Product Description

The thin-and-light VAIO FZ notebooks are ideal for professionals who spend their time both in and out of the office. With its slight and sturdy casing, robust processor and advanced wireless technology, this notebook has the performance and mobility features you need to stay productive.The thin-and-light VAIO FZ notebooks pack big power into a small, portable and durable magnesium alloy chassis. The VAIO FZ series is designed to maximize LCD space with advanced space-saving engineering techniques implemented throughout the chassis, including a reconfigured battery and motherboard design. The result is a brilliant 15.4" widescreen display in the body of a portable, thin-and-light notebook.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #856 in Personal Computers
• Brand: Sony
• Model: VGN-FZ140E/B
• Dimensions: 1.36" h x 14.01" w x 10.02" l, 5.75 pounds
• CPU: PowerPC G4 1.8 GHz
• Memory: 2000MB SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 1GB
• Processors: 1
• Display size: 15.4

Features

• 5.75-pound laptop with magnesium body, dedicated multimedia controls above keyboard, and 15.4-inch LCD
• 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor, 200 GB Serial ATA hard drive, 2 GB RAM (4 GB max), 8x DVD-/+RW drive
• Connectivity: 3 USB, 1 FireWire, 1 VGA, 1 S-Video, ExpressCard 34, Memory Stick/SD card slots
• Intel 4965 AGN wireless LAN connects to draft 802.11n routers (as well as 802.11a/b/g)
• Pre-installed with Windows Vista Home Premium (with Media Center capabilities); integrated WebCam

Amazon.com Product Description
With subtle sophistication and undeniable elegance, the lightweight Sony VAIO VGN-FZ140E/B notebook PC is crafted with an aesthetic touch and careful attention to detail. Offering a brilliantly colorful 15.4-inch XBRITE-ECO display, this 5.75-pound laptop maximizes LCD space with advanced space-saving engineering techniques, including a reconfigured battery and motherboard design. It's packed with entertainment features, including embedded A/V controls for one-touch access to your music, movies and pictures. A built-in camera and microphone is seamlessly integrated into the durable silver magnesium chassis so you can video chat with friends, family and co-workers.

This notebook is powered by the 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor, which offers a 20 percent performance boost over its predecessor while using 28 percent less power--so you get the benefit of a powerful dual-core PC plus all the benefits of mobility. It provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved gaming and multitasking performance. It includes Intel's 4965 AGN wireless LAN, which will connect to draft 802.11n routers and offers compatibility with 802.11a/b/g networks as well. Other features include a 200 GB hard drive, 2 GB of installed RAM (4 GB maximum capacity), multi-format/dual-layer DVD+/-RW drive (which also burns CDs), ExpressCard slot, and Intel GMA X3100 graphics card.

This laptop also comes preinstalled with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, which includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center. In addition to easily playing your DVD movies and managing your digital audio library, you'll be able to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV). Vista also integrates new search tools throughout the operating system, includes new parental control features, and offers new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures.

Entertainment Features
Imagine having the ability to enjoy your entertainment on your notebook without ever booting up. The VAIO FZ notebook with A/V Instant Mode lets you kick off your entertainment with a single push of a button. Go straight to watching a movie, playing music, or viewing photos without ever booting-up the operating system, thereby conserving a significant amount of battery life. The VAIO FZ notebook also includes a full set of dedicated multimedia controls just above the keyboard. A round A/V interface jumps out of the clean design of the VAIO FZ, adding a unique and practical touch to its sophisticated appearance. These intuitive music and video controls are user-friendly, so you can easily control your CDs, DVDs, pictures and home movies with the push of a button.

The Basics

• Processor: The Intel Core 2 Duo T7100 processor has a 1.8 GHz processor speed, speedy 667 MHz front-side bus (FSB), and a 2 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)

  The Intel Core 2 Duo processor has two computational execution cores in a single processor, providing greater system response when running multi-threaded applications simultaneously with no significant increase in power consumption. It's optimized for multitasking and is ready to support the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. It can simultaneously run multiple demanding applications--such as graphics-intensive games or serious number-crunching business productivity applications--while downloading music or running virus-scanning security programs in the background. Some of the advanced Intel innovations of the Core 2 Duo processor include:

  • Smart Memory Access: Improves system performance by hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
  • Advanced Digital Media Boost: Effectively doubles the execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics applications.
  • Dynamic Power Coordination: Coordinates Enhanced Intel SpeedStep Technology and idle power-management state (C-states) transitions independently per core to help save power.
  • Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing: Saves power by flushing cache data to system memory during periods of inactivity to lower CPU voltage.

• Hard Drive: The 200 GB Serial ATA hard drive is about double the average size for notebook PCs, however its 4200 RPM speed is a bit slower than current standard hard drives. It provides more than enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and video editing software. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to FireWire and USB 2.0.

• Memory: The 2 GB of installed RAM (2 x 1 GB DDR2, PC5300) is an excellent start, but you'll want to add more RAM to handle today's demanding multimedia and productivity suites. It provides two DIMM slots and has a large 4 GB maximum RAM capacity. It also offers a top-of-class 667 MHz speed. To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.

• DVD/CD Drive: The dual-layer DVD drive is compatible with a wide range of formats, including both DVD+RW and DVD-RW discs, CD-RW discs, and dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can hold up to 8.5 GB of data--great for backing up your MP3 collection or your most important documents. It features the following speeds: 4x for DVD+R DL, 4x for DVD-R DL, 8x for both single layer DVD+R/-R, 8x for single layer DVD+RW, 6x for single layer DVD-RW, and 24x/16x for CD-R/RW. It reads DVD-ROM discs at 8x and CD-ROMs at 24x.

• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 82-key keyboard (2.0mm stroke and 19.05mm pitch) and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Screen, Video & Audio
The 15.4-inch WXGA LCD offers Sony's XBRITE-ECO display technology and has a widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. The XBRITE-ECO technology delivers brilliant colors and stunning clarity with efficient power usage, and it features an anti-reflective coating to minimize reflection and ensure a beautifully clear image from any viewing angle. Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, which uses shared video memory (up to 358 MB allocated from the system memory) and provides Windows Vista Aero interface support.

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965 AGN LAN chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments).

This notebook also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. Here's the full list of connectivity options:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 ExpressCard 34
• 1 headphone jack, 1 microphone jack
• Memory Stick slot (supports optional Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, and Memory Stick DUO media)
• Secure Digital memory card slot (also compatible with MMC cards)

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.92) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Fast Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Operating System
Windows Vista Home Premium is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.

Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

Preloaded Software
Includes Sony Click to DVD (for easy DVD creation), Microsoft Works, Microsoft Office 2007 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial), Symantec Norton Internet Security 2007 (with 60 days of Live Update).

Dimensions & Weight
This notebook measures 14 x 10.02 x 1.4 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 5.75 pounds.

Power
It's powered by the VGP-BPS8 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of between 2 and 4 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGN-FZ140E/B notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty, and Sony offers 1-year of toll-free telephone technical assistance.

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Customer Reviews

Solid, lighter & faster than my desktop!!
I own it only for a week now. Yet to explore several features. First impression is very good. Build quality is very good. No drag, faster, lighter. Wireless connection is good. Screen quality is good. Best thing is the video chat. Built-in camera mic are way better than my Logitech Quickcam Fusion(which is supposed to be one of the best).
Played DVD quite nicely while downloading, doing other stuff. S-video works well.

Did not test DVD writer. Did not try playing media without booting OS yet. Did not stress test the system yet.

The Good:
1) Screen quality (compared to many other laptops).
2) Build quality, looks - SOLID
3) Comes with Wireless - N.
4) Intel's Newer Graphics chipset, better for Vista Aero.
5) My old sony used to have fan noise. This one is pretty good there.
6) Considering it is Sony, the price is pretty good. Got it for 1149 at Circuit City.

The Bad:
1) It is still pricey.
2) Does not have graphics card, for gamers.
3) Does not have HDMI.
4) Battery life is poor about 1.5-2 hours with power save mode on!!
5) I think the resolution for 15.4 inch should be better. It supports only 1280x800 otherwise what is the use of bigger screen, it will only reduce battery life.
6) Does not come with remote for media play. Play, pause, volume control buttons cannot be accessed with display closed.
7) Speaker quality is below average.
8) No built-in bluetooth support.


Will update the review later as I put the laptop to use.

Update:
1)Battery life is poor.
2)Below average speaker quality.
3)No bluetooth.
4)Not had any problems with Vista(yet).
4)Graphics performance is good for a laptop with integrated graphics w/shared memory(Good job, Intel).
5)Lots of pre-installed junk.
6)Many websites with streaming videos won't work with opera/Firefox. I think it is Windows Media player issue.
7)IE stops accepting mouse input sometimes, only way out is to restart IE.
8)Mouse key is hard and noisy.

With all these I would say it is still excellent overall, barring battery life.

Pretty and light machine, but lots of flaws for the premium pricing
The Sony FZ-140, 150, and 160 are nice light machines with a really pretty LCD panel, but lack a number of features that should be included for the premium price and between Vista, Intel, and Sony have a number of buggy features. A star off for the price/performance issue and a star off for the bugs, so 3 stars overall.

This review was written on a FZ150E with a T7300 and a 160 GB hard drive and Vista Home Premium; besides the choice of processor, hard drive, and OS the difference between these three models is very slight. The 140 has a T7100 processor and the 160 a slightly larger but slower drive. Other than that, they all have the same features: 2 GB of RAM, the Intel X3100 graphics card, a DVD-RW drive, and similar inputs, outputs and controls.

The good stuff first. It's a true, light laptop at just over 5 lbs, but despite that the gorgeous 15.4" widescreen LCD is oversized for a laptop this small and shows Sony learned something from making LCD HDTVs. Setup is reasonably brainless, and while Sony did include a bunch of trial software some of it is useful - Spy Sweeper, Norton AntiVirus, and MS Office all are nicely preloaded. Controls are intuitive and the keyboard good, and a few interfaces like Firewire, S-Video out (but not in), and a switch for turning wireless off are nice.

The bad stuff overwhelms this, though. The minor stuff is annoying; trial versions of everything from Sony software to Spiderman 1 and 2 (that you get to buy if you want to watch) that take a while to delete, a touchpad that occasionally floats your mouse around, and restore CDs that you have to make yourself. There aren't parallel, serial, or PCMCIA card ports - Sony isn't alone in dropping them as obsolete - but Sony made a big mistake in not including a HDMI output as they do on the FZ180 and up, and replacing Bluetooth with Sony-approved memory card slots makes no sense. Vista is as clunky as advertised, but that's not Sony's fault, and I'd suspect if this was running XP the battery life would move from lousy to so-so. More major are how this lacks a Blu-Ray drive, how the X3100 simply won't support a number of applications (let alone run them like molasses) given its inability to render some shapes, and how the 1280x800 maximum resolution is great for DVDs but lousy for running spreadsheets or reading smaller fonts. Sony rectified the former two problems on the 180 series along with including an HDMI output, but resolution below 1050 vertical lines (SXGA+ and the widescreen equivalents) is major if you're running business software. All these are things that should have been included at this price.

The lack of included hardware is disappointing, but the deal-killer is the performance. It's hard to tell if it's Sony or Intel, but this would often take 10 minutes to connect to a simple 802.11b WEP network. Certain Java apps ran like utter molasses, to the point where keystrokes would often have to be repeated. And finally, the incompatibility of the X3100 with any number of applications can't be emphasized enough; this is clearly not a high end desktop replacement. (Surprisingly, it wasn't Vista's fault at all; swapping Sony and Intel for different brands but the same OS, processor, and RAM eliminated the problem. Sony's support was entirely unable to troubleshoot the first two issues.)

The 180 and 190 series have more bells and whistles, but in any case it's hard to argue for a substantial premium for what you're getting even if it's a darned pretty machine. It's why this has been returned, and 3 stars overall.

Great Laptop
Pros:
- Good performance, even on power saver mode
- Very bright display (I normally use it at half brightness because it is actually TOO bright sometimes)
- Beautiful laptop

Cons:
- Too much useless software. It took me a few days to configure it to where I could use it without sorting through the junk in the menu's.
- Battery life is average, even with brightness down all the way.
- Battery jiggles slightly if touched, but this hasn't caused me a problem yet.
- Mouse buttons are noisy and hard to press. I've learned to use the tap feature on the touch pad.
- Only two USB ports that are very close together. I can't charge my ipod shuffle and have anything else plugged in at the same time because of the space between the USB ports.

Although I did come up with more cons than pros, I can easily work around each of the cons, and this laptop is still wonderful.