Vaio TZ(191) questions (keyboard, heat, etc.)

After surfing and searching around here, I'm almost sold on the TZ191, and had some questions about it and on TZ models in general.

1) How quiet is the keyboard (for typing in a quiet meeting)? Is it the same keyboard as any other Vaio (i.e. can I evaluate it by going to the Sony store and looking at other Vaios?)

2) How hot does it get on the left side during normal use? Does it ever get hot enough to be intolerable next to skin?

3) How often does the fan run during normal use?

4) Is the screen viewable outdoors on a sunny day?

5) What is the additional size and weight of the extended battery? How much does it stick out? (also, I assume the 7 hrs of battery life reported on power-saver were for the standard battery?)

6) What is the range of the wifi reception? Better or worse than other laptops?

7) Which service plan(s) from Sony would owners recommend?

8) Where is the best place to buy it from? Directly from Sony, from a reseller, or from overseas? Do they have 30-day return policies?

 

I have a tz191, im in love with it, DEEPLY. so here it goes:
1.-very quiet compared to other laptops.
2.-Gets a little hot, very tolerable.
3.-It runs kinda often, but you WONT hear it. (unless its a SUPER quiet room)
4.-Yes, the brightest computer Ive ever seen.
5.-I dont know, but it gets pretty bigger, wont fit with the "free" leather carrying case you get. Stick with the standard, you get like 5 hours browsing the web.
6.-Pretty good. 30 feet away from the router (closed doors in the way) and full signal.
7.-3 years accidental damage for $299. (thats the one i got hehe)
8.-Directly from sony, go to a SonyStyle. Yes they have the return policy.

Hope that made you buy it. Its so cute and perfect. The SSD is blazing fast. You wont be dissappointed. Just dont expect to play bioshock on it.

 

I have the extended battery, and it suits the TZ more than any other extended battery suits another laptop make and model. Because the battery design takes up the whole back area of the notebook, all the extended battery does is add more weight and raise the back. For the added battery life (I can get 10 hours running wireless and browsing with everything else turned off), I really don't mind the extra weight.

Take a look at this picture to see what the different battery models do to the weight and look: http://conics.net/catalog/images/tz90-batteries.gif

Also, if you are in the US, I would probably buy there. It would make things a lot easier, if you had any issues.

 

The TZ is a great laptop especially with the SSD drive or the 5400rpm drive. I would go to a sony style store near you and try out the keyboard and look at the screen and everything else you're concerned with. Keep in mind that the laptops in the stores are probably bogged down with all the crapware so it won't be a representation of its true speed.

I have a TZ90 in my sig for sale which is the same as the 191, take a look if you're interested. But go try one in person so you know what kind of screen size you'll be dealing with.