Netbooks Finally Exist: Sony VAIO W to Hit for $499

The lowly netbook has hit the big stage, as Sony, a previous netbook skeptic, has announced its own model coming, the VAIO W for $499. This is not cheap for a netbook, but it is at the bottom of the price barrel for Sony, makers of stylized notebooks that usually sell at a premium.

Styling aside, the only real “premium” spec is the display resolution, 1366×768. That’s not unique to this new netbook, but rare enough to set the VAIO W a little apart from the crowd when coupled with the white, brown and pink netbook casing. The new Sony has a 10.1-inch screen, Atom processor (1.6 GHz), 160 GB HDD, webcam, Wi-Fi, and all the normal netbook ports/connectors. Of course, this is a Sony, so it has a memory stick/SD reader which may be a netbook first (if anybody cared).