Sony Vaio X505

So I’m sitting on a long flight while writing this, and I’m rolling dices with myself about which ultraportable to feature next. But after a good meal and a few soothing drinks (compliments of Thai Airways), the choice suddenly seems easy. Since the last post was about the Sony Vaio TZ, I thought I might as well continue the Sony saga. Hence, today’s guest of honor is the very light and extremely slim Sony Vaio X505. Much like the previously featured IBM ThinkPad S30, the X505 is quite a rare sight today and equally an attention grabber.

The X505 was quite the pioneer when introduced in 2004. In particular it came to serve as inspiration for the current Vaio TZ. First of all it featured carbon fiber in its construction just as its younger sibling does today. As you might know this expensive material is well known for its combination of strength and low weight. Another TZ design feature which was first introduced on the X505, is the untraditional but stylish side-placement of the illuminated power button. Coupled with the cylinder-shaped battery, it is elegant and contemporary at the same time. Worth mentioning also, is the distinct keyboard style which was later also found on the Apple MacBook and, you guessed it… the Sony Vaio TZ. Even users of the mainstream type Sony Vaio CR will enjoy this floating style keyboard.

However, the X505 attribute which created the most stir, was the extremely slim design. Even today you will probably not find a notebook as thin as this soon to be 4 year old ultraportable. So thin in fact that it was often compared to a regular paper notebook.

The design and slim construction of this 10.4” notebook were not without sacrifices however. For instance the location of the keyboard is quite unconventional and awkward. This vital component is placed at the front edge facing the user - eliminating the possibility of a palm rest. This also means that the touchpad buttons are to be found right at the edge as well. All this translates into a rather ergonomically incorrect writing and navigating experience. Fear not too much though. I had the chance to try it out for a few hours and whilst not being the best experience, I could definitely live with it. In general one can get used to a lot when it comes to ultraportables and as some might say: “beauty does not come without pain”.

When I first saw this showcase of visual avant-gardeness, my immediate reaction was “what a cool and extraordinary looking notebook, but couldn’t they have made the screen fit the size of the notebook better?”. It may just be me, but as you will find while browsing through this blog, I am not a fan of fat bezels surrounding the screen. Or as I might also bluntly put it: It makes an otherwise nice looking notebook look a bit “old school Atari video game computer like”. It is my main grip with the X505.

Moreover, for those who are into specifications and numbers, the biggest compromise would probably be the performance, which is far from impressive. Let me rephrase that. Considering the ultraslim form factor it was very impressive. But setting this aside, its power is less than favorable for more than simple web surfing and light applications. And yes, don’t even think about running Vista and its smooth GUI on this ubersleek anorexic runway model.

A lot of woes you might think. However, at the end of the day, cat walk modeling is what the X505 is all about. A design extraordinaire pushing the physical boundaries of what was previously known as impossible. And for those who appreciate this, who cares about boring performance talk and ergonomically misplaced components?

Don’t take my words for it though. Read the following and be further enlightened:
Notebookreview review
MobileTechReview review
ZDNet review
Cnet review