The Sony VAIO VGN-TXN10 ($2,300) may offer more “wow” factor per square inch than any other laptop PC.
It’s about as tiny as they come, weighing 2.8 pounds, with an 11.1-inch widescreen display and a 10.7-inch by 7.7-inch footprint that fits nicely on an airplane tray table. Unlike most ultraportables, the TXN10 has a built-in optical disc drive—a dual-layer DVD burner. You can play CDs or DVDs on it without booting up Windows.
The machine protects precious data in two ways: A fingerprint reader lets you restrict file access, while Sony’s G-Sensor system prevents hard-drive damage during falls or other sudden impacts.
The TXN10 supports a cornucopia of wireless connections. Internal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth make it easy to access the Internet from a hotspot and interact with devices such as cell phones and PDAs.
This is the first laptop equipped to tap into Sprint’s newly upgraded Mobile Broadband network. Sprint’s souped-up wireless data service offers average download speeds of 450 to 800 kilobytes per second and average upload speeds of 300 to 400 kbps—comparable to speeds achieved though a wired DSL or cable-modem connection. Sprint began rolling out its enhanced service in select cities this year, and expects to complete the transition in more than 200 metro areas in 2007.
