Sony VAIO Goes Superthin
Sleek, pricey ultraportable may draw ahhs but omits some basic features.
If you're looking to add a little wow factor to your mobile computing life, consider Sony's VAIO VGN-X505ZP. Less than an inch thick and ultralight (a smidgen under 2 pounds), this $3000 ultraportable notebook is sure to turn heads--but you'll pay for its sleek and nimble good looks in more ways than one.
The unit's cylindrical battery forms the notebook's hinge, and the power button resides at the end of that hinge, giving the notebook a spare yet sexy look. While it feels slight, the X505ZP's nickel-carbon body should easily withstand the everyday rigors of frequent business travel.
This VAIO has a 1.1-GHz ultralow-voltage Pentium M processor, 512MB of RAM, a 20GB hard drive, and a 10.4-inch screen. But to keep the laptop svelte, Sony left off such seemingly basic features as a modem, an ethernet jack, built-in wireless, and an optical drive. Sony also forgoes a parallel or serial port. You do get a FireWire port, two USB 2.0 ports, and a PC Card slot.
To keep the X505ZP connected, Sony throws in a small USB adapter (with ethernet and VGA ports) as well as an 802.11g wireless PC Card. To get a matched Sony external DVD burner, however, you'll have to pay $400 extra.
The X505ZP's diminutive size also contributes to some ergonomic drawbacks. The keyboard's lower-than-usual 17mm pitch and its lack of a wrist-rest area can make typing for any extended amount of time a bit uncomfortable. Also, the eraserhead pointing device on our review unit felt unusually stiff.
We didn't run performance tests on the preproduction machine (watch for PC WorldBench 4 results in a future issue), but in our battery test the notebook lasted a respectable 3 hours, 35 minutes.
Despite its limitations, the X505ZP is a stunning-looking laptop that is sure to please on-the-go users who favor form over frills (and maybe even over a few basics). Rarely has paying so much for so little seemed so worthwhile.
Kalpana Ettenson
