Sony’s VAIO YB line is built around AMD’s new Fusion processor E-350–a dual-core CPU running at 1.6GHz. This processor is roughly comparable to the entry-level Core i3 series from Intel; although the CPU is not as capable, the graphics part easily outperforms the integrated offerings from Intel. That doesn’t turn a mini laptop such as this one into a full-fledged gaming laptop, but the included Mobility Radeon HD 6310 GPU lets you play less demanding games like World of Warcraft and watch HD content without any lag.

Sony VAIO YB Prices:
		$499.99
		$499.99

AMD’s platform also compares favorably from a price/performance perspective. This also contributes to this Sony VAIO laptop standing out from other computers in the VAIO lineup, which tend to be expensive. The YB is equipped with an attractive price tag–from $500 to $600–a very rare sight on Sony laptops and also much less expensive than competitors such as the 11-inch MacBook Air.

Design and Features

The VAIO YB is a lightweight and stylish mini laptop with a glossy 11.6-inch screen with 1366 x 768 pixels–a screen resolution that is perfectly suited for a laptop this size. The very same screen resolution is often found in laptops all the way up to 15-16 inches, but it is much more at home on a smaller screen and allows you to watch 720p HD content. As is customary with Sony laptops, the display offers nice colors and deep blacks, making it a great option for watching movies. It is however not overly bright, so using it in bright daylight might be a problem.

Compared to some of the more expensive VAIO laptops from Sony, the chassis and overall design details are made up of simple materials, although it looks more extravagant from a distance. For a laptop at this price point you don’t really expect fancy alloys like in the Samsung 9 Series, and it helps keep the weight manageable. It is lightweight (3.23 lbs) even when compared to the average 12-inch netbook these days and is available in two different colors–a pronounced pink or a silvery version.

Battery Life and Performance

The new AMD Fusion platform is much more power efficient compared to older ones from AMD,  but that’s still just barely enough to match Intel’s counterparts. As always, the battery life is entirely dependent on how you use the laptop; if you play games on it, don’t expect it to last for much more than 2 hours, but if you are just doing office work it will easily last for 5 hours. We ran PCMark Vantage on the laptop, which produced a score of 2,163. This is on par with other Fusion-based mini laptops and much better than the average Atom-based netbook.

Considering the important factors for this laptop–price, performance and battery life–the VAIO YB is a good buy that offers plenty of value for the money, something that we are not used to with Sony laptops which usually focus on the high end. Some cutbacks have been made in the choice of materials and it’s not as exclusive (or powerful) as the more pricey MacBook Air or Samsung Series 9, but this is hardly surprising. At the end of the day it’s a great laptop at this price point.

Sony VAIO YB Prices:
		$499.99
		$499.99

Specifications

Processor: AMD E-350, 1.6 GHz.
Graphics: AMD Radeon 6310
Memory: 2GB to 4GB.
Storage: 320 GB HDD, 5400 rpm.
Connectivity: 3 USB 2.0, LAN, HDMI, VGA, headphone, microphone.
Wireless: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR.
Display: 11.6 inches, 1366 x 768 pixels
Webcam: 0.3 megapixels
Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium
Weight: 3.23 lbs (1.43 kg)

Sony and Apple are the companied that have stubbornly refused to put out an inexpensive mini laptop computer on the market. After the tremendous success of netbooks in the last few years it looks like the trend has caught up with both of the companies, and Sony is first to release a VAIO mini laptop. Although it should be said that Sony has already been dabbling in the segment with the VAIO P, but that was more of a niche experiment since it was extremely small and very expensive.

With the new VAIO W Sony introduces a “standard” mini laptop to eager consumers, packed with all the features we’re used to from these little gadgets: a 10-inch screen, an Intel Atom N280 processor clocked at 1.66GHz, Intel GMA graphics, Windows XP Home and 1GB of RAM. The pricing on the base model is $499 – a slightly heftier price tag than similar competing models, but that might be justified if the workmanship and overall quality is better in the VAIO W than the average model.

As it turns out, the Sony mini laptop does have a few added goodies. The most prominent one is the screen. Sony is known for using very high quality screens in their laptops, and the VAIO W is not an exception. The 10-inch screen really stands out from the competition when it comes to color reproduction and true blacks. It also has a higher resolution than 99% of the competition – instead of the established standard 1024×600, Sony has opted for 1366×768 screen in the VAIO W. Besides providing added screen real estate it also looks very good doing it. This upgrade could be well worth the higher price alone.

Design wise, Sony’s new netbook also stands out in a crowd of laptops that look like they come from  the same mold. The VAIO W has a chiclet-style keyboard with isolated keys like other VAIOs and Apple’s MacBook line. If it’s better or worse depends on your personal preferences, but at least this editor thinks it looks better. Naturally it also comes with a rather large VAIO logo emblazoned on the lid.

A minor disappointment is that the W only comes with 1GB of RAM. I’m sure that many were hoping for at least 2GB in the standard configuration, especially considering the low prices on memory at the moment. However, this is not Sony’s fault but rather a licensing issue related to Windows XP Home. All things considered, the new VAIO W looks to be a premium netbook that actually lives up to the promises of delivering a little more than the rest.