Sony VAIO VGN-UX180P Micro PC

You've ever had severe back pain or found yourself bedridden, a portable PC device can help you avoid tons of disconnected downtime

Sony has made several attempts at a handheld PC before, including the Sony VAIO VGN-U750P which was eventually discontinued in the United States. The problem with the U750P: It was too bulky and lacked a built-in keyboard. The OQO model 01 did have a QWERTY thumb keyboard, but its performance could not satisfy my needs. And then there's the Toshiba Libretto, our Editors' Choice for mini PCs, which probably has the most proficient design for a miniature laptop PC.

This 1.2-pound UX180P was certainly easy to handle when I was confined to my bed with a bad back. Unlike a laptop, I can actually hold this device above my head when I'm on my back, or play with it like I would with a Sony PlayStation Portable while lying on my stomach. At 3.7 by 5.9 by 1.3 inches (HWD), the UX180P is significantly smaller than any laptop and slightly larger than the T-Mobile Sidekick 3 (which, mind you, is a cellular phone, not a computer). It's a little thick for the skinny-jeans crowd to slip into their back pocket, but it's a perfect fit for any coat pocket or purse.

Pushing the screen upward reveals a QWERTY thumb keyboard, similar to the one found on the OQO model 01. I have mixed reactions about this keyboard. The keys lie flat against the surface and don't have the bumpy feel of a Sidekick 3. The UX180P is perfect for tasks such as answering short e-mails and navigating through the Web, especially when combined with the keyboard's blue-LED backlight, which I found extremely handy for late-night browsing. Attempting to write this review on the unit, however, required me to have the patience of a saint. I had to use the tip of my fingers to punch in each keystroke; otherwise, I would wind up hitting the adjacent keys. Using a combination of keys, such as Shift+ or Ctrl+Alt+Del functions, was also extremely difficult. In the end, I threw in the towel.

The UX180P has left and right mouse-click buttons on the left side of the screen. A pointing stick sits directly across on the right side. There's a lot of scrolling involved when using this device, so a scroll button is also included under the mouse-click buttons. To scroll, you have to hold on to the scroll button and use the pointing stick at the same time. It might sound a tad inconvenient on paper.

Below the scroll button is a media key that launches Sony's proprietary touch launcher, giving you easy access to applications such as Windows Media Player and folders like My Documents. The device comes with a stylus (it stores in the back of the unit), which means the screen is a pressure-sensitive touch screen. Two additional buttons let you magnify the screen up to three times, which comes in handy when you're confronted with really small fonts.

The flip-up antenna on the back of the unit is an excellent feature that gives you access to Cingular's EDGE network. All you need is a cell-phone connection, and you can surf at broadband speeds. I've seen this technology in other Sony laptops, including the Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P and the VAIO VGN-T350P. In most cases, you'll be able to get throughput speeds of up to 300 Kbps in New York City, about half as fast as Verizon's competing EV-DO networks. The unit also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability built in. And frequent travelers will appreciate the wireless on/off switch that shuts off all wireless features, as well as the added security of the fingerprint reader that's located right above the screen.

The built-in speakers are located in an odd place. The first of the two speaker grilles is on the front of the screen. The other grill is situated directly behind the screen and is covered up by the keyboard when you slide the screen down. For a better audio experience, I suggest using the headphone jack. There are also two webcams: a 640-by-480 (VGA) webcam located in the front and a 1.3-megapixel webcam found at the back of the screen. These are great for webcasting and basic photography, respectively.

Connectivity options are limited to just one USB port and a Memory Stick card reader. Thankfully, Sony throws in a miniature docking station with your purchase. This allows you to attach external devices to the three USB ports, a FireWire port, and a 100MB Ethernet port on the dock. The dock also has VGA-out and A/V-out ports for attaching an external monitor.

Don't expect lightning-fast speeds with a 1.2-GHz ULV Intel Core Solo (U1400) processor and 512MB of nonupgradable RAM. The unit is relatively cool to handle, thanks to the low-powered components. For obvious reasons, integrated graphics are used. The battery life on the UX180P could be better, considering that most people would probably use it on the go most of the time. The 3 hours 55 minutes on MobileMark 2005 tests is better than I expected from a 19-Wh battery, but it's still not long enough for a coast-to-coast flight. Sony, unfortunately, does not offer additional accessories to extend battery life.

At $1,799 (direct)—which is as much as you'd shell out for a good laptop or tablet PC—I wish that the Sony VAIO VGN-UX180P had come with better performance and a keyboard that was easier to type on for long periods

SPECS----

Type: Media, Ultraportable, Business, Small Business
Operating System: MS Windows XP Professional
Processor Name: Intel Core Solo U1400
Processor Speed: 1.2 GHz
RAM: 512 MB
Weight: 1.2 lb
Screen Size: 4.5 inches
Screen Size Type: widescreen
Graphics Card: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Storage Capacity: 30 GB
Wireless: 802.11a/g
Primary Optical Drive: External

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THE ONLY THING WHICH ANNOYS ME IS THE PRICE!!!

$1,750.00 - $1,827.00 !!!!