Sony to launch mini-netbook

16:40 9th January 2009

Electronics giant Sony is to launch a new mini-netbook which will allow users to check their email and surf the web while on the move, reports the Telegraph.

The Vaio P laptop range will fit comfortably into a business envelope with an eight-inch screen and a weight just under 620 grams. Internet access is achieved through a wireless connection that be accessed either through the 3G phone network or in a WiFi hotspot. The battery lasts about four hours and the laptops offer 128GB of storage and a 2GB memory. The machines will not be able to compete on price, however, with the laptops set to cost around £850.

Mike Abary, Sony's senior vice president of the IT product division, told the paper: "If [netbooks] start to do well, we are all in trouble. That's just a race to the bottom."

Other available netbooks have proven immensely popular, although models such as the Asus Eee PC sell for only around £200, meaning Sony's product could be priced out of the market.

Mail Online reports that high street retailer Next will launch a £99 netbook in February.