The good: Incredibly slim and light; extended battery option well-integrated into design.

The bad: Possibly the most expensive Netbook in the market; uninspired feature set; headphone and microphone share single port.

The bottom line: The Sony Vaio X series awed us with a design so slim and light, it looked more like a concept model than a real laptop. However, at the end of the day, it's still just a Netbook and the sticker price is heart-stopping.

Read full review of the Sony Vaio VPC-X118LG/B (Intel Atom Z550 Processor 2GHz, 2GB RAM) »

By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
Nov 20, 2009

While PC makers are focused on the low-cost market, Sony doesn't seem to be very interested in this segment. The Japanese maker is well-known for its cutting-edge designs and the Vaio X series is the epitome of that passion. In fact, the first impression one gets is that this Vaio is just a mockup of a futuristic concept notebook. In order to reach an unprecedented slimness, Sony had to redesign the tiny mainboard such that the hardware components occupy only one side (standard motherboards only both sides) and even the Ethernet port sports a new slip-down design. However, the design breakthrough demands a suitable sacrifice from your wallet and this is the most expensive Atom-based machine we have reviewed to date.

Design

The Sony Vaio X series has an unbelievably slim chassis at only 13.9mm thin and a heft of just 745g. In fact, it's even slimmer than the 19.8mm Vaio P with a smaller 8-inch display. To achieve this feat, this machine is built from premium carbon-fiber material which is stronger yet lighter than metal. Even the Ethernet port had to be reengineered as the original slot was thicker than the chassis, hence an innovative flip-down design was used instead.

	VPCX118LG/B	VPCX115LG/N	VPCX113KG/B
Processor	Intel Atom Z550 2.0GHz	Intel Atom Z540 1.86GHz
Operating system	Windows 7 Professional		Windows 7 Home Premium
Storage (SSD)	128GB	64GB
Weight	780g	745g	655g

The Vaio X comes in three configurations. The low- and high-end models sport a black chassis while the midrange unit sports an attractive gold color scheme. Though at first blush the latter may seem a little ostentatious, we are glad that in this case the Midas touch is a little muted and the Vaio X looks more classy than crass. Our review unit is unique in that though it's gold in color, the internals have been bumped up to the high-end model.

Like most Vaios, this minilaptop sports a chiclet keyboard which makes maximum use of available space to provide a comfortable typing experience. But besides the key pitch and travel, another important ergonomic consideration is the wrist angle. In this instance, the Vaio X's exceptionally slim body actually works against it as the machine does not provide a comfortable tilt. Sony solves this issue by adding two flip-out stands on the rear. Despite their flimsy-looking appearance, the rear stands are surprisingly sturdy and hold up well to the weight of our hands.

When Sony finally decided to add SD card support along with its proprietary Memory Stick card format, it did it a little differently than its competitors. While others sport 4-in-1 or 5-in-1 readers, the Japanese maker added dedicated SD and Memory Stick slots. The advantage is that this allows the machine to read both formats simultaneously. On the minus column, on a Vaio X, it may have been better to replace it with another USB or even HDMI port instead. In fact, we would probably appreciate discrete headphone and microphone jacks instead of the single combined one found on this Vaio.

Features

The feature set on the Vaio X is, merely average. With only two USB ports (most Netbooks sport three) and a VGA-out, this machine meets expectations but doesn't exceed it. Even its 802.11n, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth connectivity are hardly impressive as most of its competitors are already at the same level.

While the trend for minilaptops are 11.6-inch HD-ready displays, the Vaio X stuck with the unusual 11.1-inch screens which are used by the Vaio TT series. With a 1,366 x 768 resolution, the high pixel density means sharp but small fonts, which are a little tiring to read for long periods. The Intel GMA 500 integrated graphics is hardly a gaming-grade component, but it's slightly superior to the more common GMA 950 found on most Netbooks. The Vaio X is able to handle most standard-definition videos with ease, though don't expect to play World of Warcraft at high resolution anytime soon.

Performance And Battery Life

Under the awesome exterior and superslim body, what you get is frankly less than impressive. Granted this Vaio runs off the latest Z series processor, but in the end it's still just a Netbook and comes with the same performance limitations. In other words, running Flash-heavy Web sites and performing high-resolution image editing are excellent ways to learn the virtue of patience. The installed Windows 7 Professional operating system works decently enough, but opening too many applications will result in a significant slowdown. With a starting price of S$1,999 (US$1,447.61), you must really love the design and not care a whit about performance to even consider purchasing the Vaio X.

We tested the standard battery and the uptimes were on par with other Netbooks. Running a video clip with half-screen brightness, the minilaptop ran for 2 hours 12 minutes before crying for a recharge. Surfing on the wireless connection netted almost 4 hours of battery life. For those who need longer uptimes, an optional extended cell is available with a claimed battery life of 14 hours. Though this optional accessory is huge and almost as heavy as the Vaio X itself, it's designed to look like a notebook stand and the tilt actually makes this Sony more comfortable to type on.

Service And Support

The Sony Vaio X has a one-year local warranty, which is short for a premium laptop. At Sony's support Web site, Vaio owners can download the latest drivers. For simple problems, the company offers an online knowledge database for troubleshooting. Should the unit require further diagnosis or repair, the customer will have to send the unit to the service center. For an additional S$94.50 (US$68.43), consumers can purchase the Vaio Overseas Service package which provides a 24-hour call center for repair requests and international warranty coverage at designated countries.

Tags: Netbook, Sony Vaio, Sony Vaio X Series, Vaio X, SD Card

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