From the regulatory filing, the computer appears about 22 centimeters long by 11 centimeters deep and its form factor would suggest a widescreen 8-inch display. The greater length could allow for a larger keyboard than is possible on most of the compact "netbook" computers now be offered by competitors and the combination of a high-resolution with LED backlight will likely make for an impressive display.

The 1.33GHz Intel processor matches the speed of the Atom chip that is included in some netbooks although the use of Vista would be unusual if this is indeed a netbook. If it's a compact but more fully featured machine, as the use of Vista might suggest, then it would appear to be based on the more powerful Core2Duo processor, which is the only other chip Intel offers at this speed.

The additional power would come at a price. The Core2Duo chip in bulk costs US$289 versus $40 for the Atom and Vista is more expensive than XP so a more powerful mini laptop wouldn't be competing with netbooks on price but likely targeting that portion of the market which is attracted by the small size of netbooks but needs a more powerful platform.

While more hints or leaks from Sony could come in the next few days we'll likely only know the full story about the new machine when the Consumer Electronics Show rolls around in early January.