Sony VAIO UX Series Portable Computers
Written by liyue on May 31, 2009 13:15
You can always count on Sony to introduce the next big styleTake, for example, their new portable computer, the VAIO UX seriesIt's almost not fair to call these systems "laptops" as they are so tiny, yet they're more robust and powerful than a PDA or other handheld computer.
A lot of vendors call them ultra-portable computersSony itself calls them micro PCsIt is as good a name as any otherThese portable computers weigh in at just over a pound and measure about six inches by four inches (and 1.27 inches thick)So, the entire thing can fit into a large pocket or a small purse and yet it's a full-functioning PC.
The UX systems run Windows XP Professional edition, so you can take and edit any documents, e-mails, etcjust as you would with a traditional portable computerWe looked at the VGN-UX280P, the $2,000 model in the series.
Powered by a 1.2GHz Intel Core Solo processor (with Ultra Low Voltage to save on battery life), this portable computer has solid power at its centerSony pairs that CPU with 1GB of 400MHz DDR memory--slower than you'll find on full-sized laptops, but at least it's a decent amount of RAM.
The most impressive aspect of the UX portable computer (besides its size, of course) is the 4.5-inch TFT screenIt offers 1024X600 resolution and Sony's XBrite technology for a bright and crisp imageThe screen reflects external lighting quite a bit, so it's best in low light situations, but it's easy to read even fairly small text on screen.
The display functions as a touch screen as well, letting you use the included stylus to manipulate menus and open documentsIt works extremely well for browsing the Web, clicking links with the stylus and viewing most Web pages in their entirety on screenThere are buttons for zooming in, letting you read small fonts more easily, and scrollingAnd you can orient the screen in either portrait or landscape, for better viewing of documents and pages.
But this is more than just a PDA where it's point and click onlyThe UX features a thumb keyboard that slides out from beneath the screenThere isn't a num-pad, but it contains all the keys you'd find on a full-sized keyboardYou will not be typing 80 words per minute, but it beats using an on-screen keyboard or relying on handwriting recognition to input e-mails or edit documents.
There is a 40GB 4,200rpm hard drive inside the UX, giving you a fairly large amount of storage room (although again, it's smaller and slower than what you'd find on a traditional portable computer).
But Sony includes several extras that make this handheld portable computer uniqueFor example, you get not one, but two digital camerasThere is a 1.3-megapixel camera on the back of the UX that lets you take pretty decent pictures, as well as a 0.3-megapixel camera on the front with a built in microphone for online videoconferencing.
As a security feature, there is a built-in biometric fingerprint scanner that stores your online passwords for another layer of online and offline protectionFor physical data security, the hard drive features G-Sensor shock protectionWhen the sensor picks up rapid movement, it locks down the heads to prevent the disk from getting scratchedIt is a nice feature to have in an ultra-portable computer with more risk of getting dropped.
And the UX can connect wirelessly in a variety of ways, including 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth for wireless peripherals, and WWAN for using cellular broadband.
Obviously, there is no room for an optical drive, but there is a USB port for connecting flash drives or external hard drives as well as a Memory Stick port for transferring files from MP3 players or PDAs onto the UX portable computerWith a built-in headphone jack, you can also use the UX as a portable music player, but it's a bit bulky for just this task.
The battery life lasts around two to four hours--not bad for a portable computer, but not great for a handheldAnd Sony offers a one-year limited warranty on the UX, standard for portable computers.
If you look at just the specs of the UX, it's not a very powerful portable computer for the moneyBut if you look at the extreme portability and connectivity of the device, you might find a place in your pocket for the Sony VGN-UX ultra-portable computer.
Pro: Extremely compact, bright screen, good connectivity
Con: Expensive, slower components
A lot of vendors call them ultra-portable computersSony itself calls them micro PCsIt is as good a name as any otherThese portable computers weigh in at just over a pound and measure about six inches by four inches (and 1.27 inches thick)So, the entire thing can fit into a large pocket or a small purse and yet it's a full-functioning PC.
The UX systems run Windows XP Professional edition, so you can take and edit any documents, e-mails, etcjust as you would with a traditional portable computerWe looked at the VGN-UX280P, the $2,000 model in the series.
Powered by a 1.2GHz Intel Core Solo processor (with Ultra Low Voltage to save on battery life), this portable computer has solid power at its centerSony pairs that CPU with 1GB of 400MHz DDR memory--slower than you'll find on full-sized laptops, but at least it's a decent amount of RAM.
The most impressive aspect of the UX portable computer (besides its size, of course) is the 4.5-inch TFT screenIt offers 1024X600 resolution and Sony's XBrite technology for a bright and crisp imageThe screen reflects external lighting quite a bit, so it's best in low light situations, but it's easy to read even fairly small text on screen.
The display functions as a touch screen as well, letting you use the included stylus to manipulate menus and open documentsIt works extremely well for browsing the Web, clicking links with the stylus and viewing most Web pages in their entirety on screenThere are buttons for zooming in, letting you read small fonts more easily, and scrollingAnd you can orient the screen in either portrait or landscape, for better viewing of documents and pages.
But this is more than just a PDA where it's point and click onlyThe UX features a thumb keyboard that slides out from beneath the screenThere isn't a num-pad, but it contains all the keys you'd find on a full-sized keyboardYou will not be typing 80 words per minute, but it beats using an on-screen keyboard or relying on handwriting recognition to input e-mails or edit documents.
There is a 40GB 4,200rpm hard drive inside the UX, giving you a fairly large amount of storage room (although again, it's smaller and slower than what you'd find on a traditional portable computer).
But Sony includes several extras that make this handheld portable computer uniqueFor example, you get not one, but two digital camerasThere is a 1.3-megapixel camera on the back of the UX that lets you take pretty decent pictures, as well as a 0.3-megapixel camera on the front with a built in microphone for online videoconferencing.
As a security feature, there is a built-in biometric fingerprint scanner that stores your online passwords for another layer of online and offline protectionFor physical data security, the hard drive features G-Sensor shock protectionWhen the sensor picks up rapid movement, it locks down the heads to prevent the disk from getting scratchedIt is a nice feature to have in an ultra-portable computer with more risk of getting dropped.
And the UX can connect wirelessly in a variety of ways, including 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth for wireless peripherals, and WWAN for using cellular broadband.
Obviously, there is no room for an optical drive, but there is a USB port for connecting flash drives or external hard drives as well as a Memory Stick port for transferring files from MP3 players or PDAs onto the UX portable computerWith a built-in headphone jack, you can also use the UX as a portable music player, but it's a bit bulky for just this task.
The battery life lasts around two to four hours--not bad for a portable computer, but not great for a handheldAnd Sony offers a one-year limited warranty on the UX, standard for portable computers.
If you look at just the specs of the UX, it's not a very powerful portable computer for the moneyBut if you look at the extreme portability and connectivity of the device, you might find a place in your pocket for the Sony VGN-UX ultra-portable computer.
Pro: Extremely compact, bright screen, good connectivity
Con: Expensive, slower components