The Sony Vaio W Netbook Will Cost 60% More In Australia

The Sony Vaio W netbook will go on sale in Australia next month for amost 60% more than it costs in the US.

Its netbook will be available on August 12 for $999. It’s still one of the cheapest VAIO computers yet, but Americans can expect to pay even less: a mere $635. And this case isn’t an outlier – Sony charges Australian consumers more all the time. Why?

Kelly Finlay, spokeswoman of Sony Australia, explained that the price difference could be attributed to factors like exchange rates, “different retail environments” and that US prices don’t take certain government taxes into account.

Furthermore, the Australian model had to comply with a few vaguely alluded-to “local standards and regulations”.

Via TheAge.