Sony Vaio VPC-Z21 Series

Overview

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 34 expert reviews

Excellent:

11
Good:

17
Average:

4
Bad:

2

Pros:

Very good display.
Microsoft Signature clean OS install.
Incredibly thin and light.

Cons:

Trackpad.
Slow SSD.

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Last revision on February 5, 2014

Reviewers Liked

Very good display
Microsoft Signature clean OS install
Incredibly thin and light
Powerful
High-resolution display
Good battery life
External dock enhances functionality
Truly impressive performance
Unrivaled combination of musclebound power with feather weight

Reviewers Didn't Like

Trackpad
Slow SSD
Lacks WiDi
Chassis feels flimsy in spots
Display and audio quality is sub-par
External dock is a pain to pack
Expensive
Very loud fan under load
Invasive Vaio software suite bundle is simply unnecessary
Cost equivalent to feeding thousands of starving children for a month
Poor keyboard

Expert reviews and ratings

We're impressed that Vizio's first notebook computer gets most things right the first time. The design is clean if a little plain, casing materials are good and the specs are competitive. The display is markedly better than many Ultrabooks on...

By MobileTechReview on August 07, 2012

100

Although audio quality could clearly be better and the fan gets a bit noisy from time to time, the Sony Vaio VPCZ21V9E has a plenty of great features, including a stylish design, a well-thought-out docking station, a powerful processor, a decent...

By DigitalVersus on February 24, 2012

If you need power in the smallest laptop possible, Sony's Vaio Z offers an acceptable...

By Digital Trends on February 09, 2012

Sony have been creating laptop computers now for as long as I can remember and their flagship range, the Z Series has been attracting the attention of aficionados for many years. Today we are looking at a fully specified Z Series system with Core...

By Kitguru.net on January 15, 2012

When the press release for Sony’s latest VAIO Z appeared in my inbox, it took just seconds for me to fire back a request for a review model. Why? Because this ultraportable 13-inch laptop and its associated ‘Power Media Dock’ combine...

By PCWorld New Zealand on December 05, 2011

The computing industry has spent the last 20 years toiling constantly to bring portable computers toward an inevitable decrease in size and weight. It makes sense â€“ nobodyâ€˜s interested in carrying around a 5kg notebook...

By APC Magazine on November 23, 2011

It really is the Sony Way. Take a product that’s been around for a while, soup it up, throw in every possible feature imaginable, and make it smaller and lighter than everyone else’s machine.Then double the price.Such is the state of...

By Wired on November 09, 2011

When it comes to thin and light notebook designs, Sony was a pioneer. Some of the early Vaio designs were revolutionary. But then it seemed to all fall apart – its more recent notebook designs have generally been relatively ordinary. That is,...

By Gadget Guy Australia on October 18, 2011

The Sony VAIO Z Series laptops measure 13 x 0.66 x 8.27-inches (whd) and weigh about 2.5-pounds, which is about as thick as the MacBook Air's thickest point but lighter than the Air. Sony accomplished this by making the body out of aluminum and...

By TechReviewSource on October 17, 2011

Sony demonstrates cutting-edge design in this surprisingly powerful but unfortunately expensive laptop....

By PCWorld on October 11, 2011

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