It's been a decade since Sony introduced its first ultra portable notebook, the VAIO 505 in Japan. Expensive, classy but undeniably handy, this tiny notebook measured less than an inch thick, seemed to weigh even less and most of all, had an irresistible charm that has become a key requirement of the VAIO design philosophy. While its price and niche genre probably restricted it to a small audience, the notebook has its share of fans (there's even an old web ring for VAIO 505 owners with tips and information) and now, ten years from that moment, Sony has sought to commemorate this milestone with a new take on the ultra slim notebook.
The end result is the new VAIO TZ series, designed by some members of the original development team that came up with the VAIO 505 and others who have been inspired by it. Their goal was like most product refreshes - keeping with the style and elegance of the original while updating it with the latest technology. For the top model, the VGN-TZ18GN, this includes a cutting edge solid state drive (SSD) using flash memory, an ultra low voltage Core 2 Duo processor from Intel and the latest Microsoft Windows Vista OS. Meanwhile, the latest advances in material sciences and LCD technologies mean that this VAIO comes with a light but sturdy carbon fiber chassis and a vibrant, bright display that puts others into the shade, literally.
So yes, maybe we seem to be hyperventilating a bit now. But, don't take our words for granted, check out the ultra thin notebooks below and tell us honestly you don't fancy them. We received both the TZ17GN and the TZ18GN from Sony for this article, but we will only be focusing on the premium VGN-TZ18GN here. Hence, the specifications for the table are based on the TZ18GN. However, there is virtually no difference on paper between the two except for the SSD on the TZ18GN instead of the usual SATA hard drive (and the price tag of course).
Sony VAIO VGN TZ18GN Technical Specifications
Processor and Chipset Intel Core 2 Duo processor U7600 (1.2GHz)
Intel 945GMS Processor Bus - 533MHz
Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Business
BIOS Supports DVD/CD-ROM and USB boot
System Memory 1GB DDR2-667 System Memory (upgradeable to 2GB)
1 x DDR2 SO-DIMM Slot (occupied)
Video & Display Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
256MB total available graphics memory (64MB dedicated)
11.1-inch widescreen TFT Color Display
Native resolution 1366 x 768
HDD 32GB Flash memory based, Solid State Drive (SSD)
Ultra ATA/66 Inteface
Option for recovery available (8GB reserved)
Optical Drive SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW/RAM Double Layer
Communication Integrated Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11 a/b/g
Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection & Bluetooth 2.0
Audio Realtek High Definition Audio
DirectSound 3D support
Built-in stereo speakers
Built-in monaural microphone
Front & Side I/O Ports 2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x RJ-45 (LAN)
1 x RJ-11 modem port
i.LINK (IEEE 1394)
VGA analog output
Integrated 4-in-1 card reader (SD//MS/MS Pro/MagicGate)
Headphone and microphone jacks
1 x ExpressCard/34
Miscellaneous Integrated VGA CMOS camera (effective pixels: 0.3MP)
Trusted Platform Module ver 1.2 security chip
Fingerprint sensor
VGP-BPL11 Lithium-Ion battery (up to 11.5 hours of use)
Optional battery: VGP-BPX11 Lithium-Ion battery (up to 18.0 hours of use)
1 year warranty
Dimension & Weight 277mm (L) x 198mm (W) x 22.5 - 29.8mm (H)
1.17kg (including the supplied battery)
(source: hardwarezone.com)
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