Customer Reviews

Sony VAIO VGN-UX490N/C 4.5-Inch Portable Computer (Intel Core 2 Solo U2200 Processor, 1GB RAM, 48 GB Flash Drive, Vista Business)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is one of the most satisfying and exciting piece of electronics I have bought for a long time.

I was highly skeptical of the UX when I was planning to buy an ultra portable laptop; I had narrowed it down to either this or the TZ series. I went for this because they would allow me to take this to work and I haven't regretted that decision for a sec. Even though I hardly take it to office

The reason I like this so much is (not the price though; I paid premium for it) that it can do some many things. I use it as a full fledge GPS system (with Garmin Mobile PC software and the BT GPS receiver which came with it); I use it as a normal laptop at home (I have a desk setup with a 21' LCD monitor, with everything attached to the dock). I also have a Verizon 727 usb modem, which keeps me connected all the time everywhere. I have three chargers plus a car charger so is pretty powered on always. I prefer to carry a charger than the bulky extended battery.

I use Vista, though many say UX is not made for such resource extensive OS; I find no issues at all. I also use Ubuntu; not all the hardware is compatible so I'm just testing it out. In essence you can run any OS you feel like (Vista, XP, OSX even Linux) only catch is you need to be real patient and search a lot (You would not get any assistance from Sony in this regard). But the good thing is you have dedicated forums.

The only improvement I can think of is swapping the WWAN card for a CF slot (in the US model) because for one it only comes with EDGE (and not 3G) next with CF slot I can connect a GSM card and use it as a phone. (US UX comes with a SIM card slot but the hardware supports only data and not voice)

I almost forgot, it's got one of the best displays I have ever seen in its class.

Go get it tiger.

Note: -
Before I bought this, I seriously thought about the HTC shift, OQO model 2 and Flybook V5

I wrote this review as a UX vs other UMPCs available. If you are thinking more in the lines of 390 Vs 490; the difference is 490 has the core 2 Solo(390 has Core solo), bigger HD (48 to 32) and the NC(this one)comes with extended battery and BT GPS receiver, but about 1K more. So choice is yours.

Or thinking of the 380 Vs 390, no question go for the 390 for its SSD hard disk.

<update 25/03> There has been loads of hardware upgrade since i wrote this review. You can upgrade the processor to U7700 (core2Duo 1.3GHz), replace the edge module with CF card slot or change the normal hard disk to SSD. So I guess you can get any UX, just pick the cheapest and the color you like. Then you can upgrade. But you cant upgrade the RAM to more than 1 gig.

I bought this computer in a vaio store. This is a very impressive electronic device. A full functioning computer. The only thing I don't like is the keyboard. If you plan to type documents this would be a problem. The keys are too hard, really it is more simple to type from a blackberry cellphone. But, if you accept this problem, the computer performs very well. I was impresed about the fact that you don't need to buy anything more with this computer. It comes with a standard and a long live batery too, a carrying case, a port extension device, a base and even with a GPS receiver. As all the sony laptops a lot of software you don't want comes with it, and it will take a big part of the HDD. I spent two hours uninstalling software. The windows vista takes a lot of speed but even in that way, it is acceptable considering that this is a very small computer. The screen has a very high resolution, I can use it to read documents, but if you have eyes problems don't try it!. This computer is excelent for using in the plane, but actually since I buy it I am wondering if I bought this computer by curiosity or because I need it. Sometimes I think that I could buy a 13 inches laptop that would be much easier for me to work on. Actually I am trying to sell this small impresive computer in my country.

My english is not perfect, sorry for that.

I have researched this Sony VAIO VGN-UX490N to see what improvements it has over the VGN-UX390N (which I own). For roughly $900 more, you don't get a lot. The new Intel U2200 processor has a slower clock speed and only half the cache of the U1500(in the 390N). This may account for the battery power savings but at what cost? The flash drive is 18 GB larger than the 390N - but is that really worth $900? Keep your drive clean and buy a Pro Duo memory stick. Somebody let me know if I missed something here but this doesn't appear to be significantly different than its predecessor and, as a result, is not a good value for your hard-earned money.

Even though the keyboard and screen are tiny, I love this little machine. My husband has taken it on trips and watched DVD movies that we have downloaded to external hard drives. The screen is nice and bright. I love the fingerprint security feature. This laptop serves as a nice little backup when one of our other laptops goes out. I hate that Sony no longer makes them.

I have this computer with all sorts of MODs, Core2Duo U7600, Apple Airport WiFi Card, unlocked EDGE modem etc.
This computer will run Windows 7 or XP.
The UX is very much alive today.
Visit micropctalk.com for more info

I have one of these Sony UX UMPCs, an HP TX1000 and a Asus eee 701 with a 901 on order from Amazon.

I love the UX as an incredibly clever, compact gadget. It gets oohs and aahs wherever I go and I think it can do just about anything my Win or Linux desktop boxes can do.

The problem is the keyboard is next to worthless--my Blackberry is waaaaay more effective for typing. You can't thumb type with the UX...at least not while trying to balance this pretty heavy handheld UX. And then there's the screen--it is VERY difficult to read this thing for more than five minutes without going blind...even when you change resolution.

Don't get me wrong; this is really fun to play with...but it's a first-class pain to do any productive work with. I still use it occasionally and it's a swell paperweight to keep my desk in order while I rush out the door with my Asus eee.

Oh, and did I mention it was reallllllly expensive? Hey, you can advance order a couple of Asus 901s...XP and Linux...for that price right now. I recommend the 20GB Linux version...and it has sturdy flash memory.