Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/27/sony_umpc_goes_flash/
Sony has extended its Vaio UX ultra-mobile PC line by introducing a model that drops the hard drive in favour of a Flash-based storage unit. There's a catch, of course: the machine's storage capacity is down to 16GB from the 30GB of the HDD-based original.
The Flash versions' other specifications match those of the UXs Sony launched in May this year: 512MB of 400MHz DDR SDRAM; a choice of 1.2GHz Core Solo U1400, 1.06GHz Core Solo U1300 or 1.06GHz Celeron M 423 processor; 802.11a/b/g/ Wi-Fi; Bluetooth 2.0; 4.5in, 1,204 x 600 display; and Intel 945GMS integrated chipset. Again, the UMPC is available in Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Pro versions.
The Flash-based UX models are slightly lighter: 492g to the HDD models' 520g. Sony preferred to highlight the new machines' faster response time: Microsoft Outlook loads in 1.5s off the Flash drive, compare to 9s from the 30GB HDD. The pricing is the same, however.
Sony's move follows Samsung's announcement in May this year that it intends to offer a version of its Q1 UMPC fitted with a 32GB Flash-based drive (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/05/samsung_preps_amd_umpc/). ®
Samsung Q1 ultra-mobile PC (http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/22/review_samsung_q1/)
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http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/18/brule_touts_raon_vega_umpc/
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http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/16/pbj_updates_umpc/
TDK samples 32GB Flash disk (18 September 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/09/18/tdk_flash_drive/
Asus announces GPS-equipped UMPC (25 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/25/asus_announces_umpc/
Sony readies slimline mobile-on-desktop PC-TV (22 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/22/sony_vaio_ls1_pc_tv/
TabletKiosk adds Intel CPUs to UMPC line-up (3 August 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/03/tabletkiosk_extends_umpc_series/
Daewoo dips into UMPC pool (20 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/20/daewoo_ships_solo_m1_umpc/
Sony readies 4GB MemoryStick Pro Duo (10 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/10/sony_4gb_memorystick_pro_duo/
VIA preps UMPC-friendly chipset (7 July 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/07/via_unveils_vx700/
Alienware beams in Core Duo laptop trio (28 June 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/28/alienware_dual-core_trio/
Sony, Samsung LCD JV 'to build 8G plant' (27 June 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/27/s-lcd_plans_8g_plant/
Samsung to swap Intel for AMD in next UMPC? (5 June 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/06/05/samsung_preps_amd_umpc/
Samsung to sell PCs with Flash drives next month (23 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/23/samsung_to_ship_flash_pcs/
Sony revives mini PC line for UMPC era (16 May 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/05/16/sony_unveils_vaio_ux/
iRiver preps WiMAX UMPC (17 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/17/iriver_demos_w10/
Averatec touts 3G, Wi-Fi UMPC (13 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/13/averatec_ahi_umpc/
Fujitsu exhibits fold-out keyboard UMPC (4 April 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/04/04/fujitsu_concept_pcs/
Intel spills beans on UMPC (7 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/07/intel_umpc_concept/