TZ198N vs. M1330

I'm sorry if this has already been discussed, but i looked for it and didn't find anything.

I am torn between the two.

On one hand, i love the stilysh and small sized TZ (though i hate the external DVD drive thing) but on the other hand, M1330 attracts me with twice the performance for nearly half the price.

Whats your take on it?
People who got the TZ, what was your main reasoning for going with it?

 

What "external DVD drive thing" ? You can get it with internal DVD drive!

 

hmm.. i was talking about the the TZ198

this listing says that DVD drive is external.

How would I go about getting a built in drive? Call em up?

 

The TZ and the m1330 are very different. The closest thing to a m1330 is the SZ. The TZ has a slower processor and smaller screen.

 

I'm not sure what gave you the idea that there's an external dvd drive, but neither my observations nor your link seem to suggest that the drive is external. It has an internal dual-layer dvd burning optical drive.

I don't have the TZ. I bought a TX a few months back. Very similar models - in fact, a rep told me that the TZ replaces the TX (which lacked the video cam), but I never confirmed this.

Anyway, I got the TX because I take my laptop with me EVERYwhere. I wanted something light and small enough not to become much of a burden while going from place-to-place, using it in the car, or while in a store doing other things with my hands.

My 17-inch Toshiba was too heavy to hang from my shoulder. My 11-inch TX weighs only 2.8 pounds, has a TON of battery life (I dunno about that of the M-whatever), a dvd-burner, Bluetooth, and an sd card slot.

That's killer.

I went with a refurbished, display model and saved a ton. Also, I went back to school, recently, and there's nothing as convenient as a laptop that's smaller and lighter than my textbooks... and lasts most of the day.

 

The TZ198N definitely has an external DVD burner -- it is the same model as sold in Japan as a TZ91 although in Japan you can order it with an internal DVD instead of the 2.5in HDD. The TZ198N (only model sold in US so far with the 64G SSD) has a 200G 5400rmp HDD in place of the DVD-burner and a separate external DVD-burner that connects via the i.Link port.

The TZ is similar to the TX but as I understand it, the TZ has a number of changes, including the 1.2 mhz Core2Duo processor, LED-backlit WXGA display, and smaller form factor. The TZ is VERY mobile whereas the TX is a bit less so.

 

You should probably ask this question in the "which computer should I buy" forum to get a more balanced reponse.

I agree with whoever said that the M1330 is more similar to the SZ6 line than the TZ line. The TZ is aimed at mobility and purposely sacrifices some power to achieve it -- integrated graphics and the ultra low voltage (but slower) Core2Duo U series processor. So it can last 6+ hours on a charge whereas the SZ6 will only last 3-4 hr (M1130 is comparable as I understand it). The TZ is literally the size of a notebook and weighs ~2.5 lb vs. the SZ6 or M1330 which are both more than 4lbs -- the SZ a bit lighter.

If you're comparing the M1330 with a 64G SSD keep in mind you would be limited to 64G as your "hard drive" -- as it arrives it will probably have ~35G free although some of that can be recovered by deleted bloatware.

 

The one thing the TX does beat the TZ in though is battery life, not sure by how much though, otherwise, TZ wins hands-down.

I don't know how you could compare the TZ198N and M1330, apples to oranges here, pretty different machines, you must have meant the M1330 and Vaio SZ as others have said.

And an ultraportable having a 64gb SSD and 200gb HDD is extremely impressive in my book, even with no optical drive built in.

 

I had the M1330 for a week before returning it and now have owned two TZs with a 198 on the way. Here's my take. The Dell had shoddy workmanship. The paint job was awful. The screen was disappointing, despite being backlit.

The TZ, because of its SSD, turned out to be as fast as the M1330 because it didn't have to plod along with Vista on a hard drive.

And the TZ beats the M1330 hands-down in terms of portability and screen quality. Forget the Dull, get the Sony.

 

There are TZ's with internal dvd drives. So, there's no need to sacrifice an optical drive if that's important to you.

Just know that not all TZ's are created equally. Many aren't very different from the TX's.

 

I just got the tz195 yesterday. I also considered the xps 1330 like you. I was drawn to the xps by the great reviews on cnet and the lower price. But I decided that it weighed too much for what I want and also some people on this forum did not have great experiences with it. I decided I want something lighter. So I considered the tz198, but I want an int. dvd drive. Then I ALMOST bought the tz91 with 64gb/int. dvd, but decided to play it safe and order the us model. Well, I just got the tz195 yesterday. WOW. I love it. It is small and light. It is fast. The screen is amazing. If you are looking for a portable laptop, the tz is it. I flew with it last night and what a difference it was to unload this tiny machine at security, stand in long security lines with lighter carry-on. I worked on the plane with it balanced on my lap. My old dell was too bulky and heavy to do this comfortably. My first 24 hours with this machine have been terrific.

 

So u got a single 48GB SSD ?

Arent u a little low on space?

 

Yes, only 48 gb but I should be okay once I dump the bloatware. i really wanted the ssd drive. I will add a memory card if necessary or a tower and docking station at home. First, I will see how the memory on this computer works out. I also have a pc at work.