Perfect Example of Why MacBook Air is NOT overpriced:
http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/st...10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921666350153
Look at the specs. 128GB SSD, 4GB RAM, Intel 3000 Graphics, Core i5, 2.5 lbs, Really Thin, etc.
You would think with the "Apple Tax" arguments, this machine would be a few hundred bucks less than a MacBook Air and have better specs, or at least be priced the same, but nope. It's $1,999!
Its the closest thing Sony has to a Macbook Air, yet its $1,999 STARTING price.
Sure, it comes with a dock, and a few extras. Those could be worth something. But otherwise, you could get the exact same specs (other than the processor) on the $1,299 MacBook Air.. and save $700 in the process.
So there's pros and cons, and this machine outclasses the Macbook Air in a couple of categories (mainly due to the included dock) but its PRICED VERY HIGH.
The media docks are around $325-$350 according to a few google searches, which means you are paying ~$1,649 or so for a laptop that has only a somewhat faster processor than an MBA but otherwise does not best the MBA in any other category (same RAM, screen size, close enough resolution, same video card, etc.)
If you compare this to the $1,299 entry level MacBook Air, you are getting the much better value out of the MBA than you are on this Sony machine, to the tune of $350 saved on the same specs (other than the processor, which one might argue is not necessarily a big deal for users who intend to just surf, type documents, etc. and the MBA's processor is certainly no turtle anyway).
And I would still argue the MBA looks better. I have seen this Sony machine in person at a store and it did not look or feel like a premium laptop.
So as you can see by this example, Apple makes competitively priced products and are an excellent value for what you get.