We have no hesitation in declaring the Z128 the best notebook APC has ever reviewed...And would you believe it's a Sony VAIO, of all things.
Welcome to the most impressive notebook APC has ever reviewed, the Sony VAIO Z128. We knew we were in for something special after gazing at the eye-opening price tag of $4,099, but it was only when we booted it up that it became apparent just how special this tiny powerhouse is.
The first thing to dazzle is the immaculate display. Despite its small 13.1in dimension, Sony has packed a full 1,920 x 1,080 resolution in, resulting in the crispest, clearest display we’ve ever used. Using the popular island keyboard configuration, the smallish keyboard is wonderfully easy to use. Each key press feels easy yet firm, with absolutely zero keyboard flex. The touchpad is perfectly calibrated, delivering laser sharp accuracy.
But it’s this machine’s performance that is truly spectacular. Scoring a mindblowing 10,589 in PCMark Vantage, this score is double that of its closest competitor. We’re not sure how Sony has done it, but they’ve squeezed an Intel i7-620M CPU purring at 3.33GHz under load, paired up with a massive 8GB of RAM and the popular NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M discrete GPU.
An Intel integrated GPU is also included courtesy of the HM57 chipset, sacrificing performance for battery life. We squeezed 215 minutes of battery life out of this model in our standard test. Lovely. Most impressive of all is the hard drive. Four 64GB SSDs in RAID 0 configuration deliver absolutely blazing speeds, making this the ultimate video-editing machine. Yet it’s all squeezed into a package that is just 1.41kg in weight — absolutely amazing.
There are far too many other features for us to cover now, but if you can think it, the Z128 does it. We’re still in awe of this machine: it’s the ultimate notebook for those who kneel at the altar of high tech.
Editor's Note: I'm picking myself up off the floor. Sony is mostly known around these parts for overpriced and underpowered notebooks/netbooks that are sold primarily to fashionistas and people who should know better. This machine is incredible, so, Sony, all is forgiven..
