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Sony Vaio FZ series

Sony Vaio FZ series

657 reviews

Jun, 2013

Positive
Usability (35)
Build quality (25)
Design (18)
Portability (16)
Resolution (13)

No negative mentions yet

General overview
Price comparison
Product Specifications

alaTest has collected and analyzed 657 reviews from magazines and websites. Views about the resolution and portability are on the whole positive. The design and build quality are also mentioned favorably, but views about the keyboard and performance are different.

usability, build quality, design, portability, resolution

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Laptops the Sony Vaio FZ series is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 84/100 = Very good quality.

See all Sony Laptops

Review analysis

(Based on 657 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(39% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (32% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (10% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (5% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (14% of reviews)
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Features

Connectivity
Show positive (12%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)

Usability
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Build quality
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Design
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Portability
Show positive (32%)Show negative (3%)(Show all)

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Showing 508 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Showing 1 - 10 of 508 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (152)

Expert review by: J. Simon Leitner (notebookcheck.net)

Review Sony Vaio VGN-FZ21E Notebook

Compact Middle Class. Mostly the user's demands on a notebook are ...

Aesthetically pleasing design; High quality impression; Compact, well worked up case; HDMI port; User-friendly keyboard and touch pad; Good office performance; Low temperature and noise emissions

Display's viewing angles; Outdoor operation only with restrictions; Moderate 3D performance; Moderate battery runtime

Pricerunner n.a

Oct, 2007

Partner Source

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Expert review by: kaaz (notebookcheck.net)

User Review Sony Vaio VGN-FZ11M

With the official arrival of the Sony Vaio notebooks to Poland, o ...

Good workmanship; Interesting design; Good display; HD compatible; Quiet operation

The touch pad's buttons; Gamers keep away (GeForce 8400GT with only 64MB VRAM on board!); The area left of the touch pad gets considerably warmer; Average battery run time; Lots of not required software

Special thanks goes to kaaz

Sep, 2007

Partner Source

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Editor's Choice!

Expert review by: Rich Malloy (laptopmag.com)

Sony VAIO Z Series (VGN-Z530N)

This fast, lightweight notebook offers long battery life, switchable graphics, and a bright, crisp 16:9 widescreen.

Light, speedy, and long-lasting—not to mention secure and good-looking—are the attributes we look for in ultraportables, and the VAIO Z series has them all. We'd like to see a faster boot time (or maybe the addition of Splashtop for quicker access to...

Aug, 2008

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Expert review by: Carla Thornton (pcworld.com)

VAIO VGN-FZ180E / B Notebook

Midsize notebook with a nice screen turned in great performance and long battery life.

Includes a built-in Webcam, Huge hard drive

Keyboard feels uncomfortable

If you want a top-notch multimedia laptop, look to a Dell Inspiron or a Toshiba Satellite. For a nice work laptop with a great 15.4-inch screen, though, this VAIO fills the bill

Sep, 2007

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Expert review by: Jerry Jackson (NotebookReview.com)

Sony VAIO FZ Review

The overall first impression that one has when looking at the FZ series is that this notebook was designed to look clean and simple. From the matte black and silver plastics to the flat keyboard keys the FZ is a design that lacks the flashiness of the...

Simple design with clean looks ; Fast Core 2 Duo processors and up to 4GB of RAM provide plenty of system performance ; Screen has excellent horizontal viewing angles ; Solid build quality and sturdiness ; Stays cool and makes little noise ; Good...

Useless AV button ; Too much bloatware installed ; Poor battery life ; Only three USB ports

While none of these applications are horrible and some are even helpful, many of these applications are hogging system resources when you startup the FZ for the first time and experienced users will likely want to uninstall most of this bloatware

Jul, 2007

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Expert review by: Carla Thornton (pcworld.com)

Sony VAIO VGN-FZ180E/B

Includes a built-in Webcam, Huge hard drive

Keyboard feels uncomfortable

Midsize notebook with a nice screen turned in great performance and long battery life.

Jul, 2007

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Expert review by: Dan Ackerman (cnet.com)

Sony VAIO VGN-FZ180E/B (Core 2 Duo T7300 2GHz, 2GB RAM, 200GB HDD, Vista Home Premium)

The midsize Media Center laptop is a hard concept to get one's head around. Those interested in playing movies, especially via Blu-ray, are likely to want a 17-inch or larger display, while mainstream users often turn to 15-inch laptops for their mix...

Typically excellent Sony design; handy media control buttons; Blu-ray drive and HDMI output.

Loaded up with adware and bloatware; no Bluetooth; not configurable.

We can't imagine the market for a 15-inch home theater laptop with Blu-ray is very large, but the Sony VAIO FZ180 certainly fits the bill--even if it's preloaded with unwanted come-ons for other Sony products.

Jun, 2007

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Expert review by: Mark Spoonauer (laptopmag.com)

Sony VAIO FZ Series (VGN-FZ180-E/B)

A brilliant display, Blu-ray drive, and plenty of performance all wrapped up in a sleek package.

Very thin and light • Bright and rich 15.4-inch display • Fast performance and good graphics • Blu-ray drive and HDMI port included

Scratch-prone cover • Too much trial software • Relatively short battery life

Jun, 2007

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Expert review by: Luigi Lugmayr (i4u.com)

Sony Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz 16" Laptop w/ Blu-ray burner for $700 + $8 s&h

Circuit City offers the 6.9-lb. Sony VAIO FW Series Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz 16.4" Widescreen Notebook in Black, model no. VGN-FW590F3B, bundled with a 1-Year Subscription to CA Internet Security Suite 2010 for $699.99 plus $8.15 for shipping. (CA...

Aug, 2010

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Expert review by: Consumer Guide (howstuffworks.com)

Sony VAIO VGN-FZ Review and Prices

Sony's VAIO systems are laptops with sleek design and, often times, a much larger price tag than their more traditional counterparts. The VGN-FZ series of laptop computers does offer attractive design, but the prices are quite reasonable this time.

Aug, 2007

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Product Specifications

Built for the executive, the VAIO VGN-Z530N/B combines portability with durability. Wrapped in durable carbon fiber and featuring a scratch-resistant XBRITE-DuraView LCD, the Z is designed for the ultimate road warrior. Staying connected with colleagues from the road is easy with the built-in 1.3-megapixel MOTIONEYE camera and microphone.Built-in Wireless-N technology offers a boost in wireless connection speed and range. Extend the reach of your Z notebook with stereo A2DP Bluetooth technology that is ideal for advanced wireless communication and streaming uncompromised CD-quality stereo music to Bluetooth technology enabled speakers or headphones.Hybrid graphics system lets you set graphics performance on the fly - no reboot necessary. An HDMI output delivers video and audio to external sources via a single cable so you can enjoy HD entertainment on your compatible big screen TV without a myriad of extra cables (HDMI cable sold separately). A built-in biometric fingerprint scanner makes authentication and secure access quick and easy - you only need your fingerprint. An integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) TCG Ver.1.2 compliant chip enhances security by allowing you to control access on a specific client/user basis. G-Sensor Shock Protection technology makes your data even less vulnerable to loss or damage. When the built-in 3D acceleration sensor detects a risky movement, the HDD-head will lock up to secure its position and help protect the disc from scratching.By using a mercury-free backlit LED display, the VAIO Z notebook keeps one less chemical out of both your home and the landfills. The Z notebook is ENERGY STAR 4.0 qualified, which means that it uses less power and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict efficiency guidelines set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. The VAIO Z notebook holds an environmental rating of Silver from EPEAT.

Audio Input

Type:Microphone

Audio Output

Type:Sound card

Battery

Run Time (Up To):4.4hour(s)/4hour(s)/5.5hour(s)

Technology:Lithium ion

Cache Memory

Installed Size:2MB/3MB/4MB

Dimensions & Weight

Depth:10.3in/10in

Height:1.4in/1.5in

Weight:5.7lbs/6.6lbs/6lbs

Width:14in/15.1in

Display (Projector)

Diagonal Size:15.4in/16.4in

Diagonal Size (metric):39.1cm

Max Resolution:1280 x 800/1600 x 900

Technology:TFT active matrix

Widescreen Display:

Yes

Environmental Standards

EPA Energy Star Compliant:

Yes

Header

Compatibility:PC

Country Kits:Belgium/Germany/Netherlands

Localization:Dutch/English/German

Manufacturer:Sony

Model:VGN-FZ11E/VGN-FZ11L/VGN-FZ11S/VGN-FZ11Z/VGN-FZ140E/VGN-FZ140E/B/VGN-FZ140N/B/VGN-FZ160E/B/VGN-FZ180E/VGN-FZ180E/B/VGN-FZ180U/B/VGN-FZ18E/VGN-FZ18M/VGN-FZ19VN/VGN-FZ210CE/VGN-FZ260E/B/VGN-FZ280E/B

Packaged Quantity:1

Product Line:Sony VAIO

Input Device

Type:Keyboard / Touchpad/Keyboard / Touchpad

Mainboard

Data Bus Speed:1066MHz/667MHz/800MHz

Miscellaneous

Color:Aluminum/Black/Silver

Refurbished:Refurbished

Modem

Max Transfer Rate:56Kbps

Protocols & Specifications:ITU V.90 / ITU V.92/ITU V.90 / ITU V.92/ITU V.90 / ITU V.92 / k56Flex

Type:Fax / modem

Networking

Data Link Protocol:Bluetooth / Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.11n (draft)/Bluetooth 2.0 EDR / Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g/Bluetooth 2.1 EDR / Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / Gigabit Ethernet / IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.11n (draft)/Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.11n (draft)/Ethernet / Fast Ethernet/Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g/Ethernet / Fast Ethernet / IEEE 802.11a / IEEE 802.11b / IEEE 802.11g / IEEE 802.11n (draft)

Type:Network adapter

Wireless LAN Supported:

Yes

Wireless Protocol:802.11 a/b/g/n (draft)/802.11 a/b/g/n (draft) / Bluetooth/802.11 a/b/g/n (draft) / Bluetooth 2.1 EDR/802.11a/b/g/802.11a/b/g / Bluetooth 2.0 EDR

Notebook Camera

Camera Type:Integrated

Notebook Camera

Camera Type:Integrated

Optical Storage

Read Speed:24x (CD) / 8x (DVD)/24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) / 1.6x (BD)/24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) / 2x (BD)

Rewrite Speed:16x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)/16x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM) / 2x (BD-RE) / 1x (BD-RE DL)/24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)/8x (CD) / 2.4x (DVD-RW) / 4x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM) / 1x (BD-RE)/8x (CD) / 2x (DVD-RW) / 4x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM) / 1x (BD-RE)/8x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 4x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM) / 2x (BD-RE) / 1x (BD-RE DL)

Type:BD-RE/DVD

Write Speed:24x (CD) / 8x (DVD/8x (CD) / 4x (DVD-R) / 8x (DVD+R) / 2x (DVD-R DL) / 2.4x (DVD+R DL) / 2x (BD-R) / 1x (BD-R DL)/8x (CD) / 8x (DVD

OS Provided

Edition:Windows Vista Business/Windows Vista Home Premium

Type:Microsoft Windows Vista Business/Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium/Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate

Processor

64-bit Computing:

Yes

Clock Speed:1.5GHz/1.8GHz/2.4GHz/2GHz

Manufacturer:Intel

Multi-Core Technology:Dual-Core

Processor Number:P8600/T5250/T7100/T7250/T7300

Type:Core 2 Duo

RAM

Installed Size:1GB/2GB/4GB

Max Supported Size:2GB/4GB/8GB

Technology:DDR2 SDRAM

Service & Support

Type:1 year warranty /2 years warranty

Software

Microsoft Office Ready:Includes a preinstalled image of select 2007 Microsoft Office suites. Purchase a Medialess License Kit (MLK) to activate the software.