What is lighter than air? A Sony Vaio X. Yes, you heard that right. Sony’s latest offering is only 655 grams in weight. I personally had a go with one of these beauties at a Sony shop recently and all I can say is… OMG it’s insanely light and thin! Measuring approximately half an inch thick (as thick as a VGA port as shown in the picture below), it is as if you are holding a regular notepad full of electronic goodness.

Marie France’s latest slimming ambassador.

Specs wise, the Vaio X is nothing to shout about, running on either a 2.0GHz or 1.86GHz Intel atom processor, 2 gigs of RAM and an integrated Intel GMA500 graphics card. Think of this as a high end netbook which went for a very very effective slimming program. Which is why the price is a little on the “high end” side too. Well the price is sort of justified as you truly get the best from that segment of mobile computing. SSD hard disks, a 11.1″ LED backlight display, Wireless N, 2 USB ports and a VGA output ensure that you lose no functionality compared to a regular laptop. Just don’t expect the Vaio X to play games other than minesweeper or handle multitasking like a pro because it was not built for that. By the way, it comes loaded with Windows 7 that was recently launched.

Available in black and signature collection gold.

On the exterior you will be delighted to find a carbon fiber casing which explains why the weight can be reduced by that much. However, I noticed that it was subject to some ‘bending’ when force was applied to it so if you plan to get one, I suggest extreme care unless you want to have 2 (pieces of) Sony Vaios for the price of 1. Overall, I would say that this is not something for all as it covers a very niche market, in particular for those who travel a lot and want to be as light as possible. Although not very affordable at the moment, it sets a new standard in the race for lightness, thinness and portability in computing.

Pricing as per Sony’s recommended retail price:

RM 3,999 for Intel Atom 1.86 GHz; 64GB SSD and 3.5 hour battery (655 grams). Windows 7 Home Premium

RM5,299 for Intel Atom 2.0 GHz; 128GB SSD and 6.5 hour battery (760 grams). Windows 7 Professional

Popularity: 2% [?]