Sony Vaio VPC-YB35KX/B

The Sony Vaio YB35KX/B has a lot of hard-drive space, solid performance from an AMD E-450 processor, and long battery life; this 11-incher has the portability of a Netbook, and it's reasonably affordable. Sony Vaio YB15KX/S in February; like many early-2011 laptops, it paired an AMD E-350 APU with ample storage space and RAM to create a tiny laptop that performed well and didn't cost too much (for a Vaio, at least). The Vaio YB35KX/B is a revision that upgrades to an AMD E-450 processor, keeping the same 4GB of RAM and 500GB hard drive as its predecessor, at a lower cost. Depending on where you buy it, it currently can be found for as low as $469.
A similar thing happened to the HP Pavilion dm1, which got its own slight redesign and AMD E-450 upgrade. The processor upgrade isn't something you'll notice at all, but the price drop is a bigger story. At this price, the latest Sony Vaio Y is a much better value. The ample hard-drive space and speedier processor make this an excellent choice as a Netbook-sized laptop that can truly transcend its size and be used as a full-fledged computer.

Yes, there are limitations: the AMD E-450 is considerably slower than a mainstream Intel Core i5 or its equivalent, such as you'd find in an ultrabook or MacBook Air. It's nowhere near as thin as a ultrabook or an Air, but it's also not as expensive. From that perspective, it could be the compromise you're looking for, if you can live with a smaller screen and slower performance. sony vaio vpc