Sony VAIO UX180P Micro PC VGN-UX180P

Pros: Full Windows XP Professional operating system, fingerprint recognition, included port replicator, 2 cameras, customizable user buttons

Cons: No virtual keyboard, Cingular EDGE required for WWAN connection, Proprietary Sony Memory Stick slot, Battery life

Summary: CNET really should not allow reviews on products from people who have no use for the product, and absolutely no intention of purchasing that product. I am sick and tired of all the negative reviews (and ratings) on excellent items from people who have no idea what the item is to be used for, and have no need for it! If I have a need for a product, and it is something that I would buy and use for myself, then I don't need the opinions of people who have no use for the item in the first place, but go to the store and play with the item for a few minutes, then provide their "critique" on how useless the item is to them. When I am about to purchase a product that I think will fulfill a need I have, I look everywhere for reviews from people who have bought the item, and are using it. This information is valuable to me, as I want to know what the pros and cons are, from actual users - I don't need the advertising hype from the manufacturer. The information I need is specific to the product, such as what the product strengths and limitations are, what improvements can be made, what the user likes or loves about the product, and what the user finds annoying. I need this information from someone who actually needs the product they are reviewing, and are making an effort to use the product to fulfill a need. Time and again, I have to sift through countless worthless opinions to get to the reviews I need. For example, on this product, dc137pd's review smashed this wonderful device and all of its capabilities because this person felt that the screen is too small. In this person's own words, they played with the item for 10 minutes in a store, and had to put it down because of the strain on the eyesight. While this would definitely be a reason for some not to purchase the product, I do not think this warrants a rating of "1" on CNET, because 10 minutes with this item in a store is not nearly enough time to evaluate all of the things this item was made to do, nor how well the item does these things. One would think that a "micro PC" would have a small screen. If the screen was much bigger, the unit would not qualify as a "micro PC". If the small screen size is enough to stop a person at the door, then that person obviously does not have a need for a micro PC, and thus has no business providing a "review" on a product they have no need for.

With all of that said, I do own the Sony Vaio UX180P. I bought this PC on July 17, 2006. I use it daily. I purchased a Samsung Q1 in May. I used it for 2 months, but my heart really wanted the Sony. I ended up selling the Q1. I plan to do a review on the Q1 in a few days. Here is my review of the Sony Vaio UX180P:

This device is great! I can do anything on this that can be done on a desktop or laptop PC. I still have not discovered all of the features present on this device. All applications I have installed so far work perfectly within the screen size and resolution. The PC offers several ways to connect to a wireless and wired network, which makes it totally portable, and totally what I expect (actually, more) from a portable PC. This device has totally eliminated my need for a Pocket PC. I absolutely love the fingerprint recognition software/hardware. The buttons are customizable for mouse actions or other keyboard actions. Out of the box, Sony provides great accessories. The technical support has been wonderful. This device is fast becoming my primary PC. I have replaced my Windows Mobile device (Palm Treo 700w, and UTStarcomm XV6700). I have no need for Windows Mobile when I have the full XP Professional operating system in a totally portable device.

Screen size - the 4.5 inch screen is perfect, in my opinion, for a portable device. Yes, everything is small, but it is just what I would expect in a micro PC. For web browsing, most browsers have an option to increase the font size. I use Netscape, and I occasionally increase the font size to make it easier on the eyes. Aside from the small size, the clarity is brilliant. The resolution is great, and everything fits on the screen. Not so with the Q1, with which I had to constantly adjust the screen resolution for different applications.

Internet connection - There are 4 ways to connect to the internet using the UX180P. One can connect using an ethernet cable, for which there is a port located on the included port replicator, or the included dongle adapter. Also, there is a built-in 802.11a/b/g wireless card for Wi-Fi connection. Connection can also be made via bluetooth using a bluetooth cell phone. And then there is the included SIM card for the Cingular EDGE network. Cingular charges upwards of $70 per month for high-speed internet service, which caused me to initially count that method out. But I later found out that T-Mobile also offers EDGE, so I called Sony, got an unlock code from them, unlocked the UX180P, and signed up with T-Mobile for $29.99 per month. If you have phone service with T-Mobile, the high-speed internet service is only $19.99 per month. Between these 4 methods, one is always able to connect to the internet and email while on the go. I would like to see a PCMCIA slot, though. That would enable me to use an air card, from any carrier I choose. I currently have my phone service with Verizon, and I would like to be able to take advantage of EVDO versus the much slower EDGE service.

Battery life - leaves a lot to be desired. Under what I consider normal use (web browsing, email, using office applications), I average a little more than 2 hours. I have a car ac/dc converter, which I use most of the time the PC is in the car, and I dock the PC to the port replicator or plug up whenever possible, but standalone use without power is definitely nothing to brag about. This would cause me to rate the UX180P at a 9.5, if that were possible. But that's not enough for me to drop the rating to a 9, considering all the other wonderful things there are to enjoy on this device. There is an available enhanced battery, which I plan to purchase, or I may just purchase a spare standard battery. If I get the enhanced battery, I will add to this review at a later date to comment on the life of that item.

Cameras - There are 2 cameras - a front-facing camera for web cam use, and a rear-facing camera for taking pictures. I am not much of a camera user (the ones that come with phones and such), but I took a few pictures using both cameras on this device. The rear-facing camera took better pictures, but the front-facing camera held its own.

Accessories - Sony includes some cool accessories. The port replicator is my favorite, and one that I am glad they didn't decide to charge extra for. It includes 3 USB ports, a/v out, a monitor port, a firewire port, and an ethernet port. It holds the PC at a nice viewing angle, and provides power while the unit is docked. I plan to purchase an extra port replicator, as I find myself taking the one I have with me everywhere I go. There is also a very nice carrying case, a VGA/LAN travel adapter, retractible stylus, adapter holding band, wrist strap, and spare pointer caps. Not to mention the ac adapter and power cord. These days, I'm lucky to get a power cord and USB cable with most of my gadgets.

Keyboard - The keyboard is fairly easy to use, once you get used to holding the device and typing. I won't be writing any term papers on this device using the physical keyboard, but it's great for portability and on-the-go tasks, such as email. I rely on the stylus more, since I have been a PDA user for many years. My one lament is that there is no virtual keyboard. I solved this problem by going online and finding a very well built virtual keyboard FOR FREE, which I intend to profusely thank the author for, at this site: http://www.lakefolks.org/cnt/. Now I can call up the virtual keyboard in a pinch, instead of sliding the physical one out. This saved the UX180P from getting a 9 instead of a 10 from me. Still, although it's not a dealbreaker, I think Sony should include a virtual keyboard on this PDA-sized, touch-screen device. There is one on the Samsung Q1, but then again there better be, due to the fact that there is no physical keyboard.

Other - fingerprint recognition. I absolutely love the fingerprint recognition software/hardware included on the UX180P. I had it on one of my Pocket PC's, but the functionality was limited to logging in. On this device, you can use it to get to password-protected websites and applications (once programmed), log in, launch applications, and maybe more that I have not discovered yet. I mainly use it to substitute keying in user id's/passwords on websites. I know that some browsers "remember" the user name/password combinations, but with the fingerprint recognition, you do not have to use that feature at the browser level (you can if you want to). And some web pages are programmed to not allow the browser to remember the user id/password. You can still swipe a finger to access these websites.

Did I mention that I LOVE the fingerprint recognition?