It’s amazing what computer manufacturers are cramming into subnotebooks these days.
The latest in the Vaio P-series line from Sony is just a wonder to behold. The Vaio P688E weighs just more than 600g yet it is powerful enough to run that hungriest of resource hogs, Windows Vista, at a reasonable clip.
Size-wise, the P688E is somewhere between a smartphone and a laptop and can easily be slipped into a handbag.
It features a 1,3GHz Intel Atom processor, 2GB of RAM, integrated GPS receiver, two USB ports, an eSata port for extra storage, a 64GB solid-state hard drive, SD and HG Duo card slots, Wi-Fi and integrated webcam.
It’s the LED screen, though, that makes this machine almost a must-buy: it’s only eight inches from corner to corner, yet Sony has bumped the resolution up to 1 600×768 — something you’d expect to find on monitors twice the size.
The keyboard is also excellent. Though not full-sized, the keys are big for a computer this size. I was quickly able to begin touch-typing with few errors.
What’s most amazing is that Sony has managed to cram all this into a machine that costs not very much at all. Wantitall.co.za, which supplied our review unit, has it listed for R10 400. If I was in the market for a netbook, I’d save up the extra pennies to buy this machine instead.
The only downside — there’s always something, isn’t there? — is the battery life. The machine will keep you working for only two hours before you have to find a mains outlet.
The P688E comes with a voucher that will allow you to upgrade to Windows 7 when Microsoft’s latest operating system is released later this month. Given the performance tweaks in Microsoft’s latest operating system, we think it will fly on this machine.
We think Sony is onto a winner. — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral
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