A review of the usefulness of Sony’s recent UMPC offering and perhaps UMPCs in general 
This review is of the Sony UX90 version of their new UMPC range. The unit tested was the UX90 which was imported from the USA prior to a UK model being available. The closest UK version is the VAIO VGN-UX1.
Specification
| Sony | Model: | UX90 |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System: | Windows XP Professional | |
| Motherboard Features | CPU: | Intel Core Solo U1400 1.2GHz (UX90S) |
| L2 Cache: | 2 MB CPU integrated | |
| RAM: | 1GB | |
| Chipset: | Intel 945GMS Express | |
| Storage | HDD: | 32GB Solid State Disk |
| Graphic / Video Features | Chip: | Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 |
| VRAM: | 128MB (shared with main memory) | |
| Display: | 4.5" Color TFT Display | |
| Resolution: | 1024 x 600 pixels | |
| External Resolution: | up to 1600 x 1200 pixels | |
| Sound System | Sound Card: | Intel High Definition Audio |
| Interface | Card Slot: | Memory Stick Duo x 1 |
| CF Card Slot x 1 | ||
| Integrated ports: | USB 2.0 x 1 | |
| Head Phone Jack x 1 | ||
| Mic In x 1 | ||
| DC In x 1 | ||
| I/O Connector x 1 | ||
| Ports on Port Replicator: | Felica Port | |
| USB 2.0 x 3 | ||
| i.Link x 1 | ||
| Fast Ethernet 100Base-TX/10Base-T x 1 | ||
| External Display Port x 1 | ||
| AV Out x 1 | ||
| DC In x 1 | ||
| Wireless: | 802.11b/g | |
| Bluetooth 2.0 | ||
| Input / Output Devices | Keyboard: | 64 keys, 0.15mm stroke, 8.6mm pitch |
| Pointing Device: | Pointer | |
| Power | Battery Life: | Standard Battery: 4.5 hours |
| Consumption: | 40W | |
| A/C adapter: | 100-240V / 50-60 Hz | |
| Physical Features | Size: | 5.91 (W) x 3.74 (H) x 1.27-1.50 (D) [inch] |
| 150 x 95 x 32.25-38.1 [mm] | ||
| Weight: | 1.2 lbs / 544g | |
| Other | Package contains: | Standard Lithium-ion battery, AC Adapter, Port Replicator, Soft Carrying Case, Power Cord, Stylus, VGA/LAN Adapter, Strap |
Features of the UX90
I could spend a bunch of time describing the features of the device but there are already many reviews on the Internet. One such review, and the review I found most useful, is on [http://www.youtube.com/watch?vMej7sf4uonI YouTube], its sixteen minutes but worth the look and gives a thorough description of this excellent device . You’ll note that this review refers to a UX90 supplied by Dynamism and this was where our device was purchased.
Using the UX90
Using the UX90 was a pleasure and there are many features worthy of note (in no particular order):
* Finger Print Reader – The inclusion of a fingerprint reader is valuable for such a small device particularly as you’ll want to set the device to lock itself after a short period of non use as it is so stealable. It is very convenient logging on with just your finger.
* Solid State Hard Disk – Fantastic. This improves the boot time and general usage but the most important benefit is that it means there are no moving parts which is a real bonus in a device so small.
* Small QWERTY Keyboard – The design of the keyboard is very slick; it slides out with a nice positive motion echoing the superb build quality and lights up with a gently blue light through the keys (nice). It is almost comfortable to use the device holding one hand round each side and clicking the keys with your thumbs but this is only tolerable for doing one word answers to emails. The keyboard can be used with your fore fingers if the device is flat on a surface but on the whole it is not good for lengthy typing.
* On-Screen keyboard – There is a small pop-up on-screen keyboard as most PDA and tablets have with is very useable if you are comfortable using a stylus.
* Touch Screen – Very useful and much more useable than using the pointer device. It is very quick to navigate web pages using the touch screen and the stylus. In fact this is one of the best features; being able to surf the Internet on a small high resolution screen using a stylus.
* High Resolution Screen – As just mentioned, the screen is very good. It runs at 1024 x 600 and is extremely good quality. Sony have used the black LCD technology we see on their VAIO range which delivers a very crisp and bright image. Very very good. The screen can be zoomed and scrolled at the touch of a button so when you find a page you want to read in more detail or an image that is just too small it is very viewable.
* Mouse/Pointer – The small pad on the top right of the device is a small pointer pad. It responds to the movement of your thumb and is good but does take a little getting used to. Used in combination with the two butons on the left you have the same functionality as a mouse giving both left and right clicks.
* Detachable LAN Port – There is a small cable that plugs in to the docking port on the bottom giving Ethernet and VGA output. This is a useful and small widget to carry around as when you have wired LAN access available and not wireless you can simply plug it in.
* Wireless LAN – The inbuild wireless connectivity is not as good as that which I get from my regular VAIO laptop, even with the small aerial extended. This was disappointing.
* Two Cameras – There are two cameras, one on the front and one on the back. This will be useful when there are suitable mini-video conference applications and when sitting on the dock you’ll be able to use it for video calls from your desk. I can’t imagine using the UX90 as a camera but you can hold it up like a camera with the screen extended (to make the lens visible) and take pictures in front of you while viewing them on screen…
Usefulness of the UX90
Having nearly ranted about this very impressive device I need to comment on its usefulness.
When I got the device I used it a lot… around the office and in meetings as a convenient and small laptop, on trips as a very convenient fully featured laptop (remember its running full XP so has full Outlook and Internet Explorer), on the sofa in the evening when I see an advert on the telly and want to follow up and in bed when my body it too tired but my brain is still ticking. Having mentioned using the device in bed it is worth noting that it is just to heavy to hold up for long periods while you are lying on your back.
As time passed I found myself using the device less and less favouring my VAIO laptop when I need a larger screen and keyboard and using my PDA (Dell Axim) when I quickly wanted to look at my email or a website.
So I stopped using it… For all of its virtues the UX90 is somewhere between a laptop which has all the features you need and a PDA which is as portable as you want. It satisfies neither in that there are compromises in terms of features to achieve the portability from the laptop point of view, and, extra weight to support the functionality from the PDA point of view. It was not a conscious decision to stop using it but I got to a point where I realised that I had not used it for two weeks and I think the evidence of my actions is significant.
Summary
This is a very impressive device but I think that it has a very specific use and for the money you need to be sure that it is right. It may be the case that this is true with most UMPC devices but I firmly believe that this space will evolve and we’ll see very portable devices that are really really functional.