Sony VAIO Z (VGN-Z11WN/B)

Sony · VAIO

VAIO Z (VGN-Z11WN/B)

Released 2008

Sony's first European VAIO Z is a 13.1-inch business laptop with a carbon-fibre body, switchable graphics, mobile broadband and an internal DVD writer.

Size
13.1″
Display
–
Processor
Intel Core 2
Memory
4 GB
Weight
–
Battery
–

What reviewers say

TechRadar and 01net praise the build, keyboard, screen and performance, and find the switchable graphics useful. TechRadar criticises the high price and two USB ports; 01net considers the missing Blu-ray drive disappointing. Battery results differ substantially: TechRadar reports nine hours with Intel graphics, while 01net's pre-production sample manages about four hours of office work and two and a half hours of DVD playback.

From techradar.com and 01net.com

Display

Screen size
13.1″
Resolution
1600 × 900
Touchscreen
No
Display type
X-black LCD with white LED backlight
Colour range
100% NTSC (Sony's claim)
Screen finish
Scratch-resistant surface with reduced reflections

Performance

Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo P8600
CPU cores
2
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS
Memory
4 GB
Storage
250 GB
CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 at 2.4 GHz (PC Pro/Alphr and 01net); Intel Centrino 2 platform
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS in Speed mode; Intel GMA 4500MHD in Stamina mode (PC Pro/Alphr); switching does not require a restart
Storage type
250GB hard disk and dual-layer DVD writer (PC Pro/Alphr and 01net)

Connections

Ports
2 × USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, SD card slot, headphone jack
Wi-Fi
802.11a/b/g/Draft n
Webcam
Motion Eye
Operating system
Windows
Port detail
2 × USB 2.0; VGA; HDMI (Speed mode only, mutually exclusive with VGA); Gigabit Ethernet; SD and Memory Stick slots; ExpressCard/34; i.LINK S400; separate microphone and headphone sockets; modem and docking connector; everywair 7.2Mbps HSDPA mobile broadband
Keyboard
Isolation keyboard with spaced, concave keys
Trackpad
Touchpad with left and right buttons
Speakers
Built-in stereo speakers
Microphones
Built-in monaural microphone
Biometrics
Fingerprint reader (TechRadar)
In the box
Windows Vista Business (PC Pro/Alphr)

Battery and size

Battery life detail
Sony claims over five hours in Stamina mode; battery capacity and an exact maximum are not published in the European announcement
Materials
Carbon-fibre body; brushed aluminium keyboard panel and palm rest
Colours
Black

Configurations

ProcessorMemoryStorageGraphics
Intel Core 2 Duo P86004 GB250 GBNVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS

Pros and cons

Pros

  • 1600 × 900 LED-backlit display
  • Switchable NVIDIA and Intel graphics
  • Built-in HSDPA mobile broadband and DVD writer

Cons

  • Only two USB ports
  • This configuration has a hard disk rather than an SSD
  • No Blu-ray drive in the VGN-Z11WN/B configuration

Closest rivals

Model
SizeDisplayProcessorMemoryWeightBatteryReleased
13″IPS LCD, 60 HzQualcomm Snapdragon X Plus8 GB – 16 GB1.22 kg23 hMay 2025
13.3″–Intel Core i54 GB1.35 kg–Feb 2012
13.3″60 HzIntel Core 22 GB––2007

Sources

  1. sony.com/electronics/support/res/manuals/Z008/Z008271111.PDF
  2. mynewsdesk.com/sony-europe/pressreleases/the-vaio-z-series-power-and-portabilit…
  3. alphr.com/blogs/2008/07/16/first-look-sony-vaio-z-series
  4. sony.jp/CorporateCruise/Press/200807/08-0716
  5. techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/laptops-portable-pcs/laptops-and-netbooks/sony-vai…
  6. 01net.com/tests/test-l-ultraportable-d-exception-auquel-il-ne-manquait-que-le-b…

Photo: sony.jp

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