Choosing Sony Vaio TZ over new UMPC

Pocketables will be attending CES 2008 in January . . . and my UMPCs are staying at home. I'm taking the Sony Vaio TZ170N ultra-portable notebook I just ordered instead.

This will be my first consumer electronics show ever and I normally don't work away from home, so I've been obsessing over my mobile blogging strategy for months. Given my affinity for and daily use of UMPCs and handtops, the answer seems quite obvious. Grab a UMPC! Buy a new one even.

This sounds like a great idea, of course, but when I think about what I really need and how I really want to work while on the road, I realize that a new UMPC isn't right for me. Not for CES (and subsequent events).

And it's not that I don't think a UMPC is capable of it, because it is. With a few compromises, it is.

But I chose the TZ170N (11.1" LCD, 1.06GHz Core 2 Duo U7500 processor, 2GB RAM, 100GB HDD, Vista Business). And here's why:

• Self-sufficiency. Measuring 10.9" x 0.8" - 1.2" x 7.8" and weighing 2.7 pounds, the TZ is portable but obviously bigger and heavier than any UMPC currently or soon-to-be on the market. However, it requires no add-ons. No external keyboard, mouse, or optical drive is needed to get some serious work done (i.e., lots and lots of typing). It's an autonomous, no-compromise productivity machine. Not having to carry any peripherals also partially offsets its size and weight.
• Battery life. The standard battery included with the TZ is rated at 4 to 7.5 hours, which is more than double that of most UMPCs. I don't know what the power outlet situation will be like at CES, but I'd rather not have to keep an eye out for one, carry a separate battery pack, or run back to the hotel room. I'm actually a really slow writer, too, so I don't need a dwindling battery breathing down my neck.
• Keyboard. The built-in keyboard on the Kohjinsha SH6 may be a tremendous improvement over the one on the SA1, upon which I could type at only half of my normal speed, but with the amount of typing I assume I'll be doing at CES, I need something as close to full-size as possible. The TZ's raised keyboard is 90%.
• Built-in ODD. I've been using UMPCs for over a year, so I've gotten used to not having a built-in optical drive. But if I'm not at home, where I connect an old TDK drive, I need one to use with my Sony DVD Handycam. I know that most people use their digital cameras to record video, which makes uploading content easy (most UMPCs have memory card slots), but I use my Handycam. I like it and it works for me.
• It's a Sony. Yeah, I'm ridiculous and materialistic like this. And I know it's politically incorrect to say that looks matter, but they do.

And that's it. My main reasons for choosing the TZ over a new UMPC.

Oh, and unless interest in seeing it on the site is high (is it?), I won't review or really talk about the TZ again. Although the name "pocketables" is more figurative than literal and the TZ does qualify as a portable gadget, anything bigger than a 7" screen is usually off limits here.

Comments

[Kevin C. Tofel]

Not a bad choice by any means! Look forward to seeing you at CES. :)

[Benz145]

Yes please review the TZ! Also I'm not sure how long you've been thinking about the TZ but I should have told you to take a look at the new Dell XPS. Its 13.3in screen, but its quite thin, and running the new Santa Rosa chipset, which means more power, it would also probably be less expensive. Battery life on the XPS might be a bit lower than the TZ, but I think its worth checking out.

[skippythelizard]

Oddly enough, I've been thinking the same thing for the same reasons ... so I'd be curious what you think of the TZ.

For me the lack of optical drive isn't a big deal with a UMPC ... I'm actually thinking about getting the TZ90 with 32GB solid state + 160GB HDD.

Keyboard, battery life, and more storage are pushing me toward this decision.

I love UMPCs, but since I got my iPhone, I'm finding that it better fulfills my UMPC needs than a UMPC. It's more portable ... e-mail client and browser are very good and usable, especially considering the portability. I can deal with toting around an ultraportable like the TZ for those times I need to do more.

@Benz145 - The specs on the new XPS are nice ... it tempted me ... but in my opinion, it's too big ... at least for what I want.

[Al]

I'd love to see a review of the TZ as well. I'm with you, except for the optical drive. The only time I've ever cared to have one around is to copy some DVD to my hard disk, or to re-install an OS. Would much rather give up the weight and battery drain and have an external that I would plug in ... at home, the few times I needed it.

[Bruno]

Jenn, great choice :-) As you know I have the previous version, the TX, and have had my sights on the TZ for a while! TX is gorgeous but TZ looks even better and the dual core processor certainly does not hurt! I agree with all of your points with a possible exception of the ODD - I rarely ever use it. On the other hand I am glad it is in there when I need it (about one or twice in the past year :-) ), especially since the laptop makes for an excellent media player, too. Have fun and by all means do review the TZ!

[Don]

I too will be getting a TZ shortly to replace my older TR which is still great--I bought a TX recently for my ladyfriend and once I got it optimized by getting rid of the bloatware it runs the Vista Business nicely with the solo processor. I will opt for the 32 SSD and I'm sure they will have the 64 SSD out right after I buy it! Great choice.

[jkkmobile]

Jenn, please stop lying to your self! ;)

U just wanted a new device and try to justify it....

I have been also looking that one from the design aspect, its really good looking!

[Jenn]

Hmm. Now I feel so old-fashioned in my love for the ODD!

@ Kevin: I hope that gigantic red aloha shirt from this year's show is there again! Otherwise I'll be too homesick :-)

@ Benz: The XPS is nice (and even the highest spec'd one is $700 cheaper than the TZ170N), but I agree with skippy. It's a tad too big for my taste. If I was in the market for a 13-incher, I actually think I'd go for a MacBook.

@ skippy: I'm reaching for the iPhone and N800 a lot more now, too. I'm looking forward to seeing how the upcoming MIDs fare against devices like these. What I've been thinking about lately, though, is that the trade-off to the instant-on aspect of non-UMPCs (slower browsing) sometimes negates the benefit of not having to sit through a boot/resume.

[Jenn]

@ Al: I understand what you mean. If a swappable ODD drive were available as an option, I probably would've gotten it.

@ Bruno: The only thing I don't really like about the TZ's design is the placement of the power button. I'm sure there's some sort of safeguard, but it looks like it could be accidentally pressed pretty easily.

The standard battery life is lower than the TX too, isn't it? I thought the TX had a 10-hour battery. What kind of runtime do you get out of it?

@ Don: Ooh, the TR! I had that on my wishlist for a really, really long time. I used to have the PictureBook (which I think the TR replaced), so I remember being completely swept away with the TR, partly because of the ODD.

I'm perversely interested to see just how much bloatware is on the TZ. I've heard it's quite the sight!

@ jkk: Okay, okay, I admit it! Is it a coincidence that I opted for a notebook soon after seeing your SH6 video? Since Steve already has "blame JK" trademarked, I think I'll start a "blame JKK" campaign instead. :-)

[Bruno]

@ Jenn: With the TX I get about 7 hours of full use. With the extended battery (which is actually not bulky nor heavy nor ugly) you would get 10+ hours - but I have never really needed it.
There must be some trick to the power button, I am sure Sony wouldn't miss something that obvious! Make sure to include it in your review :-)

[Dominik]

Yes, please review it. I have an older T1XP mostly because of the size and recently bought an ages old HP/Compaq Tc1100 Tablet for mobile stuff. It's (the HP) almost perfect for me, the power (800 MHz Centrino) is quite low but sufficient for most tasks. I tried the UMPCs since those are really nice but too small for me :(

[orbitalcomp]

So did you give up on the Advantage, Jenn?

Or will the TZ be a complement device to it?

Man, I thought I had a thing for all these gadgets, you're right there in the running, as well...haha

[Jenn]

@ Bruno: 7 hours is really incredible. I'm hoping for at least 5 hours for the TZ.

@ Dominik: Have you looked at the Fujitsu P1610 or Flybook V5? They're smaller than the TZ but bigger than UMPCs.

@ orbital: Definitely a complement device! I reordered the Advantage after canceling the Q1U and am just trying to bide my time until it arrives. ETA according to Amazon is mid-September. The TZ has integrated WWAN, but I'm just going to tether to the Advantage, especially if I can really get 3G with the iPhone SIM. :-)

[Susie]

Hi Jenn,

I'm an avid reader of your musings and am a long time gadget addict and serial tiny computer acquirer since the Libretto 50 (oops, I'm dating myself...)

Although I have developed an unnatural attachment to my UX280P at home and for casual use, I have found the Fujitsu P series to be the best portables I have ever had for road and travel use for the same reasons you have for choosing the TZ.

I am considering an upgrade in that vein and would love to read your thoughts on the Vaio TZ (especially how you feel about the keyboard), so please bring them on!

[DominikDominik]

The Fujitsu P1610 or Flybook V5 look quite nice but a lot more expensive than the used HP TC1100 I bought (around $400).
Anyway back to topic, I'd love to see a review by you because. even though UMPS are too small for me, I like your reviews :)

[Walter Hutchens]

I agree---the TZ rocks. I've tried (and in ways adored) a Sony U750, the Fujitsu P1510, some slate Tablet PCs, and a succession of Pocket PCs and smart phones. But ultimately I found all of them wanting in ways the T series (and esp. this latest incarnation) does not. If you want a mobile blogging & work platform where you can get lots done without feeling hamstrung by the device, it's hard to beat a TZ. Small & lightweight, long battery life, BRILLIANT screens, full-blown PC and yes a two-handed, touch-typeable keyboard--there's just nothing more transparent (letting you focus on what you're doing, not the tool you're doing it with). For those occasional moments when I want Tablet PC functionality, I can use a USB Wacom tablet. For me, much better to have the usable keyboard which I often need rather than pen input which I sometimes want but generally find slower, despite how amazing HRW is under Vista. Yes, you trade off some portability (relative to a UMPC), but for me the functionality gains are well worth it.

I just wish the TZ's specs (minus the ODD) came in a case like the older Sony PictureBooks. Now THAT would be a device I'd pay a lot for! (Interesting that the TZ brings back the web cam that first appeared years ago in the PictureBooks, then disappeared in earlier T models).