Conclusion
The Sony VAIO Z is a very impressive laptop with interesting possibilities. It has the weight and the dimensions of an Ultrabook, but with the hardware of a full-size laptop. No ultra-low voltage processor, but a normal mobile processor with the option even of a quad-core model. It's a little slower than the standard versions, but nevertheless in this weight-class it's a very fast CPU.
The laptop has two SSDs in RAID 0 and a Full HD display with a limited resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. There are plenty of connectors, a full gigabit connection, VGA, HDMI and two USB 3.0 ports. It comes with a built-in 3G adapter and the option to connect a special external graphics card with either a DVD reader or a Blu-ray burner.
The VAIO Z will last about 5.5 hours if you take it easy, and it's not bad considering the powerful hardware that's inside. A nice option is the possibility to attach a second battery, which extends the battery life to 11 hours.
It's an exceptional laptop, that is priced accordingly. In Sony's online store you can mix and match the different options to get the features that are most important to you, and save some money in other areas (such as software). Regardless of which configuration you get, this laptop is special enough to earn the Hardware.Info Gold Award, even with the less-than-remarkable display.
Sony VAIO Z SVZ1311C5E (2012)
The Sony VAIO Z comes standard with two years warranty, which you can extend to three or four years.
