Sony P-series Lifestyle PC

Product summary

The good: Elegant, thin design; large keyboard; multiple networking and connectivity options; high-resolution screen; less expensive than Sony's UMPC experiments.

The bad: Stuck with Windows Vista (for now); trackpoint navigation isn't ideal.

The bottom line: Sony's upscale Atom-powered Lifestyle PC has the components of a cheaper machine but the design of a more expensive one. The end result will be a useful travel PC for some and a conversation piece for others.

CNET editors' review

• Reviewed by: Dan Ackerman
• Reviewed on: 01/16/2009
• Released on: 01/08/2009

Sony likes to keep its Vaio products aimed at mid-to-high-end buyers--much like Apple does--and generally eschews the budget end of the market (although there are a handful of less expensive Vaios we've reviewed favorably).

When it comes to Intel-Atom-powered systems, it's no different; Sony's entry into the very hot minilaptop category shares a lot with Netbooks such as the Dell Mini 9 or Asus Eee PC, but clearly goes out of its way to avoid being lumped in with them (Sony doesn't even call the P-series a Netbook).

Even with a wide-screen, 8-inch, 1,600x768-resolution display and reasonably usable full keyboard, the $1,199 P-series Lifestyle PC fits into roughly the same footprint as a standard white business envelope, and is less than 1 inch thick. That makes it both an impressive engineering feat, as well as a system that will work best for a highly specific group of users. While it can be a useful travel PC for those most concerned with size and weight, casual users may be put off by the tiny trackpoint navigation and bloated Windows Vista operating system. That said, next to the new MacBook, we've rarely had a laptop with more gawkers dropping by the CNET Labs to eyeball it.