Sony Mini Laptop

When people take their first look at Sony's Mini Laptop, they may not be sure whether it’s a really small laptop or a very big  smartphone. I can assure you, it’s a laptop. Weighting only 1.2 lbs and having the dimensions of 5.91” x 3.74 x 1.27 – 1.50, the smallest Sony laptopis the  UX180P. A quick look though the specs reveal the fact that this laptop runs on a 1.2 GHz Intel Core Solo U1400  processor with the help of 512 MB of RAM. 

The graphics card is an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 which has 128 MB of shared video memory. It has 30 GB of free disk space and some pretty other nice features that we are going to write about later in this article. As you already know, Sony puts a great deal of accent on the design of its products more than anything else. All of this mini laptop’s features are cramped inside a very small unit. It has a 4.5 inch display, built in same Sony style as usual. The left and right mouse buttons are located on the lower left side. 

Above the display there is a webcam and on the lower right side you have the zoom controls, a power switch, the pointed and the built in microphone. Just like some cell phone models, the display slides up to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. On the left side of the unit you can find an USB port and a slot for the SIM card. On the top of the unit you can find a memory stick duo slot, a switch for the camera that helps focus selection and a capture button for taking pictures. The bottom hosts the I/O connector and the DC in port. When you slide the display you will see another integrated digital camera. It also has a very durable antenna. The overall built in quality of this mini laptop is satisfying for a unit this small.


The LCD is excellent, just like many other displays available on regular  Sony VAIO laptop models. The nicest part is that the images shown on the screen are visible and clear even if you are outside on a sunny day. The best resolution for this display (or at least the recommended one) is 1024 x 600 pixels. The screen is touch sensitive (this is why the laptop comes with a stylus pen) and you can control it even with your fingertips. Remember that the display is exposed all of the time due to the unique design of this mini laptop so make sure you have a protective case is which you can carry it permanently so you don’t scratch or damage the LCD in any way.

As you can imagine, this mini laptop can handle about anything that a netbook can handle you can use it for surfing the internet and working on some documents. The hard disk is shock protected just as it should be in the case of such a small laptop which is carried around all the time and therefore exposed to a bigger risk of being dropped or damaged in any other way. There are 3 levels of protection but the bigger the level of protections is, the more the performance of the unit drops. It’s very difficult (almost impossible) to upgrade the components.


The keyboard is normally hidden under the display. It is backed up by blue LED lights which make it easier to type even in a poorly lit room. The lights will stay turned on for 15 seconds after you’ve pressed the last button. Almost all the buttons have been assigned with secondary functions. The keys are flat and apparently the feedback is not that great which means sometimes you won’t be able to know if a button has actually been pressed unless you look at the screen. It’s only a matter of time until you get used to this type of keyboard. The pointing stick is very responsive and pressure sensitive. Combines with the left and right mouse buttons plus the additional center button, you will be able to handle the UX’s actions really fast and in an efficient way. Be careful when using your fingers to control the touch screen. Sharp fingernails plus excessive force can scratch the display and using your fingertips can leave fingerprints so in the end, the stylus pen is the wisest choice.


The battery life of this UX is one of the key success factors because when you design a laptop so small to make it portable, you have to equip it with a long lasting battery so every buyer can use this laptop whenever they need it. The average period of usage for this laptop with its equipped battery is about 3 hours. It’s not a low number but it’s not impressive either and since we have netbook that can stay alive and running for almost 6 hours, we would have expected a better performance from a 1.2 lbs laptop. The UX comes with one integrated speaker which can’t handle too much pressure. It has two cameras, one located in the front and the other in the back. The front camera acts just like the camera of a regular laptop, which can be used for video chatting. The one in back is just like a cell phone’s camera which means you can take pictures or record videos.


In conclusion, the positive aspects outrun the negative ones, making this mini laptop a good choice for people on the go who are in need of connecting to the internet for a short period of time. The battery life is a little disappointing and the camera’s quality is very low. I’m guessing you won’t be using the UX as a replacement for a digital camera so this aspect may not affect you very much. It’s available for purchase from the Sony website, if you have $1800 to pay for it, that is. It does have nice features like the integrated Bluetooth and the beautiful and small display. It has a docking station included to increase the functionality.