Sony has launched an ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) weighing just 480g – the first on the market in this category with a built-in keyboard.

The Vaio UX1 has a 4.5in widescreen, the smallest-yet for a UMPC, and is about the size of a small paperback – just about pocketable at 150.2x36.2x95mm (wxdxh). It runs Vista business edition and is due to ship in mid February 2007.

Sony has followed the lead of the Samsung Q1 in packing a 32Gb solid-state disk rather than a standard hard disk. The UX1 has 1GB of memory and uses a 1.3GHz Intel ultra-low-voltage Core Solo processor.

The screen, which slides out to reveal the keyboard, is backlit by LEDs and has a resolution of 1200 x 600. Oddly, in the specifications supplied there is no mention of a video-out port giving you the option of plugging in a desktop screen.

It has space for only a single USB device, plus ports for a Memory Stick Duo, a microphone and a headphone. Bluetooth and 11a/b/g Wifi are also supported.

The UX1 has two cameras: a 0.4 megapixel one facing the front for videoconferencing and a rear-facing 1.3 megapixel one for higher-resolution photos.

The initial price of £1,999 is going to put this machine emphatically into the luxury category. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has mentioned a target price of less than $700 (£370) for UMPCs, which are intended to be second machines.

The UX1 can be used in tablet mode for control and input, with the button keyboard sliding out as an alternative way of inputting text.

See also:
Review: Samsung Q1 Ultra-Mobile PC