Sony Vaio LX1

When Sony launched the Walkman personal stereo, it wasn't cheap but it was trendy, so demand was strong. In the computer world Sony's products are held in similarly high regard: only Apple's trendy computers are coveted more than Sony's pretty Vaio notebook PCs.

The Vaio LX1 fits Sony's reputation perfectly, and represents its first foray into desktop PCs in the UK. It has a smart, slimline case and is geared toward entertainment and the internet rather than dull office tasks.

Housing the Vaio ensemble is easy as everything is small and light. You won't need to extend your home to store it, as the main unit is only just bigger than a box file; but those dinky dimensions mean compromises. Upgrade options are limited, but that is something you have to accept with PCs of this type.

Screen gem

The most striking feature of the Vaio is the 15in flatpanel screen. It's a wonderful piece of design, with the display resting on an articulated arm that allows you to position it pretty much as you please through an arc of 270 degrees, from standing upright to laid flat on the desk. The picture is good and the whole thing feels rock solid.

The Intel Pentium III 1Ghz processor ensures reasonably impressive scores in our labs tests, helped by the generous 60Gb hard disk and acceptable 128Mb of memory.

Despite the emphasis on multimedia, the Vaio is no games machine. The integrated graphics card leaves it hopelessly underpowered for 3D fun. Purists would suggest Sony's PlayStation 2 for games, but it would have been nice if Sony had squeezed games capabilities into a £2000 PC.

A better graphics card can be poked in the one usable PCI slot, but it will add to the price of an already expensive PC. The only other internal upgrade could be the addition of extra memory in the one free DIMM slot.

The CD-RW drive also reads DVD discs. Drives of this type are commonly known as Combo drives. Films played back clearly though the speakers didn't do the soundtracks justice.

The pre-installed software, including music and video players and four Adobe packages, is impressive and geared towards entertainment. No word processing or spreadsheet software was included, though, so you will have to spend before you do any admin.

Internet access

As well made as it is attractive, the Vaio's set-up is kept simple. This PC is intended to be used with broadband internet access and details of a subsidised connection from NTL are included in the box. The network adapter and five USB ports mean it will work with all fast internet connections. If you don't have broadband access, a modem can be supplied.

The many slots include two FireWire ports (which Sony calls i-Link) and a type II PC Card slot. There is no floppy drive but Sony's Memory Stick technology is represented. It's an expensive but simple way to share digital images, music or files between suitable Sony products such as MP3 players or digital cameras.

Other nice features include a keyboard cover that folds into a wrist rest, and a wheel mouse supplied in the same light blue hue as the case.

If you want a well-built, fast PC but not games, the Vaio LX1 is ideal. It's not the cheapest around, but its svelte good looks give it the same appeal as those early Walkmans.

Contact
Sony: 0870 511 1999 www.vaio.sony-europe.com

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Reviewed in Computeractive, issue 87

www.computeractive.co.uk