- Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful
4.0 stars
"The UX50 is the epitome of mobile"
Pros: Beautiful screen, included keyboard, Compact Flash slot, extended battery option, easy navigation
Cons: keyboard is not tactile, and the battery life could be better
Summary: First of all, there were a few omissions in the CNET review. There are a few key differences between the American version of the UX (the UX180) and the Japanese version (the UX50/UX90) reviewed here.
1. The Japanese version has a Compact Flash slot. The American version DOES NOT, instead replacing it with EDGE WWAN.
2. The keyboards are slightly different. The American version of the UX has 5 less keys, meaning the keys will be slightly bigger and perhaps easier to use than the Japanese version, which was reviewed here.
While I do not own a UX50 (yet), I have evaluated it a number of times in electronics stores in Japan. One of the nicest things about this machine is that you get a near laptop computer in a form factor that can easily fit into small backpacks or large pockets. You have to see it to understand how small it really is.
The screen is simply amazing. It is so sharp and clear and bright. While text and icons are small, if you have decent vision, this should not be a problem because of how clear the screen is.
Navigation is a pleasure with the stick pointer (mouse) and mouse buttons. Also, when the scroll button (below the two mouse buttons) is pressed and held down, you can use the stick pointer to scroll up and down the page. Very easy! The zoom buttons also work very well, and I did not experience the lag that CNET claims. The zoom is very fluid. And now onto the keyboard, which as I explained above, has 5 more keys than the American version. The keys are indeed flush with the case and can be hard to press, but I have a feeling that it just takes some practice to get good at.
I have not tested the cameras, but the front is a 0.3 megapixel webcam and on the back is a 1.3 megapixel camera, perfect for snapshots.
I encourage everyone that wants a very mobile computer that will turn heads to look at this Sony Vaio. If you happen to be in Japan, you can get one off the street for about $1350. I also encourage you to take a look at www.MicroPCtalk.com, a website dedicated to this machine. It includes a forum for questions and support. Also, the jkOnTheRun blog and the Lorin Thwaits blog has also covered this machine in great detail with videos of the unboxing. Just do a quick Google search to find those blogs. Enjoy!
- 2 replies to this review
-
Whatever happened to the concept of the Ultra Mobile PC being $500-$1000? The Samsung model is $1000, and this Sony is $1800. It's too small for useful PC work, and too expensive to watch videos, listen to music, etc. Sorry, but I don't see what this thing is supposed to accomplish.
-
This is what I look for when I read user comments!
