Reviewing Sony VAIO G1 carbon-fiber ultraportable, Laptop magazine gives it 3.5 out of 5 stars rating and writes, “There are lightweight notebooks, and then there are impossibly lightweight notebooks. Weighing in at an astounding 2.1 pounds-seriously, you have to hold it to believe it-the Sony VAIO G1 is the most portable notebook we’ve ever encountered with a built-in optical drive. You can’t get it in the U.S., but gadget-importer Dynamism will sell you one for $2,599. The 12.1-inch display could use more pop, and you’ll definitely want to add more RAM, but the G1 is an exceptional featherweight notebook that will please mobile professionals willing to pay a premium.

Our first thought when holding the G1 in our hands was that it had to be a nonworking unit; no full-functioning laptop could be so light. Sony was able to achieve this sprightliness by using a carbon-fiber body, which is lighter, stronger, and better at heat dissipation than the aluminum or magnesium alloys used in your typical notebook chassis. Our G1 sported a silver casing, but Dynamism also offers black and special-edition brown models.

The razor-thin silver lid houses the G1’s 12.1-inch, 1024 x 768-pixel display. The matte finish was fine for productivity chores, but we would have preferred the same glossy XBrite treatment that graces most other Sony notebooks. Movies and Web pages had a dull appearance, and the viewing angles were a little too narrow.

The advantage of having an ultra-low voltage CPU on board is long endurance. The included “lightweight battery” is rated for approximately six hours of juice. In our tests, the G1 lasted 2 hours and 29 minutes when playing a DVD, which means you should realistically expect closer to four hours of runtime when performing more mundane tasks. An optional “standard battery” should double that runtime, but it costs a whopping $349. Our suggestion: Save money by shopping on Dynamism.com for configurations that include the standard battery, Windows Vista, and 1GB of RAM.

As far as ultraportables go, we prefer the slightly heavier 2.8-pound Sony VAIO TXN, which offers built-in mobile broadband and a brighter (albeit smaller) 11-inch display for less cash. But if weight is your number-one priority–and you don’t want to sacrifice an optical drive–the Sony VAIO G1 is arguably the best option on the market.

PROS & CONS of the Sony VAIO G1:
• Extremely lightweight
• Built-in DVD burner
• Fingerprint reader
• Strong wireless performance
• Excellent warranty and support
• Lackluster display
• Needs more RAM
• Small keys

Sony VAIO G1 quick specs:

CPU: 1.2-GHz Intel Core Solo U1400
Operating System: Windows XP Professional
RAM/Expandable to: 512MB/1.5GB
Hard Drive/Speed: 80GB/4,200 RPM
Optical Drive: 4X DVD+/-RW DL
Display/Resolution: 12.1 inches/1024 x 768
Graphics/Video Memory: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950/128MB
Wireless Networking: 802.11b/g, Bluetooth
Ports: Two USB 2.0, VGA, Ethernet, modem, headphone, mic
Card Slots: One Type II PC Card, 3-in-1 memory card reader
Weight&Size: 2.1 pounds, 10.9 x 8.5 x 1.00

This entry was posted on January 26, 2007 and is filed under Sony.