Sony Jumps Into ‘Netbook’ Fray
Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will launch a tiny new laptop starting in August, the company’s belated entry into the growing but cutthroat “netbook” PC market.
The new addition to its Vaio line of computers will cost about $500 in the U.S. and 60,000 yen ($630) in Japan when it goes on sale next month. It will be about the size of a hardback book and run on lower grade hardware than other Sony models.
Netbooks — small, cheap laptops with stripped-down components — have been a lone bright spot in the PC market, expanding even as consumers cut back on more expensive purchases. But the tiny computers have low profit margins and can put well-known brands in direct competition with budget manufacturers.
“The netbook market is expanding, and Sony is following this trend,” said a company spokesman.
Sony, with its well-known Vaio line, is one of the last major PC makers to enter the market. Apple Inc. is another holdout, with Chief Executive Steve Jobs saying the company doesn’t know how to build a sub-$500 computer “that’s not a piece of junk.”
However, nearly every other major global PC maker has rolled out an ultra low-cost laptop for Web browsing and emails since the category was first created in 2007. Research firm Gartner estimates that the “mini-notebook” category will reach 21 million units in 2009 and 30 million units next year.
Sony already sells a similar product, a petite Vaio laptop it bills as a “Lifestyle PC,” but that computer has slightly higher specifications and software, and the company was careful to avoid the netbook label.
The new Vaio W-Series has a 10.1-inch screen, a 3.5-hour battery life and weighs 1.19 kilograms (2.6 lbs.). It comes in three colors: white, pink and brown.
