Sony Vaio M Series (M11M1E) review

Sony’s track record making netbooks has so far been the oddly shaped and expensive P Series and the ludicrously expensive, but very small Vaio X11. We were, therefore, taken by surprise when the company announced the Vaio M Series netbook, with a price of just £285.

For the Vaio M11M1E reviewed here, Sony has moved completely into normal netbook territory, with a rather standard 10.1in screen. It’s available in both white (M11M1E/W) and black (M11M1E/B), so you can choose that one that suits your style the most.

As we’d expect from a modern netbook, Sony has opted for Intel’s latest Atom, the 1.66GHz N450. This processor has integrated graphics, which means only one small, power-efficient chip needs to be fitted inside the case. While the graphics aren’t capable of playing games, they’re sprightly enough to make using the installed Windows 7 Starter Edition OS smooth and responsive to use.

One of the benefits of this processor is that it uses less power than a standard Atom, so battery life should be better. However, this wasn’t borne out in our tests: the M11M1E lasted 4h 50m in our light-use benchmark. This is disappointing, particularly as the Toshiba NB305 is both lighter (1.2kg, compared to the Vaio’s 1.4kg) and lasted for just over 10 hours in the same test.

Performance was exactly what we’d expect for an Atom-based computer with 1GB of RAM, with an overall score of 17 in our benchmarks. It’s disappointing that you can’t add more memory, as Sony has completely sealed the bottom of the laptop. It may be possible to prise the case open, but you’re likely to damage it along the way.

Like most other 10.1in netbooks, you’re stuck with a 1,024×600 resolution. It’s a little cramped if you’re used to using a full-sized laptop, but you soon get used to it and there’s just enough room for browsing the web or working on simple documents. The screen has a matt finish to it, which cuts down on reflections but means poorer contrast than a glossy screen. The display had a slightly speckled appearance to it, although viewing angles were good and colours looked natural.

Sony hasn’t used the full width of the case for the keyboard, so the keys feel cramped and it’s easy to hit the wrong one. It’s annoying that the Backspace key is so small, as it’s easy to miss this when attempting to correct a typing mistake, creating a second mistake in the process. It’s a shame about the keys’ size, as they’re all responsive with plenty of feedback. A basic touchpad sits underneath, but this doesn’t support gestures in Windows 7. Its buttons are well placed and responsive. A 250GB hard disk provides plenty of space for storing your files, and is now the norm for netbooks. It’s formatted into a single partition, so the entire disk is available for storage.

Ultimately, there’s nothing wrong with this netbook, but there’s nothing exciting about it either. The low price may be a first for Sony, but look elsewhere and you find scores of netbooks at this price. The Toshiba NB305 is currently the pick of the bunch. It looks fantastic, has stunning battery life and great screen. If you want a 10.1in netbook, it’s the one to buy.