Picks up Jaw from Floor
As mentioned earlier, the basic essentials of the VAIO TZ were retained in the the newer VAIO Z, though understandably there's slightly more weight piled on given its internal components. It's also slightly larger and thicker than the VAIO TZ, but still feels slim and light in our hands. The overall non-glossy brushed metal look also wins points in our little hardened reviewer's hearts, and the non-reflective screen panel just makes us wish other manufacturers would do the same. Maybe it's just us, but the traditional yet elegant feel of the VAIO Z is something we like to see more in other notebooks (though there are some nice designs out there too).
Ah, looks clean and nice, doesn't it?
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The only design problem we could really find after all that playing with the unit was the slightly flimsy screen panel, which wasn't helped by the impression that it would break if we mishandled the panel. This is probably due to the thinness of the screen panel, as the hinges connecting the panel to the base appeared rock solid. While we're guessing it's probably sturdy enough for normal use, we suggest not carrying the unit by the screen as some folks are wont to do.
This built-in webcam only does VGA (640 x 480), but that is usually more than sufficient for most.
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An overview of the "isolated design" of the keyboard and the base of the VGN-Z17GN.
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Located at the top right corner of the notebook are the speakers and the eject button for the optical drive. You can also eject it via a button at the side, but this is way more convenient.
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The top left corner is home to the other speaker, the graphics switching button and two buttons that are programmable via the VAIO control panel program.
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The touchpad of the VGN-Z17GN was easy to use and responsive. No complaints here.
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Our last shot for this page is a quick look at how nice the keyboard is. The spacing between the keys does help a lot for touch typists as chances of hitting the wrong key is lessened somewhat.
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