Sony VGN-TX1HP

If you liked the look of the Sony T2X you will love the styling of its successor,the TX1HP. Three versions are available:one finished in black, one in silver (as reviewed here), and a limited edition one in blue, of which there are only 10,000. The TX1
retains all the best bits of the T2X. It is a very compact notebook computer, which
at 1.85kg is not difficult to take out and about. Many notebooks of this size are hard to use because they have small keyboards and screens, but this is not the case here. Unless you have very large fingers or long nails, you will not find it difficult to type on.

You will not find it too hard seeing whats on the screen either. Although its TFT display is just 11.1in wide (diagonally) and remarkably thin, it is very bright and clear. It uses Sony’s X-Black screen coating,which in our tests helped the TX1 produce noticeably more vibrant colours and better contrast than other notebooks.

The TX1 uses the latest version of Intel’s Centrino technology, so you can use its integrated Wi-Fi to connect to wireless hotspots or a wireless home network.The TX1 also has Bluetooth connectivity as standard, which is ideal for synchronising with compatible mobile phones, handheld computers or printers.

Sony has chosen to use a model 753 Pentium M processor, which runs at a relatively modest 1.2GHz. Many high-end desktops and notebooks use much faster processors (as high as 3.8GHz), but the TX1 will happily work its way through just about any application. This is thanks in part to an ample 1Gb of memory, which helps it handle large files and load programs quickly. We can not stress enough how
much of a difference more memory will make to any computer, and 1Gb is plenty.

The TX1 has a 60Gb hard disk, which is not the biggest for a notebook but will still
hold a wealth of digital images,digital music and lots of other files and programs.

Although it will handle office, internet and most Windows tasks with ease, this notebook is not designed for gaming. The graphics can run some 3D games but you may have to significantly reduce the screen resolution and amount of detail in graphically demanding titles.

The upshot of its comparatively slow processor is excellent battery life. The TX1 lasted just over five and a half hours during ordinary use, and just under four and a half hours during DVD playback – enough to watch at least two movies. The TX1HP is probably the best ultra-portable notebook we have seen. There are a number of far less pricey options, but if you want a notebook computer that is well designed, small, lightweight and has good performance, it is difficult to ignore.