Sony VAIO FZ180E

The good: Typically excellent Sony design; handy media control buttons; Blu-ray drive and HDMI output.
The bad: Loaded up with adware and bloatware; no Bluetooth; not configurable.
The bottom line: We can't imagine the market for a 15-inch home theater laptop with Blu-ray is very large, but the Sony VAIO FZ180 certainly fits the bill--even if it's preloaded with unwanted come-ons for other Sony products.

The midsize Media Center laptop is a hard concept to get one's head around. Those interested in playing movies, especially via Blu-ray, are likely to want a 17-inch or larger display, while mainstream users often turn to 15-inch laptops for their mix of portability and pricing--not a surfeit of media features. Still, there's no denying the appeal of a well-designed laptop, and the $1,999 Sony VAIO FZ180 is, like the rest of Sony's line, head and shoulders above the competition in that regard, second only to perhaps Apple. If the design and features appeal, but you don't want the added expense of a Blu-ray drive, the FZ160 knocks $500 off the price by subbing in a plain-Jane DVD burner.

Price as reviewed
$1,999
Processor
2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7300
Memory
2GB, 667MHz DDR2
Hard drive
160GB 5,400rpm
Chipset
Intel 965
Graphics
Nvidia GeForce 8400M GT
Operating System
Windows Vista Premium
Dimensions (WDH)
14.0 x 10.0 x 1.4 inches
Screen size (diagonal)
15.4 inches
System weight / Weight with AC adapter [pounds]
5.9/6.9 pounds
Category
Mainstream
Like much of the Sony VAIO laptop family, the FZ180 has a large VAIO logo embossed on the back of the lid, while the sharp, angular case eschews the recent trend toward soft, rounded edges. At only 1.4 inches thick, it's slimmer than other recent 15-inch media-friendly laptops, such as the HP Pavilion dv6500t and the Dell Inspiron E1505.
Sony's flat-key keyboard is among our favorite laptop keyboards, but we wish the tiny touchpad mouse buttons were a little more substantial. Keeping with the multimedia theme, there's a four-way click-wheel above the keyboard that acts as a media-control hub, offering fast-forward, rewind, play, and volume controls.
The 15.4-inch wide-screen LCD display offers a 1,280x800 native resolution, which is standard for a screen this size. Showing off a little corporate synergy, Sony uses the same LCD technology found in its Bravia line of HDTVs, which the company calls Xbrite, promising higher contrast and richer colors. The screen indeed looks excellent, especially when playing back a high-definition Blu-ray movie--although at 1,280x800, it's not really true 1080p resolution. You'll need the HDMI output into your big-screen TV to get the full Blu-ray experience.
But the system's generally excellent design and features are marred by some annoying "extras." At a time when other vendors like Dell and HP are making conscious efforts to declutter their systems, removing desktop come-ons for Internet access and music subscription services, the VAIO FZ180 is one of the most egregious offenders we've seen in recent memory. Not only is the default desktop background image an advertisement for Sony's Spider-Man 3 movie, the system comes thoughtfully preloaded with full-length copies of both Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2. Unfortunately, you'll have to pony up $8.99 each to unlock the protected film files via an Internet connection, and even then, they'll only play on the original laptop. Together, the two films take up around 2.6GB of hard drive space. Other conspicuous partner applications include GameTap, Napster, and a Travelocity desktop widget.
Clicking the AV Mode button above the keyboard pops up a toolbar with links to a Sony Webcam utility, Intervideo's WinDVD for playing back Blu-ray discs, and Sony's much-maligned SonicStage music application (which pales in comparison to iTunes or Windows Media Player).


Sony VAIO FZ180
Average for mainstream category
Video
VGA-out, S-Video, HDMI
VGA-out, S-Video
Audio
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks
Data
3 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, multiformat memory card reader
4 USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, multiformat memory card reader
Expansion
ExpressCard/34 slot
PC Card slot
Networking
Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/g/n Wi-Fi
Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth
Optical drive
Blu-ray BD-RE
DVD burner
We were pleased to see the inclusion of 802.11n Wi-Fi technology, and the HDMI port is a no-brainer in a system with a Blu-ray drive. The lack of a Bluetooth antenna was disappointing but won't be a deal breaker for most.
As a fixed-configuration system, you're stuck with the default specs of the FZ180, but with a fast Core 2 Duo T7300 CPU running on an 800MHz frontside bus from Intel's new Centrino Duo lineup along with 2GB of RAM, Nvidia's new GeForce 8400M GT graphics card, and a decent-sized hard drive, we have no complaints. The similarly configured VAIO FZ160 costs $500 less and leaves out the Blu-ray drive and HDMI output.
The Sony VAIO FZ180 performed in line with other recent multimedia-friendly 15-inch laptops. The HP Pavilion dv6500t and the Gateway E-475M were marginally faster, on account of their T7500 CPU being one step farther up the Core 2 Duo ladder, but in real-world terms, you're unlikely to see any performance difference, even under heavy multimedia use. We were able to, for example, play a Blu-ray movie, surf the Web, and work on an Excel file at the same time with no slowdown or stuttering.
The FZ180 ran for 2 hours and 2 minutes on our DVD battery drain test, using the included lithium ion battery. Two hours from a 15-inch laptop isn't especially impressive but falls within acceptable parameters and was better than the HP dv6500t. Our DVD battery drain test is especially grueling, so you can expect longer life from casual Web surfing and office use.
Sony includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the system, which included on-site service. Upgrading to a three-year plan will cost an extra $199. Support is accessible through a 24-7 toll-free phone line and an online support Web site, which helpfully gives you a custom page of links to manuals and drivers for your specific model.


General
Platform technology
Intel Centrino Duo
System Type
Notebook
Built-in Devices
Wireless LAN antenna
Width
14 in
Depth
10 in
Height
1.4 in
Weight
5.7 lbs
Processor
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo T7300 / 2 GHz
Data bus speed
800 MHz
Cache Memory
Type
L2 cache
Cache size
4 MB
RAM
Installed Size
2 GB / 4 GB(max)
Technology
DDR II SDRAM - 667 MHz
Memory specification compliance
PC2-5300
RAM configuration features
2 x 1 GB
Storage Controller
Storage controller type
Serial ATA
Storage
Floppy Drive
None
Hard Drive
200 GB - 4200 rpm
Optical Storage
Type
BD-RE
CD / DVD read speed
24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) / 2x (BD)
CD / DVD write speed
24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL) / 2x (BD-R) / 1x (BD-R DL)
CD / DVD rewrite speed
16x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM) / 2x (BD-RE) / 1x (BD-RE DL)
Card Reader
Card reader type
Card reader
Display
Display Type
15.4 in TFT active matrix
Max Resolution
1280 x 800 ( WXGA)
Display (Projector) / Widescreen Display
Yes
Video
Graphics Processor / Vendor
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT
Audio
Audio output type
Sound card
Audio Output Features
Sound Reality technology
Audio Input
Microphone
Notebook Camera
Camera Type
Integrated
Input Device(s)
Input device type
Keyboard, Touchpad
Keyboard localization and layout
QWERTY
Telecom
Modem
Fax / modem
Max transfer rate
56 Kbps
Protocols & Specifications
ITU V.90, ITU V.92
Networking
Networking
Network adapter
Networking / Wireless LAN Supported
Yes
Wireless NIC
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
Data link protocol
Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Networking standards
IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Expansion / Connectivity
Expansion Slots Total (Free)
) x Memory, 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/34
Interfaces
1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45, 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11, 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Video - S-video output - 4 pin mini-DIN, 1 x Docking / port replicator, 1 x Video - HDMI
Power
Power device form factor
External
Battery
Technology
Lithium ion
Installed Qty
1
Mfr estimated battery life
4 hour(s)
Operating System / Software
OS Provided
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
Software type
Sony Click to DVD, Microsoft Works 8.5, AOL Online (90 days trial), Microsoft Office 2007 (Trial), Norton Internet Security 2007 (60 days subscription)
Manufacturer Warranty
Service & support type
1 year warranty
Service & Support Details
Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year, Technical support - Phone consulting - 1 year