Dell Inspiron 1525 Review

The old days of bulky, overweight Dell notebooks may be coming to a close in 2008. Today Dell announced their latest addition to the Inspiron family of notebooks, the 15.4-inch Inspiron 1525. We are happy to have a pre-production unit to review, and this sleek successor to the Inspiron 1520 might just surprise you.
Our pre-production Inspiron 1525 is equipped with the following specs:

• 15.4-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) CCFL TrueLife (glossy) screen
• 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo T7250 processor
• 2GB DDR2-667 SDRAM (up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM available)
• 120GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
• 8x Dual-layer DVD±RW drive
• Video: Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
• Wireless: Dell Wireless 1390 802.11g Mini Card
• Mobile Broadband: Dell Wireless integrated mobile broadband mini-cards Sprint and Verizon serice
• Colors: Multiple colors and finishes available
• Media Card: 8-in-1 flash memory reader
• Input and Output Ports: 4 USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA, IEEE 1394a, RJ11, RJ45, 2 headphone, 1 microphone, 1 ExpressCard 54mm slot, 3 mini-card slots, consumer IR, S-Video
• No webcam (optional Integrated 2.0 megapixel webcam available)
• Windows Vista Home Premium
• Dimensions: 1.00" - 1.48" (height) x 14.05" (width) x 10.08" (depth)
• Weight: 5.9lbs with 6-cell battery
• Base configuration price: $499
• Price as tested: $1,024 ($874 after instant savings)

Build and Design

Dell received some much needed attention in 2007 with the introduction of the sleek, high performance XPS M1330 and XPS M1530 notebooks. Although these more expensive notebooks in the Dell lineup were praised for their looks and low weight, the Dell Inspiron 1520 was criticized for being yet another bulky and unattractive laptop. Dell listened closely to this criticism when they designed the new Inspiron 1525. The Inspiron 1525 is in fact 25% smaller, 30% slimmer and almost half a pound lighter than the Inspiron 1520.

In addition to the eight color options available on other Inspiron notebooks, the 1525 offers four new patterns. These designs are inlaid molds so there's no risk of the design coming off.

Although I wasn't a huge fan of the glossy inlaid "Commotion Pattern" design on our pre-production Inspiron 1525, I must say it looks flawless. I was highly critical of the paint application on the Inspiron 1420, 1520, and 1720 because the paint has questionable durability. The new glossy lid designs might be a magnet for fingerprints, but it certainly looks more durable than the old Inspiron paint jobs.

Screen

Display options for the Inspiron 1525 include a matte finish 15.4" Widescreen XGA (1280 x 800), a 15.4" Widescreen XGA (1280 x 800) with TruleLife (glossy finish), or a 15.4" "high resolution" (1440 x 900) glossy widescreen display. On the surface the lack of higher resolutions is a serious flaw in the design of the 1525. In truth, the overwhelming majority of "average" notebook users will think the WXGA resolution looks stunning.

The screen on our pre-production unit looks flawless from straight on and the horizontal viewing angles are great. Upper vertical viewing angles are good, but colors did begin to invert at lower viewing angles when the screen is tilted back.

Keyboard, Touchpad and Media Controls

The keyboard on the Inspiron 1525 is fairly similar to the 1520. The keyboard is firm with virtually no flex and the keys have excellent travel and cushion.

The touchpad surface utilizes the new design that is integrated with the palm rest surface. The only separation between the palm rests and the touchpad is the indented area above the touchpad buttons. The touchpad buttons have excellent travel and cushion, though I did feel like they made a bit too much of a "clicking" sound when pressed. The good news with the touchpad is that it's responsive, has dedicated scroll areas and the textured feel is good.

A series of touch-sensitive media buttons with blue LED backlights are located above the keyboard similar to the buttons on the XPS notebooks. One nice feature about the media buttons is that the blue LEDs only stay lit for a fraction of a second after being pressed, so they won't distract you by staying lit all the time. Another "interesting" feature of the media buttons is that the blue LEDs "pulse" back and forth for a few seconds during Windows startup not unlike KITT from the old Knight Rider TV series or a cylon from Battlestar Galactica.

Ports and Features

The port selection of the 1525 is resonably good for a notebook of this size. Here's a quick rundown of what you get:

Front profile view: LED status lights, dual headphone out, microphone in, and memory card reader.

Left side: Kensington lock slot, DC power jack, two USB ports, Ethernet, modem, HDMI out, and FireWire.

Right side: ExpressCard slot, WiFi on/off/WiFi catcher, optical drive, S-Video out, and two USB ports.

Back profile view: no ports here.

The built-in HDMI is a very nice thing to have for those that want digital video output, S-Video and VGA are also there for the more old-fashioned approach to video output. The fact that the 1525 supports HDMI with integrated graphics is impressive ... though we didn't have the opportunity the test the limits of the HDMI output from the integrated X3100 graphics.

With the addition of FireWire, four USB ports, a media card reader, two headphone jacks, microphone jack, ExpressCard slot and Ethernet port you're well equipped ports wise.

I was pleasantly surprised to find four USB ports on the 1525. I was a bit let down by the fact the similarly sized XPS M1530 only includes three USB ports. The fact that the 1525 packs four USB ports into a reasonably thin and light 15.4" notebook is worth praise.

Speakers

The speaker quality was "acceptable" for a notebook without a built-in subwoofer. The speakers for the 1525 are located at the top of the keyboard area above the media buttons.

There's not much to write home about the speakers, they get loud enough with minimal distortion, but the sound is slightly tinny as is the case with nearly all laptop speakers. Just imagine listening to music from small speakers mounted inside a tin can and you'll have an idea about the built-in sound quality. On the brighter side, both audio out ports delivered crystal clear audio to my earbuds during the test period.

Performance and Benchmarks

One thing to notice is that the dedicated graphics card option available on the Inspiron 1520 is missing from the Inspiron 1525. The reasoning behind this is that Dell is pushing the XPS M1530 as the 15.4" notebook for those demanding higher-end graphics performance. The Inspiron 1525 is meant for a more mainstream buyer looking for good multimedia and productivity features from a notebook, and not cutting edge 3D performance.

Regardless, I would have liked for Dell to offer at least an entry-level nVidia 8400 GS 128MB dedicated graphics card option on the 1525. Sure, it might compete with a base configuration XPS M1530, but consumers like to have choices.

That being said, the Inspiron 1525 performed quite well during testing and this machine will meet or exceed the performance needs of most average (non-gaming) users.

wPrime is a program that forces the processor to do recursive mathematical calculations, the advantage of this program is that it is multi-threaded and can use both processor cores at once, thereby giving more accurate benchmarking measurements than Super Pi.

Battery Life

The 6-cell 56WHr Li-Ion battery provides excellent battery life for the 1525. With Vista's power management running in "high performance" mode, screen brightness set to maximum and wireless on, the 6-cell battery delivered 2 hours and 53 minutes of battery life. We're certain that the 6-cell could deliver three and a half hours of life with the notebook set to "balanced" or "power saver" mode and the screen brightness turned down.

There is also an available 9-cell 85WHr Li-Ion battery for those users needing extended battery life. One thing to mention is that with the 9-cell battery in you get an overall larger dimension for the notebook as the 9-cell battery sticks out of the back of the notebook.

Conclusion

Overall, the Dell Inspiron 1525 is an excellent budget notebook with good looks and solid performance. This isn't a gaming machine, but the 1525 can handle everyday computing tasks with ease ... and looks good while doing them.

In short, the Inspiron 1525 is exactly the notebook that the Inspiron 1520 should have been in the first place. Even though the 1525 is arriving a little late to the party we suspect it's going to be a very welcomed guest in many homes.

Pros

• Much thinner and lighter than the Inspiron 1520
• Reasonable battery life
• Nice keyboard, touchpad and media buttons
• Solid performance and features

Cons

• Glossy LCD lid is a magnet for fingerprints
• No dedicated graphics option
• Limited display options

Asus Eee PC 4G Review

The Asus Eee PC 701 4G is the new affordable ultraportable notebook that's bound to be on many consumers' Christmas wish lists this year. Retailing for $399 or less, the Eee PC isn't exactly a workhorse, but it will do just about every basic task you'd need from a laptop. Our initial hands-on actually proved it does more than we expected, but the more detailed review below helps explain exactly why we’re so excited about a $400 notebook.

First, the specs for the review unit we have on hand, which is the Eee PC 701 4G:

• Processor: Intel Celeron M ULV 900MHz
• Graphics: Integrated Intel GMA 900 GPU
• Storage: 4GB of Flash-based storage (SSD)
• Memory: 512MB of DDR2 RAM (667MHz)
• OS: Xandros Linux (Asus customized)
• Screen: 7-inch screen with 800 x 480 resolution
• Ports: 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA monitor out, headphone jack, microphone input, SD card reader (SDHC compatible), Kensington lock slot, Ethernet 10/100
• Webcam (0.3 MP)
• Battery: 4-cell 5200 mAh 7.4V Li-Ion (rated at 3.5 hours)
• Wireless: 802.11b/g Atheros
• Input: Keyboard and Touchpad
• Weight: approximately 2 lbs with battery, 2.5 lbs travel weight with AC adapter.
• Two-year warranty

Build and Design

The designers at Asus had no easy task creating an attractive ultraportable notebook while also making it cheap to produce. The case seams match up with reasonably tight tolerances, plastics feel thick (though the pearl-like white plastics look cheap) and the display hinges are molded into body with the battery. Lifting the display cover you find the amazingly small keyboard surface and even smaller touchpad resting below the recessed display and speakers. In short, the build quality is quite high despite the low cost.

The design of the Eee PC is something truly unique in the market. Weighing in at just two pounds and delivering a performance level similar to a full-featured budget notebook, the only notebook that comes close to “directly” competing with the Eee PC is the Fujitsu LifeBook U810 tablet PC … which retails for more than $1,000 at the time of this writing. The next closest competitor to the Eee PC would be traditional ultraportables like the Toshiba Portege R500 ($2,000) and the Sony VAIO TZ ($3,000).

True, the more expensive rivals come preloaded with Microsoft Windows XP or Vista and feature a range of superior technical specs … but our review of the Asus Eee PC shows this tiny white titan packs an impressive punch.

Screen

The screen is 7-inches diagonally with LED back lighting and has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. For the sake of a reference, below is what you can see when you pull up the homepage of the site you are on right now:

Operating System and Software

Asus teamed up with Xandros to develop a customized version of the Linux operating system for the new Eee PC. Microsoft Windows requires a significant amount of storage space on the tiny 4GB SSD, and the added cost from installing genuine Windows would have added to the final retail price of the Eee PC. Despite the lack of Microsoft software the Eee PC is remarkably easy to use. Xandros developed a point-and-click user interface that looks and acts similar to Windows … but easier.

A view of the "Internet" tab displayed after startup

The Asus Eee PC comes preloaded with more than 40 applications for everything from work and email to listening to music and watching movies. Unlike the many free applications that come preinstalled on Windows-based computers, almost none of the applications on the Eee PC can be considered “bloatware.” In fact, almost every application on this notebook is both useful and easy to use.

The "Work" tab.

Speakers

The speakers on the Eee PC are hard to miss. They are located to the left and right of the screen and, thanks to their black speaker grills, stand out in comparison to the rest of the all white notebook. The location might appear odd, but it provides a clear path to your head for maximum listening pleasure. Despite the diminutive size of the built-in speakers they worked quite well for watching movies, playing games, or listening to some music while moving from room to room in my house. With the volume set to max, the decibel meter registered ~75dB at one foot. The audio was only slightly distorting on high notes, but stayed mostly clear.

As is common with small built-in speakers, the high and upper midrange came through well, but bass didn’t sound nearly as impressive. Thankfully, Asus included a standard headphone jack on the Eee PC so it is quite simple to connect headphones or an external speaker system if you want a superior listening experience.

Keyboard and Touchpad

Most low-priced notebooks currently on the market feature poorly built keyboards that show significant flex/bounce when typing pressure is applied. Much to our surprise, the keyboard on the Eee PC is remarkably firm, though the keys are small and have a large degree of “wiggle” when pressed.

The keyboard on the Eee PC is very, very compact. The first two days I spent typing on the Eee PC were quite frustrating as the small footprint and tiny keys require you to use a “hunt and peck” style of typing rather than traditional touch typing methods. This means that passwords get mangled, emails look like gibberish, and playing games that require keyboard commands becomes quite aggravating.

Of course, once I got used to typing on the tiny keyboard the keys felt just fine … but this keyboard isn’t designed to be used as a primary/main computer. For users who would buy this notebook as their “main computer” in their home or office, a full-size keyboard and external mouse are recommended.

The touchpad and single button (with left and right “rocker” buttons underneath) are easy to use and responsive. The only issue we encountered with the touchpad was that the small size made it a little difficult to use when moving across the screen and it was easy to press the wrong side of the single touchpad button (so sometimes a right click turned into a left click).

Performance

Our regular selection of performance benchmarks can’t be used with the Eee PC given the fact that it is a Linux-based notebook. However, we can measure the time it take to perform a number of simple procedures in order to give you an idea of how the Eee PC performs. Please keep in mind that the speeds listed below will vary depending on the number of applications you have open at any given time (multitasking always slows things down).

• Startup: ~12 seconds
• Opening and loading the NotebookReview.com website in Firefox: ~3 seconds
• Starting playback on a 700MB AVI video file: ~3 seconds
• Starting the Open Office application: ~6 seconds
• Opening a 3.64MB PDF document: ~3 seconds
• Opening a 2.35MB PowerPoint presentation: ~10 seconds

For those interested in the speed of the 4GB SSD, hdparm benchmarks the SSD buffered read speed at 21.78 MB/sec. For comparison, a Lenovo ThinkPad T60 with a fast 7200rpm Seagate hard drive has a buffered read speed of 54.62 MB/sec and a Toshiba Tecra A9 with standard 5400rpm hard drive has a buffered read speed of 44.87 MB/sec.

While the Eee PC won’t win any awards for performance within applications, startup is remarkably fast and overall performance is fast enough to keep most users happy.

Port Selection and Expansion

Front: Indicator lights

Left side: 10/100 Ethernet port, empty modem port, USB 2.0 port, air vent, microphone in, and headphone jack.

Rear view: AC power jack

Right side: SD card reader, two USB 2.0 ports, VGA out, Kensington lock slot.

If you open the bottom panel on the Eee PC (which may void the two-year warranty) you'll find a standard DDR2 RAM slot and a PCI-E mini card slot for possible future expansion. We tested the Eee PC with both the standard 512MB memory and a 1GB memory module. Theoretically, a 2GB module of RAM should fit in the slot just as easily as a 1GB module did ... but we didn't have a 2GB module available in the office.

Heat and Noise

Even with the low voltage processor and SSD drive, the Asus Eee PC produced as much heat as any other notebook in the same price range. The keyboard and bottom of the notebook got quite hot even under normal use, and the fan was always running in an attempt to keep the system cool. Fan noise was among the quietest we’ve heard. The only way to tell the fan is blowing is to put your hand next to the air vent to feel the warm air blow past.

Below are heat overlay images showing where the Eee PC warmed up (in degrees Fahrenheit) during normal extended use. You'll notice that we only listed one temperature for each side ... that's because the Eee PC is so small that they're basically only one temperature for the top and one temperature for the bottom.

Wireless

The Eee PC uses an Atheros AR5BXB63 wireless module for 802.11b/g wireless Internet access. Reception is quite good for a budget notebook. The Eee PC maintained a connection to my home router from anywhere inside my three-level home and from anywhere in my front or back yard. At the editorial offices for NotebookReview.com the Eee PC managed to stay connected to the office router even after I left the building and walked across the parking lot. The wireless connection only dropped to 75 percent signal strength after I walked more than 50 yards away from the building. Being able to travel a distance equivalent to half the length of a football field means you won't have trouble browsing the web with the Eee PC.

Battery

Under normal use, backlight at 100 percent and using wireless for web browsing and watching a DivX movie at 75 percent volume, the Eee PC managed to deliver three hours and 23 minutes of battery life. We were hoping for more given the low voltage processor and flash-based storage, but for a $400 notebook the battery life is still very good. Lowering the screen brightness and turning off the wireless card should provide enough battery life for prolonged use.

While the battery life was reasonable, we did experience some minor problems with the on-screen battery meter. After two hours and 8 minutes of browsing the web wirelessly and watching a DivX movie the low battery warning popped up on screen and reported that the Eee PC would shut down in 3 minutes unless it was plugged into a power source. The Eee PC then kept working for another one hour and 15 minutes before the notebook shutdown. Bottom line, the on-screen battery indicator cannot be trusted.

Conclusion

In the end, the Eee PC is the single most impressive notebook we've seen priced below $400. The technical specs might look sub par, but the usability and overall performance of the Eee PC rivals notebooks costing several thousand dollars more. Granted, you can't install Photoshop on this little notebook and you can forget about playing Bioshock on this thing, but the Eee PC can do just about everything you “need” to do with a notebook while on the go.

The only features missing from the Eee PC that really stand out are the lack of Bluetooth 2.0 and the lack of a Verizon or Sprint wireless card option. If Asus can find a way to add these features to the Eee PC we will go as far as to say, “No home should be without an Eee PC.” As it stands now, the Eee PC is a truly impressive ultraportable with a value much higher than the sale price suggests. The Eee PC can't replace a full-featured desktop or notebook, but it makes the perfect choice if you are in the market for an ultraportable notebook for school, work, or vacation.

The Eee PC might have a weird name, but it's one of the few products that lives up to the marketing hype. This notebook truly is “easy to learn, easy to work, and easy to play.”

Pros

• Small and light

• Easy to use

• Reasonably well built and durable

• Low price for an ultraportable

• Works right out of the box!

• That’s right. It works right out of the box!

• Did I mention it works right out of the box?

Cons

• A little expensive for a notebook with only 4GB of storage

• No Microsoft Windows pre-installed is a negative for some buyers.

• Plastics “look” cheap

• The battery meter isn't very accurate.

Sony VAIO SZ6 User Review

Instead of working on just another VAIO SZ review, I aimed to come up with a review which especially does not fall too short of complementary reports based on personal experience gathered from long-term use in different working environments. Even better, if existing VAIO SZ6 owners might find it useful as well.

Back in 2006, the SZ1 set the standard for power in a small package in the 13" notebook segment. Recently (in October 2007), the Sony VAIO SZ61 was introduced in Europe – two months after it became available as the VAIO SZ6xx in the United States. As the new high end of the SZ line, the SZ6 series is packed with power features. The laptop sports an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, an upgrade to the Intel Santa Rosa platform, a 13.3" glossy X-black widescreen display, and in Germany starts at about EUR 1,650 (incl. VAT) for the standard edition VGN-SZ61MN/B or at about EUR 2,050 (incl. VAT) for the premium models VGN-SZ61WN/C, VGN-SZ61AWN/C or VGN-SZ61VN/X. Though the competition is stronger than ever, it's hard to find a better 13", 4 lb./1.7 kg or under notebook of its kind.

The latest European Model Sony VAIO VGN-SZ61WN/C has just replaced my VGN-SZ1VP, the very first SZ model which accompanied me from day one since it became available in March 2006. Additionally, I can look back to the long-term (6 years!) use of a VAIO VGN-Z600TEK (one of the first better built laptops in VAIO history and ‘real’ predecessor of the current SZ design and form factor).

Left to right: SZ61WN, SZ1VP, Z600TEK

Overview

The SZ6 comes in three (formerly two) different editions: regular, premium, special. For more details, see the Sony Learning Center Comparison.

Regular Edition	Premium Edition	Special Edition
Magnesium Body, silver1.93 kg / 4.1 lbs234.3 x 24.7 – 36.4 x 315 mm12.5" x 1.0" - 1.5" x 9.3"LC DisplayMax Battery: 5 hours	Carbon-fiber Body, black1,79 kg / 3.7 lbs234.3 x 21.8 - 33.0 x 315 mm12.5" x 0.9" - 1.3" x 9.3"LED Display, razor thinMax Battery: 6 hoursWWAN (HSDPA)	Different Case color (region specific) Same specs as Premium Edition. Excl. available through Sony Style.

The Sony VAIO SZ6 is available in a number of configurations. In the United States you can configure a VAIO online at SonyStyle.com or buy a stock configuration from various retailers. In Europe only pre-built stock configurations can be purchased. (Choose between country specific/localized or English versions at Sony Style Europe. Unfortunately, the ordered keyboard layout is linked to the system’s software language. Thus, be prepared to install your own retail version of the operating system and dump the OEM license as I did, if your desired language of operating system and software vary from that of your keyboard. That’s the only way to end up with e.g. a German keyboard layout in coherence with an English version of Windows.)

The feature set of the reviewedSZ61WN/C premium model is comparable to the U.S. version VGN-SZ650N/C. Built-in Wireless LAN a/b/g, but no support for draft n here. All European Premium models offer integrated 3G WWAN.

What’s in the box: Besides the notebook, the package contains a lithium-ion rechargeable battery, AC adapter and power cord, T-Mobile SIM card (+ 30 days HSDPA flat rate trial voucher), express card adapter and printed quick start/troubleshoot guides. It's backed by a 2-year limited warranty (battery warranty limited to 6 months). The notebook comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Business.

Left: VAIO SZ61WN/C Box, Right: VAIO SZ1VP/C Box

SZ61WN/C Specs as Reviewed

• Operating System: Windows Vista Business OEM
• Processor: 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (4 MB L2 cache, 800 MHz front side bus)
• Chipset: GM965
• Memory: 2 GB RAM (667 MHz, PC5300 DDR2 SDRAM, 2x 1024 MB), 2 SODIMM slots, 4 GB max. (64-bit)
• Optical Drive: multi-format/dual-layer DVD/CD burner (DVD+-RW/+-R DL/RAM)
  Write: CD-R x24, CD-RW x16, DVD-R x8, DVD-RW x6, DVD+R DL x4, DVD+R x8, DVD+RW x8, DVD-RAM x5, Read: CD x24, CD-R x24, CD-RW x24, DVD x8, DVD-R DL x6, DVD-R x8, DVD-RW x8, DVD+R DL x6, DVD+R x8, DVD+RW x8, DVD-RAM x5
• Hard Drive: 160 GB hybrid hard drive (SATA, 5400RPM),Windows ReadyDrive: 256 MB flash memory
• Display: 13.3"widescreen X-black LC-Display with LED-Technology, 1280 x 800 WXGA
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (max. 358 MB of shared memory) (stamina), Dedicated: NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS GPU, 64 MB DDR2 dedicated(max. 831 MB of allocated RAM)
• Connectivity and Expansion Slots: i.LINK (IEEE 1394) 4-Pin 400 Mbit/s, docking station port, integrated Memory Stick reader (Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, MagicGate), microphone-in, RJ-11 (Modem), RJ-45, 2 USB-Version 2.0 High/Full/Low Type A USB ports, VGA, PCMCIA-Card-Type I or II, Multi-Card-reader (Express Card Adapter VGP-MCA20: MultiMedia Card (MMC), SD Card, xD Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Magic Gate), headphone/line-out, Express Card 34 slot
• Networking: WWAN (HSDPA 3,6 Mbit/s, Rx Diversity), Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g (54 Mbit/s, 100 m), Ethernet adapter 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T, Modem V92/V.90, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (10 m)
• Multimedia: compatible with Intel High Definition Audio, 3D-Surround, Stereo speakers (integrated), compatible with Windows Sound System, Sound Reality
• Camera with microphone: Motion Eye Digital Camera, 25/30 fps, 0.3M motion/ 1.3M still, 640x480
• Buttons: 2 customizable Special Buttons, On/Off button, Wireless On/Off, Stamina/Speed Mode Switch
• Security: Infineon Trusted Platform Module (TPM), TCG 1.2 compatible Trusted Platform Module (TPM), biometric fingerprint scanner, Kensington lock slot, G-Sensor HDD Shock Protection
• Software: SonicStage CP 4.2, SonicStage Mastering Studio 2.3, VAIO Photo & Video Suite, WinDVD 8.0 for VAIO, Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0, Easy Media Creator 9, Click to DVD 2.6, Adobe Acrobat Standard 8.0, Adobe Reader 8.0, Microsoft Works 8.5, Microsoft Office Ready 2007 (free 60-days trial), Norton Internet Security 2007 (free virus definition updates for 90 days), VAIO Recovery Utility, Protector Suite QL 5, Infineon TPM Professional Package
• Dimensions: 234.3 x 21.8 - 33.0 x 315 mm/12.5 x 0.9 - 1.3 x 9.3 inches
• Weight: 1.79 kg / 3.7 lb
• Battery: Lithium Ion rechargeable, 10.8v, 5800 mAh (VGP-BPS10), claimed runtime 3 to 6 hours, charge time: 270 min, extended 9 cell battery available for purchase (VGP-BPL9).
• Power Adapter: AC100-240 V (VGP-AC19V26): Dimensions 3 cm x 12.2 cm x 5 cm, Weight 320 g, Output 19.5 V, power cable 1.8 m

Long-term Impressions of the SZ1VP

Sony VAIO SZ1

It took about six weeks for the SZ1VP from pre-order to shipping; just in time to get it ready (performance tests, software installations, configuration, workflow requirements, backup/sync plans) for a forthcoming mobile performance art project at that time. The laptop requirements: Horse power, decent battery life, high build quality and reliability - all in a very small package: Small/slim/light enough to accompany me 24/7 along with all the microphones, sensors, cameras and cords during travelling. But still with a screen big enough for daily work with complex and space consuming software workspaces (signal processing, coding, audio/video editing, post production, digital imaging, and asset management).

And what a choice it was: The SZ1 hit the nail! Something that seemed impossible just months before was real: The perfect mobile workstation was born and saved the show. But it wasn’t Sony alone who made it possible. The star of the hour was Intel with its new mobile core duo processors. For the first time in history they made it possible to build notebooks with similar or even better CPU performance than desktop x86 desktop counterparts. One of the few lasting bottlenecks: The hard drive. But with its 5,400 rpm it still outperformed some former laptops and was actually fast enough for our needs. No dropped frames or performance issues with real-time processing, live rendering of multiple video/audio tracks, video capturing, audio recording, complex signal processing and sensor/midi data.

In the desert: The VAIO SZ1 managed midday heat, sand and sun intensity amazingly well. The notebook’s body temperature went up pretty fast - especially in direct sunlight. Sure enough, you shouldn’t do that too long and try to find some shadow better soon than late. But we had to do so several times (max. 1-2 hours in a row) and it was definitely more stressful for us than for this notebook, to fight the heat. (cf. the second laptop on tour - an old Toshiba Satellite – which could not even be turned on at temperatures far beyond those in deserts.) The screen in bright sunlight is barely readable and a transreflective LCD (similar to Toshiba’s recently announced sunlight/high ambient light readable displays) would make sense.

On the go: Shaky SZ field recordings during hiking, city walks, rodeos, car and theme park rides, etc. The HDD g-sensor protection feature (hardware/software driver combo) does its job, but intense shock hazards can occasionally halt recording streams and cause some glitches with certain software applications. Just beware, but don’t deactivate this overall nice to have feature for a more secure working environment. I always tried to prevent scratches to the notebook, but on the go when the SZ is turned on and the air circulation must be kept, it needs to be carried in the bag without any protection. An USB audio interface in the same bag is enough to easily scratch especially the notebook’s bottom side. Take care.

Soak Zones: Never do that to your VAIO. But different high humidity scenarios turned out well and so did a few raindrops. (At least good to know: The VAIO Z600TEK survived a whole cup of water followed by three days of drying and is still running.)

Build Quality: The build quality is very good, although there is also some room to improve. The battery of the SZ1 doesn’t fit tightly into the back and causes rattle. Display and WLAN module both had to get replaced after the first 12 months. The repair service acted quickly and was covered by Sony’s warranty. The battery died two more months later, not covered by warranty (only over the first six months). After several months of use, the right hand rest area became somewhat discolored (brighter). The CD/DVD drive mechanism didn’t make any problems. There were complains that several other users had with the SZ1’s space bar. This has been fixed in SZ2s and above. But I never experienced this sort of glitches with my keyboard. (Besides the fact that the SZ1VP’s space between keyboard and closed lid is too small and can affect your screen, if you carry your laptop in your bag.)

Battery/Power Adapter:Battery life (2-4 hours) with the SZ1 was ok on Windows XP, but the whole tour would have been easier and still more productive with more juice on days working away from civilization. The power adapter should be smaller.

Software/Drivers/Vista issues: The initial (bloated) Windows XP Professional SP2 setup was replaced by my own installation and later (Feb 2007) upgraded to Windows Vista Business together with a new firmware from Sony’s support website. Very high WLAN activity could cause dropped network connections, blue screens, or necessary reboots because the Intel wireless adapter in Windows suddenly disappeared and couldn’t be switched on any longer. The Nvidia driver in a dual monitor setup lost its settings from time to time. With Windows Vista at least the blue screens caused by high network activity were gone, but occasional reboots remained and they do so with the SZ6 (But the November release of Intel’s wireless driver from Sony’s SZ61WN support website fixed most of these issues.). Other Windows Vista specific issues: The fan were suddenly running louder than on XP and audio playback on the internal Sigmatel sound card began with a clicking noise (not just media player files, also recognizable in professional audio production software). Disk performance (internal SATA and external USB 2.0) both with the SZ1VP and the SZ61WN under Vista is very poor. But don’t blame Sony for that.

Bottom line: Looking back on 19 months of heavy usage: The VAIO SZ1VP has some small flaws (which were most fixed with the SZ2-6 releases, please read on) but it’s still a very good fit for mobile work with style and speed. The 100% impeccable laptop just doesn’t exist.

The Evolution of the SZ Line (SZ1 vs. SZ6)

Sony VAIO SZ6

Some major differences and widely overlooked small changes between the SZ1 and SZ6 series:

The SZ61WN’s keyboard typing noise seems to be louder compared to the SZ1VP but therefore the mouse buttons on the SZ1 rattled a little bit. The SZ6’s touchpad feels better and fit well with the new overall color scheme. The SZ6 has a more elegant Jet Black look. The SZ6’s lid doesn't show fingerprints but the wrist rest area shows hand oil much more noticeable then the SZ1 did.

(view large image)

Left to right: SZ61WN VAIO and slightly changed windows logo, SZ1VP, SZ61WN touchpad/finger print reader, SZ1VP

Sony/VAIO logo labeling swapped. More andbigger pads were added onto the SZ6’s bottom inner lid to protect screen rubbing on the keyboard during transport. Between the lid and chassis activity lights a black strip of padding has been added to prevent the scratching produced on previous models. It’s very possible, that Sony also added more stability to the extremely thin premium screen, since the SZ61WN drops WLAN connections with limited signal strength as soon as the lid closes. Bad for docking station and external display usage, good if the screen would be more robust now. Time will show. A newWWAN LED has been added to the SZ61WN for connection status indication. Left to right: SZ61WN, SZ1VP, SZ61WN, SZ1VP

The Battery has fitted into the SZ1-5 laptops loosely and users reported adding a thin piece of sticky foam would improve things a bit, but with the SZ6 one more design flaw is gone. The battery fits quite well. Finally! Lithium Ion Battery capacity has changed from 11.1V/5200mAh to 10.8V/5800mAh. Two more vents (Santa Rosa specific?) at the bottom front of the SZ6, which should help with heat reduction. At the same time, the HDD and fans of the SZ6 produce less noise. The docking station port cover didn’t close properly on the SZ1VP, on the SZ61WN it does.

Left to right: SZ61WN, SZ1VP, SZ61WN, SZ1VP

The new AC power adapter VGP-AC19V26 is smaller than the VGP-AC19V12 of the SZ1. The VGP-AC19V26’s input: ~1.5A vs. the VGP-AC19V12’s input: ~1.3A.

The SZ61WN’s new AC power adapter is smaller than the SZ1VP’s.

A small Express Card Memory Card Reader upgrade (VGP-MCA20->20A) may implement support for newer large size memory cards. The new VGP-VCC7 Motion Eye Webcam has a more stylish design. What I like about the SZ61WN’s new palm rest: it still has a smooth surface but also incorporates a subtle feel of friction.

Left to right: 3x SZ61WN vs. SZ1VP, VGP-MCA20A vs. VGP-MCA20 Memory Card Adapter

The graphics upgrade from the SZ1’s Nvidia GeForce Go 7400 to the SZ6’s Nvidia GeForce 8400GM is far less spectacular than the performance boost which comes with the upgrade from Intel’s GMA 950 to the new Intel X3000 in Stamina mode. The Santa Rosa platform keeps the notebook running cool combined with a significantly improved battery life and the system feels more responsive as well.

Improved write and access speed of the optical CD/DVD drive (SZ61WN vs. SZ1VP): CD-RW: 16x vs. 10x, DVD+R: 8x vs. 4x, DVD+RW 8x vs. 2.4x, DVD-R: 8x vs. 4x, DVD-RW: 6x vs. 2x, DVD DL: 4x vs. 2.4x

Design and Ergonomics

The SZ6 looks great in the carbon fiber matte black casing and is still more eye candy than its predecessors. This notebooks is very light and exceptionally thin with a wedge shape, thicker at the back.

The carbon fiber lid stays shut without any latches. As already mentioned, the SZ61WN’s lid doesn’t show fingerprints but the wrist rest area does. It's not very easy to get them off.

The SZ61WN’s fan stays fairly quiet and heat can be only noticed on one spot on the underside and under the left wrist rest area. The machine can get warm but never hot.

Some people like the SZ keyboard, some would prefer less travel on the keys. It remained largely unchanged from older SZ models. Despite the fact that the members of Sony’s mechanical design team were instructed to keep the SZ line thin, they fortunately went with a keyboard that has a generous 3mm stroke. Reducing the stroke from 3mm to 2mm would have meant they could make the whole computer 1mm thinner. Instead they decided to go for a keyboard with a 3mm stroke that would be great for typing and just as good as the keyboards on the large ‘desktop replacement’ portables. I personally like the SZ keyboard, it just could produce less typing noise – unfortunately it’s on the loud side.

The VAIO SZ61WN’s Alps touchpad with its textured surface provides just the right amount of drag and traction (improved over the SZ1VP). A biometric fingerprint sensor is located between the mouse buttons.

Two switches: One to choose between Stamina and Speed mode (Stamina: X3100 Graphics, Speed: Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS) (reboot required), another to turn all wireless on/off (handy when flying, but a dedicated switch for each of the three wireless modules WWAN, WLAN and Bluetooth would eliminate the buggy VAIO Smart Network software).
Display and Multimedia

The Sony SZ61WN’s 13" 1280 x 800 Wide XGA X-black LC-Display with LED technology is brilliant. It's razor-sharp, color saturated, deep blacks, glossy and comes with an anti-glare coating as well as very white backlighting. The white of the (premium) SZs are often reported to look pure white compared to cream-colored Apple Cinema Displays. In direct comparison to my Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW 24" Studio Display (Dell brightness level to 50%) the whites of the VAIO SZ come out very similar. With a brightness level of 100% the Dell would be much brighter, but too bright for studio work and painful on your eyes anyway. The VAIO SZ1VP had small areas of light leakage, theSZ61WN does not. When it comes to monitor profiling (I’m using the Spyder2PRO Studio), very high accuracy of brightness and color saturation can be achieved. Indeed I would even say, the SZ produce slightly more accurate color tones than the 2405FPW where colors come out a bit too bluish/cold with standard settings.

The SZ’s Hybrid Graphics System lets you set your graphics performance and battery life. A simple hardware switch enables you to toggle between an internal Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 for optimal power consumption with already very good performance and an external Nvidia GeForce 8400M GS GPU for even more robust performance (gaming, 3D, multiple displays).

The GMA X3100 graphicssolution sports a unified shader model, like the Xbox 360’s Xenos chip and Nvidia’s latest GeForce 8800 graphics cards, and Intel’s Clear Video technology. The latest iteration of Intel’s integrated graphics offering is also fully DirectX 10 and Vista compliant, so you can make use of all Aero effects. Too bad, that the VAIO SZ6 doesn’t sport HDMI, TV-out and DVI ports. Dual display mode over DVI since the SZ1 implies the use of Sony’s docking station and the Nvidia Speed mode. The GMA X3100 would support HDMI output, complete with HDCP compliance and the ability to playback 1080p content for high definition TV, but not without a port. Also, with Santa Rosa being able to dynamically change the refresh rate on the display, power will be saved by reducing the amount of liquid crystal twisting in certain scenarios which don’t benefit from a fast refresh rate.

The Intel X3100 with its 3D acceleration is certainly good enough for casual gaming as it is for most image editing tasks. It benchmarked between 1630 to 1740 in several PCMark05 tests, compared to the Intel 950GMA which averaged 950. Aero is responsive (although I’ve turned it off in favor of an additional performance boost). The X3100 can use up to 358 MB of shared memory while 150 MB get allocated for average business tasks. The SZ stays much cooler in Stamina mode and I’m using this mode regularly as long as I don’t need a multiple monitor setup. I can’t feel any speed loss even with Photoshop and video editing tasks and just prefer the Nvidia Speed mode for heavy 3D and compositing work with After Effects or Cinema 4D.

The Nvidia 8400M GS is a midrange dedicated graphics card with a significantly better 2860 benchmark result compared to the X3100. But memory is where the SZ's 8400M falls short: Sony opted for only 64 MB of discrete memory. However, the SZ6 is said to be a very good gaming machine as well and several demanding 3D games have been tested with good results by different user groups around the globe. I personally can’t comment on this, because I just don’t find the time for gaming.

Watching movies on the VAIO SZ61WN is a less noisy (reduced fans and DVD spinning noise) experience than it has been with the SZ1VP before. Picture clarity, and rich sound powered by Sony’s Sound Reality technology is coming out of the stereo speakers under the grill above the keyboard. The speakers lack deep bass but don’t distort (clear trebles) and can be pretty loud (adequate volume for personal use and presentations in front of a small group). The SigmaTel’s (CXD9872 High Definition Audio Codec) audio output through headphones (3.5mm stereo out) offer excellent clarity and no background hiss. The HD audio includes ASIO drivers which allow you to set latency and buffer size as well as to switch between ASIO and DSD (Sony Direct Stream Digital). Indeed, I find myself using the integrated SigmaTel ASIO far more often than my external very good Alesis IO|2 audio interface even for music production and audio editing.

DVD playback software:Windows Media Player 11 (supports DVD playback only with Vista Ultimate) or/and the bundled version of WinDVD.

The SZ line includes a 1.3 megapixel webcam, a camera that isn’t any deeper than the display panel. It sports and integrated microphone. The webcam was tested with Skype and it works well. The picture could be more vibrant and color saturated though.

Performance and Benchmarks

The VAIO SZ61WN premium notebook features a Windows ReadyDrive hybrid hard drive (160 GB, 5400 RPM), an emerging notebook technology that intends to shorten boot-up times, increase battery life and enhance overall performance speeds. Hybrid hard drive technology blends traditional hard disk technology with flash memory, utilizing the quicker read/write ability of flash memory to manage and process the majority of hard disk related tasks. This allows the hard disk to sit idle until needed, simultaneously extending battery life while enhancing performance.

Left to right: HD Tune benchmark SZ61WN High Performance mode, second test, HDD details, VAIO Maximum Battery mode

In direct comparison, the SZ61WN’s 120 GB HDD ends up with a slightly higher transfer rate than the SZ1VP’s 120 GB drive.

Left to right: HD Tune benchmark SZ1VP High Performance mode, second test, HDD details

As HD Tune in its current version 2.53 has some problems with hybrid drives, the SZ61WN’s drive was rated at a burst rate of only 20 MB/sec. The burst rate should normally be significantly higher than the max transfer rate.

Although these HDD benchmark results are pretty good for 5400 rpm, Vista is terribly slow at copying files. Since this annoying bug affects so many Vista systems, it’s hard to believe that twelve months after release there is still no solution on the horizon. For some people things are getting faster as soon as the Remote Differential Compression Service is turned off - but not for me, only slightly. Unplugging all USB devices speed up file transfers a little - but still, very slow. Installing all Microsoft hotfixes and turning off OneCare or the Windows Search Service doesn’t help either. Various software applications seem to have file access/throughput issues as well. Sony Vegas e.g. can't produce full resolution live previews, loading high resolution videos into WMP takes a while. This issue affects both VAIO SZ1VP and SZ61WN. Best results were measured with the preinstalled or clean version of Vista. Best copy speed result: 15-17 MB/s (from/to the same built-in SATA disk). After the installation of several software applications, plugging in USB devices and OneCare (search/DC/UAC services disabled) average transfer speed goes down to 1-7MB/s. The following screenshots can give you some proof:

Left to right: from the internal HDD to a SD card, from an external USB 2.0 7200 rpm drive to the internal HDD, vice versa

Read: Microsoft TechNet

Graphics Performance: My reasons to not publish so many different 3D benchmark results: These tests vary with each new version of the graphic driver and are pretty notebook vendor independent. Thus, you can find additional benchmark results for the SZ’s Intel and Nvidia Graphic Cards all over the Internet.

Maxon Cinebench R10 Benchmarks in Speed/Nvidia and High Performance Mode:

Left: VAIO SZ61WN/C, Right: VAIO SZ1VP/C

Super PI: Same results for both, the SZ61WN and the SZ1VP.

SZ6+SZ1: Performance Mode, VAIO Maximum Battery: Super PI [2M] 00m 56s

Overall Performance: 3925 (SZ61WN) PCMark05 rating vs. 3173 (SZ1VP) marks.

SZ61WN vs. SZ1VP: PCMark05 results

Battery

Battery life with the standard 6 cell 5800 mAh Lithium Ion battery (VGP-BPS10) is far better than the SZ1’s battery life (Vista RTM, all automatic updates installed). Sony claims 3 to 6 hours runtime on a charge, which turned out to be not too optimistic. There is also a $299 extended battery (VGP-BPL9) for 1.5x capacity and runtimes that adds relatively little bulk to the laptop.

Some SZ61WN real world battery power results:

1. Screen brightness: Level 3 (8=brightest), Stamina mode (Intel graphics). WLAN/WAN/BT off, power plan: Power Saver (Sony’s own Power Management not in use), software installations and intense HDD activity, two reboots. Remark: Right after startup the battery status indicates only 91%.

Status indicator after 4:05 hours of intense use: 5% left.

2. Screen brightness: Level 5, Stamina mode. WLAN/WAN/BT off, power plan: VIAO Maximum Battery, file copying/sorting, little Photoshop work, small benchmarks, and Microsoft Office 2007 work.

Battery status of 93% right after boot up, 45% (stating 2 hr 47 min left) after 2 hr 45, 39% (stating 2 hr 26 min left) after 3 hr 05, 25% (1 hr 29 min left) after 4 hr, 10% (40 min left) after 5 hr, 4% (13 min remaining) after 5 hr 20 min of active use.

3. Screen brightness: Level 5, Stamina mode. 3G WWAN on, power plan: VIAO Maximum Battery, outlook/web/office work.

Battery status of 90% right after boot up, 84% (3 hr 30 min remaining) after 20 min, 81% (3 hr 15 min left) after 35 min, 78% (3 hr 13 min remaining) 78% after 45 min, …

4. Screen brightness: Maximum, Speed mode (NVIDIA graphics). 3G WWAN/BT on.

Battery status of 92% right after startup, 50% (1 hr 12 min remaining) after 80 min, then a USB HDD plugs in, 20% battery status (25 min remaining) after 2 hr of heavy use.

SZ61WN VAIO Power Management Viewer, Advanced Settings (Power Schemes can turn on/off ports or drives to save power)

Charge time:

Charging status indicator while working with the machine in VAIO Maximum Battery mode, full brightness, WLAN on (these settings seem to make no difference in charging, though), battery drained down to 2%): 17:39 -> 2% available, 18:45 -> 30% available, 21:12 ->92%, 21:25 -> 95%, 21:34 -> 97% (Vista taskbar indicator: charging, orange Battery LED stopped blinking), 21:51 -> 99%, 22:00 -> 100% (taskbar indicator: plugged in, charging), 22:02 -> Fully charged.

The whole charging process took 4 hr 23 min (263 min) which meets the claimed charge time of 270 min. Thus, it seems save to calculate about 25% for each hour - having in mind that the last 5% will take more than 30 minutes.

Save battery life with enabling VAIO Battery Care functions.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots

SZ1-6 notebooks offer two USB 2.0 (High/Full/Low Type A USB) ports, one FireWire IEEE 1394 (unpowered 4-Pin 400Mbit/s i.LINK) port, aVGA port (no DVI, no HDMI), 3.5 mm stereo-out, 3.5 mm microphone-in and a docking station connector on the bottom.

Left to right: SZ1VP, SZ61WN’s 3.5 mm audio/IEEE 1394/VGA/PCMCIA, SZ61WN’s back (battery/power), SZ61WN’s ExpressCard Memory Card Adapter, USB ports, DVD/CD-ROM drive

Both a PCMCIA type I/II card slot and an ExpressCard 34 slot are on board. The legacy PC Card slot is handy for older cards but with all the ExpressCard options available today it becomes dispensable.

The SZ61WN’s networking features: WWAN (HSDPA 3,6 Mbit/s, Rx Diversity), Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g (54 Mbit/s, 100 m), RJ-45 Ethernet adapter10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T, RJ-11 ModemV92/V.90, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR (10 m)

Memory Cards support: An integrated Memory Stick reader for Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo and MagicGate. A Multi-Card reader/Express Card Adapter (VGP-MCA20A) for MultiMedia Card/MMC, SD Card, xD Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO and Magic Gate.

Security and Safety Features

The SZ61WN (and all SZ6 premium models) has abuilt-in biometric fingerprint scanner and theTrusted Platform Module 1.2 to help keep data private.

It comes with the software Protector Suite QL and fingerprint recognition is accurate and stable. You'll enroll a few of your fingerprints, create a password to get started, and with the swipe of a finger, you can log on to Windows, access secure websites and local applications without having to fill out the login form over and over again. Fingerprint data can be saved directly to the module and the SZ61WN can be locked from intruders at BIOS level if enabled (disabled by default). Otherwise the encrypted security/fingerprint data is saved on the HDD.

It’s a great feature, but I personally don’t use it because it slows down Windows startup, and the neat website login functions require Protector Suite QL software patches with each major browser (e.g. Firefox) update.


The SZ1-6 VAIOs also come with HDD Protection. It’s a hardware/software combo safety feature. The protection can be disabled and the sensitivity level against shock hazards can be set as well.

Docking Station

The VGP-PRSZ1.CEL docking station lets any VAIO SZ series notebook quickly and easily connect to peripherals, offers three additional USB 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet (because this wasn’t right built into the SZ1-5, it was a welcome upgrade for those models), VGA, DVI-D (the only reason for me to buy this docking station) and DC in. The product description writes “When you're on the go, there are no cables to plug or unplug.”. That’s wrong if you use anything other than USB. In that case you would at least have to unplug your FireWire and audio devices.

Product Dimensions: Weight 1.6 kg, 34.6 mm (H) x 343 mm (W) x 213 mm (D)

(view large image)

Left to right: VGP-PRSZ1(view from above), SZ61WN docked, the SZ’s integrated VGA port can’t be used when docked and the station lacks FireWire/Audio ports expansions, VGP-PRSZ1 ports (back view)

Dell UltraSharp 2405FPW 24" Wide Aspect TFT Monitor powered by the VGP-PRSZ1’s DVI signal, DualView with SZ61WN, Apple Wireless Keyboard (BT)

It’s a solid built unit but I've experienced the following shortcomings:

• Dual monitor software/driver support is poor. Manual (NVIDIA control panel) configuration of the external monitor is required on nearly every re-connect and you always have to boot up in Speed Mode for the use of DVI. I’d rather prefer to work in Stamina mode all the time, because in that mode the SZ stays cooler, quieter and battery runtime on the go is significantly increased.
• No power adapter included. You'll need to buy one if you don't want to dig out and hook up the laptop's AC adapter each time you dock.
• No power on/off button. You can undock, but can't use the VAIO SZ’s power button to shutdown or turn on the computer without opening the lid. (Thumbs up for the good old Z600, which provides a power switch on the right side.)
• Only three USB ports. No FireWire port. No audio jacks.
• Some users complained about poor analog video quality. The dock is reported to degrade signals, but I can’t confirm this since I haven’t used the dock’s VGA-out so far.

Operating System and Software

The VAIO SZ6 series ships with Windows Vista Business Edition and a Windows XP downgrade option is available. You can also upgrade to Vista Ultimate through Microsoft's Windows Upgrade Anytime program in order to receive Media Center and DVD features, BitLocker drive encryption and parental controls.

But Sony has filled their VAIOs withbloatware as well - toolbars, trial software, pop-up ads, etc. At least more useful: A 60 day trial of Office 2007 and a full copy of MS Works 8.5 for those who don't need a full MS Office solution. You also get some of Sony’s own multimedia software - just too bad, that they don’t add some products of their excellent Sony Creative Software catalog.

Thus, plan on spending a day using the Programs and Features control panel to remove unnecessary software and speed up your VAIO or go for a clean install.

Clean Install/Setup Tips

I decided to give TrueImage 9.1 Workstation Universal Restore a shot and try to upgrade from my former VAIO SZ1VP to the SZ61WN without a complete reinstall. It worked! This procedure saved me nearly a week, the time needed for a fresh setup and tweaking of all software products I’m working with. With 110 GB of data on the original SZ1’s hard disk, the TrueImage Universal Restore process took about 14 hours to transfer all those files from the USB 2.0 backup drive to the new SZ61. The Universal Restore did a pretty good job. System specific drivers were skipped.

The next step: Install the latest SonyVAIO applications and drivers for the SZ61WN - the very same procedure as for a fresh clean install of Windows Vista. I had tried lots of different driver and utility combinations before I came up with the following solution for a fully functional, unbloated, and stable system. I’m currently using Windows Vista Ultimate 32bit. All steps described here should work with Windows Vista Business as well. Although Sony does not officially support Ultimate Editions with their SZ Series, everything works as expected. I upgraded to the Vista Ultimate Edition after testing out the Business Edition on the SZ1VP first and finding me not being able to playback DVDs in Windows Media Player.


Proceed to the next steps if you want to know how I set up my system:

• Boot up into your preinstalled system and create your Sony Recovery DVDs. This is necessary to restore your system later if needed. The VIAO SZ does not come with CDs or DVDs. Without this step, your Windows OEM version and all originally installed software would be lost forever. Bust most importantly you need the Recovery DVDs to have all model specific drivers and utilities ready for the clean install. (Sony unfortunately never offer complete driver/software download sets on their support websites, something is always missing. Sometimes, only updated drivers and patches get published.)
• Once all Recovery DVDs (1 Application DVD + 2 System Recovery DVDs; or 2 Dual Layer DVDs) have been created, you are ready to restart your system and install a fresh copy of Windows Vista or do a TrueImage Universal Restore.
• Then insert theVAIO System Restore DVD #2 into your drive. Open the disc’s Applications Folder (VAIO\Applications). Install theSonyUtils DLL first, then the Sony Shared Library. (Installing them in the correct order is a must!)
• Now proceed with the installation of all drivers from the VAIO\Driversdirectory followed by the VAIO utilities located in theVAIO\Applications folder. Check Sony’s VAIO support website for new drivers and software patches. Install all applicable Windows hotfixes (VAIO\Hotfix and online) and updates from Windows Update. Restart your machine if necessary.
• If you are not interested in the (T-Mobile in Europe) G3/HSDPA deal that comes with your SZ61 or just can’t find a SZ61 version of the pre-installed T-mobile software for the clean install (I didn’t): Thanks to this post on NotebookReview.com I found an excellent service provider independent solution to enable WWAN though. Download and install the sleek Option GT Connect Software from the Orange UK website and just launch the GT Connect utility whenever you need a WWAN connection. Should work with all networks and SIM cards.
• Tweak your Windows startup items. Click on the Vista start icon in the bottom left corner of your screen and type MSCONFIG in the search box. Press enter on your keyboard. Go to “Startup” and disable LANUtil.exe. This VAIO Smart Network utility lets you turn on/off your wireless modules (WLAN, WWAN, BT) but also makes your system more unstable when running. Thus, better disable autostart on this utility and only launch it manually as necessary. I configured my S2 button to start the MainUI.exe. Thus, whenever I need to switch from WLAN to WWAN or switch on/off BT I press the S2 button, make my new SMART Network selection and exit the tool right after. Works like a charm.
  
  

MSCONFIG: Disable LANUtil.exe, VAIO SZ61WN Startup Items (Sony, Intel, NVIDIA) in grey Left to right: VAIO Smart Network, S Button Configuration, GlobeTrotter Connect

• Finally, tweak your laptop with the VAIO Control Center (= VAIO Central) application.

Left to right: VAIO Control Center, Mouse Properties (Alps Touch Pad)

Customer Support

Online Support: Europe: vaio-link.com, USA: esupport.sony.com.
The Knowledge Database lets miss a lot, but the download area for drivers and software patches at least dropped the former obligation to sign up and have your serial number ready - thankfully. But still, there is plenty of room to improve. I personally would love to see a more globalized shopping/support/download/discussion online experience similar to Apple’s.

Telephone Support: If you have some basic software/hardware knowledge, you’re probably better off doing some online research. Phone support in Germany is friendly but not so helpful when issues are tricky – this, at least, is my own experience.

Repair: Call the Sony VAIO support hotline and go through the registration process with them (if not already done). Report your problem. Then you will get the contact details of an official Sony VAIO Repair Center near you. Ask them for a complete list of repair centers in your city and give them a call in order to find out about the shortest repair times. That’s what I did in Berlin some months ago. Screen and Wi-Fi module replacements took less than three days.

Warranty: 24 months in Germany. International and expandable options are available. The International (not truly international, it’s overseas) option has to be purchased within the first two weeks right after you’ve received your laptop. The warranty extension (for another year) can be purchased whenever you want, just before your current warranty period ends.

Conclusion

The VAIO SZ61WN is a good blend of portability without sacrificing on power and comes in a stylish and well built package. Its serious speed and processing power is hard to beat. The notebook has an excellent display and the resolution suits the screen dimensions well.

For me as an artist, speaking of technical equipment is always about versatile tools and means for expression and productivity I have to rely on. The SZ61WN is no exception and offers good value for money.

Pro:

• powerful, you won't miss your desktop
• bright, white, color saturated and crystal clear display
• decent battery life far better than average
• form factor, light and thin
• solid and well made, touch and feel

Con:

• no built-in DVI and TV-out, only VGA (docking station and NVIDIA Speed Mode necessary for DVI)
• keyboard noise
• reduced WLAN signal reception with closed lid, no Draft N Wi-Fi for European models
• power button not reachable without having to open the lid
• VISTA/driver glitches (display driver forgets dual monitor settings, display resolutions, desktop icon positions; slow file copy/access speed, sleep and hibernation modes often result in reboots)
• preinstalled bloatware
• no Microdrive/Compact Flash (CF) Type II slot (useful for the coherence between D-SLRs and the SZ)

Wish list: Backlit keyboard, silent or no fans at all, high performance solid state disk, drainage system under the keyboard (what selected VAIO or e.g. Lenovo models already offer to withstand spills), switchable transreflective (sunlight/high ambient light readable) screen

If I had to rate this laptop, I would give it a 4.5/5, the SZ1VP would have received a 4.0. However, I currently don’t know of another notebook available today, which deserves a higher rating.