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Sony's Vaio UX: a PC? or a camera?

It is as small as it looks. It has not one, but two cameras built in. The screen is a 4.5-inch wide SVGA. The keyboard is hidden, and slides out. And it's stylus driven. But, says Sony, it's a PC.

And so it is. It runs Windows XP, and all the software you could want to hate from Microsoft, including Outlook. And when you take it home, it plugs into a docking station, and has WiFi, Bluetooth and EDGE connectivity, as well as USB keyboard and mouse sockets.

From Europe, it looks like yet another Sony Obsession: that is, selling things in America which you might quite like to buy. Even at $1,800.

Genuine innovation here: it's not one of the new Microsoft/Intel UMPC designs. But it does take advantage of the new ultra-low power Intel Core Solo Ultra Low Voltage CPU "for fast processing and long battery life" -a technology which comes closer to matching the Centaur low power designs, but still isn't there.

Full PR details on the Sony web site. The VAIO UX Micro PC will be available in July for about $1,800 and can be purchased online at www.sonystyle.com, at Sony Style stores or at select retailers around the USA.