Sony VAIO Z reviews

The much-anticipated Sony VAIO Z is finally available in the U.S. Initially debuted in Europe last month, this laptop rivals Apple's MacBook Air and has been dubbed the "world's lightest 13-inch standard voltage PC."

It'll set you back $1,969.99 for the Intel Core i5-2410M processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of solid state drive. Depending on upgrades, this super-slim laptop can easily run you over $3,000.

The Sony VAIO Z is made out of aluminum and carbon fiber, measures about 0.66 inches in thickness and weighs 2.5 pounds. Impressive? "That's slightly thinner than the MacBook Air and one-fifth of a pound heavier," says PC World. "But the Sony VAIO Z has something the MacBook Air does not have (and will likely not have, even after the anticipated refresh): the ability to transform, via an optional dock, into a more powerful workstation."

So what do the other reviews say?

It lives up to its reputation, according to CNET

"The revamped Sony VAIO Z adds an inventive docking station with Blu-ray and discrete graphics. Even without it, this is a sleek, powerful, high-end laptop," says CNET tech editor Dan Ackerman. Although it's expensive, "Sony's high-end Z series laptop lives up to its luxury reputation, with a slim, lightweight body, plenty of processing power, and a highly specialized GPU dock," Ackerman adds.

It's a good choice for business people, Laptop magazine points out

"This 2.6-pound wonder attempts to take the entire category to the next level with a very unique dock that's powered by Intel's blazing Light Peak technology," says Mark Spoonauer of Laptop magazine. "The bundled Power Media Dock adds a 1GB AMD graphics card, a Blu-ray drive, and the ability to support three external monitors simultaneously, making it a good choice for business users who need a lot of power." Spoonauer also compliments the VAIO Z's sleek design, "cool-running ultraportable with a full-power processor," and anti-glare display. However, Spoonauer was not impressed by the keyboard's ergonomics.