Sony goes thin with new 8-inch notebook

Sony unveiled the VAIO P Series Lifestyle PC, boasting that it is the world's lightest notebook with an 8-inch screen and weighing just 1.4 pounds at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Wednesday.

The new VAIO, which will sell for $900, is about the size of a business envelope and roughly as thin as a cell phone (1 inch). It is small enough to slip into a jacket pocket or handbag while integrating full-PC features. The new laptop comes with Windows Vista and uses a 1.3 GHz Intel processor.

It incorporates high resolution 1600 x 768 LED backlit 8- inch display (diagonal) that allows viewing of anything from spreadsheets to full web pages. Its battery is said to last up to four hours. The laptop has an extended keyboard and also incorporates a real-time GPS function with no Internet connection required in the United States or Canada.

The new VAIO has a 3G mobile broadband like a smartphone and Wi-Fi like a Personal Computer. The design comes in many colors. It will be available for pre-orders online Thursday and will hit Sony stores starting later January and major retailer stores beginning in February, the company said.