Sony Vaio UX previewed

Digital World Tokyo got an early hands-on look at the Sony Vaio UX50 micro PC when launched in Tokyo earlier this week. The obvious difference between this and those much maligned first gen UMPCs is the sliding keyboard. However, it's not exactly a tactile wonder as DWT reports. The reviewer found the keyboard "difficult to use" as the keys are almost flush with the case and don't move much when pressed. Still, he managed to enter text without any misspellings. The 4.5-inch screen was "sharp and bright" and its 1,024 x 600 resolution (UMPCs go 800 x 480 on a 7-inch display) made full screen web browsing possible if you don't mind uh, "squinting" a bit with those "handy" buttons along the right-side of the case giving a quick zoom when necessary. Although the reviewer notably only had a few minutes with the device, it's certainly a promising start for this micro device with massive features mirrored in its expected $1800 price tag. We'll reserve judgment, however until some proper full-reviews hit the sheets or we nab a UX for ouselves when they drop Stateside in July.