PCG-GRZ/GRS
Overview
The Sony VAIO PCG-GRZ Series was a high-end multimedia focused desktop replacement laptop launched by Sony in the year 2002.
With its size of 32.5 cm by 26.9 cm by 3.8 cm b(12.8 by 10.6 by 1.5 inches) and weight of up to 4.1 kg (9.1 pounds), it is clear that the PCG-GRZ was designed to be stationary. This is also complimented by the rather small battery, lasting only 90 minutes, as reported by CNET. A second battery could be installed, making the quite unportable laptop a little bit more portable. Among the GR-Lineup the PCG-GRZ is the one designed to be a bit more portable with its slightly smaller size and less features.
As all high-end VAIO laptops, the PCG-GRZ was very well built, though only out of plastic. The keyboard is good enough to type on it for hours. Though the 1024 x 768 XGA panel is a slight letdown when compared the the UXGA and SXGA+ screens offered on other PCG-GR Series laptops.
Thanks to its size, the GRZ was able to pack a lot of features such as a choice of a DVD-ROM or CD-RW/DVD-ROM, dedicated volume control keys, FireWire, S-Video and AV input, a PC Card and a Memory Stick slot. The ports on the backside include a NTSC video-out, an 10/100 Ethernet port, as well as microphone and headphone connectors and 3 USB 2.0 ports.
The desktop replacement was available in a 15" screen size, with the 32MB ATI Mobility RADEON 7500 as its GPU. This was paired with a range of Desktop Pentium 4s, ranging from 2GHz to 2.4GHz and a choice between 256MB and 512MB DDR-SDRAM, with the possibility of upgrading to 1GB of memory. This makes the PCG-GRZ a pretty powerful laptop for it's time.
The PCG-GRZ came preinstalled with Windows XP Home. Together with the OS also came a plethora of multimedia applications, including SonicStage and DVGate.
Detailed Specs
Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2,0GHz / 2,4GHz
Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon 7500 32MB
Display: 15" XGA (1024 x 768)
RAM:DDR-SODIMM (up to 1GB)
Storage: 2,5" IDE HDD 30GB / 40GB
OS: Windows XP Home
Weight: 4.1 kg
Daily Usage Today
Today the PCG-GRZ is definitely still usable. Thanks to its decent hardware, playing 3D games from around that time should be no problem. With software such as the MyPal web browser, light modern tasks should still be possible.
Resources
Downloads
Follow our guides to download and install drivers. Recovery discs are also available, and will be downloadable very soon.
Sources
Pictures: SpecsPro