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Rating: 
Summary: I am satisfied with my new Sony VAIO PCG-Z1A Notebook PC
Review: I bought mine 3 weeks ago and am very happy with it.I read review regarding the 'right shift-key'.
Yes it is small. It takes some adjusting, but after a couple of days I get used to it. I wish it is bigger. Thats the only complain I have. The wireless network works like a charm (even with WEP Encryption enabled). I do not have any disconnecting problem.
I used Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Access Point + Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch. I love the weight, speed, and features of this laptop. The sony application that comes with this laptop is also cool. I have burn several CD for data and also for music. They are quick. I also use XP to copy files multiple times to a CD-R. Yes, multiple times. I can keep adding files to the CD-R. I think this is an XP feature?? But this is cool. The laptop is very quiet. The only noise you hear is when you use the CD Combo Drive. The MemoryStick slot IS compatible with MemoryStick Pro (higher than 128 Mb), MagicGate MemoryStick, etc. You need to update the software for it via Sony website:
http://www.ita.sel.sony.com/bin/support/support.cgi?whichone=1&installfile=msfmtinst210.txt&downloadfile=MSFMTINST210.EXE I created a dual OS boot (XP Pro and XP Home) for this laptop. XP Pro for my work using VPN connection and XP Home for personal use. All networking feature works well. The reason why I bought this particular model is because of: intergrated wireless networking, lightweight, battery life, design of the product (very appealing and thin), and the processor technology. I recommend this laptop very much.
Rating:
Summary: great display, battery life, and surprisingly light-weight
Review: I bought this laptop about three weeks ago and am extremely happy with it. The display/weight combination got me interested in this product. I love the display. It is truely highly portable, and the battery life is indeed much better than for any laptop I ever had. I'd rather not have a floppy drive (which I almost never use anymore) and economize on the weight. I got a USB flash drive to exchange data.
It is also extremely quiet. The only time when you hear it is when you copy Audio CD's to the hard drive. So far, I highly recommend this machine.
The only drawbacks: it comes with Windows XP home edition, which I had to upgrade to professional. It also comes with Microsoft Works instead of Office XP, which is very annoying. However, Sony included some multi-media software that some people might find useful.
Other things to keep in mind, in addition to the floppy drive: this machine comes without a serial/parallel port. So if you have older peripherals, be prepared to upgrade them. Both my Canon Powershot Camera and the Visioneer One Touch scanner are not compatible (this seems to be an XP issue rather than Sony though).
Rating: 
Summary: Weak GPU, keyboard and bad glidepad
Review: I have to say, I was awe by the design of the shell of this baby. I was so happy until I realize I was not productive for the 2 weeks that I had this sony vaio. Most of the time i had to plug in an external keyboard and mouse because the right shift is as tiny as an ant and the glidepad will not response well. I was really frustrated when I saw try to edit my photo in paintshop pro. My cloning tool keep clone more than i needed because the glidepad was not responsive. At time it wont even move and times it will jump around. I turned on off all the fancy feature and yet the same. As for the graphic, I couldn't watch a DVD and type my report in word at the same time due to the weak GPU. Overal I'm very unhappy and wish I didn't spent [so much money] on this flawful laptop. I gave it 1 star for cool power plug, another for design. It could have had 3 more if the keyboard, glidepad, and graphic were better. I hope this helps you all. I dont had Sony, infact majority of my electronics are SONY. From TV to Stereo system to my old desktop and laptop. Sony you need to listen to the costumers!!!
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Fast, Quiet... Almost Perfect
Review: I initially bought a heavy P4-2.4GHz laptop, but the loud noise of the fan started to really annoy me. Also, the battery would not last more than an hour, and carrying it around large airports was a pain. I was considering a downgrade to a P3-M when I read a review on the Intel Centrino powered laptops. After evaluating some options, I narrowed down the search to a Dell Inspiron 600M (best value and performance from a reputable manufacturer) and the Sony Z1A1 (best looking, but most expensive). The 4 week delivery time quoted by Dell (vs. 3 days by Sony) prompted me to try the Z1A1. It took just one look out of the box for me to really start falling in love this machine. It is by far the best-looking laptop on the market. As an engineer, I didn't think that this would be such a big deal, but the aesthetics really makes it a joy to work on this system. What's more, the system really performs. I was worried about the fact that this laptop had an older ATI 7500 graphics chipset with16MB of memory vs. Dell with the newer ATI 9000 and 64MB memory option. I must conclude that the Dell system must kick some serious butt, since doing a side by side comparison with my P4-2.4GHz laptop proved to me that the Sony Z1A1 significantly outperforms the P4 laptop in everything I've tried so far. This system is definitely more than adequate for my needs (frequently running Outlook, Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet Explorer, Photoshop, and Illustrator at the same time). It is very quiet (no fan noise), and I consistently get over 4 hours of battery life. Unfortunately, it is not perfect. There appears to be some problem when you are running your WiFi with encryption. It frequently gets disconnected. This isn't a huge problem since reconnecting takes but two mouse clicks. Also, the key on the right side is the same size as one of the standard letter keys. Although it is not a problem for me, my wife frequently hits the adjacent key. Considering the fact that I spend more time with this laptop than any other product that I have purchased, I think the appearance is worth extra cost. I totally recommend this system.
Rating: 
Summary: Awful keyboard layout
Review: I thought this would be an awesome laptop, but after starting to use it, I discovered that the right shift key is the same size as other keys, with the result that I would too frequently hit the up arrow key next to it. The shift key design was critical enough for me to take it back to the store. I ended up with the Apple 12" Powerbook, which is the best laptop I've ever used.
Rating:
Summary: Super style and performance
Review: In my opinion, this is the only Windowns laptop that rivals the superb industrial design of the Apple PowerBook G4. The Z1A is also a terrific performer with a very fast chip, lots of RAM, huge hard drive and built-in wireless capability . . . all at 4.7 lbs with the battery! The whole package feels very solid and of high quality. Don't be misled by the 1.3 GHz rating of the chip; the new Pentium M operates noticeably faster than a P-4 or P-III with a higher GHz rating. Furthermore, the laptop does not operate at too high a temperature. I almost never hear a fan, and when I do, it's more like a soft hum of a hard drive being accessed. The monitor is very high resolution (1,400 by 1,050), which provides brilliant clarity for photos and videos, but can cause some eye-strain with numbers and text. To improve legibility without turning down the resolution, I suggest changing some of the settings under Display - namely, increasing font size and especially calibrating Windows XP's ClearType font, which made a huge difference for me. My prior laptop's OS was Windows ME, which crashed a lot and had steadily degrading functionality. Windows Home XP on the Z1A has been terrificly stable; furthermore, it's restore function worked like a charm to undo file or registry or program mistakes. The CD-RW/DVD ROM drive is very good. There was absolutely no interruption or hesitation watching a 2-hour DVD. Built-in stereo speakers are acceptable, but I listened with headphones and the sound quality output was shockingly good. The piece-de-resistance for me was built-in Wi-Fi. Very cool! For [$$] bucks, I set up a wireless broadband network in my home and now I cruise the internet, chat and e-mail in the living room and dining room without any wires or cables! I cannot tell any difference in speed between my cable modem and Wi-Fi. I've even tried some hot-spots around town and it worked like a champ. Definitely the future! Finally, the battery. One of the great advantages of Centrino is battery life. Although the Z1A does not excell in this category, it beats any non-Centrino laptop, but probably falls in the lower range of other Centrino laptops. In normal usage, I found that the battery lasted about 3.5 hours. I watched a 2-hour DVD and had about 1.5 hours left to cruise the 'net. The only negatives that I've found so far relate to the keyboard and a lack of a diskette drive (an[$$] dollar external option). Since this is a highly portable laptop, the keyboard is missing some keys and some keys are smaller than I'm used to. Specifically, there's no dedicated page-up, page-down, home and end keys. They are activated by pressing the Fn key and an arrow key simultaneously. Also, the left shift key is the same size as letter keys, so I am always missing it or hitting an arrow key. However, these seem like mild inconveniences considering the overall stellar package. Conclusion: Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The apple.. I mean, The Sony of my eyes!
Review: The price might be a few hundreds more than your budget... But if there's something I have learned as a consumer, it is not to scrimp on a computer! A computer is meant to be used for years so you might as well invest on something as powerful as Sony PCG-Z1A. It has a big memory, it's fast, and it's much lighter than its counterparts. I mean, just look at the specs! Other computers may have the same specs but they will be twice as heavy. The resolution of the monitor is also fantastic! Try using another computer after you have owned this one and you'll see the difference especially when watching DVD's. It's truly awesome! The sounds seem unimpressive when listening directly from the speakers but you'll be surprised by the good quality upon using a headphone. Be aware too that this doesn't have a floppy drive. It shouldn't matter though since it has a CD-RW/DVD drive. The lightness of the computer, of course, doesn't prevent you from bringing it with you and doing your work wherever you want. The wireless internet connection also allows you to regularly check your e-mail and write back to your family, friends, or co-workers. I thought I don't need it, but now, I can see how it makes things more convenient - a good thing for people always on the go. With it's matted silver finish and slim compact design, you'll always want to bring it with you. I say, don't stay with a computer that you're not completely happy about. I didn't. That's why I replaced my old laptop with this beauty. Trust me, you'll fall in love with Sony Z1A!
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly impressive
Review: The Z1A is very portable and stylish. Performance is very good even though it's only 1.3ghz, it outperforms 2.2ghz notebooks in my kind of benchmarks (doing side by side comparison). The screen is kind of small and I was outraged by the fact that it doesn't accept Sony Memory Sticks that have capacity larger than 128mb, unbelievable! I would really loved to use a Memory Stick that's widely available in 1gb size.
After some extensive use, I can say the Z1A is worth being in the +/-[$$] price range notebooks, the rest I guess is for its style.
Rating: 
Summary: I love it!
Review: This laptop is for someone who cares about the look more than anything else... i can tell this laptop is very sinsetive and you'll have to take care of it and treat it as if its an expensive peace of glass, so be gentle with it.
i bought this 8 month ago and until now i didn't face any problem with it. sony is a powerful company. you never regret what you spent. & i highly recommand this product :)
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Prodcut
Review: When I got a choice of any laptop for Christams I had a hard time deciding. Every laptop sacraficed power for battery life and vice vera. So I waited. In March I discoverd the Sony Z1 and I knew that this was the computer for me. It is small, but very powerful, with lots of memory. Also, the battery life is fabulous. I really like the keyboard, too.
I would suggest this laptop to any person who wants a powerful computer that works flabulously.
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