Sony Vaio P kicks others to the curb as top green netbook

Netbooks, as they were intended to be, are smaller, lighter, cheaper, and more energy efficient than both notebooks and laptops. Designed with portability and convenience in mind, the mini netbooks have captured a niche in the mobile computer industry. So with the advent of this portable technology, what netbooks have surfaced as green and environmental leaders?

Many would argue that the market is still awaiting the motherload of all green netbooks that will put all other netbooks to shame and make notebooks and laptops look like energy sucking, oversized Hummers. Unfortunately, that day is not quite hear, but a few netbooks have arrived that are raising some eyebrows.

Advancements in technology  are allowing netbooks to maintain their niche while at the same time allowing netbook manufacturers to differentiate themselves on cost, size, processors, screens and energy efficiency.

Of course, every consumer is going to have a different opinion of what is ultimately most important in a netbook, but when it comes to green netbooks, certain categories should be given preferential treatment.

Probably most important is energy efficiency. By the very nature of the word, efficiency means effectiveness without wasted effort. Far and away, according to this definition, the Sony Vaio P leads all other netbooks in this category.

The Sony Vaio P consumed the lowest amount of energy (an average of 7.5 Watts)when tested sitting idle, surfing the web, and playing a movie. Laptop Magazine, who ran the test, found the Sony Vaio P to be more efficient than the ASUS Eee PC 1008HA, HP Mini 2140, and MSI U123 in every single category.

Efficiency could also be interpreted to mean the degree of effectiveness or productivity. According this interpretation, a netbook with the greatest battery life and the quickest charge would be the most energy efficient. Unfortunately, the Sony Vaio P is not also the leader in this category. In fact, the study put it at dead last among the other 3 (ASUS Eee PC 1008HA, HP Mini 2140, and MSI U123) with the worst ratio: a battery life of 124 minutes and a charge time of 178 minutes.

Some green netbook manufacturers offer far and away better battery lives than others. According to an Asus press release, the Asus Eee PC Seashell is anticipated to deliver up to 14 hours of battery life per charge. The new Dell Inspiron Mini 10 is said to use a 6-cell battery that has an extended battery life of 9.5 hours and the Toshiba Mini netbook possesses a comparable 9 hour battery life.

Another important factor in green notebooks is the evolving presence of EPEAT. EPEAT has developed a rating scale out of 28 that determines the environmental attributes of portable computing devices. Notables that have received the EPEAT gold standard (the highest rating given by EPEAT) include the Sony Vaio P, HP Mini 2140 and 5101, Toshiba Mini, and the Samsung N120.

Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to determine the definition of efficiency and the other important factors when buying a green netbook, but considering the Sony Vaio P uses an average of 7.5 Watts of energy, it is hard to deny its current supremacy in environmental impact for its minimal energy use.