Announced earlier this week, the new Vaio W-series of ultraportable computer systems from Sony comes as another addition to the company's growing line of Vaio netbooks. Unlike its predecessor, the Vaio P, the new Vaio W-series combines a typical 10-inch design with the technical specifications of today's latest netbook systems. On that note, it looks like the new release from Sony has already been put through some initial hands-on experiences by a couple of websites.

As a quick reminder, the Sony Vaio W-series has been featured with a 10-inch display that offers an impressive 1366 x 768 resolution, not available on most netbooks. In addition, the new Sony Vaio W adopts the latest Intel Atom processor, the N280 model, which has been clocked at 1.66GHz and has been coupled with the usual 1GB of RAM and the Intel integrated GMA 950 graphics solution. Aside from that, you'll also get your usual array of technical specifications, including a 160GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Motion Eye webcam and a couple of USB ports.

The system is expected to become available for about £399, later in August, which is still somewhat high, considering some other offerings in its class. On that note, the fellows over at Tech Radar have tried to answer a decent question, regarding the necessity to pay an extra £100 for Sony's Vaio W netbook. According to them, there are three reasons why users and Vaio fans should consider the Vaio W netbook, despite its high price tag. Among the pros of the new model, according to Tech Radar, we should mention the keyboard, display and the added value of the Vaio brand, something that is more likely to concern Vaio fans than regular netbook users.

The fellows over at PC Perspective appear to be less enthusiastic about the netbook, which they say “won’t take your breath away with its style.” In fact, there are complaints about the battery life, keyboard and price, which seem to be among the main drawbacks of the new system.