7. An Expensive, Heavy Duty, High Current Battery Is Standard

Above average: the standard battery stores a hefty 58Wh.

For a sub-laptop, the battery in the Vaio VGN-TX1XP is extraordinarily powerful. Its total capacity is a whopping 58 Wh; this is one reason why this small unit features record-setting battery life of over 7 hours.

In addition to its standard battery, Sony also offers an optional higher capacity battery for this unit. Its capacity of 85 Wh enables battery life of up to 11 hours before you have to seek out a wall socket for a recharge. But be warned that this option is expensive, costing about $300 and an even pricier 350 € in the European community.

A lightly spring-loaded slide catch on the underside of the laptop makes it easy to remove and replace the battery one-handed.

Next to the battery catch you'll also find a small metal door, behind which the docking station connection resides.

The 58 Wh standard battery is to the front, with the thicker, more expensive 85 Wh high-capacity battery to the rear (click on the image to see a larger version).