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What business traveler wouldn't want a laptop with double the normal battery life?

Naturally, many mobile-PC users took note when Transmeta promised a battery-friendly notebook processor that would dramatically increase the run time between recharges while offering Intel-comparable performance. It took a while, but the first device to use this chip, Sony's VAIO PictureBook PCG-C1VN, is finally here. Some of Transmeta's battery-life claims stand up--but be ready to pay a hefty performance penalty.

Unlike Intel's and AMD's chips, which are x86 CPUs that do all their work in hardware, Transmeta's Crusoe uses code-morphing software to change x86 instructions into language it understands. Shifting the instruction work to software affects performance but lets Transmeta build a smaller chip that uses less power and generates less heat. Combine that economy with Transmeta's LongRun technology--which shifts the chip into low or high speed and voltage depending on app needs--and you have a more power-efficient CPU.

The $2299 Sony PictureBook we tested came with a 600-MHz Crusoe TM5600 CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, and Windows Me. It also had a 12GB hard disk, an 8.9-inch TFT display with 8MB of graphics RAM, a built-in 56-kbps modem, a built-in camera, and both Memory Stick and PC Card slots. Fujitsu, Hitachi, IBM, and NEC have also announced plans to ship notebooks with Transmeta's chip, but none have given a date for a U.S. launch.

Picture Perfect?

In our battery tests of the preproduction PictureBook, the unit lasted 2 hours and 32 minutes--50 minutes longer than one of Sony's most recent PictureBooks, the PCG-C1XS, which we tested for comparison. The comparison unit had a similar configuration, save for a Pentium II-400 CPU, 64MB of RAM, and 2.5MB of graphics RAM. For a closer comparison, we upgraded the PCG-C1XS from Windows 98 SE to Windows Me.

Most serious mobile users wouldn't sneeze at the extra 50 minutes. And overall, 2.5 hours is a good battery life span for this class of product.

But at what cost? The mini-notebooks traditionally score poorly on performance tests, so we didn't expect the new PictureBook to break any PC WorldBench 2000 records--but its score of 66 was shockingly low. Even with half the RAM of its sibling, the older Pentium II-based PictureBook scored an 81--so you lose a noticeable 19 percent in performance (maybe more, since the older unit would likely perform better with equivalent RAM).

Mini-notebook users don't typically demand the highest performance levels, so some may not care about the loss. During hands-on testing, the Crusoe-based unit easily handled the basics such as word processing. It did slow noticeably during some video-editing tasks, however.

Wait and See

For some, improved battery life will offset the performance loss. And future products based on Transmeta chips may lessen the performance hit and be that much more appealing.

As for the sharp-looking PictureBook, it offers a lot to users who need a very mobile package--it weighs just over 2 pounds and comes with both video- and photo-editing apps. If top performance isn't an issue, it may suit your needs.

SUMMARY

Sony VAIO PictureBook PCG-C1VN Street price: $2299 800/476-6972 www.sony.com