Sony Computers, long the dynamic feature-rich media machines of the desktop world, has been making little purple machines in a lighter weight and surprisingly small dimensions for some time now. In fact, the white pre-netbook SONY released in about 2002 was very close to the netbook of today. But consumers couldn't get over the tiny screen (and manufacturers were selling laptops as entertainment and portable gaming machines).
Sony now has announced plans to release a mini laptop called the Sony VAIO P. Don't call it a netbook, however. More of a desktop replacement for one of those gleaming black media towers Sony loves to make, the price of the VAIO P does not deliver netbook value. The pocketbook sized model Sony made for purse-sized computing (palmtop device) at mammoth-sized headaches.
Sony will distribute it s own netbook product, the VAIO W series, which comes with standard netbook specifications and price. So thus SONY fans can buy their brand but feel part of the netbook crowd. The new Sony Vaio's screen resolution and battery life are of special note.
The Sony Vaio netbook model comes with:
- 10.1-inch screen, 1366×768 resolution
- Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz
- 160GB HDD
- 1GB RAM
- webcam
- GMA 950/W-LAN
- Bluetooth
- 3.5-hour battery pack
- Windows XP Home Edition
The Sony VAIO W netbook is expected to be released on August at a starting price of $499.
