Sony's tiny TZ laptop gets official
(Credit:
Sony)
Sure we've seen it in Japan for months, and you can actually order one from gadget importer Dynamism.com, but we're still pretty excited that Sony is finally releasing the Vaio TZ laptop here in the good ol' U. S. of A.
Last night, at the event space on top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza (known as the Top of the Rock), Sony showed off what the company calls a "new line of richly designed, high-performance ultraportable notebooks." For once we pretty much agree--even with an 11.1-inch LED backlit display, Web cam, carbon-fiber casing, and a full-fledged Core 2 Duo CPU (not a wimpy Core Duo or Core Solo), it's impressive that the entire package still squeezes down to less than 1-inch thick. It's also got integrated WWAN (via Sprint), which is quickly becoming a must-have for ultraportables.
Of course, all this pint-sized goodness doesn't come cheap. The basic model starts at $2,299, and if you add the optional 32GB flash-based, solid-state hard drive, you're talking $3,000.
The Vaio TZ is available in classic black, premium carbon, champagne gold, and hand-painted Bordeaux, starting today (although the SonyStyle Web site lists the TZ as shipping around the end of July).
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
