v8sho

I saw some references to UMPC's in this forum and did a bit of snooping. I had not heard of these before and didn't know if they were actually available. Then somewhere else I spotted a reference to a Sony Vaio UX that looked a lot like a PDA. I did some searching tonight on the Sony website and found some interesting things.

1. The UX looks like a UMPC, barely larger than a PDA but probably too big for pocket carry. Windows XP, 40Gb hard drive, builtin WiFi, 4.5" wide SVGA touchscreen that slides up to show the keyboard underneath, 6" x 3.75" x 1.5" (which is just a bit bigger than one X51v on top of another X51v), MSRP $1800.

2. The VX is a small notebook- 10.7" x 7.7" x 1.1", 2.75 lbs, 1.2GHz processor, 80Gb hard drive, Windows XP, MSRP starting at $2100.

These are both interesting devices and attractive for their size and weight. Probably better with WindowsXP than WM, but can't replace a PDA for me because of the size. Neither one of them can be carried in a pocket but could be added to a small tote bag if you carry such a thing, and I do when I travel. I frequently carry by Digital SLR and extra glasses and so forth, so adding one of these to the bag would be real easy. But dang they're a bit high right now. Well maybe if Sony makes them then other manufacturers will follow and the prices will get more affordable.