Is this the best portable computer money can buy?

Calculate the amount of time you spend in the course of a single year commuting to and from work and you’ll probably come up with a terrifying figure.

It’s no surprise that many of us want to spend that hour or two every day doing something productive on a computer – whether that’s catching up with the latest figures in Microsoft Excel or just watching the end of a movie that you recorded the previous evening.

Unfortunately, as many of us spend the whole of our commute with our head wedged in someone’s armpit, there often isn’t enough space for a standardsized notebook.

While a PDA would suit the space restrictions, it’s not a true productivity tool in the same way a computer is. Luckily for travellers everywhere, with the onward march of technology comes increasingly tiny machines capable of running Windows Vista.

The Sony VGN-UX1 is a remarkably minuscule computer, but packs a pinsharp touchscreen, a built-in keyboard and 32GB of flash storage into a unique handheld chassis.

The Flybook V5, on the other hand, takes a more traditional laptop form factor, but shrinks it to remarkably tiny proportions, particularly given the inclusion of a full keyboard, a 60GB hard drive and a swivelling tablet screen. Most importantly, both come with a copy of Windows Vista Business included to make the most of their hardware.

It’s difficult not to be seduced by the Sony’s ergonomic design and small but bright screen. Not only that, but it’s as usable as it is aesthetically pleasing – the tiny yet tactile keyboard is perfectly suited to thumb typing, which feels far more natural than you’d expect, and the mouse nubbin and buttons are sensibly placed for quick and easy navigation.

It really is impressive to see Windows Vista’s stunning Aero Glass features working fl awlessly on such a small device.

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It’d be easy to overlook the Flybook because of its less innovative shape, but when you’re typing lengthy documents, the inclusion of a full keyboard (which is around four times the size of the Sony’s) is a major boon. And if space really is at a premium you can flip the lid around and fl atten it to the body of the machine, enabling you to handwrite documents directly onto the screen using the included stylus and the tablet PC capabilities of Windows Vista.

It’s worth mentioning that while the VGN-UX1 has nearly half the storage space of the Flybook, the Sony utilises new flash memory technology which, because it lacks the moving parts of a traditional hard drive, should be better suited to the hustle and bustle of packed tube trains.

Unfortunately, while you’d expect solid state memory to help when it comes to battery life, clearly the VGN-UX1 suffers from its revolutionary size. While the Flybook can muster nearly four hours from its batteries, the Sony’s cells give up the ghost just after the two-hour mark.

It’s worth mentioning how useful these machines are for continuing work when you finally arrive, battered and dishevelled, at your destination. The VGNUX1 comes with a docking station that’s smaller than the machine itself, and adds LAN (Local Area Network) support, a connection for an external monitor and three extra USB ports. The Flybook comes with its monitor out and LAN built in, and despite having only two USB ports, is more comfortable for work straight out of the box.

It’s difficult to choose between these two impressive, and expensive, bits of commuterfriendly kit, but pushed for a decision we’d plump for the Flybook. While the VGN-UX1 truly is revolutionary, its shorter battery life and slightly fi ddlier keyboard mean you’ll get more work done on the V5.

Our verdict

Sony VGN-UX1

Buy it if... Space really is at a premium on your daily journey to work, and you can’t bear to stop working for a single moment.

Don’t buy it if... You have any kind of financial problems, or a significant other who fancies going on holiday this year or the next.