrid Graphics System that allows the user to switch between an Intel integrated graphics card and a discrete NVIDIA Ge.
Force Go 7. 40. 0 card. Finding any of two or three of those features in an ultraportable would be a tough task, yet Sony somehow managed to integrate all of them into one sleek and lightweight machine. I was impressed. Where and How Purchased. I purchased the notebook from Amazon. After a variety of Amazon discounts and rebates, my final price was somewhere along the lines of $1. Amazon rebate, $3.
A9. com discount). The price hasn’t stabilized yet and some of the buyers commented that the price had decreased by a few hundred dollars since they placed their orders. In the last few days, however, the price has actually gone up and as of March 3.
A9 discount are still available). Nonetheless, thanks to free shipping and a lack of sales tax in my state, this turned out to be a reasonably good deal for the notebook — according to Pricegrabber. As expected of Amazon, the notebook arrived on time and in perfect condition.
Build & Design. Top view (view large image)The SZ- 1. B has a black- and- silver magnesium and plastic body. The cover is matte black plastic with a rough sandpaper- like texture. The silver “VAIO” logo is embedded in the center.
Inside, the screen border and keyboard keys are solid black. The rest of the notebook is metal with a few areas of black trim. Scale comparison: The SZ- 1.
B is slightly larger than an average- sized magazine (view large image)At roughly 4 pounds, the notebook is lightweight and very portable. Carried in a backpack, I could hardly feel its weight. The notebook isn’t quite as light as the smaller 3- pounders, but its larger screen and internal optical drive make the tradeoff worthwhile. The notebook seems generally well- built and nothing feels too loose or flimsy. The magnesium/plastic casing feels solid and looks great to boot.
The screen hinges are sturdy and the screen itself doesn’t ripple unless you try to “bend” the screen from its two sides — something that seems unlikely to occur in regular usage. The only other issue I noticed is that the spring- loaded DVD drive has a bit of give and can be pushed in 1mm or so, which can feel kind of odd when you pick up the notebook from that side. I keep thinking that I pushed the eject button and the drive is going to pop open, but it doesn’t. Screen. Front view with screen turned on (view large image)All SZ notebooks come with a 1. WXGA 1. 28. 0×8. 00 XBRITE glossy widescreen (but the Premium models come with thinner screens that use a different backlight technology).
That’s larger than usual for an ultraportable and I think the resolution (1. The SZ- 1. 10. B’s screen is bright enough at maximum brightness, but the glossy screen makes it hard to see things at half brightness or lower (due to the increased visibility of reflections). This is an issue inherent in most glossy screens, so it’s not unique to this notebook.
Front view in darkness with backlight on (view large image)The screen had no dead pixels and the backlight seems very even to me — better than what the picture here shows. If you look carefully, there’s a tiny bit of light leakage at the bottom, but it isn’t significant. In normal use, while watching DVD movies and such, I never noticed anything. I had to specifically examine the bottom portion in complete darkness to see it. Integrated webcam (view large image)An integrated webcam and microphone are located above the screen. A sample shot from the webcam.
The camera quality isn’t very good, but it’s better than nothing.