Hands-on with Sony's VAIO TZ superultraportable notebook

Obviously unaware that we're not exactly the classiest folks around (we were the only ones there wearing shorts and a T-shirt), Sony invited us to a decidedly swanky "product unveiling" at Rockefeller Plaza's 66th floor Top of the Rock observation deck, replete with such pricey fare as caviar, salmon canapes, crab salad, tuna tartare, and grilled shrimp, along with four varieties of champagne (from a 2000 Veuve Clicquot Reserve Rose to a 1996 Bollinger R.D., if you must know) to wash it all down with -- and as if that weren't enough booze, several bottles of well-aged scotch sat prominently atop a fully stocked bar. This whole luxury theme was meant to sway our coverage about reflect the high-end status of the company's 11.1-inch VAIO TZ, whose $2,200 minimum price tag gets you a waif of a Santa Rosa-based ultraportable featuring a carbon fiber exterior, 32GB SSD, WWAN in the form of EV-DO Rev. A, and a MacBook-style keyboard, among other goodies. Sorry to cut this short, but we're off to shower and shave with the pleasant smelling men's products that Sony stuffed in our gift bag (we gave everything else -- cigars, lip balm, four dollar bottled water, book on wine -- away to elevator operators and people on the subway), so this would probably be a good time to check out the gallery below. And, as a special, one-time only bonus, we've also included photos of the recently announced VAIO-branded LF-V30 LocationFree streamer, whose component jacks enable HD place-shifting, and with which the entire VAIO lineup will soon be compatible thanks to pre-loaded software...

Gallery: Hands-on with Sony's VAIO TZ superultraportable notebook

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[Neptune5 @ Jul 17th 2007 9:17PM]

is it me or does this look similar to the Apple Macbook ?

(keyboard & iSight)

[paloooz @ Jul 17th 2007 10:01PM]

Why is he ranked low? The keyboard _does_ look exactly like the black MacBook.

Not that it really matters, but it does.

[ark_v2 @ Jul 17th 2007 10:11PM]

Because it doesn't :|

[Ellianth @ Jul 17th 2007 10:25PM]

He is low ranked because this discussion has been had a million times. I think everyone agreed that sony used this style of keyboard before apple. Or maybe people are tired of hearing those 'it looks like' comments.

Can I have a cookie for my troubles? Or at least a 'highly ranked?'

[db84 @ Jul 17th 2007 11:41PM]

silly Neptune5, sony did the monitor mounted cameras and that type of keyboard long before apple (sony was one of the first, if not the first, major electronics company to add a camera to a portable computer). Do your homework before you make yourself look dumb.

[ark_v2 @ Jul 18th 2007 12:10AM]

sad...

[Deluxe @ Jul 18th 2007 1:07AM]

Well SOMEONE's grumpy about being ranked lowest!

[Nick @ Jul 18th 2007 1:10AM]

Oh.

Wow.

[Jay @ Jul 18th 2007 6:49AM]

Another technological revisionist I see. Let me add to the already loud chorus with simple words you iFanboys will understand:

APPLE.
STOLE.
THIS.
DESIGN.
FROM.
SONY.

Got it? Now forget you ever read it and carry on bleating that everyone stole everything from Apple (that is how it works, right?).

[nikster @ Jul 18th 2007 7:05AM]

Not sure who stole this from whom... I was just thinking about the Gordon Gekko type guys this is targeted at and about how much better the black MacBook really looks like. This Sony one is sweet for a PC, but the bezel on the screen is too wide and overall the design is too messy to be considered good. Keyboard is lovely though.

[Jon @ Jul 18th 2007 9:17AM]

Can't say I blame him for making such an elementary mistake. Engadget is making the same mistake by calling this a 'Macbook-style' keyboard.

En"gadget". Go google X505.

[Xavier Gill @ Jul 18th 2007 9:32AM]

Sony introduced this style of keyboard on the VAIO X505 a full year before the Macbook was released

[charlie @ Jul 19th 2007 2:16PM]

Considering Apple enticed away the sony vaio design guys a while ago, its not entirely suprising that it looks similar, because they designed it first.

http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/30/apple-recruiting-sony-vaio-engineers-to-build-the-first-intel/

"but it wouldn't be the first time that Apple's turned to Sony for assistance — you might recall that they had Sony help them design the very first PowerBook way back in 1991."

[ScOObyDoo @ Jul 17th 2007 9:22PM]

Funny, even at a classy event like this they lock down the machines. Can't trust anyone I guess...

[Argot @ Jul 17th 2007 9:23PM]

So. I wonder how long it takes for the first Apple-fanboi to stomp in here telling us how Sony ripped off the keyboard from Apple...

And then I wonder how long it takes for someone to correct that fanboi? :)

[Argot @ Jul 17th 2007 9:25PM]

Hmm, guess I'm gonna have to correct you myself. Yes, the keyboard looks like the keyboard on Apples Macbook. That's because Apple stole the design from Sony to begin with. The End.

[NineT9 @ Jul 17th 2007 9:26PM]

omgolicopter! sony ripped off the keyboard from apple!!! 100% fact!

[zunq @ Jul 17th 2007 9:26PM]

Those craptastic quality photos must have been taken from the iPhone.

[Jonathan Keim @ Jul 17th 2007 9:28PM]

Ahh, now I know why their products always end up costing more but never preform better.

[Veritas II @ Jul 17th 2007 9:32PM]

Thank goodness they "preform" better than you spell! ;)

[Jonathan Keim @ Jul 17th 2007 9:34PM]

Touché :-)

[dave @ Jul 17th 2007 9:34PM]

class, but don't really fancy the screen. the boarder is too big makes it looks cheap.

[Z @ Jul 17th 2007 9:37PM]

Can't say I like that keyboard. In fact, I don't like it at all - I hope it doesn't represent a new trend. But apart from that, it's a nice looking system.


On another note: you gave away the cigars? Are you nuts? Based on how classy they made everything else, I'm sure it must have been good tobacco - that would've been one of the best parts!

[RijilV @ Jul 17th 2007 9:50PM]

I can't believe you jokers didn't dress up. How hard is it to put on a pair of slacks, a button up and some decent shoes? I know it cool and hip to you that you walk in like that, and I'm all for tearing down the system too, but try to have some consideration and maybe a touch of class?

[iforgot @ Jul 17th 2007 11:05PM]

what? why?

[dglaz @ Jul 17th 2007 11:07PM]

You are saying that they have no class or consideration BECAUSE they
went against the system. So when is it ok to "tear" it down? Wearing
shorts to a cheesy product release swank party seems like the perfect
time to go against (make fun of) the system.

[PJK @ Jul 18th 2007 7:02AM]

Consideration for what? Do you think Mr. Pennyworth dropped his monocle into his champers and nearly choked on it at the sight of a man in shorts and a t-shirt. I doubt very much anyone gave a shit.

Anyone who would turn their noses up at people dressed like that at a press hands-on for new tech needs their head crowbarred out of their ass.

[Donoho @ Jul 18th 2007 12:55PM]

It's hard. They are "professionals" in the appropriate attire for their trade. The amount of money you spend on your clothes doesn't make you any more or less professional despite common misconception. Lets not forget that the excess of this little shindig is coming from a company that's recently hemorrhaged more money than some small countries GNP. Marketing must have missed that meeting.

I appreciate the information provided, respect the profession and the culture of that profession. I also find it pretty funny :p

[eyeball @ Jul 17th 2007 9:51PM]

we've gone through this so many times, and some Engadget editors still forget.

Sony X505 used this keyboard, and that was way before it was found on any Apple machines.

X505 gallery:
http://pc.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/2003/1112/sony1.htm

now, THAT's what I call an ultraportable.

[humpty @ Jul 17th 2007 9:52PM]

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!.. this is my next laptop.. i guess the wait for it to come to NA means it gets Santa-freakin-ROSA!! .. yay!

[iubyont @ Jul 17th 2007 10:02PM]

2004 VAIO X505 Extreme style keys, not sure when Apple starting using them.

[keebored @ Jul 17th 2007 10:26PM]

read above, X505 was released end of 2003.

[Rex @ Jul 17th 2007 10:25PM]

who cares about the keyboard, talk about how cool the carbon fiber is and that really awesome 32gb SSD.. i'd buy it

[Irvan @ Jul 17th 2007 10:26PM]

huh, it is macbook, isn't ??? ckckck

-IT-

[Ryhan @ Jul 17th 2007 10:27PM]

Ignoring debates over who made what first, I think it looks beautiful. This is a perfect example of the true wonder from Sony that I used to know until SonicStage came around.

And people, be mature; please no more snide comments about apple/ms /keep it related to the topic...

[-Tj- @ Jul 17th 2007 10:28PM]

I haven't tried one of these types of laptop keyboards yet, so I'm curious as to the advantages of this style of keyboard over the industry-wide standard. Aside from the only real reason I can see for using this style (easier to clean), what's the benefit?

Personally, I think these new-fangled keyboards look more like toys or kiosks than anything.

[JLTate @ Jul 17th 2007 11:21PM]

It looks like they took the keyboard off of a V-Tech play computer for children under the age of eight. Even worse, when I tried one of these new/old/Mac/V-Tech keyboards in person, it felt like it too. When did "style" trump "quality"?

Can't wait 'till my Inspiron 1420 ships... it may be ugly, but at least it doesn't redefine the word like so many other manufacturers try for. I'll take gracefully-middle-of-the-road over vehemently-gauche, thanks. I don't need or want my electronics making fashion statements for me, anyway.

[Leo @ Jul 17th 2007 10:34PM]

Any specs? Does this really have the Santa Rosa chipset?

Come on guys, give more details. Since when have geeks worried about showering?

[Chuckles McGee @ Jul 17th 2007 10:36PM]

Sony gave you cigars? Maybe because this thing is smoking!

[radiant @ Jul 17th 2007 10:37PM]

Can't take Engadget anywhere. shorts?

[Hardcore @ Jul 17th 2007 10:38PM]

Everyone knows there are only two companies in this world - Apple and Nintendo (they are the Adam and Eve of companies) Anything any other company has or ever will do has come from copying either Apple or Nintendo.

[Poom @ Jul 18th 2007 12:57AM]

What? Is that meant to be sarcastic?

[DL-wayback @ Jul 25th 2007 8:56PM]

A hostorical side note to correct the record...

There is a lot of back-and-forth about who stold what from whom. Most of it seems to point back to Apple as the originator. This is blatantly false. Apple has done a great job marketing, but is not responsible for the major break-throughs such the "Windows/Mac Desktop" concept which was invented and productized by Xerox (PARC) long before Apple's Lisa came out. (It was in multiple products including the Xerox Star prior to the Lisa.) It is widely recognized that Apple took engineers from Xerox specifically to recreate this.

Using a non-keyboard interface was also a break-through that was popularized by Apple but was taken from Xerox. Xerox had a three button version on the Star that was called the "cat" (short for cathode...something or other).

Two other major break-throughs in use today by Apple and PC vendors include the Ethernet networking protocol and postscript printing. Both of these were also invented by Xerox and adopted by others.

Don't get me wrong, Apple has done a terrific marketing job and has really furthered the overall market, but they are first and foremost a marketing company that is great at leveraging other company's ideas and technology.

[XSportSeeker @ Jul 17th 2007 10:40PM]

Does it have discreet graphics (external graphics card)?
I'm thinking of buying a small desktop replacement... but I need discreet graphics.
And of course, a big LCD monitor and separate keyboard and mouse for it. So far, I'm going for Dell's XPS M1330.

I always found Sony's TZ series sexyyyy. Blog photos does nothing, you have to see it for yourself... you can't avoid wanting to have one when you use it.

[Rahul Nirmal @ Jul 17th 2007 10:43PM]

Too bad Japan's the only place where you have the option of getting a 160gb 2.5" hard drive in place of the optical drive to complement the main 1.8" hard drive in it.

[kevin rummelhart @ Jul 17th 2007 10:44PM]

I don't know how you can compare this sweet little jewel to any lead weight Mac Book... (The smallest Apple laptop weighs in a over 5 pounds!... Hint Hint Steve)... Can you REPORT a bit more information about the PRODUCT... Like when this will go on sale in the US?

[humpty @ Jul 17th 2007 10:44PM]

SO.. is it SANTA ROSA or NAPA... which is it? Cause the JDM version is still at NAPA since there are no ULV Core 2 Duo Chips out yet.. which would be required for this..

CRAP!... you got me hopes up.

[jon @ Jul 17th 2007 10:55PM]

Ok, it might *look* like it's the right place to put the fingerprint scanner, but I can't see how that could be functional. I mean, wouldn't it get in the way when you're trying to use the touchpad buttons??

I feel like I'd keep hitting the scanner instead of the right-click.

[elbow @ Jul 18th 2007 7:10PM]

I believe that the fingerprint scanner will do double-duty as a no-moving-parts scroll control, which makes it make a lot of sense as to why they mounted it there.

[Kevin - Sony Electronics @ Jul 17th 2007 11:09PM]

I hate to spoil the Macbook fanboys, but the keyboard design originally is from Sony VAIO X505 ultra portable laptop.
To Engadget editor, you guys already know about the "keyboard" factor and you guys still get it wrong.

Long story short, Apple hired several SCEA engineers to design the "Macbook" as you know the sales of iBook was not too great. Also for "isight" please check TR series and other Sony VAIO's that has the "Motion Eye" this was started way before Apple used their "isight"

Overall this laptop is sweet and yes it does NOT use Santa Rosa platform, again engadget gets it wrong. Very light, great battery life, and worth the price.!!