Sony VAIO X

The new VAIO X series of computers are not just thin, they’re skeletal: only 13.9mm thick and weighing just 780g, the VAIO X is one of the thinnest and lightest models out there.

You could probably jimmy open a lock with this bad boy, though that will invalidate your warranty, I’m sure of it.

The chassis is carbon fibre and aluminium to save on weight without compromising on strength, and it feels far more solid than it has any right to.

It’s so thin because it’s almost a netbook; there’s no optical drive and the hard disk is solid-state. Sony has also soldered all the components to one side of the motherboard to cut down on space.

A normal hard drive writes and re-writes information onto a disc that spins inside the drive. A solid-state hard drive has no moving parts so it’s quicker, uses less energy and can be thinner.

Right now, many people must be scoffing at the price tag for something with an Intel® Atom™ processor, but the Z550 comes clocked at 2GHz, making it fast enough for most office use.

Despite the appearances of it being a glorified netbook, the VAIO X offers you a lot more. The hard drive may be solid-state but it’s 256Gb, and Sony’s X-black LCD with LED lighting means that the 11.1-inch screen gives you totally sharp colour, with a 1366×768-pixel resolution.

The keyboard is nicely spaced and really easy to type on, something that sets it apart from a lot of netbooks, though the keys are only 17mm

Considering the price there are more powerful processors out there and 2Gb memory is a bit average. There are just two USB ports on the left side, and VGA and Ethernet connections on the right, while at the front there’s support for SD cards and Sony’s memory stick formats.

What I like

The design; when you set eyes on how thin and light the X Series is, it’s quite a revelation.

What I don’t like

The price and some of the components.

Summary

If you have the money and ultra-portability is very important to you, then this could be the machine for you.

Features

• Intel® Atom™ Processor Z550
• 2Gb RAM
• 256Gb Solid State Flash Drive Serial ATA
• 2 USB ports, 1 VGA connection,
• 11.1-inch X-black LCD

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By Tomas Mowlam