Sony VAIO M11 review

Internally, the M11 is a little more up with the times. It uses a single-core 1.66GHz Intel Atom N450 processor and NM10 Express chipset, and comes with a 250GB SATA hard disk – the standard setup you'll find in all the leading netbooks. It does have one limitation, though: the single 1GB stick of DDR2 memory is sealed inside the device with no means of upgrading it. That may not seem a deal-breaker given the M11's likely low-level usage, but it firmly closes the door to future expansion.

A far bigger negative is the M11's battery. The best netbooks available today offer seven, eight and even nine hours away from the mains – a full working day, in other words. With a worryingly low 3,600mAh capacity, the Sony fell ten minutes short of the five-hour mark in our light-use test. Pushed to its limit it gave us 2hrs 48mins, but however you look at it it's disappointing.
Performance
Performance is on a par with what you'd expect from an N450-powered netbook. It comes with Windows 7 Starter edition installed, and the N450 only managed a limp 0.3 in our application tests – and it whirred pretty intrusively in the process. The integrated GMA 3150 graphics won't handle HD video playback without a decent third-party codec installed, and they certainly aren't up to the task of gaming.

If we were in 2009 right now the M11 might be worth praising, but considering we've already seen a a more innovative attempt from Sony – last month's W21 Eco Edition, with its 1,366 x 768 screen – it's hard to find much to like.

The internals are identical to every other modern netbook, the chassis feels basic, and the underpowered battery leaves it dead when others have four or more hours of life left. We concede it's not easy to innovate in the netbook sphere any more but the M11 doesn't even bother trying, and by Sony's high standards that’s disappointing.
Price when reviewed: £254 (£299 inc VAT)