Hasta La Gadget!

LAS VEGAS — Sony on Wednesday introduced a subnotebook that it touts as "the world’s lightest 8-inch notebook."

Dubbed the VAIO Lifestyle PC, the subnotebook weighs 1.4 pounds and is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket.

The device sports an 8-inch, 1,600-by-768-pixel display. Other features include a 3G modem, 802.11N Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and turn-by-turn GPS.

The VAIO Lifestyle PC also features an instant-on mode called Xcross Media. In this virtual environment, users can instantly access a Web browser, music, video and photos — without booting into the OS. The subnotebook ships with Windows Vista.

Sony said the keyboard was engineered to provide the feel of a full-size keyboard, with plenty of spacing between keys to reduce typing mistakes.

The battery will reportedly last four hours, according to Sony. There’s also an option to purchase a higher-capacity battery, which will last eight hours, Sony said.

Considering the device’s size, some might feel compelled to call the VAIO Lifestyle PC a netbook. However, Sony avoided that label. And the company’s correct in doing that: With a $900 price tag and GPS, the subnotebook doesn’t appear to fit in with the netbook category.

Sony also said the "netbook" label was inappropriate because the device doesn’t require an internet connection for data access. Because it has a 3G modem, all it needs is a connection to Verizon’s mobile network.

The subnotebook begins shipping February.

Photo: Jonathan Snyder/Wired.com