Sony VAIO TR1: if you're a road warrior looking for an extension to your desktop machine, this ultra-portable laptop might be for you.

Someday, computers are going to look cooler, weigh less, and function better than a Star Trek tricorder. A stylish, flip-open cover will hide a super-computer powerhouse that can emit a holographic image, communicate with anyone on the planet (and beyond), download all your e-mail in seconds, and scan your surroundings for harmful biogenetics agents--or at least the closest Starbucks.

Until then, there are several ultra-portable laptops on the market that are just as stylish and light--in fact, they're ideally suited for mobile professionals who need "just-enough" computing power. Sony has released a super-light sub-notebook, the VAIO TR1. Although the 900MHz processor won't work for holographic imagery, it's fast enough for sending instant messages and checking the online corporate cafeteria menu.

The slim, 1.44-inch, 3.11-pound TR1 is a cross between a handheld and a laptop, with all the standard functions you'd expect in a PC. The keyboard and display measure about two hand-widths. In some ways, the most important benefit is the small size and light weight. Grab the device with one hand while you talk on the phone instead of worrying about a 12-inch laptop that weighs you down.

The small size opens up some new opportunities for mobile computing. The Centrino architecture lets you quickly connect to the Web for e-mail and browsing, and yet the device still lasts up to seven hours under optimal battery-saving conditions. Sony will be offering an optional extended battery that should push the mobility life up to about 11 hours, although at press time this accessory wasn't yet available. In my tests, the Sony TR1 lasted about five hours, but I was pushing the limit by watching a movie, which was constantly cycling the frontloading DVD drive.

For a small device, the TR1 works quite well for theatrical entertainment. The widescreen display measures almost 11 inches across. I enabled the "pan" option in WinDVD so the movie filled the screen. Compared to bulkier laptops, the actual widescreen movie image isn't much smaller, because a laptop shows you the top and bottom black bars. The TR1 also includes a decent speaker right above the screen.

Yet, it's the unique extras on the device that make it an excellent all-around mobile business machine. I love that the video camera, mounted just above the display, provides a quick and painless way to video conference at 640x480 resolution over 802.11 b There's a Memory Stick port and a Firewire port that let me load the device with photos from a still camera and high-resolution video clips from a digital video camera. I created a presentation with Microsoft Works using some business headshots, and created a short corporate training video using Adobe Premier LE. The fact that Sony includes a light version of Adobe's expensive linear editing tool tells me that Sony intends to make the TR1 a stand-out in the crowded mobile computing field. Sony doesn't even include this software on its more powerful Sony ZIA laptop.

Sony further adds to the value of the system by including a full version of Photoshop Elements, the slightly stripped-down version of Adobe Photoshop, plus a host of Sony-branded photo-and video-editing tools. There's even some nifty music software, including a Sony-reformulated version of Sonic Foundry's digital audio package, ACID. It's also worth noting, for business users who still want some entertainment on the road, that the VAIO TRI supports Dolby-capable headphones for a better audio experience.

The system is a tad light on productivity software. It includes Microsoft Works, not the usual Microsoft Office. However, that's somewhat excusable because a lot of corporate users will be able to load a site-licensed version of Office anyway.

There area few other hardware extras worth mentioning. The system includes a digital out port, which requires a special Sony cable (not included with the system) to send the computer display out to a television. There are two USB 2.0 ports, plus an Ethernet and modem port. The DVD drive doubles as a CD-RW drive. The system is loaded with 512MB of memory and a 30GB hard drive, which is more than adequate for most business tasks.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the 855GM video card supports the latest high-octane games. The frame rate might be a bit slow compared to a "desknote" or desktop computer, but the 64MB adapter supports the coolest dynamic lighting and texture-mapping tricks. The adapter makes a nice compliment to the rather slow processor, which leads me to a couple of minor complaints about the TR1.

When it comes to raw processing, the system is seriously underpowered for repaginating long documents or creating charts in Excel. For all the other extras you get, the trade-off might be acceptable, but only if you don't rely on the system for all your business needs. After all, the TR1 is designed to be a road warrior machine with lots of extras, not a desktop replacement.

The keyboard was a bit saggy and small. I made frequent typing errors fishing for the key I wanted, although I eventually got used to the cramped confines.

UpShot

All this said, there are really no serious flaws with the system. It has tons of software, more connectivity options than some desktop computers, lasts all day, and looks like a sleek sci-fi portable device. As long as you don't need to set any computing speed records, it's an ideal mobile business workstation.

Sony http://www.sonystyle.com SONY VAIO TR1 US$2,195

MONITOR: 10.6"; 1280x768 pixels

WEIGHT: 3.11 lbs

PROCESSOR: 900MHz

MEMORY: 512MB RAM

STORAGE: 30GB

OPERATING SYSTEM: Windows XP

MEDIA DRIVES: Memory Stick

BATTERY LIFE: Up to 7 hours

CONNECTIVITY: 802.11 b, Ethernet, Firewire, USB 2.0, modem

APPUCATIONS: Adobe Photoshop Elements, Microsoft Office Works

BUSINESS BENEFITS

This slim, 1.44-inch thin device is a cross between a handheld and a laptop.

(+) Extremely light and portable

(+) Perfect screen for DVD

(+) Movie editing capability

(-) Slow processor

(-) Saggy, small keyboard

(-) Light on productivity applications

John Brandon is a freelance writer from Buffalo, Minnesota. Before starting his writing career, he worked as an IT manager with a large consumer electronics retailer. His areas of expertise include handheld computers, notebooks, smartphones, wireless technology, displays, and any other computer-oriented device.