INTELCOREI5-520M/2.40GHZ/3.06GHZ/4G(2GX2)/128G SSD/13.1LCD/DYNAMIC Hybrid Graphi

by Sony

Product Details

• Item Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B003QL6D6U
• Item model number: VPCZ122GX/S
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,842 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 8, 2010

Product Description

The VAIO(R) Z Series laptop gives you the power and functionality of a larger PC packed into a durable notebook that weighs just over 3 lbs (with standard battery). From its convenient backlit keyboard to its Dynamic Hybrid Graphics system that delivers power when you need it, this computer has all the features that make for a world-class mobile computing experience. 13.1 Widescreen LED Backlit Display (1600 x 900) Built-in MOTION EYE camera and Microphone with face-tracking technology NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M GPU with 1GB of Dedicated Video RAM and Intel GMA HD (Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System) Intel High Definition Audio DVD+-R/RW with Double Layer Drive Intel Centrino Advance-N 6200 Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Bluetooth Stereo A2DP (2.1 + EDR) Multimedia Card Reader MS PRO (Standard/Duo) media slot with MagicGate(TM) functionality, ExpressCard / 34 media slot, SD media slot Pointing device - Electro-static Touch Pad Biometric Fingerprint Sensor Ports - 3 x USB 2.0, Headphone Output, Microphone Input, VGA, HDMI, RJ-45 Ethernet, Port Replicator Connector Dimensions (Approx.) - 12.4 (W) x 8.3 (D) x 1.0-1.3 (H) inches Weight (Approx.) - 3.04 pounds (with standard capacity battery)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Laptop For What It Is, August 11, 2010

By 

Ziontrain (London) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: INTELCOREI5-520M/2.40GHZ/3.06GHZ/4G(2GX2)/128G SSD/13.1LCD/DYNAMIC Hybrid Graphi (Personal Computers)

I bought this Sony Z12 (i5 520, 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM) laptop here on Amazon.com via the seller called Vanns about a month ago now. So this review is past the so called "honeymoon period" but relatively early on in the product life still.

First I will say that overall I'm quite happy with the Sony Z12. It does have some faults but more or less hits the mark for a certain usage pattern - the "road warrior" who wants a super portable but full service laptop with high-res screen. I've used various laptops in this mode in the past, including the Sharp Actius, the Panasonic W5 series and Y5 series. That is the perspective from which I review this unit.

The Sony Z12 weighs exactly 3 lbs with standard battery, which is super for a 13" unit and that makes it great. Its easy for me to carry it all sorts of places with basically no burden. The screen is bright, the 1600 x 900 resolution gives you a lot to work with, although from time to time you'll need to CTRL + or - to scale fonts up now and then. I cant imagine needing the 1920 x 1080 version! I would say this is probably the 2nd or 3rd best screen I have seen on a laptop, exceeded only by the MacBook Pros (13 15 and 17 inch versions) which remain a cut above this laptop. But compared to most PC laptop this screen is way better in brightness, clarity, black levels and contrast.

This battery lasts me about 4 hours in "Stamina" graphics mode with Windows on "balanced" power setting,, while I am using wi-fi surfing the net, typing documents and screen brightness at 50& or 60% ish. If I dim screen more and use the most aggressive windows power savings I get about 5 hours. That's pretty good for a unit of this type. I had considered getting the extended battery, which would have taken total weight to 3.5 lbs,but so far it doesn't seem necessary.

The keyboard is excellent. I was not expecting it to be so comfortable but it is. Good size and spacing to the keys. Much better than other implementations of the "chicklet" keybaord that I have experienced eg in Acer 1810 and the Apple Macbooks. No surprise though as Sony was actually the originator of these type of keyboards.

The unit is very speedy after doing all the updates to Windows and the VAIO updates. And it boots up and shuts down really fast. But out of the box it was a paradox: operating very fast yet booting and closing really slow. All that changed when I did the Vaio updates. The one that seemed to make the difference there was the update to the BIOS. And that is with a factory install of Win 7 pro. I didn't reinstall the OS,although I deleted one or two of the junk programs pre-installed.

Another issue I ran into was that wi-fi was fine for first two weeks then one day I connected to a Zyxel 802.11 g router at home and the wi-fi suddenly started cutting out, requiring a reboot of the unit. I eventually installed an update to the wifi card from Intel's website and that did the trick.

I operate almost only in "stamina" graphics mode and in this mode the laptop is whisper quiet - and actually quite cool. Looks like they didn't skimp on the copper inside. I have played around with the laptop in "speed" mode and there it does get noticeably noisier - a level of noise that for me would be a little annoying. But for my usage the integrated graphics is more than good enough so I really have no need to go to the dedicated graphics card at all.

A small disappointment is the AC adapter, which is clearly not fully thought out as a companion to a ultraportable of this type. The adapter is actually quite light for a 90 Watt power unit, but is a little bulky and has no facility for winding up the wires. On this one Sony gave a bit of effort (I've seen much heavier 90Watt adapters e.g. on Dells and Lenovos) but Sony could have done better still for their flagship laptop. The AC adapter on my old Panasonic Y5 was smaller and lighter - and that was like 5 years ago.

The build quality on the laptop is pretty good from what I can see. I keep it in a Zero shock memory foam sleeve so that I have protection without compromising on the light weight. It's a 3lb laptop so of course there is some flex - unit of this type will get its durability in fact by having some flex rather than the rigidity that can be built into a 5 or 6 lb unit. But I can see that it is built well. And the palm rest seems like it wont scratch easily as some. At least so far that's what I've experienced.

Overall this has been a great purchase from my view. I don't think its a laptop for all people. But for a classic road warrior who typically buys ultraportables, I think this is a laptop I would recommend without hesitation.

5.0 out of 5 stars good computer, February 7, 2011

By 

lexter - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: INTELCOREI5-520M/2.40GHZ/3.06GHZ/4G(2GX2)/128G SSD/13.1LCD/DYNAMIC Hybrid Graphi (Personal Computers)

Screen and Speakers
Sony LCD displays have a special place in my heart when it comes to TVs, monitors, and notebook displays. Generally speaking they push the boundaries with their high-end models and offer some of the most vivid colors, best contrast, and good looks out of any other panels I have seen on the market. The VAIO Z is no different in this case with its HD+ 1600x900 13.1" display. Compared to other screens I have seen in this size the Z blows the competition out of the water.Build and Design
Build and Design
The outside appearance of the Sony VAIO Z is sleek and compact. The screen is a few millimeters thick and could easily be described as paper thin. The power button and DC-input jack are integrated into the screen hinges, another common trend on VAIO notebooks that aims to improve looks and make use of regularly wasted space. Inside, Sony takes a similar path as Apple did with the newer generation MacBooks with a machined keyboard bezel. The keyboard and palmrest trim are a solid piece of metal with a Chiclet-style keyboard embedded in the surface. Offered in multiple colors including black, silver, carbon fiber, and metal shield, the VAIO Z can be tailored to match different personalities. Overall as far as notebook designs go the Z merges the best in ultraportable notebooks with the best in high-end business notebooks ... I love i
Keyboard and Touchpad
The VAIO Z has the traditional Sony/Chiclet-style keyboard with white LED-backlighting. It is very comfortable to type on and fairly solid. I did notice some mild flex on the side of the keyboard directly on top of the optical drive but it was only under very strong typing pressure. The keyboard layout was very easy to follow with proper full-size keys everywhere. None of the secondary buttons were condensed to squeeze into the smaller layout
Ports and Features
Sony includes a few auxiliary buttons above the keyboard for quick access program buttons like the Sony Assist feature, an eject button for the optical drive (no button is on the drive itself), and a control for the switchable graphics. The graphics button has three modes including auto, stamina, and speed. Stamina correlates to when the system is in integrated graphics mode while Speed is with the Geforce GT 330M dedicated graphic I
Is the best laptop i recommennded this product

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Laptop., November 7, 2010

By 

Matt - See all my reviews

This review is from: INTELCOREI5-520M/2.40GHZ/3.06GHZ/4G(2GX2)/128G SSD/13.1LCD/DYNAMIC Hybrid Graphi (Personal Computers)

I bought it for my 19yrs-old brother. He loves it.
Cons:
Very light, high performance, amazing features, etc.
Pros:
Speaker is not strong enough, you cannot hear it if there is a little noise. You have to have external speakers.
And, of course, it is expensive :) Yet, I think it worths the money.