Sony VAIO Z1RA PC Notebook

Pros: Great Power, Great Mobility, has WiFi & BlueTooth, crystal clear screen, awesome battery life
Cons: 16MB video card is terrible, no latch for screen, weird case design, only 2 USB

Sony was the last of the major computer manufacturers to jump into the "Centrino" market, but finally utilized the new Pentium M processor to do something distinctly un-Sony. For the past few models Sony has put the most software, hardware, and raw power ...

Pros: Nice design. Lightweight. Good feature set.
Cons: Bad motherboard and a bad customer service policy meant a weeks-long delay.

After the well-documented hibernation problems (in another line) and the agonizingly long time it took Sony to address them, we were concerned about both product quality and customer service, but decided to take the gamble on the Z1 line. We lost. We ...

Pros: Display, size, design, power consumption.
Cons: Price

I've read a number of reviews for the Sony Z1 laptop and felt that, after using one for a few weeks now, I should chime in with my two cents. First, the size and shape are excellent. I've carried it on a long trip (where I had to walk a lot) and ...

Pros: Looks, Power, Speed, Specs
Cons: Battery Life, Maybe Price but not really

The Z1 series from Sony are great as far as looks and power is concerned, but one of the reasons i have started to use other VAIO models is the battery life.

In Australia, Sony claims up to 7 hours life for its Z1 and TR series. My first Z1 had MAX battery life of 3.5 hours and that was with the screen quite dim. Sony tech support said that the 7 hours was MAYBE achievable only if the screen was dimmed to its lowest setting and all devices switched off (e.g, optical drive, firewire, ms reader and so on).

Looks wise, the Z1 is pretty sexy - an awesome piece of design. However, i think that the way when it is closed an tapers thinner at the front is a bit wierd. The screen is awesome and really bright, the best i have see on a notebook.

Software wise is usual - there is nothing you really want to use - but still comprehensive.

Great book but hopefully the new generations will have better battery life. Pricewise quite expensive but you get what you pay for ! QUALITY!

Pros: Lite weight and efficient power usage considering the on board hardware.
Cons: A "what were they thinking of" keyboard, lack of quality bundled sofware for the price.

This lap top comes configured as a multimedia lite weight at a premium price. The list of hardware features would be a bargain at a $600 price drop. Its main draw back is its quircky keyboard with the one unit shift key on the right.
The software bundle that accompanies this is is very focused on multimedia editing, but progams such as word processing are minimal and almost an embaressment on a computer at this price. Built in wi-fi support works well but don't expect much from the built in speakers. Inclusion of an ad for Virus Scan, but no actual software is misleading at best. Included software more appropriate for a desk top than a lap top.