The VAIO Z Series was horn of Sony’s desire to build the ultimate laptop, fusing ultraportable dimensions to desktop performance with few compromises along the way. Now, the all-new VAIO Z has arrived to redefine the ultraportable again. Physically, this VAIO Z bears little resemblance to its former self. Sharp boxy lines are formed from slices of carbon fiber, to create a chassis that’s only 17mm thick. It looks delicate, and its 1.1.5kg weight means it feels barely there. It lacks the mil line King tautness of a MacBook Air, and the obvious scams and slight give in the carbon sheets don’t exude the tough, go-anywhere air of Lenovo’s ThinkPad X1.
Achieving such slenderness means more than only aesthetic changes. Sony has also done away with two of the VAIO Z’s most notable features: the optical drive and dedicated graphics.
