Notebooks Guide

Compare This

Sony VAIO VGN-Z17GN

25 Sep 2008

The elegant Sony VAIO Z is a 13.1-inch wonder machine from Sony that's bound to knock your socks off with both its looks and price.

Tags: (none)

Filter by Manufacturers

HWZ's Overall Rating: 9.0

<div id="product-review" class="article">
			<h2 class="header-green">Sony VAIO Z Series - VGNZ17GN Explored</h2>
		<span class="byline">Reviewed by Aloysius Low on Thursday, 25 Sep 2008</span>
		<div class="share">
	<div
		id="addthis_div_51a2cb2ec0b3b" 
		class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style"
		addthis:url="http://www.hardwarezone.com/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored"		addthis:title="Sony VAIO Z Series - VGNZ17GN Explored"	>
		<a class="addthis_button_google_plusone" g:plusone:count="false"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_facebook"></a>
		<a class="addthis_button_twitter"></a>
		
		<a class="addthis_button_email"></a>
	</div>
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 		//AddThis thing
		addthis_share = window.addthis_share || {};
		addthis_share.url_transforms = {
			add: {
				utm_source: 'addthis',
				utm_medium: 'referral',
				utm_campaign: 'addthis',
				utm_content: 'Sony%2BVAIO%2BZ%2BSeries%2B-%2BVGNZ17GN%2BExplored'
			}
		}
		
		addthis_config = window.addthis_config || {};
		addthis_config.data_track_clickback = true;
		addthis_config.data_ga_property = 'UA-166763-1';
		//window.addthis && addthis.toolbox (".addthis_toolbox");
		 
	});
//]]>
</script>		<div class="content resizeable">
						<div id="page-1" class="page">
		 		<h2 class="page-title">Jaw Meets Floor</h2>
		 		<h3 class="page_title">Jaw Meets Floor</h3>
<p>Some of you guys may remember it was only just last month when we spotted the Sony VAIO VGN-Z17GN at Sony's VAIO launch. Back then we couldn't stop drooling over this beauty, and now that it has finally made its way to our labs, we're glad to report that reality didn't disappoint (well, our initial impressions at least). Sony has rarely disappointed us with their famous VAIO series, especially the high-end models, but it's always good to know that the same high standards have been maintained.</p>
<p>We've also mentioned during our coverage of the launch that the VAIO acronym has changed from the original Video-Audio Integrated Operation to the newer Visual Audio Intelligent Organizer, which is Sony's way of hinting to consumers that they want you to use their products as part of your everyday life via their provided software. Of course, it's not like Sony hasn't had its fair share of bricks thrown its way with their bundled software, but at least the VAIO-Z17GN unit that we got didn't feel overly bloated at all.</p>
<p>You'll find that the VAIO Z series takes the look and feel of the previous Sony VAIO TZ model and sports a similar cylindrical spine and isolated keyboard design (which has also made its way to the newer SR and FW models). We'll take a more in-depth look in the next few pages, so for now, you'll just have to make do with these pictures of the exterior and its specifications.</p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/04/4a9b211dc2.jpg" title="Looking all glorious and gorgeous is the latest Sony VAIO model, the VGN-Z17GN." alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/04/48e75d45c0.jpg" title="The front portion of the VGN-Z17GN is slim and clean with just the wireless toggle and two card reader slots for Sony's MagicGate and Memory Stick Pro cards and the usual SDHC/MMC option." alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/04/d0cf181255.jpg" title="The right side contains an optical drive, a HDMI port, one USB 2.0 port, the Analog video out, and the pretty power button.
" alt="" /></p>
<p class="rtecenter"><img src="http://images.hardwarezone.com/upload/files/2010/04/f4d4f8035c.jpg" title="The left side packs more ports compared to the right side with the power jack, the LAN port (hidden), an ExpressCard 34 slot, a modem jack (hidden), a USB 2.0 port, a 4-pin FireWire port and the audio and microphone jacks.
" alt="" /></p>			</div>
		</div>
			<div class="pagination" >
		<span class="desc">Page 1 of 6</span>
		<ul>
			<li class="prevnext prev"><a href="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored" class="disabled">&lsaquo; Prev</a></li>
			<li class="skip">
				<form id="PageAddForm" method="post" action="/go"><fieldset style="display:none;"><input type="hidden" name="_method" value="POST" /></fieldset>					<select name="data[Page][url]" class="page-selector" id="PageUrl">
<option value="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored" selected="selected">Jaw Meets Floor</option>
<option value="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored/picks-jaw-floor">Picks up Jaw from Floor</option>
<option value="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored/inside-vaio-z">Inside the VAIO Z</option>
<option value="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored/battery-life-and-portability-index-8">Battery Life and Portability Index</option>
<option value="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored/performance-benchmarking-27">Performance Benchmarking</option>
<option value="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored/all-good-things">All Good Things</option>
</select>					<input type="submit" class="submit" value="Go" />				</form>			</li>
			<li class="prevnext next"><a href="/review-sony-vaio-z-series-vgnz17gn-explored/picks-jaw-floor" class="">Next &rsaquo;</a></li>
		</ul>
	</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var container = document.getElement ('#product-review'),
			content = container && container.getElement ('.content'),
			pagination = container && container.getElement ('.pagination'),
			form = pagination && pagination.getElement ('form'),
			menu = form && form.getElement ('.page-selector'),
			links = {
				prev: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.prev a'),
				next: pagination && pagination.getElement ('.next a')
			},
			page = -1,
			desc = 'Page {curPage} of {lastPage}'
		;

// Tag as Javascript-enabled
		pagination.addClass ('js');

menu.addEvent ('change', function (e)
		{
			var curPage = this.selectedIndex + 1,
				lastPage = this.length,
				url = this.get ('value'),
				pageContent = container && container.getElement ('.page')
			;

// Disable controls
			menu.set ('disabled', 'disabled').blur ();
			if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', .5);

new Request.HTML ({
				'url': url,
				'method': 'get',
				'link': 'cancel',
				'update': content,
				'onSuccess': function ()
				{
					// Update controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					links.prev
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage > 1)? curPage - 2: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage > 1)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					links.next
						.set ('href', menu.getChildren ('option')[(curPage < lastPage)? curPage: curPage - 1].get ('value'))
						[(curPage < lastPage)? 'removeClass': 'addClass'] ('disabled')
					;
					pagination.getElement ('.desc').set ('text', desc.substitute ({ curPage: curPage, lastPage: lastPage}));

captureIntraLinks ();
					new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement (container);
				},
				'onFailure': function ()
				{
					// Restore controls
					menu.erase ('disabled');
					if (pageContent) pageContent.setStyle ('opacity', 1);
				}
			}).send ();
		});
		$$([links.prev, links.next]).addEvent ('click', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			if (!this.hasClass ('disabled'))
				menu.set ('value', this.get ('href')).fireEvent ('change');
		});
		form.addEvent ('submit', function (e)
		{
			e.stop (); this.blur ();
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		})

// Capture all intra-page links and hook to js
		function captureIntraLinks ()
		{
			content.getElements ('a[href^="#"]').flatten().each (function (link)
			{
				var target = link.get ('href').substr (6).trim ();
				if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length)
					link.addEvent ('click', function (e)
					{
						e.stop (); this.blur ();
						menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
						menu.fireEvent ('change');
					});
			});
		}
		captureIntraLinks ();

// Trigger initial pagination state
		var target = location.hash && location.hash.substr (6).trim ();
		if (target && target.match (/^\d+$/) && target <= menu.length && target != page)
		{
			menu.selectedIndex = target - 1;
			menu.fireEvent ('change');
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>
				</div>

<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
	window.addEvent ('domready', function ()
	{
 
		var section = $('tab-product-content-review'),
			dropdown = section.getElement ('#reviews-list'),
			tId = 0
		;

if (section && dropdown)
		{
			var list = dropdown.getElement ('ul'),
				links = list.getElements ('li a')
			;

dropdown.addClass ('js');
			list.set ('morph', { 'link': 'cancel' });

$$(dropdown, list).addEvents ({
				'mousemove': function ()
				{
					$clear (tId);
				},
				'mouseenter': function ()
				{
					list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 1 });
				},
				'mouseleave': function ()
				{
					tId = function () { list.set ('morph', {'duration': 'short'}).morph ({ 'opacity': 0}); }.delay (1000);
				}
			}).fireEvent ('mouseleave');

links.addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				//unescape the 'alt' prooperty
				var o = new Element('i', { 'html': this.get ('alt')});
				new Request.HTML ({
					'url': o.get('text') + '&as=ajax',
					'method': 'get',
					'link': 'cancel',
					'update': section.empty().grab(new Element('div')
						.addClass ('waiter')
						.grab (new Element ('span', {
							text: 'Please wait while we load your article ...'
						}))
					)
				}).send ();
			})

section.getElements ('.footer .comments a').addEvent ('click', function (e)
			{
				e.stop ();
				new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($('tab-product-details'));

var href = this.get ('href').match (/#.+$/), target = href && href[0];
				if (target)
					(function () { new Fx.Scroll (window).toElement ($(target.substr (1))); })
						.delay (3000);

$('tab-product-comments').getChildren ('a')[0].fireEvent ('click');
			})
		}
		if( $$('.image-caption-container').length < 1 )
		{	
			$$('.article .content img[title]').each (function (img)
			{
				// skip if title is empty
				if (!img.get ('title')) return;
			
				new Element ('span', {'class': 'image-caption-container'})
					.addClass (['left', 'right'].contains (img.get ('align'))? img.get ('align'): '')
					.set ('width', img.get ('width'))
					.replaces (img)
					.grab (img)
					.grab (new Element ('div', {
						'class': 'image-caption',
						'html': img.get ('title').trim ()
					}))
				;
				img.erase ('align');
			
				var link = img.getParents ('a');
				if (link) link.addClass ('captioned');
			});
		}
 
	});
//]]>
</script>

Notebooks Guide

Sony VAIO VGN-Z17GN

Filter by Manufacturers

You may also be interested in...