In addition to a revolutionary new keyboard, we achieved a “well-ventilated design�Ethat completely trims all the fat.   One of the distinguishing features of the new VAIO TZ is its simple yet powerful form, with an element we call “cylindrical design.�EThe hinge, which is fused with the battery portion, forms the core, and from that emerges two flat panels (the LCD panel and the main body). This form is a modern version of a design evolved from the original VAIO 505. Daisuke Iseki, the designer who gave the new VAIO TZ its thin and beautiful flat silhouette, tells it this way. Iseki: The original VAIO 505 is made with the LCD panel and the main body as two panels with the hinge at its core. It was an incredible shape, almost the only one possible. It was a well thought-out design, I think, one that will never get old. So what if we arranged this in a modern version? This is how we came up with the VAIO TZ cylindrical design. It’s made with a slick, flat design, a simple design that’s even thinner than the VAIO 505. We worked to thoroughly remove all unnecessary elements from the design. Thanks to this, we brought out a nicely slim and comfortable form with nothing in the way. Some have called it a “well-ventilated design.�E The battery portion that forms the centre of the “cylindrical design,�Eas seen from the back. Its look has a single core unified with the hinge.   For this model, one pursuit by Mr. Iseki to make the body look even thinner was trimming the sides. That is, to make it a two-layer construction for the main body that has a light coloured panel and a darker one for shading, and giving it an apparent contrast by physically squeezing the two together. This design approach was also adopted for the VAIO TX, and Mr. Iseki took it even further for the TZ. Iseki: As we kept cutting along the sides, that actually became the only portion that was cut to fit the internal parts. Usually, in order to clear the way for parts such as the optical drive, some parts are going to stick out. But this time we didn’t even want a little bit sticking out. So we made our impossible demands to the designers, and had them squeeze the parts in as much as possible, thus making the sides look completely smooth. Also, we took great care with the compression in the front of the main unit. The reason is that this part gives a different look to the slimness. We take pride in the fact that the slim look can be considered one of the legacies of VAIO notebooks. The two grooves above the keyboard are the speaker holes. By giving them a simple look without sacrificing sound quality, it’s a design that fully eliminates stress in every detail. The fingerprint authentication sensor is placed in the centre of the touch pad buttons. This placement not only makes it easy to use, but also carries the simple, streamlined design through to the details.   One could say that the keyboard is a kind of “sacred ground�Efor a notebook PC. Since keyboards designed with looks as a priority tend to become less user-friendly, it’s common for designers to hold back from becoming too adventurous. For the new VAIO TZ, the designers were presented with a massive challenge: to look for the parts that they could tinker with and then make novel changes to those parts, without changing the key pitch and other elements that couldn’t be changed from the VAIO TX. Mr. Iseki calls this the most challenging part of designing the new VAIO TZ. Iseki: For the new VAIO TZ keyboard, by adopting a design and construction that completely revamp the conventional image of notebook PCs, we were able to achieve both comfortable typing and a beautiful design. The panel, which forms a gentle curvature from the palm rest towards the hinge, uses an acrylic ABS with a mirror finish. For the piano-style black panel, we used a special technique to create a finish with lustre. Then by arranging solid keys with a chiselled look, we went after creating a beautiful world that would make the user gulp when he or she looks at it. Of course, it’s more than just design, and we incorporated a new keyboard structure to give durability that supports the design. Altogether, we took the feeling of comfort up another level. At first glance, the keyboard looks flat. However, a gentle depression of a few tenths of a millimetre has been given to the keys so that when you type, they give a relaxing feel that seems to envelop the fingertips. This type of approach helps prevent typos. The keyboard has a fresh, chiselled look that draws a lovely curve in a single line extending from the palm rest. The glossy panel of the bezel portion has the luxurious look of a piano. With the new VAIO TZ, super-strong multilayer carbon fibre is used for the panels above the LCD panel and below the main unit, achieving both a lightweight, flat design and durability that matches that of the VAIO G. Carbon fibre which is difficult to bend and doesn’t let radio waves pass through it easily, can create some roadblocks for the designers. However, Mr. Iseki points out that the simplicity of the basic design helped them smoothly assimilate any elements that could have posed problems. Iseki: For this model, we used carbon fibre for the bottom panel as well. What I hope you’ll notice is that the carbon was bent to give it a three-dimensional shape. The bottom panel’s carbon is not just a flat panel, but it actually serves as a cover for the corners thanks to these curves. Doing this has allowed us to maintain the needed durability in making a completely flat design, and also greatly improve resistance to twisting forces. Also, if you look at the bottom panel, you’ll see that for the position and width of the grooves, in order to blend them with the lines of the other parts and give that fresh look, they’ve been processed in an extremely precise manner. This is a result of some pretty heated discussions with the people from the technical design department, and the comments about what restrictions the use of carbon would cause for the design. People might not usually look at these parts, but the fact that we made them look so good also helped improve the durability. The bottom panel, made of multilayer carbon fibre. The front portion is curved to improve durability.