15. Small Display + High Resolution = Lousy Readability

At its native resolution of 1366x768, a single pixel on this display is about 0.007" (0.18 mm) in size. At this resolution, a typical 10 point typeface character is only 0.03" (1 mm) wide. Working with this display set to high (or native) resolution, eyestrain can set in after only a short while. To counter this potential handicap, Sony has created an eminently practical magnifier function for on-screen use.

Magnification, or reduced resolution, at the push of a button.

If you push the F10 key the display resolution switches from 1366x768 to 1064x600. Because this resolution is not an even multiple of 16:9, the display isn't totally clear; it appears a little blurry. But when working with text, such as for reading or writing documents or handling e-mail, the lower resolution is noticeably easier on one's eyes.

Graphics Subsystem: Works For Office Applications, But Not For Viewing HDTV

In TX series laptops, the on-board Intel GMA900 graphics chipset handles all graphics functions. This subsystem can use up to 128 MB of system memory, depending on the memory requirements of applications in use at any given moment. This is adequate for typical office productivity applications or for DVD playback. However, playback of high definition materials, particularly 1080i resolution video streams, pushes the device past it limits. The computational power of the CPU and graphics subsystem simply can't deliver smooth, non-jerky playback.

Power savings are decent with the GMA900 chipset. However graphics capabilities are severely limited compared to other mobile graphics subsystems such as those from ATI or NVIDIA.