A Review of the Ultra Mobile 11.1" Sony VAIO VGN-TZ240N/B Notebook

Ultra mobile notebooks have long been the most popular and often most expensive notebooks on the market. The Sony VAIO VGN-TZ240N/B 11.1" notebook is no exception. I've been seeing these little guys fly off of the shelves recently and have noticed it is frequently one of Amazon's top selling portables. Now that computer buying season is quickly approaching I've decide to get my hands on one and give this notebook a review. First let me start with a few of the basics.

Hardware:

Processor: 1.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7500

RAM: 2GB RAM

Optical Drive: CD R/ RW with integrated dual layer DVD R/RW +/- burner

Imaging: Bezel Integrated Webcam

Storage Space: 100 GB Hard Drive

Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Business

Graphics Card: Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 (using 256MB of shared video RAM)

Dimensions: 10.9" x 7.8" x 1.2"

This notebook is startlingly small. It only has an 11.1" screen but it is plenty and thanks to Sony's excellent display technologies this is truly a gem. The WXGA screen runs at a resolution of 1366 x 768 and is backlit with LED's saving you precious battery power. It is bright and doesn't wash out very easily in bright light however there is considerable glare on the reflective screen at times. The processor is fairly strong for such a small notebook, and the RAM is adequate at 2GB. The hard drive is a little small at 100GB however when you to consider how small this notebook is it is forgivable.

Connectivity:

Inegrated WiFi

Integrated Sprint Mobile Broadband Service

Integrated Bluetooth

1 Ethernet port

Integrated memory stick and SD card reader (so you can remove your memory card from your Sony or SD compatible camera and directly insert it into this notebook)

1 ExpressCard 34 Slot (to add peripherals)

2 2.0 USB ports (these are the standard inputs for digital cameras, printers, and MP3 players among others

1 Audio out / 1 Mic in

1 VGA output (a typical monitor output)

1 Modem input (so you can dial up)

The connectivity is a little light, especially on the USB ports. I love that it has the integrated Bluetooth though so you can sync with your phone or even your car. In the end this is a great little notebook for those that want to stay on the go. It won't be a great option for those into multimedia applications or playing games (it plays DVD's beautifully though) but it will do a lot of general office and Internet work. However with a price tag of about $1800 this is a pricey addition to anyone's collection, however if you can afford it this is certainly worth every dime.