Sony VAIO P

The basics

Sony says the Sony Vaio P isn't a netbook, but squat and wide form factor aside, specs-wise it's one of the little laptops through and through. You've got an 8-inch screen, Atom 1.33 GHz processor, 1 or 2GB of RAM and the option of a 60GB HDD or even 128GB SSD. You'll find Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on board too, naturally.

The good

Sony's right that the Sony Vaio P isn't a netbook in one sense: it's got a unique oblong shell which will fold up and slot into almost any pocket. Despite that, it's still got a large chiclet keyboard that's ace for dashing out even long documents, and a super sharp 1600x768 resolution screen that's unheard of in any Eee PC or MSI Wind - make no mistake, the Sony Vaio P is the most stylish looking sub-notebook yet. The nicest touch though? An instant-on feature that lets you play music and video without the paint drying wait for Windows to load.

The bad

Sony's so keen to prove the Sony Vaio P isn't a netbook, it's force fed it Windows Vista, a mind bending error. Until you get round to treating it with a bit of Windows XP or 7, it's liable to burn you with hangs and repeated freezes. That fashionable flair comes at a cost meanwhile: a magnifying glass will solve any problems with viewing the screen, but the nipple instead of a trackpad makes all but the lightest net browsing a pain without a wireless mouse. Oh, and the cost? The Sony Vaio P starts from £700. £700?!

The bottom line

It's good to see Sony fronting with a different style of ultra portable PC in an overcrowded market. It'll run just as well as any with a bit of fine tuning, but whether you can cope with screen size and lack of a trackpad is as personal a choice as to whether eat Marmite or not. That, and the usual Sony tax applies. Why so much? Definitely a try before you buy.