Vaio TZ reviewed: Slick laptop, tons of crapware

Ever since Sony's stealthy ultraportable, the Vaio TZ, was announced for U.S. consumption, laptop fans with too much money on their hands have been waiting to hear the verdict on the diminutive lappie. Well, the initial round of reviews are in and they're mostly mixed. While most reviewers seem wowed by the machine's small size, good looks, long battery life and overall portability, more than a few folks found the non-Santa Rosa chipset, 1.1Ghz Core 2 Duo ultra low voltage processor and integrated GMA 950 graphics left them wanting a bit more in the performance department--especially considering the minimum $2,200 price tag. What's worse, the folks at Laptop Magazine found the machine came pre-loaded with an inordinate amount of trial software (i.e. "crapware"): "the VAIO VGN-TZ150N behaved as if it were broken before we deleted some programs and prevented others, such as Corel Photo, Napster, and several apps from Adobe, from launching upon startup." That's pretty inexcusable for a $3,000 laptop, considering that you can get a $300 PC bloatware-free.

For more on the Vaio TZ:
- see this review from Laptop Magazine
- and this one from CNET UK