Sony's flash-based UMPC

Darius Chang | Jun 20, 2007

So what's the big deal about the flash-based harddisk used in the latest Sony VAIO VGN-UX38GN? Nothing at all, if you do not value faster performance, greater shock resistance and longer battery life.

The VAIO VGN-UX38GN is possibly the first notebook in Asia Pacific (outside Japan and Korea) to use flash storage technology. Similar to memory cards, flash drives have no moving parts, which make data access much faster than conventional magnetic platters. Moreover, this also means the unit is more resistant to damage due to vibrations and sudden shocks. Flash drives also consume less power, which gives the UX38GN an hour more of battery life than the cheaper VAIO VGN-UX37GN/L model with magnetic storage.

However, the downside is flash drives cost much more while offering a comparatively smaller capacity.

If a normal hard drive is fine and dandy for you, then the 40GB UX37GN is a grand cheaper at S$3,499 (US$2,572.79). However, a S$1,000 (US$735.29) premium for the 32GB UX38GN seems like a reasonable premium for greater performance and hardiness. We will be comparing both versions in the next two weeks. So stay tuned for the results.