The good: Decent keyboard; internal DVD writer; vivid display; long battery life.

The bad: Relatively underpowered; limited expansion ports; screen a little small for everyday use.

The bottom line: It may not pack the processing power of a super computer, but the TX57GN makes up for it in many other ways. It's small and light enough to carry with you everywhere, with enough battery life to keep you going most of the day.

Read full review of the Sony Vaio VGN-TX57GP »

By Will Head
Apr 3, 2007

The laptops in Sony's TX series are not only impossibly small, but super-stylish, too. The 11-inch widescreen display is enough for use while out and about and its tiny dimensions and lightweight chassis won't slow you down while you're on the move.

Despite its small size, the TX57GN is usable, with a decent keyboard and even an internal DVD writer. It's fully Vista capable, so you don't miss out on the fancy extras in Microsoft's new OS, and at around S$3,699 (US$2,671.14) it's not exorbitantly priced.

Editors' note : This review is based on tests done by our sister site CNET UK. As such, please note that there may be slight differences in the testing procedure and ratings system. For more information on the actual tests conducted on the product, please inquire directly at the site where the article was originally published. References made to some of other products in this review may not be available or applicable in Asia. Please check directly with your local distributor for details.

Design
The TX57GN hasn't changed much on the outside compared to its predecessors but when the design is this good, that's no bad thing. Crucially, its footprint is still smaller than a sheet of A4 paper, and even when closed it's less than 30mm thick.

The laptop lid is finished with a stylish black metallic effect, while the rest of the body is decked out in an attractive silver. The lid itself is only a mere 4mm thick, which seems impossibly thin, but thankfully it's protected by carbon fibre to help prevent damage. You'll still want to exercise some care when opening and closing it, though, as the screen can flex a fair bit.

11-inches of screen estate is enough for working on the move, although if you're planning on using the laptop for prolonged sessions in the office, you'll want to hook it up to a larger external display to prevent eye strain.

Despite the small chassis, the keys are decently sized and comfortable to type on, and the keyboard is stable and not prone to the flexing we've seen on some ultraportables. The touchpad does feel like it's been squeezed in though, with the top almost touching the space bar -- you may find you accidentally brush against it when typing. The mouse buttons are a little awkward to press right at the bottom of the unit.

Features
This laptop is built with portability and long battery life in mind, so it's no surprise that it's a little lacking in the Gigahertz department. The Intel Core Solo U1500 ultra-low voltage chip--running at 1.33GHz--and 1GB RAM are sufficient for everyday tasks but lack the oomph for anything more intensive.

The Intel GMA 950 graphics card also lacks the horsepower for gaming, and you'll be hard-pushed to play any recent titles.

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