Sony still has to grace the market with a VAIO mini computer, actually Sony has been overtly disinclined to produce and sell a netbook. Sony operatives have claimed the inexpensive notebook idea doesn't align with Sony's "premium" company image.

Having said that, I have seen Sony make some pretty rubbish electrics before, my Television as an example, so this is going to be taken 2 ways: snobbery or a joke. But in recent times, Sony have come out with some terribly real extraordinarily up-market products that support this claim.

Sony's Bravia Television range is an industry leader, they have continued the 'Walkman' legacy against the might of the Apple iPod and iTunes and in gaming, it's extended its PlayStation brand, replacing the best-seller PS2 with the PS3 with an amazing £425 RRP against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii.

Its VAIO computer line is also superb. Try looking "netbook" on Sony's VAIO mini-site - no results. Sony doesn't and isn't going to be related to the cheep and contented image presented by Asus when it brought out the Eee Computer. But they do have a VAIO computer that's little, light and conveyable: the VAIO TT. The TT is a powerful product, offering an 11.1 in. screen, up to nine hours battery lifespan and weighing a petite 1.3kg placing it on par with the 8.9 in. HP 2133 mini-note and lighter versions of the Asus Eee Computer one thousand. All the Sony Vaio TT models feature strong carbon fibre body material in a choice of 2 colors, 'intense noir' and 'gold fever'. Sony announces carbon fibre is "used in racing auto or aircraft producing that is 200% stronger and 30 percent lighter than traditional materials employed in PC frame design." A bi-product of the bigger screen is a bigger keyboard which is extremely just about (but not really) comparable to that of a full size notebook. The keys are enormous and separated a touch, with the center of each key indented slightly for better accuracy. With Sony's Television background, the 11.1 screen incorporates lots of experience. Viewing on its widescreen 16:9 aspect proportion and 1366x768 resolutions, is delightful.

Also, the power to read blu-ray discs (or any disc) gives much more adaptability. The great battery charge lifespan - up to nine hours - can be adapted to use whilst away on business, more than needed for a full working day.

Sony has incorporated a range of power-saving and potency features ,e.g. the battery care function which impedes wear on the batteries, automated adjustment of LCD brightness according to the environment you are working in and the use ultra-efficient Intel Centrino two technology. Connectivity is undeniably at the center of the TT, with inserted 3G 'Everywair' on a few models with speeds as high as 7.2mbps.

Maybe then, Sony has definitely entered the mini portable market, but particularly promoting it as if they have not. Oh yes, the site bangs on "slim and complicated design" and how transportable it is, but Sony is particularly afraid to use the 'n' word. Maybe it must be said for them, maybe not. The difference between the VAIO TT and a common netbook like the Asus Eee Computer or the Acer Aspire One is so extreme. Are they in the same league? Price smart, definitely not ; the VAIO TT is expected to retail about £1,200 for junior level models, compared to a more modest £200-300 for your day to day mini computer. It's definitely just as conveyable and useable; it is clear Sony's taken an alternative approach to portability. Asus pioneered the netbook by beginning anew, building a little PC that would handle easy jobs processing, fast web and making it cheap. Sony's answer was to cut back the weight and size to make it ultra portable while maintaining wonderful performance. The result's a particularly high performance computer that has the weight and size properties of a netbook - it is, if you like, the complicated mini laptop.