Sony VAIO W-Series Netbook - Hands-on Comments

Seems like just one unique feature (in this case higher-res screen) is big news in this market... honestly, by now when I hear the word "netbook" I've fallen asleep by the second syllable. Please let's have some real variety in hardware or design to break the tedium...

@Andy "...around £400... Given this is Sony and it has a unique feature (i.e. the high resolution display) up its sleeve, this isn't a terrible price."

For several months Dell have been offering the Inspiron Mini 10 with a high resolution display (and an edge-to-edge keyboard, and HDMI out...) for £320.

This leaves the Memory Stick reader as Sony's unique feature, and around £80 seems a little steep for this. Still, it is Sony ;)

This isn't exactly the first Netbook to have an HD display. Of course given that nobody seems to have reviewed the other ones, obviously the marketing departments in those companies aren't doing the best job.

I think it looks like a winner mainly because of the screen resolution, that is the only gripe I have with my Samsung NC10, if only Sony had released it a bit earlier oh well better late than never I guess. Once Windows 7 is released all of these Netbooks are going to come into there own, as at last they will all have the current OS on them and not look so much the budget option.

If I didn't have a Wind clone (Advent 4211), I'd've had a Dell Mini 10 with the higher res screen. Plus it has the best netbook keyboard. The Compaq 702 runs it close and My Wind and the black Tosh NB200 are great too. Asus and Acer 10"-ers are fine. Samsung netbook keyboards are distinctly average. Yes, I'm a keyboard fascist!

Wouldn't it have been great if that MS slot was a second SD slot?! Still think it looks like a Macbook mini.

Super-high dot pitch is less of an issue, now that Vista & Win7 do such a better job at increasing dpi settings than XP did.

Nothing wrong with the MS Slot IMO. After all it already has a SD slot. MS-Duo is good for PSP owners like me. If this ships with Windows 7 in October, I'll think about getting it for my girlfriend.

I honestly think a CF slot would be more useful! who still uses a PSP? My priginal gen one bores me to tears.

Does it have integrated HSDPA?

@Thomas, plenty of people evidently.

People complain about anything. This has a SD card slot AND MS card slot.

I'm still trying to figure why the Samsung NC20 has been studiously ignored by Trusted Reviews. Yes its not 10" but it has a bigger (high res) screen than the NC10 and enough processing power to run it well. Excellent at £350.
I had to rely on PCPro and CNet for reviews before buying though.