The Black Beast (Sony Vaio TZ21WN/B)

Name: rleigh

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Product:	Sony Vaio TZ21WN/B
Date:	21.04.08 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fantastic portability, Excellent RAM, Very light weight.

Disadvantages: Processor is not as powerful as some, Hard drive is not huge.

If you're constantly on the move and desperately in need of a new laptop, then it's important that you choose one that can best suit your needs. I was recently on the market for a new laptop and it took a lot of deliberation before finally settling with this Sony VAIO as my laptop of choice. The TZ21WN/B is a very sleek little number, boasting an 11.1" screen and a healthy 2GB of RAM. The downside of this machine is that the processor is a mere 1.06GHz Core 2 Duo which for many just wont be powerful enough. With only 100GB of storage, it's also not perfect for those of you wishing to hold large masses of music, videos etc. on your laptop as with such a small amount of space to utilise it's just not going to happen. If you're looking for a reliable little laptop that's going to be easy to take from place to place then this is the one for you. I've been taking it with me everywhere I go lately and it hasn't let me down once.

The Sony VAIO TZ21WN/B is as aesthetically pleasing as it is a pleasure to work with; it is all black in colour, with black keys to match and a black touchpad mouse also. It is light in weight, and this is another factor of the laptop which makes it superb for carrying from place to place as it is little hassle whatsoever. It is a mere 1.3kg, which compared to other laptops that I have used in the past is just simply stunning. Almost everything about this laptop appeals to me greatly, and when I saw it on-line for the very first time I knew then that I just had to own one for myself, eventually splashing out a sizeable £1410 from Dabs.com having had a play around on it at the local Sony Store, instantly falling in love with it in the flesh also and deciding to find the best deal I could for it on-line.


- The Processor -

As I said before, the lowly processor with this laptop is an area in which it is a slight let down. It doesn't bode particularly well with the competition either as most of the other companies out there with ultra portable laptops on the market are placing better processors within their laptops. This said, the fact that the Sony VAIO TZ21WN/B is in possession of 2GB of RAM makes the 1.06GHz processor slightly less relevant. You will still be able to achieve great things with this laptop, and the pleasing amount of RAM will make sure that it will be a consistent performer and (touch wood) never let you down.


- The Screen -

The screen of this Sony VAIO has impressed me hugely as despite the fact that it is only 11.1" in size, it is extremely bright and is fantastic for watching all your favourite DVDs on when you're out and about. I was actually quite shocked when I first tried watching a film on this laptop as I had not been expecting much at all, but I was really impressed with the quality and crispness of the picture, something that you just don't get with other ultra portable laptops of this sort. The secret behind this is in the use of Sony's LED backlighting here, something which really makes the TZ21WN/B stand out from the competition.


- Webcam -

A webcam has been integrated into the screen of this Sony VAIO, something which not only looks good but is a very welcomed addition to the laptop also. Whether you're wishing to speak to your friends with an on-line Messenger service utilising the webcam, or hoping to become the next internet sensation on YouTube; the integrated webcam present with this laptop will provide a great deal of fun and is extremely practical too. With no requirement for an ugly oversized camera to be placed above or beside your laptop, if a webcam is something that you use on a regular basis, then having one integrated into your laptop is always going to be of appeal. Personally, I don't get a great deal of use out of the webcam as it's not something that I've ever really taken to, however I know that there are a lot of you out there that do make use of a webcam and therefore would find it very useful. When I have on the odd occasion made use of the webcam, I have found that picture quality has been extremely clear and I have always been highly impressed with it.


- Battery Life -

The battery life of this laptop is a supreme 6 hours. When it says on the box what the battery life is I tend not to believe them as you generally find that the actual battery life is nowhere near what they tell you it is, and in fact to get that sort of battery life from your laptop would require of you to not be using it at all for the entirety of that time. When the Sony VAIO TZ21WN/B says 6 hours though, it means 6 hours, and a joyful 6 hours those will be too. I have never known anything quite like it in a laptop - battery life with a standard laptop is generally about a third of what you get from this ultra portable machine, something I have come to accept as standard over the years. When you've been used to 2 hours play time when on the road and you now have the luxury of 6 though, you certainly find that you can get a lot more done when you're on the move and no longer have to worry about your expensive portable computer dying on you at the worst time possible. It would no longer be plausible for me to purchase a new laptop which doesn't have such a great battery life, this Sony VAIO has spoiled me to an extent where I now look down from a great height at laptops not as blessed as my own.


- Storage -

Despite saying before that this laptop isn't for those of you looking for somewhere to store your large collection of videos and music, what I will say is that the 100GB that this laptop does possess is more than adequate for most and will still allow plenty of space for all your most important documents, photos, and a healthy amount of music also. 100GB has always been plenty enough for myself, my previous laptop also had a 100GB hard drive and I had no problems there either. As long as you keep an eye on how much space you have used every so often then you should be absolutely fine and find yourself having no problems whatsoever that the storage that is available to you.


- RAM -

With a great to see 2GB of RAM, the Sony VAIO TZ21WN/B is extremely blessed in this department. My previous, and now very much housebound laptop only had 1GB of RAM, and even though it had a better processor theoretically, I actually find that this laptop runs more smoothly than my previous and this is without a shadow of doubt a result of its tremendous 2GB of RAM. I have friends that have for a while been raving about the difference 2GB of RAM can make as opposed to 1GB, and having now experienced first hand a laptop with 2GB, I can definitely say that they had good reason to be so enthusiastic about the difference it can make. Now that I have experienced a laptop with 2GB of RAM, I will now find it difficult to ever go back to using a computer which only utilises 1GB as I would just find it too unbearable to use now I feel.


- Gaming -

Sporting only an integrated graphics card, if you're a hardened gamer and gaming will be a requirement when purchasing a new laptop then this is not the one for you. The integrated graphics card is something that helps boost the battery life of this laptop, but if you're a gamer looking for a gaming laptop then this is possibly something that you're not particularly worried about. My advice is that if you're looking for a gaming laptop then this is not the option for you, there are plenty of laptops out there priced competitively with this that will be perfect for all your gaming wants and needs, but the strengths of this Sony VAIO lie in its portability, not in its gaming prowess.


- USB Ports -

My last Sony VAIO had 2 USB ports and this fact annoyed me greatly. This laptop has 2 USB ports also, and in this day and age it simply isn't enough. My USB Modem uses one of them for a start, which leaves a mere one of which there are plenty of things that could occupy it; my USB TV Tuner, Printer, and Scanner to name but a few, yet only one of them can be used at a time when also needing to be connected to the internet. When I use this laptop most though is when I'm on the move, travelling from place to place and all I require for the most part is my USB modem. For me, the lack of USB ports is therefore not a massive downside as the laptop still fits my uses and the lack of extra ports does not detract from my overall consumer experience of the laptop. If it was not just on my travels that I used this laptop however then obviously the 2 USB ports would not suit my needs, so this is something that definitely needs to be taken into consideration before making a purchasing decision. What will you be using the laptop for? If it's for home use and you will often require more than 2 USB ports then look elsewhere, but if your uses for this laptop will be similar to mine then I recommend this laptop to you wholeheartedly as it is a fantastic piece of machinery and having experienced no problems whatsoever with it, I could expect that you wouldn't either.


- Final Thoughts -

The Sony VAIO TZ21WN/B is a laptop which has impressed me incredibly, everything about it is excellent and you will therefore get a fantastic performance out of this laptop. I've always been a great admirer of Sony products as I find them to be more aesthetically attractive than other brands on the whole, and have never had any problems with a Sony product I have ever owned. Sony branded products always possess a sublime quality about them and this laptop is no exception to that rule. I feel that when it comes to replacing this laptop I will struggle to find one which lives up to the high standards which this one has set, it truly is the finest machine I have ever had the pleasure of owning and every time I use it, I feel honoured to call it my own.

With such an impressive battery life, a superb screen, and a massive amount of RAM; this Sony VAIO laptop is one that everyone should own with a requirement for ease of portability. The screen may be small but hugely impressive, and the light weight of the laptop make this the perfect machine for carrying around with you with ease and not having to worry about bulkiness. 11.1" is an incredibly small size for a laptop, and whoever said 'good things come in small packages' was completely correct as far as this laptop goes; it possesses a small size, but it's definitely a big performer.

Summary: A laptop I wholeheartedly recommend to all, hugely portable and a pleasure to use.

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