Is the Sony VAIO P a netbook?

Engadget has a delightfully snarky post taking apart Sony Blog’s reasons why the VAIO P series mini-notebook is not a netbook. Despite the fact that it’s small (8 inch screen!) and has an Atom processor, Sony doesn’t want you to count it amongst the ranks of the Eee PC, Wind, or Mini-Note. Joshua brushes aside Sony Blog’s points because most of the things they bring up don’t actually set the system apart from netbooks — The VAIO P has Wireless!  And GPS!  And a backlit screen!  And has an SSD option!  It’s so different.  Really! — but does concede that the $900+ price is eye-catching and different, but not in a good way.  He even uses the phrase “borderline offensive” as Sony Blog touts the expense as a virtue in a climate where people are losing their jobs and financial security left and right. If the definition of netbook includes a sub-$600 price tag (remember when the cap used to be $500?  Oh, for days gone by…) then the VAIO P only barely escapes fitting into the category.  However, most consumers aren’t going to eschew calling it a netbook simply because it’s expensive.  The same way they won’t eschew calling the Dell Mini 12 a netbook because it has a 12-inch screen.  It’s what’s inside that counts.