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By Justin Jaffe
Oct 06, 2005

Less than a year after debuting its VAIO T series ultraportable laptop (and several iterations later), Sony gives its thinnest and lightest model a new look, some new features, and a new name. At S$3,999 (US$2,940.44), the VAIO VGN-TX17GP costs about as much as the previous VAIO VGN-T350 model but adds a slightly wider screen and subtracts a few grams from an already lightweight profile.

Editors' note : CNET updated the rating with an Editor's Choice after reviewing the test results.

Editors' note: This review was originally written for the Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P available in the US. The local equivalent model is the VAIO VGN-TX17GP without the cellular feature. The VAIO VGN-TX16GP series has the same design and features except that it runs on a Pentium M 733 ULV 1.1GHz processor and comes in only pearl white color. Some notebooks featured for comparison purposes may not be available in your country.

Design
This is an eminently ultraportable laptop: the VAIO VGN-TX17GP carbon-fiber body measures 272.4 x 195.1 x 28.5mm. At 1.24kg, it's one of the smallest and lightest machines around, especially for having an optical drive onboard. The Sharp Actius MP30, which also weighs 1.27kg and has an optical drive, costs about US$700 (S$1,185.84) less than the Sony, though it has a significantly smaller, 10.4-inch standard aspect display and lacks many of Sony's multimedia and connectivity niceties. The Fujitsu LifeBook P7010D weighs less than 0.5kg, offers a comparable set of features and specs, and costs several hundred dollars less. Other laptops in the Sony's weight class, including the US$2,000 (S$3,388.10), 1.22kg Toshiba Portege R200 and the US$2,000 (S$3,388.10), 1.13kg Dell Latitude X1, lack the optical drive.

Black is cool. (Click here for a larger image)

The VAIO VGN-TX17GP requires the cardinal compromise of every other ultraportable laptop on the market: The keyboard is cramped and has small keys. Still, it's relatively sturdy and responsive and not as small as others; in fact, we comfortably typed out this review on it. Likewise, the touch pad and the mouse buttons are small but usable. The superslim, 11.1-inch widescreen display, with its 1,364 x 768 native resolution, isn't the dazzling gem we've seen on recent Sony laptops such as the VAIO VGN-S470P, but it's good enough. The stereo speakers, which sit above the keyboard, are what you'd expect from a laptop this size: Weak and tinny.

Features

	White is just as hot . (Click here for a larger image)

This notebook has all of the ports that a business user will need (two USB 2.0 ports, four-pin FireWire, VGA, PCI Express card slot) and a handful that cater to the entertainment-minded. Most significantly, along with the VAIO BX series (announced in August), the VAIO VGN-TX17GP marks the first time Sony has incorporated an SD card reader in one of its laptops--a belated and inevitable concession from a company that until now has supported only its own proprietary Memory Stick flash format. In addition to a multiformat, double-layer DVD burner, featuring the smallest eject button we have ever seen, and external volume and mute buttons--always a nice touch--the VAIO VGN-TX17GP has a row of disc controls that sit above the keyboard, including one configurable quick-launch A/V mode button that lets you play a DVD or a CD without booting Windows. On top of Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Sony includes a nice array of its own software, including media, connectivity, and support utilities, as well as the standard applications for burning and playing discs.

In terms of connectivity, the VAIO VGN-TX17GP offers the most complete set of features available today in a laptop of any size. In addition to LAN, modem and 802.11b/g, this notebook offers Bluetooth connectivity as well.

Performance And Battery Life
Our prototype test unit included a number of modest components that didn't stand in the way of the VAIO VGN-TX17GP performance. The unit included an ultra-low-voltage, 1.2GHz Intel Pentium M 753 processor; 1GB of slow 266MHz memory; Intel's 915PM/GM/GMS chipset with an integrated graphics subsystem that borrows up to 128MB of RAM from main memory; and a 60GB hard drive spinning at a sluggish 4,200rpm. In CNET Labs' mobile benchmarks, our unit ran neck and neck with the older-generation VAIO T-series machines, as well as with the Fujitsu LifeBook P7010D and the Dell Latitude X1, each of which was outfitted with a 1.1GHz Pentium M processor. Though we don't recommend it for heavy-duty computing or gaming, the VAIO VGN-TX17GP can easily handle the standard productivity tasks of the typical business traveler, including in-flight DVD viewing.

BAPCo MobileMark2002 performance rating (longer bars indicate faster performance)

Sony VAIO VGN-TX17GP (Pentium M 753 ULV 1.2GHz; 512MB RAM: 400MHz FSB) 156 Dell Latitude X1 (Pentium M 733 1.1GHz; 512MB RAM; 400MHz FSB) 167 Toshiba Portege R200 (Pentium M processor 753 1.2GHz; 512MB RAM; 533MHz FSB) 148

The VAIO VGN-TX17GP battery lasted for a fantastic 6.6 hours in our Labs' drain tests--excellent performance by any standard.

BAPCo MobileMark2002 performance rating (longer bars indicate faster performance)

Sony VAIO VGN-TX17GP (Pentium M 753 ULV 1.2GHz; 11.1-inch screen) 396 Dell Latitude X1 (Pentium M processor 733 1.1GHz; 12.1-inch screen) 182 Toshiba Portege R200 (Pentium M processor 753 1.2GHz; 12.1-inch screen) 245

Service And Support
Sony VAIO notebooks have a one-year local warranty. 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$90 (US$66.18), 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.

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