Sony VAIO Z1 series

Reviewed on 5/2/03    Updated on: 5/5/03    Release date: 3/12/03    The Sony VAIO Z1 series is one of the most stylish laptops to join the Centrino notebook parade. This slick thin-and-light carries the three Intel parts that make it an official Centrino: a Pentium M processor, an 802.11b Pro/wireless (Wi-Fi) mini-PCI card, and an 855PM chipset. The VAIO Z1 series includes additional cool components, such as a DVD/CD-RW combo drive, a Memory Stick slot, and two USB 2.0 ports. Sony stuffs these parts inside a unique case that allows ports to be recessed from the edges. When all is said and done, the VAIO Z1 series is a bit pricier than the competition; nevertheless, it's a fast, versatile, and great-looking notebook. Buy it if you care about style and wireless networking and you can live with the trade-offs.

Design of Sony VAIO Z1 series

The VAIO Z1 series' case design is classic Sony, with cutting-edge good looks. The system measures 12.4 inches wide, 9.7 inches deep, just 0.9 inches thick in front, and 1.5 inches thick at the back where the battery props it up. It weighs 4.7 pounds by itself and 5.4 pounds with the AC adapter, placing it in the same weight range as other top thin-and-lights, including the IBM ThinkPad T40 and Dell Latitude D600. Instead of a swappable media bay, which you'll find on most thin-and-lights, the VAIO Z1 series includes an integrated (and not swappable) DVD/CD-RW combo drive. That's too bad, because you can't swap in a cheaper drive, such as a DVD-ROM drive, or a second battery. Of course, there's no built-in floppy drive on a system this small. You can buy an external floppy drive at Sonystyle.com for $79.

The sides of the VAIO Z1's unique case curve to allow recessed ports.

The application-launch buttons above the keyboard are quite small.

Sony has done everything in its power to make the modest-sized VAIO Z1 appear even slimmer. The front and side edges slant backward at approximately 45-degree angles, giving the system a streamlined look. Halfway down each side, the edges have an S-shape, opening up a rectangular hole where Sony hides many of the laptop's ports. In addition to two USB 2.0 ports, headphone/microphone jacks, and one Type II PC Card slot, the left edge sports two Sony staples: an iLink (a.k.a. FireWire) port and a Memory Stick slot for storing music, images, and other files on Sony Memory Stick media. On the right edge sit the power button, a 56Kbps modem jack, and two system-status lights.

The VAIO Z1's keyboard is big, but the feel is nothing special.

The mouse buttons under the touchpad are on the small side.

Unfortunately, the VAIO Z1 series' keyboard and touchpad setup are less impressive than its angular case. The reasonably wide keyboard contains comfortable, if not extremely solid, keys. The plain-Jane touchpad is smooth and easy to use, although the two matchstick-size mouse buttons underneath the pad could be larger. A strip of average-sounding speakers is centered above the board. Two programmable buttons for launching applications also live above the keyboard, but they're barely bigger than the head of a pin.

Features of Sony VAIO Z1 series

	The DVD/CD-RW is a fixed, not swappable drive.

Sony sells six preconfigured versions of the VAIO Z1 series on Sonystyle.com, but the company doesn't let you build a VAIO Z1 to order. Luckily, considering the rich mix of components in the preconfigured models, this isn't a problem. Systems ship with a Pentium M processor running at either 1.3GHz, 1.5GHz, or 1.6GHz; anywhere from 256MB to 1,024MB of 266MHz DDR memory; a 40GB or 60GB hard drive; and a 14.1-inch display with a native resolution of 1,024x768. You can also choose a model that has a 1,400x1,050-resolution screen. No matter which VAIO Z1 you choose, you'll get a DVD/CD-RW combo drive and an ATI Mobility Radeon with 16MB of 266MHz DDR SDRAM.

Rather than offering wireless Wi-Fi (802.11b) networking as an option, Sony makes this a standard feature in the VAIO Z1 series. All configurations offer Intel's 802.11b Pro/wireless 2100 mini-PCI card. Coupled with the Pentium M processor and the Intel 855PM chipset that come in every system, the Intel Wi-Fi card makes every Z1 a Centrino.

Sony preloads Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional onto the VAIO Z1 series. The company also includes Microsoft Works, Money 2003, and Encarta Online. But the big software bonus comes in the form of Sony's useful multimedia-app bundle, which includes DVGate, SonicStage, and PictureGear Studio for working with DVDs, music, and photos, respectively.

Performance of Sony VAIO Z1 series

The VAIO Z1 model that we tested, the VAIO PCG-Z1A, achieved impressive performance, especially for a notebook with the 1.3GHz Pentium M processor. The Pentium M processor was made from the ground up to keep its performance high even when unplugged, and the VAIO Z1 reaps the fruit of that labor. The processor plus the system's 512MB of DDR RAM allowed it to beat the 1.4GHz Pentium M-based IBM ThinkPad X31 which has a faster CPU but only 256MB of RAM.

Mobile application performance  (Longer bars indicate faster performance) BAPCo MobileMark2002 performance rating

Fujitsu LifeBook S series 162  Sony VAIO PCG-Z1A 148  IBM ThinkPad X31 143

 
Find out more about how we test notebooks.

System configurations:

Fujitsu LifeBook S series
Windows XP Professional; 1.4GHz Intel Pentium 4-M; 504MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/82855 Graphics Controller 64MB (8MB shared); Hitachi DK23EA-60 60GB 5,400rpm

IBM ThinkPad X31
Windows XP Pro; 1.4GHz Intel Pentium M; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; Hitachi DK23EB-40 40GB 5,400rpm

Sony VAIO PCG-Z1A
Windows XP Home; 1.3GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; Hitachi DK23EA-60 60GB 4,200rpm

Battery life of Sony VAIO Z1 series

In CNET Labs' tests, the VAIO PCG-Z1A survived on its battery for well over three hours, thanks to its 11.1V, 4,400mAh battery. But we expected more. With a lower-speed processor than those of the comparison systems, we expected the battery life to reach four hours. For instance, the IBM ThinkPad X31--even with a less powerful, 10.8V, 4,400mAh battery and a higher speed 1.4GHz Pentium M processor--achieved well over four hours of battery life.

Battery life  (Longer bars indicate longer battery life) BAPCo MobileMark2002 battery life (in minutes)

IBM ThinkPad X31 270  Sony VAIO PCG-Z1A 223  Fujitsu LifeBook S series 207

 
To measure mobile application performance and battery life, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's MobileMark2002. MobileMark measures both application performance and battery life concurrently using a number of popular applications (Microsoft Word 2002, Microsoft Excel 2002, Microsoft PowerPoint 2002, Microsoft Outlook 2002, Netscape Communicator 6.0, WinZip Computing WinZip 8.0, McAfee VirusScan 5.13, Adobe Photoshop 6.0.1, and Macromedia Flash 5.0).

Find out more about how we test notebooks.

System configurations:

Fujitsu LifeBook S series
Windows XP Professional; 1.4GHz Intel Pentium 4-M; 504MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/82855 Graphics Controller 64MB (8MB shared); Hitachi DK23EA-60 60GB 5,400rpm

IBM ThinkPad X31
Windows XP Pro; 1.4GHz Intel Pentium M; 256MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; Hitachi DK23EB-40 40GB 5,400rpm

Sony VAIO PCG-Z1A
Windows XP Home; 1.3GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; ATI Mobility Radeon 16MB; Hitachi DK23EA-60 60GB 4,200rpm

Service and support of Sony VAIO Z1 series

Sony isn't overly generous in the service-and-support department. The company offers a standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with return-to-depot service (Sony pays for shipping). But rather than toll-free, 24/7 phone support for the life of the system, Sony includes only a year's worth of free phone help. After the warranty ends, calls to support are $19.95 per incident. At least you can up your warranty to three years for another $200, which we recommend doing.

The company's support Web site has improved in the past six months, now featuring a new, intuitive knowledgebase that's a lot like Ask Jeeves. But it still lacks helpful elements such as customer forums and the ability to chat in real time with a tech-support representative. Thankfully, the printed and online setup manuals are easy to follow.

• 6.6/10

  Average user rating from 113 users

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• Write your own review How would you rate this product?
• 7/10 Very good

  January 12, 2005

  "Perfect road warrior's companion." Read more >>

• 2/10 Terrible

  September 1, 2004

  "Very nice machine when it works" Read more >>

• 2/10 Terrible

  September 1, 2004

  "Worst touchpad in laptop world!" Read more >>

• 5/10 Average

  July 16, 2004

  "Great notebook, look here for details!" Read more >>

• 4/10 Mediocre

  June 17, 2004

  "just average" Read more >>

• 7/10 Very good

  June 7, 2004

  ""IT'S COOL LIKE THAT"" Read more >>

• 7/10 Very good

  May 28, 2004

  "Take it from a Graphic Designer..." Read more >>

• 3/10 Poor

  May 10, 2004

  "No International warranty" Read more >>

• 3/10 Poor

  April 14, 2004

  "Looks Hot ~ thats about it." Read more >>

• 7/10 Very good

  March 14, 2004

  "Great Everday Notebook" Read more >>

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