Sony Vaio VGN-BZ11VN review

Sony's Vaio VGN-BZ11VN is the first Centrino 2 laptop we've seen. Centrino 2 laptops have the latest Intel chipsets with a 1,066MHz frontside bus, so will support the latest processors, as well as integrated Draft-N 2.0 wireless networking.

The VGN-BZ11VN comes with Windows Vista Business edition. This doesn't include Media Center, but it has more powerful backup features. It has a fingerprint reader so you can use your finger to log into Windows. It works with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, which stores encrypted password and fingerprint keys so they can't be retrieved even if the hard disk is removed from the laptop.

The VGN-BZ11VN looks smart and sleek, and its matt-black lid and keyboard surround feel tough thanks to the use of magnesium alloy. The display's 1,440x900 resolution is higher than average for its 15.4in size, but its reflective surface is an odd choice for a business laptop. It has LED backlighting, rather than cold-cathode lamps. It's bright with no graininess, but colours look washed out and fade towards the bottom of the screen.

The laptop's touch pad is large and very accurate, and its big buttons feel solid and are easy to push, so you shouldn't need a separate mouse. The keyboard is reasonable, but not outstanding. Its keys have a pleasant texture and long travel, but they flex as you type, a quality that's at odds with the rest of the laptop. Overall, the design is unfussy and logical. The wireless on/off switch is in plain sight above the keyboard rather than hidden on the front edge as with many laptops. There are three USB2 ports, FireWire and a card reader for SD cards and Memory Sticks on the sides and front.

Sony has fitted a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 processor and a generous 4GB of RAM, although only around 3.5GB can be used by Windows. Its overall score of 207 in our benchmarks shows it can handle any 2D applications, and it feels very fast when running Vista. It's no good for games but, thanks to the LED screen, its battery life is impressive, lasting for five hours and 19 minutes in our tests, which is one of the longest times we've seen. The 200GB hard disk is fairly small for the price, but you still won't fill it in a hurry.

Sony's VGN-BZ11VN is a smart laptop with excellent performance and battery life, and some useful features for business users. Its screen and keyboard are disappointing considering its price, though. Unless you need the business features or intend to spend a lot of time on the road, Dell's XPS M1530 is a better all-round 15.4in laptop.

Author: Chris Finnamore