"This laptop has a 13.1 inch screen which is wide enough for work and entertainment purposes, and it definitely won’t be mistaken for a netbook."
Karim Beerahee
This Sony VAIO is part of the Z series, the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E (catchy name don’t you think?) is an ultraportable that offers one of the most powerful cores available on the market in a very compact laptop. It’s a mere 16.65 mm in thickness, so if you’ve seen the updates to Apple’s MacBook Air and Pro, HP’s EliteBooks and Acer and Asus’ Ultraportable machines this computer is on a par, or thinner, and lighter then it’s competitors.
What we like best
Since the idea of an ultraportable is that you carry it from A to B with the intention of using it at both locations we welcome the additional docking feature. To keep the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E so svelte sacrifices have been made, it doesn’t come with an optical drive or powerful graphics chipset. To compensate for this the Power Media Dock contains an optional Blu-ray or DVD drive and either an AMD Radeon HD 6650M or Intel HD 3000 graphics card, so you’ll be able to run excellent visuals for entertainment or work purposes on this VAIO.
The most impressive thing about the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E is its 2nd generation Intel i7 core, this processor could run heavyweight applications on a desktop PC, and so having it installed in an ultraportable will ensure lighting fast computer speeds up to 2.70GHz. This laptop has a 13.1 inch screen which is wide enough for work and entertainment purposes, and it definitely won’t be mistaken for a netbook. The in such a small laptop available chassis is carbon fibre which keeps it very light at just 1.18kg and resilient to the bumps it may receive whilt being transported.
What we like least
Some of you may find the angular lines and colouring a bit ThinkPad-esque, we like how professional the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E looks, but it seems a departure from usual Sony products which are a bit more eye-catching.
On such a small machine you find the touchpad compact and keyboard rather dainty, so if you have large hands or like a wide keyboard you might want to try out the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E before purchasing or shop about for a slightly larger machine. This is also a very expensive, the technology is cutting edge and it is a fantastic machine but unless you have a large budget or really need a portable machine with that kind of power you could buy a high-end netbook and desktop for the equivalent.
Cost aside, the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E is an impressive product; the 2nd generation i7 makes this very dynamic machine, and the added docking station transforms it into more than an ultraportable, it can be used as a desktop replacement as well.
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Processor Speed
Up to 2.70GHz
Processor
Up to Intel Core i7-2620
RAM
Up to 8 Gb
Screen Size
13.1 inch
Graphics
Intel HD 3000 graphics/AMD Radeon HD 6650M (with Power Media Dock)
Hard Drive Storage
Up to 256 Gb SSD
Battery
6-cell Li-ion
Multimedia
Headphone jack
Microphone jack
Fingerprint sensor
1.3MP web cam
Power Media Dock station (optional) including Blu-ray disc drive
Stereo speakers
Ports
2 x USB 2.0
2 x USB 3.0
1 x HDMI
Weight & Size
1.18Kg (with standard internal battery)
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n
3G
Bluetooth 2.1
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E is a powerful ultraportable, it stocks a second generation Intel Core i7 processor and SandyBridge technology. This allows the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E to remain powerful and lightweight. The SandyBridge Technology is augmented when stationary since you can hook the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E up to a docking station which has and AMD Radeon GPU or an Intel HD 3000 graphics chipset.
Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E
Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E IS Sony’s answer to those of you after something more powerful than a netbook and more portable then a laptop. The Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E is lighter and thinner than some netbooks and more powerful than your average laptop too.
If you want to find out more about its features, read the PC Site Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E review.
Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E has a 13.1 inch screen that is scratch resistant, the chassis made from a carbon fibre is also rather resilient, so it won’t get marred too easily. You will also notice that the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E is aimed at professionals, the design of the Sony VAIO VPCZ21V9E is reminiscent of ThinkPad machines that are sleek and efficient too.
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