(Credit: Sony)

In some ways, Sony was the last to the Netbook party and the first to leave. At CES 2010, Sony's most notable new laptop was an environmentally friendly 10-inch Netbook made from recycled materials.

In the space of 12 months, Netbooks, though still popular, have lost some of their sheen, and we're now seeing more-powerful 11-inch ultraportable laptops take their place. With that in mind, it makes sense that Sony is skipping new Netbooks this year, and instead focusing on the 11-inch Vaio Y series.

This is also one of the first laptops to use AMD's new E-series CPU, designed for small laptops that are meant to be a step up from Intel Atom Netbooks.

The LED-backlit display has a 1,366x768-pixel resolution, and the Y series can be customized with up to 4GB of RAM, and includes HDMI and Bluetooth, as well as the traditional rounded Sony Vaio hinge, with the power button and AC connector on opposite sides of the hinge.

The Sony Vaio Y Series should be available sometime in February, starting at around $550.