The thing that immediately strikes you when you look at this portable notebook
for the first time is its hunched back. While most laptops go for clean
lines, the hump hides the Flybook
VM’s most innovative feature – its adjustable screen. Unlike
conventional laptops whose screens are hinged at the bottom right and left,
the VM’s screen sits on an extendable stand fixed to its middle. This means
the screen can slide up and down and also tilt on a hinge at the back of the
screen.
At a stroke, this banishes one of the biggest problems of laptops in general –
that peering at a laptop screen for any length of time gives you serious
neck and back ache. It also means that if you are flying economy, have your
laptop on the tray table and the person in front reclines their seat, you
can tilt the screen so that it doesn’t get wedged in place and damaged.
This nifty screen makes the VM eminently nickable so it’s lucky that it comes
with a built-in fingerprint reader, sitting below a miniature touchpad and
adding a layer of security. The reader works well and didn’t let anyone else
but me use it.
That touchpad is also worth a mention. Some people might find its small size a
little frustrating but I found it just fine. It also includes a scroll area
to the right hand side, allowing you to scroll up and down pages with a
stroke of the finger.
The VM’s keyboard is surprisingly good considering its diminutive size. I
typed several long documents on it without any problem at all: there was
enough travel in the keys to make touch typing a reality. My only complaint
would be the size of the full stop, comma, forward slash and arrow keys
which are half the size of the others. As a result, typing web addresses was
somewhat hit and miss.
Connectivity is vital for this type of sub-notebook. The standard version
comes with Bluetooth and wi-fi but pay an extra £200 and you can get
built-in support for everything from GPRS to the latest HSDPA, which offers
speeds of up to 3.6Mbps in parts of the country with appropriate coverage.
At 1.64kg , the VM is a good option for regular travellers although some will
baulk at the hefty price tag, coming in at £100 more than the similarly
specced Sony
Vaio VGN-SZ5XWN/C.
Battery life is a big worry too, I regularly clocked up less than two hours’
use from a full charge.
As with other Flybooks, the VM doesn’t just come in black – you can also go
for grey, yellow or red.
The spec
Intel Core Duo 1.06GHz, 12.1 inch TFT display (1280x768), 80GB hard drive, 2GB
RAM, weight 1.64kg, size 292x222x25.8mm, DVD/RW
The hype
They say: The ultimate in mobility.
The reality
We say: The low weight makes this very portable and a good keyboard make it
very usable for long periods on the road, with good connectivity options if
you go for the more expensive model. I don’t think it’s the ultimate in
mobility though – the high price and the poor battery life outweigh the
benefits.
The bottom line
£1599.99 or £1799.99 with built-in HSDPA from Widget
The verdict
Wait for the price to fall and buy an extended battery pack (another £190).
The roadwarrior rating
7 out of 10
