LONDON--(Marketwire - July 7, 2009) -

-- Chill out this summer with the new mini notebook from Sony

-- Keep up to date with holiday news and gossip from your friends

-- Your window to the web is stunning inside and out -- excellent screen in sleek design

Sony today announced the arrival of the newest addition to the VAIO family: the VAIO W-series. It's a charming mini notebook with a stunning wide screen that brings a refreshing splash of colour and fun to this hot vacation season. Chill out this summer in style and dive into your online network to catch up with all your new and old friends.

This summer, you can make the most of your time with the new VAIO W-series and get up to date with that long list of friends on your Facebook page. Pick up this chic mini notebook, and you can catch your friends' attention and catch up with the latest news all the while you're catching the sun. It comes in three dazzling colours -- sugar white, berry pink and cocoa brown.

Enjoy the Sony VAIO W-series on a leisurely afternoon, perhaps in your garden or on your balcony, to check out what your friends on the other side of the cyber space are up to. The compactness and rounded contours of the VAIO Mini makes it easy to carry around. Grab a blanket, cushion and refreshments, wherever you decide to get comfortable and get connected at home. Its stunning screen makes a world of difference to your web experience. The screen's bright and vibrant colours deliver your friends' and your own photos and videos in all the beauty that they deserve.

The VAIO Mini comes in handy anytime and sits beautifully anywhere in the house. While watching TV or reading a magazine, you've probably experienced the urge to look up something on the Internet that you've just seen or read but couldn't be bothered getting up to your desktop PC. With the Sony VAIO W-series at hand, you can browse the web and search that info or YouTube clip that you're looking for while still sitting comfortably on your sofa. While the screen is 10.1-inches, thanks to its high resolution (1366 x 768) and 16:9 widescreen, your web browsing experience is optimised, cutting out the need to scroll side ways.

With its head-turning style, portabilty, and colour matched carrying case, this is one stylish accessory you'd be happy to be seen with. Meet up with friends at your favourite café, if not physically, then virtually from a hot spot. Do emails and instant messaging without your fingers feeling cramped thanks to the well-spaced and responsive keys. The dimpled palm rest resists stains and finger prints. A subtle yet special designer's touch to the VAIO Mini's sophisticated style is the classy pattern on the touch pad. Tactile and visually appealing, your finger glides across the pad.

At night, take the Sony VAIO W-series with you to your room. Before you go to bed there's often something you want to check -- for instance the weather for the next day. And the built-in webcam and microphone makes it easy for you to video chat anywhere in the house. It's convenient that you can video chat from the comfort of your bed, bean bag or wherever you happen to be and not glued to your desk.

So make your summer a dazzling experience with the new VAIO Mini W-series. It includes features such as Intel® Atom™ Processor N280, 160GB hard disk drive, 1GB RAM and Windows XP. While the range will be available in the UK, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain and Russia from mid August, it is also available online for pre-order from Sony Style Store (www.sonystyle.eu).

Model          VPC-W11S1E

Processor      Intel® Atom™ Processor N280 (1.66GHz)
OS             Genuine Windows XP Home
Memory         1GB
HDD            160GB Hard Disk Drive (Serial ATA)
Screen         10.1" X-black LCD with LED technology, 1366 x 768 resolution
Weight & Size  1.19 kg, 179.6 mm (depth) x 267.8 (width) x 32.4 (height)
Others         WLAN 802.11b/g/Draft-N, Bluetooth®, Motion Eye webcam

Environmental Info

Sony is engaged in a constant review of its manufacturing, operational and business practices to ensure that its products are developed in an environmentally responsible way.

This approach can broadly be divided into three areas:

Product

--  VAIO W-series models are ENERGY STAR® Computer Specification version
    5.0 qualified.
--  VAIO W-series models have an LCD with LED backlight, which is mercury-
    free.
--  Halogenated materials can pose a risk to the environment if disposed
    of improperly. To minimize this risk, halogen-free flame retardants are
    used for all cover/housing plastic parts >25g as well as the motherboard
    (without components).
    

Process

--  Recycled paper or certified paper (eg FSC) is used for product
    packaging.
--  Recycled paper is used for printed documentation.
--  Volatile Organic Compound-free vegetable oil based ink is used for
    printing the packaging.
--  Extended user documentation is provided electronically on the hard
    disk drive to reduce paper use.
    

Planet

Sony is determined to lead the way as a responsible manufacturer, and as a result we are focussing on three key areas of investment:

--  Reducing CO2 gas emissions
--  Increasing the percentage of renewable energy used in manufacturing
    facilities
--  Minimising the resources used by our factories in manufacturing
    

"Sony" and "VAIO" are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Corporation. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

About Sony:

Sony manufactures audio, video, communications and information technology products for the global consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, game and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be one of the world's leading digital entertainment brands. Sony recorded consolidated global annual sales of EUR 55.44 billion (yen 8,871 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008, based on an average market exchange rate for the same period of yen 160.0 to the EUR. It employs approximately 180,500 people worldwide.

In Europe, the Sony Group recorded consolidated annual sales of EUR 12.73 billion (yen 2,328 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008. Sony Europe, headquartered at the Sony Center am Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, is responsible for the company's European electronics business and registered consolidated sales of EUR 9.55 billion for the same period.

For more information on Sony Europe, please visit http://www.sony-europe.com and http://www.sony-europe.com/presscenter

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