Hi,

I am an undergrad student and I am interested in getting a notebook. I mainly need it for making notes and writing papers, web surfing, looking running powerpoints or pdfs and making notes from them… but I want something which is small and light.

I had a chance to go to the sony store and play around with SZ and TZ series. Because I’ll be typing a lot, the salesman told me that the TZ would not be good, as my fingers would get cramped. But the SZ keyboard felt and sounded very cheap during typing, and the TZ did not seem that bad (although I can’t really test it for more than a few minutes, and I don’t know whether the feeling will change once my fingers get used to it.)

Now I have the chance to buy a vaio tx online and it is a very good deal. Do you think it will be able to handle my needs, and has anyone experienced any problems typing heavily for a few horus on the TX keyboard? Is the small keyboard something that everyone can get used to?

Thanks.

I think this depends on the size of your fingers. From most people I heard, they all got used to the slightly smaller keyboard. While both TX and TZ have the same keyboard size, the TZ keyboard is actually better than the TX’s because of the improved design and greater key travel.

Also note that the TZ has more functionality (ie: webcam, built-in microphone). Before you drop the cash for the TX, there is one important thing I must warn you: the TX has a fan problem, which is significantly louder than the TZ. That may annoy the heck out of you if you’re studying in a quiet room with the laptop on. Sony took care of a few important issues. The TZ’s fan is just a whisper, the lid is noticeably stronger and the speakers are less tinny too. If you’re interested in the TX, then you will love the Vaio TZ:)

Thanks for the reply.

From the reviews I’ve read, I thought the TX keyboard would be better because of greater size of the individual keys.

In total, the TXN15 with 1.5GB ram will cost me ~ $1400, and the TZ with 1 gb ram (which is on sale at sonystyle) will cost me ~ 2200. I am aware of the fan problem, but I don’t know if $800 is worth it?

Please advise.

gam12 - 07 October 2007 06:11 AM

Thanks for the reply.

From the reviews I’ve read, I thought the TX keyboard would be better because of greater size of the individual keys.

In total, the TXN15 with 1.5GB ram will cost me ~ $1400, and the TZ with 1 gb ram (which is on sale at sonystyle) will cost me ~ 2200. I am aware of the fan problem, but I don’t know if $800 is worth it?

Please advise.

I think what matters more is the spacing between the keys. For example: the distance on the Vaio TZ between the center of the ‘q’ key and the center of the ‘w’ key is the same as the distance on the Vaio TX. Really, the only concern here is whether or not your fingers can handle the slightly smaller overall size of the keyboard.

That is pretty tough to answer. If you buy the TX, you will probably want a new one in the future sooner, because the RAM is fully loaded. That’s the way it goes when one buys electronics. Some people fly high and long, others low and short. The good side of flying high and long is the feel of the ride during the first half of its use.

I’ve had my TX since last year (April) am still liking it.
Yes the fan noise is loud, but that is if I’m playing games on it.
It never bothered me, imho.  TZ looks very much well-built because
it looks like it has less exterior parts than the TX.
Plus the TZ are Dual-cores 1.06Ghz, and online/Sonystyle they have the 1.2 Dual-core ULVs. 
The TX only has either 1.3Ghz or that Core Solo ULV processor running at 1.2Ghz.

I love the keyboard in TZ, it’s like MAC. hehe..
But other than that,the OS, processor and the Intel
Graphics card, it’s almost the same spec.
The price/configuration I liked was almost 3k USD.
And I just upgraded my TX to a 32Gb Flash Drive, which btw
makes things runs faster in all aspect, for me.

If you’re in a budget that price is good.  Plus if you
broke your keyboard on a TX you can easily replace it,
it’s around 60 bucks for that parts from Sony Parts.
But on the TZ, since it’s new and the keys are embedded,
you probably will have a hard time replacing it. 
I am just saying this because you said you’re going to be typing
primarily on the laptop.

Thanks for all the info.

I finally found a (semi) good deal on a vaio tx750. It is one year old in very good condition, but there is no warranty left. Are there any problems which this generation of TX encountered that I should be wary of? Should I buy this and expect it to last me at least two more years?

Thanks.

gam12 - 15 October 2007 10:17 AM

Thanks for all the info.

I finally found a (semi) good deal on a vaio tx750. It is one year old in very good condition, but there is no warranty left. Are there any problems which this generation of TX encountered that I should be wary of? Should I buy this and expect it to last me at least two more years?

Thanks.

I am not sure about the ‘two more years’ part, but it depends on the configuration. Also keep in mind that the lid of the TX is a tad fragile (far too thin for my taste, even with carbon fiber). I do know the TZ lid is significantly stronger and less flex on the screen.

I found a good deal on a Vaio TZ from the Portable One website. The lowest specs go for 1900, and you can just swap the RAM with 2GB for a lower price than what Portable One is offering. The best thing about Portable One is they clean all the junkware in the laptops for you at no additional cost (I am not so sure. Probably contact them), thus you will end up with a much faster machine. In the long run, this may be just as good of a deal as the TX that you found. What do you think?

http://laptopsinc.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SONYTZ