Review: Sony Vaio VGN UX1 ultra-mobile PC

With a strong background in ultraportable notebooks, Sony has been pretty busy in the UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) arena of late. The Vaio VGN-UX1 is its latest device to arrive and follows in the footsteps of the UX50 and UX90 models.

The UX1 is Sony's first UMPC to run Windows Vista - the Business edition, to be more precise. The basic components consist of a 1.3GHz Intel Core Solo U1500 processor, 1GB of Ram and a 32GB solid state hard drive.

You can take a closer look at the UX1 in our image gallery.

Stylistically, Sony has done an excellent job with the UX1. The front is home to the 4.5in touch-screen display, a fingerprint reader, six buttons (three of which can be customised), a wireless on/off switch, joystick pad to control the pointer, and the power switch. One of the device's two cameras also sits just above the display.

On the left side there's a single USB2 socket and Compact Flash card reader, while on the top you'll find a macro mode switch (used when taking close-up photos), a capture button and a Memorystick Pro/Duo reader. The battery unit lies at the rear, along with a slot to store the stylus.

On the underside sit headphone and microphone jacks, a power socket and the interface used by the included docking station.

The UX1 feels very comfortable when held with both hands; the mouse buttons and joystick pad fall under the thumbs making it very easy to get to grips with. Weighing in at just under 500g, it's also easy to hold for extended periods of time.

Slide the screen upwards, and the UX1 reveals its Qwerty keyboard, complete with a classy blue backlight. Whether the sliding mechanism would survive regular rough treatment is debateable, but it certainly feels solid and won't slide without a firm push.

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