TZ = Netbook

Okay I love the tz and today i was put on the spot...

my mates have baught netbooks for like 230 pounds and ive paid 1600 pounds for mine which just has an extra cd rom and finger print reader? theres seems soo much faster to the tz too.. im gutted (

 

Perhaps you can return it if you purchased it recently.

 

Here are the reasons why a much cheaper netbook will seem faster than a Vaio TZ/TT.

Netbooks use XP/Linux vs Vista which are less demanding and resource intensive. Also, Sony bundles a TON of bloatware on top of Vista, so their machines are usually slow out of the box. Also, netbooks with Linux usually have versions optimized for netbooks.

Some netbooks use solid state drives vs hard drives although the TZ/TTs with solid state drives outperform those used in netbooks.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

However, you can do a clean install of Vista or install XP on your TZ. Take comfort that your TZ has a built-in DVD drive, fingerprint reader, higher resolution screen (1366x768 vs 1024x600 in most netbooks) and a much better quality screen as well. Colors really look fantastic on the screen.

 

Also you have a core 2 duo which is light years better than a Intel atom. Im using a MSI Wind right now and absolutely love but I would glady trade it in if someone offered me my old TZ150 again.

 

I quote my wife: "But it is not a mercedes".

 

Speaking as somebody who bought (and returned) a TZ just months before usable 9-10" netbooks hit the scene, I can empathize.

My netbook gives me everything I was looking for when I got that TZ, for a fraction of the price. I wanted small and portable with good battery life, didn't care too much about the performance. Couldn't care less about DVD player, I even had that disabled to increase the battery life.

I miss the screen but the keyboard is actually better in my netbook. Webcam is about the same. I could have installed XP on the TZ and it would've felt faster, but really, how much CPU-intensive stuff am I going to do with a 10-11" screen. Plus I can get a faster hard drive with the oodles of money I saved but really I don't feel that its a lot slower.

Also, the TZ's screen was way too high-res for me. Kind of like the HP 2133's display. Always had to peer at it with my neck craned out in front lol.

The TZ's battery life was stupendous for me, more than 6 hours easy. But the NC10 is also famous for huge battery life.

 

I agree with that!

Rahul, they didn't have a ssd and was using xp but i was on vista and ive done a fresh install so no bloatware... oh well.

 

The reason why netbooks are faster: 2.5" 5400rpm hard disks blow away 1.8" 4200rpm harddisks.

The screen on the TZ is worth as much as a fancy netbook though.

 

I can't complain, only paid £500 for my TZ off a friend who bought a HP HDX Dragons so he didn't need the TZ anymore. Basically it was like the cost of a netbook but a much better machine - absolute bargain!

After the TZ recall, they replaced my keyboard when I didn't ask them to so my machine looked and felt brand new again.

 

Does the TZ use an S-IPS panel?

 

No, as far as I'm aware it isn't S-IPS (which are extremely rare in notebooks). It's just a great implementation of an LED backlit TN panel, I believe. At risk of sounding like a proper fanboy... the description doesn't do the screen justice - you need to see the TZ screen in real life to see how good it is.

 

Like Infy said, it's very good TN panel. It has extremely high contrast and vibrance.

It's one of the very few to earn the 5 star rating by Notebookjournal.
http://www.notebookjournal.de/tests/sony-vaio-vgn-tz11xn-249

I believe it's a Toshiba panel. It's even better than the TT panel (3.5 stars). I think it's because the Duraview coating takes away a bit of the vibrance and contrast.

 

The tz service manual confirms displays are made by toshiba.
I prefer the TZ over a netbook because I can even run virtual machines on my TZ.

 

I spent the last year trying to decide between getting a netbook and an ultra-portable. Bought a TZ this summer for $2000 and love it. But.. it wasn't quite as small as I wanted, and I was deathly afraid to carry the TZ around with me, for fear of breaking something so expensive.

Last month I purchased an 8.9" EEE 900HA for only $250 (after MS Cashback deals on eBay). The size is perfect for carrying anywhere, or even holding in one hand, and it won't be a huge loss if it ever gets dropped or stolen.

Performance is very similar. Fast Core 2 Duo & slow 1.8" HDD w/Vista on the TZ is comparable to the slower Atom & faster 2.5" HDD w/XP on the EEE. Major difference in boot times, though. Well over a minute or more for the TZ, and only 35 seconds on the EEE (and half that from hibernation). The display on the TZ is absolutely amazing, but the EEE's display with anti-glare layer is horrible. Typing on the TZ is excellent, and on the EEE, extremely difficult with the cramped keyboard. Overall build quality is night and day between the two.

Even though I could've bought 8 netbooks for the price of 1 TZ, I still think the TZ is worth the price. The EEE 900HA, on the other hand, is a downright steal in my opinion. For anyone interested in a size comparison, below is a pic of both machines.

 

This is the main reason I upgraded my Z series from Vista to XP SP3. I couldn't afford the time wasted waiting for Vista to sort itself out...