Designed as an ultra-portable this VAIO comes with ample connectivity features including wireless LAN, Ethernet connection, dial-up modem, Bluetooth and Firewire (i-Link). There's no infrared port though.

As expected from a Sony product, you'll also find a Memory Stick slot compatible with both sizes of standard & Duo and also compatible with MagicGate & MemoryStick Pro. And in an unusual step for Sony, they've also included an SD/MMC card slot in the VGN-TX17GP.

If you like watching movies on the go then this VIAO is for you. Besides its long battery life which allows for watching up to two movies in one charge, there are also the dedicated media control buttons to the top of the keyboard complete with an eject button for the DVD drive. The best part, however, is the pre-boot media playback mode which allows you to watch movies without even booting into Windows.

All that said the Sony VAIO VGN-TX17GP isn't without faults. For a start, there are only 2 USB 2.0 ports available which could prove insufficient depending on the user of course. Also, the keyboard feels rather cramped which is understandable considering how small this laptop really is; nevertheless, it does take some getting used to. And like most notebooks the manufacturer's claimed battery life (9 hours in this case) is hard to achieve except with very light usage. Under normal to heavy usage (say DVD playback) the battery could last up to only 5-7 hours which is, by all means, still impressive but falls noticeably short of Sony's claim of a 9 hours battery life.

All things considered, the Sony VAIO VGN-TX17GP is a very capable Centrino based ultra-light notebook with a great battery life, stylish looks and ample features to boost.