The X-Factor

When netbooks came along, everyone gushed about the incredibly small form
factor as compared to conventional laptops. Sony has managed to raise the bar
even further, both in terms of performance from an Atom-based system as well as
form factor. The X-Series will make you sit up and take notice the moment it is
unpacked from the box. The extremely thin form factor (it is thinner than the
Macbook Air too) will amaze you instantly, leaving you in an endless loop of
'how is it possible' questions.

The X-series which we received was dressed in handsome black-brown matte
finish. It weighs an unbelievable 500gms without the battery. The battery itself
weighs about 238gms, which keeps the entire package at about 750 grams. It is so
slim that you may find standard notepads  to be thicker.

Powered by the new gen Intel Atom Z550 processor, it clocks at 2.0GHz and is
coupled with 2GB RAM.

The machine handles day-to-daywork without any fuss. Open multiple
applications and it will not buckle under pressure. The PC Mark score of 1522 is
extremely good, and higher than even some full-size notebooks we test.

Like all Atom based computers, the X-Series won't play 3D games. But then
again, a netbook is not something a gamer would buy. However, that said, the
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 500 does an extremely good job of
running Flip 3D and Aero in Windows 7. The 11.1 inch screen has a HD ready
resolution of 1366x768, which quite frankly, is amazing. The X-series, due to
its extremely slim form factor has only 2 USB ports and no optical drive, but
does not miss out on essentials like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and memory card slots. The
slim battery offers about 6 hours of use (3 hrs in worst case scenario with 100%
processor load).

The X-Series has the looks, features and the flaunt value that any netbook
owner will crave for. But at Rs 80k for this particular model (VPCX117LG/B), it
is a very pricey proposition. A similar version with a slower processor and 64GB
SSD is available for Rs 55k.