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Sony VAIO UX490

The Sony VAIO UX490 is the successor and upgrade to the previous flagship - the UX390. Sony maintains the same overall form factor and sliding design, while upgrading many of the internal components to offer more power and better performance. The two most notable upgrades are to the device's processing speed, and the size of the hard drive. With this Premium UMPC as Sony calls it, they've added extra accessories to the bundle including an extra large capacity battery, and Bluetooth GPS adapter.

Where to Buy

Sony VAIO UX490
MSRP $2,499.00
Release date November, 2007
Brand Sony
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Pros & Cons8
Reviews5
Details
Buy It
Competitors4
Comments2
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
5 reviews
53
negative
mixed
positive
2 positive
0 mixed
3 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
Better value than UX390
+2agreedisagree

•
Convenient connectivity options
+2agreedisagree

•
Flash based hard drive extends battery life and improves performance
+2agreedisagree

•
Significant performance increase over UX390
+2agreedisagree

•
UMPC with Keyboard
+2agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
Expensive compared to things like the iPhone
+5agreedisagree

•
Expensive compared to other UMPC
+3agreedisagree

•
Vista
+1agreedisagree


5 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Features

  • 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Solo processor, with 2MB of Cache
  • 48GB solid state hard drive
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 4.5" LCD touchscreen, 1024x600 resolution
  • Ethernet, WiFi, and Edge wireless connectivity
  • Full QWERTY keyboard
  • 0.3MP camera on the front, 1.3MP camera on the rear

With the solid state hard drive and large capacity battery Sony estimates battery life between 3 and 7 hours depending on usage. As the UX490 is targeted towards business users, extra security is found through the integrated fingerprint sensor. The sensor lets you map multiple passwords to a fingerprint reading which enables you to work with passwords that must change frequently.

Both A/B/G WiFi and wireless Edge connectivity are included inside the device. Sony's software manages which network to use, as they claim the UX490 will switch between services automatically.

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This report was started November 12, 2007 at 10:46 am by Omar
with the last edit occurring January 8, 2009 at 12:29 am by fractalhorizon
This page has been viewed 2971 times, with 31 edits by 7 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Sony VAIO UX490

• Sony VAIO VGN-UX490N/C 4.5-Inch Portable Computer (Intel Core 2 Solo U2200 Processor, 1GB RAM, 48 GB Flash Drive, Vista Business)

• Vaio UX490N/C

UPC: 027242243712

EAN: 0027242243712

MPN: VGN-UX490N/C

Competitors

Sony VAIO UX490 is ranked 4th among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Internet Media Tablets »
FlipStart 1.0

FlipStart 1.0

MSRP  $699.00    Released  --
Pros
  • 2" display on back of main display allows access to email, contacts and calendar when main display is closed.
  • EV-DO Rev. A compatible
  • Decent power (1.1 GHz, 512 MB RAM; runs Vista)
Cons
  • Bulky (5.9" x 4.5" x 1.6")
  • Not as sleek as its competitors
  • Low amount of RAM (1/2 a GB) compared to competing products
ProSCORE
4 reviews
40
Vote! (1 vote)
vote Sony VAIO UX490 0% vs. vote FlipStart 1.0 100%
Fujitsu Lifebook U810

Fujitsu Lifebook U810

MSRP  $999.00    Released  September, 2007
Pros
  • Very portable (small, and light weight)
  • Clear screen
  • Decent performance for everyday tasks
Cons
  • Screen quite reflective
  • Short battery life compared to Sony UX series
  • Flimsy USB port cover
ProSCORE
3 reviews
61
Vote! (4 votes)
vote Sony VAIO UX490 25% vs. vote Fujitsu Lifebook U810 75%
OQO Model 02

OQO Model 02

MSRP  $1,299.00    Released  --

From the makers of the OQO Model 01; this total mind blowing ultra-portable PC, comes their second iteration at an attempt to manufacture the coolest and most powerful yet portable device on earth.  Boasting the ability to run Windows Vista with options up to a 1.6GHz CPU, 120GB HD, 1 GB RAM, WiFi a/b/g,...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (2 votes)
vote Sony VAIO UX490 50% vs. vote OQO Model 02 50%
HTC Shift

HTC Shift

MSRP  $1,499.00    Released  January, 2008
Pros
  • Excellent cellular connectivity
Cons
  • Slow 800MHz cpu
  • Expensive
  • Two useless operating systems at once!
ProSCORE
2 reviews
22
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Sony VAIO UX490   vs. vote HTC Shift  

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Comments

1.  avatar Erik said:

I think this UMPC thing is going to die. The new mobile devices like the iPhone and the Nokia N810 provide so much of the same functionality for significantly less money and in a sleeker, smaller package. The UMPC rests in a marketing chasm between lightweight ultra-portable laptops and the iPhone; both of which are significantly cheaper than the UX490.
Nov 13, 2007 10:54am
2.  avatar Sony-fan said:

It seems only the Sony site specifies that the UX490N/C comes with the bundled GPS & extended battery. Would be interested to know if any other retailers (online or otherwise) offered the same bundled package.
Mar 15, 2008 12:19pm
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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

fractalhorizon

avatar
January 8, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
62
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
3 cons

Pros

  • Better value than UX390
  • Convenient connectivity options
  • Flash based hard drive extends battery life and improves performance
  • Significant performance increase over UX390
  • UMPC with Keyboard

Cons

  • Expensive compared to things like the iPhone
  • Expensive compared to other UMPC
  • Vista

Competitors

fractalhorizon prefers Sony VAIO UX490 over Fujitsu Lifebook U810
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Omar

avatar
November 12, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
80
negative
mixed
positive
4 pros
1 con

Pros

  • Better value than UX390
  • Convenient connectivity options
  • Flash based hard drive extends battery life and improves performance
  • Significant performance increase over UX390

Cons

  • Expensive compared to things like the iPhone

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

desjardinsy001

avatar
November 19, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
33
negative
mixed
positive
1 pro
2 cons

Pros

  • UMPC with Keyboard

Cons

  • Expensive compared to things like the iPhone
  • Expensive compared to other UMPC

Competitors

desjardinsy001 prefers Sony VAIO UX490 over OQO Model 02
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Yale

avatar
October 30, 2008
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
0
negative
mixed
positive
0 pros
2 cons

Pros

Did not agree with any pros

Cons

  • Expensive compared to things like the iPhone
  • Expensive compared to other UMPC

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Erik

avatar
November 13, 2007
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
0
negative
mixed
positive
0 pros
1 con

Pros

Did not agree with any pros

Cons

  • Expensive compared to things like the iPhone

Comments

"I think this UMPC thing is going to die. The new mobile devices like the iPhone and the Nokia N810 provide so much of the same functionality for significantly less money and in a sleeker, smaller package. The UMPC rests in a marketing chasm between lightweight ultra-portable laptops and the iPhone; both of which are significantly cheaper than the UX490."

Competitors

Erik prefers Fujitsu Lifebook U810 over Sony VAIO UX490
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

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This product is also known as:

UX, 490, UX490