I wouldn’t expect it to handle demanding graphics editing tasks or game play, but as a business system it was snappy and impressively fast. But it did a fine job of rendering the Aero interface on the system’s 11-inch 1366x768 screen. The integrated Mobile Intel graphics adapter (945GM) is the obvious weak link, as evidenced by its rating in the Windows Experience Index (below).
The only noticeable flaw was jerky playback of a DVD using the included WinDVD software using Windows Media Player, the same DVD played back perfectly. The system easily handled every business application I threw at it, including Office 2007. After two months of use in a variety of circumstances, I can attest that this system’s performance is stellar. I was initially skeptical that a 1.33GHz CPU could handle Windows Vista. Sony also included a Windows Sidebar gadget to control the various wireless functions. None of the included programs were trialware, and there were no stray icons or pop-ups at any time. The system did not include any security or antivirus software. The system includes a handful of Sony-branded utilities for managing wireless connections and updating Sony drivers, a webcam control utility, a Sony utility for importing and editing digital pictures, Adobe Reader and Sun Java software, and third-party DVD playback and CD/DVD burning programs (WinDVD and Roxio Easy Media Creator).
Besides the Windows Recycle Bin, the only icon on the desktop was one offering a free one-month trial of Sprint broadband services for the included WWAN adapter. The whole process, including the unboxing, took roughly 20 minutes. After installing a few Windows updates, I was able to get to work with the computer. When I turned it on, I went through a very simple setup process that included prompts to set up the wireless network.
The most striking feature of this machine is how thin and light it is, about the dimensions of a sheet of paper, roughly an inch thick, and under 3 pounds even with the large-capacity battery. (The Fresh Start option is available only with Vista Business and not with Vista Home Premium.) Total cost including tax and shipping was $2,375.Įxceptional.
The configuration I specified included an ultra-low-voltage 1.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U7700 processor, 2GB of RAM, an integrated Wireless-N adapter with Bluetooth and a broadband (WWAN) adapter with GPS, integrated DVD drive and webcam, a fingerprint reader, a large-capacity battery, and Windows Vista Business Edition with Service Pack 1. The system I reviewed is a VAIO VGN-TZ2000, configured to order from Sony’s website. In today’s post, I’ll show you why this VAIO is different from its predecessors and explain how Sony plans to widen its selection of crapware-free models. It runs Windows Vista remarkably well, and the hardware has been a sheer delight to use. The bottom line? Sony's Fresh Start delivers exactly what it promises: a crapware-free PC. The notebook arrived a few days later, and I’ve been using it since then for a variety of real-world tasks.
In early May, I ordered an ultraportable notebook from Sony’s website, configuring it to order and choosing the Fresh Start option (no extra charge).
Sony announced initially that it would charge $49.99 for the privilege of ordering a crapware-free PC and then quickly reversed its decision. In a March interview, Sony Vice President Mike Abary assured me that Sony was “listening and taking action.” The first phase, he said, was a new program called Fresh Start, in which Sony promised to remove all trialware and unnecessary software for customers who chose the Fresh Start option as part of a custom-configured VAIO.
When I wrote about my hands-on experiences with two older VAIO notebooks earlier this year, I called it a “truly miserable experience.” It took a crapware-cleansing clean install to fix a 2007-vintage Sony notebook, and I spent hours replacing outdated drivers and removing unwanted software from a 2008 model (if you haven’t read that installment, see Fixing Windows Vista, one machine at a time). That’s a huge switch for Sony, which has taken a beating as “the poster child for negative experiences” with new PCs running Windows Vista. The best part of all was that this machine was absolutely, completely, unequivocally crapware-free, which meant I was able to be productive within a few minutes of unboxing. For the past two months, I’ve been using an astonishingly light and agile Sony VAIO notebook and loving every minute of it. Sony is finally taking on its crapware problem.