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Short Version:<\/strong> It\u2019s got an Atom CPU and it starts at $1300. That being said, Sony\u2019s X Series is one of the coolest computers I\u2019ve ever used.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Features:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n Cons:<\/strong><\/p>\n Review:<\/strong><\/p>\n In all my years of reviewing, buying, and admiring computers, this is one of the most impressive. And lest you think Sony and I are all buddy-buddy, I rarely ever speak to anyone there. John checked this thing out<\/a> at a press event and they were supposed to send it to him to review but he was out of the country, so it got rerouted to me. And I\u2019m glad it did.<\/p>\n I\u2019m more forgiving to netbooks than most of my coworkers, which is a good thing because this machine is basically a $1300 netbook on steroids. Sony calls it a notebook, which is a smart idea because people associate the word \u201cnetbook\u201d with something that costs under $500. If you were to give this machine to someone without telling them what kind of CPU was inside, though, you\u2019d probably not hear a peep out of them. It doesn\u2019t \u201cfeel\u201d like a netbook at all.<\/p>\n What\u2019s Good:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you have something around you that weighs a pound and a half, pick it up. Now imagine you\u2019re holding an almost-full-size laptop. Does not compute. The VAIO X Series is bewilderingly, astonishingly, how-the-hell-did-they-do-that light. That\u2019s thanks to carbon fiber, which Sony uses liberally in many of its ultraportables.<\/p>\n You give up battery life with a 1.6-pound notebook. The standard battery lasts around 2.5 hours under normal use but Sony\u2019s thoughtfully included an extended battery that bumps the life up over 12 hours without adding much weight at all. It adds a bit of thickness to the computer, yes, but it\u2019ll still be one of the lightest computers you\u2019ve ever carried around.<\/p>\n The extended battery, pictured above. Pictured below, you\u2019ll notice that at 39% capacity there\u2019s still 3.5 hours of battery life left. You\u2019ll go a couple days between charges.<\/p>\n So the portability and battery life are outstanding without too much sacrifice. You still have a pretty sizeable screen to work with at 11.1-inches and 1366×768 resolution and the 2GHz Atom N550 CPU, based on Intel\u2019s new Pine Trail design, doesn\u2019t feel lethargic unless you get a lot of programs open and running at once or you try to render video. Most everyday stuff hums along very nicely. The main takeaway is that the compromise between portability and power seems less gaping with this machine. It\u2019s very, very tiny, yet still pretty nimble.<\/p>\n What\u2019s Bad:<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m sure there\u2019s some reasoning behind the keyboard, but it\u2019d be nice if it used all the available space on the chassis. The island layout works okay after you get used to it but I can\u2019t help but think the space would have been better used by making bigger keys \u2013 even if they touched \u2013 and stretching them all the way across. And Sony seems to love putting that tiny right Shift key on all its ultraportable keyboards. I can\u2019t stand that thing.<\/p>\n The trackpad, too, is pretty rough. As you can see, there\u2019s not much surface area to work with. Multitouch comes turned on by default, which makes a hard-to-use trackpad almost impossible to use since moving your finger often results in some flavor of zooming, scrolling, or whatever else they\u2019ve baked into it. I turned off all that stuff within a few minutes \u2013 even vertical scrolling. After that, it worked well enough to not have to carry a Bluetooth mouse.<\/p>\n I have rather large hands but even normal or small hands will seem big when typing or using the trackpad. You do get used to things after a while, though.<\/p>\n Other Considerations:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you travel frequently for work, consider that the X Series comes with a 3G chipset from Verizon as well as a GPS chip. It\u2019s conceivably small enough to use in the car as a navigation device, so with the 3G and the GPS fired up you\u2019ve got quite an in-car computer.<\/p>\n Conclusion:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you\u2019re at all intrigued by this machine and the relatively high price tag hasn\u2019t scared you off yet, I urge you to swing by a Sony store to see if you can try it out in person. The photos and videos here really don\u2019t do it justice. If you\u2019ve got the money to spend and you like to travel as light as possible, the size, weight, battery life, and myriad of connectivity options make the Sony X Series a very compelling purchase.<\/p>\n Sony X Series<\/a> [SonyStyle.com]<\/p>\n Video:<\/strong> Goodbye, Sony X Series. I\u2019ll miss you.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n![\"IMG_1292\"](\"http:\/\/www.stoth.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/wp-o-matic\/cache\/6446c_IMG_1292.jpg\")
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