SONY VAIO VGN-T1XP

IN BRIEF: The compact and light design is aimed at those looking for a portable workhorse rather than a fashion accessory

Sony is building a niche for itself as the premier supplier of ultraportable laptops. While this sector of the market isn't as popular in sales terms as the larger desktop replacement market, it is seen as more attractive, both in terms of looks and usability. The latest addition to this range is the Sony VAIO VGN-T1XP (£1699 inc. VAT), which takes the concept of the widescreen laptop - it has a 10.5-inch display and a native resolution of 1280 x 768 pixels - and packs it into a slim and light package. As buyers have come to expect from a VAIO,.the screen uses Sony's X-black technology for a greater degree of screen contrast. A complaint often levelled at such a panel is the amount of reflection that it casts. However, with such a small display size, we found that there was little evidence of this with the T1XP.

OPTICAL ILLUSION
Weighing in at 1.4kg, the T1XP comes in the form factor that was once referred to as a subnotebook. Considering that the system houses a Matshita DVD rewriter, located on the right-hand side of the chassis, this two- spindle machine is small and compact. In order to meet the thermal needs of such a compact device, Sony has opted for Intel's Pentium M ultra-low voltage solution, in the form of the 1.1GHz (ULV). Designed with battery life and low heat dissipation in mind, this chip offers reasonable performance for office- based tasks, and in daily use we found little to complain about. The processor is supported by 512MB DDR SDRAM and under test produced a MobileMark 2002 score of 127.

As you would expect, the graphics solution is an integrated one, in the form of the Intel 855 chipset. You won't want to run any complicated multimedia applications on the T1XP but we found that running presentations was fine. The unit is also ideal for watching DVD movies on the go. Fast access buttons on the top of the unit allow for this. We were hoping that this would allow users to boot up the DVD player without accessing Windows. Sadly, this feature is not supported. With a battery life, under test, of 165 minutes, the T1XP won't see you through a working day but it should be fine for the occasional meeting or business trip. The keyboard is compact and initially feels cramped. However, we found that after a short time using the unit, it became easier. The keyboard is firmly mounted with the keys having a very shallow amount of travel, making it comfortable to use. The battery pack takes up the back of the unit, leaving little room for expansion ports. With wired connections - modem and Ethernet - housed alongside the optical drive, the remaining connections can be found on the left-hand side of the chassis and comprise two USB 2.0, external monitor, and a single Type II PC Card slot along with the obligatory Sony iLink and Memory Stick ports. Wireless connectivity comes in the form of the PRO/wireless 2200 adapter, which supports the faster 802.11g standard.

The Sony VAIO VGN-T1XP may not be as impressive to look at as the company's flagship ultraportable, the X505. However, in terms of usability and functionality we preferred this unit. If you are in the market for an ultra- portable that can be used as a standalone computer, rather than as a secondary unit, this system has a great deal to offer.

PRICE £1450/£1699 (EX/INC. VAT)
PROCESSOR Intel 1.1GHz Pentium M
MEMORY 512MB DDR RAM
HARD DRIVE Hitachi 40GB
SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE 10.5-inch TFT
DISPLAY RESOLUTION 1280 x 768pixels
GRAPHICS CARD Intel 855
DIMENSIONS 271 x 165 x 27mm
WEIGHT 1.4kg
PC CARDS (TYPE II/III) 1/0
WIRELESS LAN 802.11g
ETHERNET Yes
USB PORTS 2 x USB 2.0
FIREWIRE 1
STANDARD WARRANTY 1 yr RTB
WARRANTY UPGRADE 3 yr £151
CONTACT 08705 424424 www.sony.co.uk

VALUE FOR MONEY 7
PERFORMANCE 6
FEATURES 6
MOBILITY 8
BUILD QUALITY 8
OVERALL 8

BATTERY LIFE 165 MINUTES
MOBILEMARK 2002 127
3DMARK 2001 1882