Sony Vaio X: Netbook Features, Non-Netboook Price

While not quite technically a netbook, the Vaio X notebook was designed by Sony to have the features that many consumers are looking for in mobile PCs these days, namely lightweight hardware with long battery life and a manageable form factor for travelers. The part of the equation where Sony completely misses on making the Vaio X a netbook is price.

The notebook is equipped with an 11.1-inch scratch-resistant LCD screen and tips the scales at 1.6 pounds, while measuring just more than a half-inch thick. Sony claims that the Vaio X is the slimmest notebook on the market -- although the Dell Adamo XPS may give the Vaio X a run for its money when it is released.

The Vaio X is equipped with up to a 128-GB solid state drive and 2 GB of DDR2 memory. The processor on the notebook is a 2.0GHz Intel processor, with Sony declining to provide any more specifics. That processor when combined with storage and memory starts to suggest that the Vaio X may be more netbook than full-powered notebook.

The battery included with the notebook provides just 3.5 hours of life, but the extended battery gives the Sony Vaio X enough juice to last for 14 hours.

The carbon fiber casing houses two USB 2.0 ports, DC-in and VGA ports, along with a headphone jack and Ethernet port. A Webcam and microphone are also built directly into the device to allow for realtime video chat.

The Vaio X is built with a touchpad that Sony claims boasts multitouch functionality similar to a smartphone, allowing users to zoom in and out, flip through pictures and scroll without touching a mouse.

Sony has also partnered with Verizon to provide wireless connectivity. A broadband connection provides Web access and, for users on the go, a 3G card provides connectivity anywhere, with a Verizon Wireless plan.

The Sony Vaio X notebook is available for order today with Microsoft Windows 7 preloaded and starts at the decidedly non-netbook price of $1,299.