New toy: Sony UX280P Micro PC

[Gautam]

As soon as I realized that something like this existed, I knew I just had to have one. A fully-functioning PC that can fit in your pocket. I played the PDA game already and was unimpressed. This device, though, delivers. It's got a 1.2 GHz Core Solo, a gig of RAM and an Intel 945GM chipset/video (comparable to a GeForce 4 MX). Not to mention two cameras, Wi-Fi, bluetooth, and a biometric fingerprint scanner.



Pretty packed for something of this size.


Surprisingly enough it's very easy to use. I tend to forget about it's size and take it's full functionality for granted quick. Then reality sets in and one realizes, shockingly enough, that it's barely bigger than a mouse.




Pictured above is a screenshot of the UT2004 demo, which plays flawlessly.

I didn't run any 3DMark yet, but since I'm a benchmark addict, here's a SuperPi. :p It really does load at 45C, and idles around 39. Quite an amazing Feat on the parts of Sony and Intel to keep temps so relatively low in such a small package. Its ability to handle tight timings is also reminiscent of BH5 and fatties; 3-2-2-1 at 200 MHz.

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And here's a shot of Need For Speed: High Stakes, one of my old favorites.



The screen was already getting a bit dirty :-/. My crappy pics can't do it justice but the screen is gorgeous. Glossy, and very bright 1024x600, 4.5", and somehow everything is completely readable. So far my only real gripe is with the keyboard (wrote this using handwriting recognition) but I don't suppose there's much they Can do considering the size. Overall it's very intuitive and clearly well thought out.

Maybe one could argue that it's just a toy, but it's usability gets extended with the included docking station. Just drop it in and it effectively becomes a desktop. Pull it out and it's a handheld. Quite convenient for someone on the go. Wasn't too pricey either at $1100 refurbed.

I'm a gadget junky so I had to share. Maybe some others like me can appreciate it. I'm still practically in awe.

[tiro_uspsss]

looks nice! i could never justify that cash on a gadget for myself - have fun! dumb question: can that thing can play Q3A?!?

[Gautam]

It's only the price of a cheap laptop and has the same if not more functionality, so justifying it wasn't hard.

Q3A should probably play easy. It's got a Geforce4 MX class GPU...in fact that's selling it slightly short.

[dinos22]

we sell these

they are such nice little laptops

good to see NFS work on it that's news to me lol

[[XC] gomeler]

Very nice, wouldn't mind one of these to use in conjunction with my Macbook when I can't haul around a full sized laptop. This would also be really nice when benching, I keep a lot of notes on settings and stuff during bench sessions and paper notebooks aren't easily erasable/storable.

[Scubar]

Wow where can i get one of those babies in the UK, I love gadgets and that thing looks excellent. How much storage space does it have ?

[ferrari_freak]

Wow that thing is really really cool. Is that screen touch sensitive?

[Rmrdr13]

Wow where can i get one of those babies in the UK, I love gadgets and that thing looks excellent. How much storage space does it have ?

And thats a year old. This is the newer model:
Link

Looks pretty snazzy

[Slay0r]

Very nice micro pc

I also like the newer model with 48GB ssd... tempting..

[twilyth]

It's a very sweet looking palm top, but how do you carry it around without using a man-purse? I got a pocket pc cell phone a few years ago but almost never used since it looked like you were carrying a brick around in your pocket - not there aren't certain advantages to that.

[Gautam]

Yep, it's a year old just as this thread is. Screen is a touch panel. Cost me about a grand back then. It has a 40GB 4200RPM hard drive. SSD would've been nice, but would've doubled the price and I couldn't justify it. Besides that, the SSD versions are black and I had to have silver. For some reason I don't notice the hard drive speed at all. It boots in more than quickly enough for me. I've since been using it for pretty much everything. At home I use its port replicator and have it hooked up to a nice S-IPS NEC 20" widescreen and use it as if it were a desktop. I also carry it around everywhere in my backpack. There's wifi everywhere at college so I don't need a WWAN subscription or anything.

gomeler- it is indeed a great benching companion. Not only can you store stuff, but also can bring up XS in an instant for any info. I've also used it to download some random utility here and there in a crunch while under LN2, lol.

It could fit in your pocket, technically, but it's a little too big to be fooling anyone.

Everyone always assumes I got it specially imported or something but they're pretty easy to find. I think almost every computer store has them.

[[XC] NetburstXE]

That is sooo cool

[crazy1323]

Was thinking about one of these after playing with it at the Sony Store in Atlanta. Do you have it syncing with any folders on a desktop via a network. I would like to have it sync my documents and I would just use an exchange server for Outlook syncing. I would love to just pick this thing up when needed and be on my way.

[Gautam]

Nah, I use it as a standalone system...usually my only system. Syncing folders wouldn't be a problem tho.