Sony launches ultra-slim VAIO TZ in Japan
updated 08:40 am EDT, Thu May 17, 2007
Sony VAIO TZ in Japan
Sony today chose its home country to introduce the TZ, its replacement for the ultraportable TX. As revealed in earlier product shots, the TZ is slimmer even than its predecessor (under 0.9 inches at its thinnest point) thanks to a newer shell. The keyboard is also MacBook-inspired and rises through the top shell to prevent spills.
New in the official release, however, is a unique storage option. Custom orders can not only install a 32GB solid-state disk but also swap the standard DVD-RW drive for a standard 160GB hard disk, offering both the speed of flash and the extra space of magnetic storage.
In Japanese form, the TZ starts with an ultra-low voltage 1.2GHz Celeron M that nets the 11-inch system as much as 8 hours of battery life through advanced power management; the base model also comes with 1GB of memory, an 80GB hard drive, and a DVD rewriter for $1,988. This model comes in Bordeaux red or black but is bolstered by models in gold or a black carbon fiber shell, with faster processors up to a 1.2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB of RAM, and 802.11n Wi-Fi.
Sony plans to ship the VAIO in the region on May 26th. No announcement has been made for other regions, but leaks in Europe point to upcoming releases in Western countries over the next few months, including the US. [via Impress]
