We’ve always loved the super-expensive VAIO TT with a passion, but apparently the netbook onslaught was just too much for the well-reviewed 11.1-inch machine to take: it’s gone from Sony’s US website, and we’re guessing that it’s not going to return. That’s too bad, since we’ve always felt the TT was one of the more beautiful laptops ever made, and while we could never justify its fully kitted-out $4,450 price tag, we always had one on our want list. Hopefully Sony has some grander plans for this size point than the sadly-generic VAIO W — in the meantime, light a candle and check our unboxing and hands-on gallery below.

Update: We just heard back from Sony — yep, the VAIO TT is gone, and it’s not coming back. Shed a tear, will ya?

Dell might have axed the Mini 12, but it seems like there’s quite a few models waiting to fill the void — we just saw the Inspiron 11z go on sale this morning, and now there’s a mysterious link for an “Inspiron Mini 13″ showing up on the Dell Canada site. We’re assuming that means the hot new Inspiron 13 that launched in Singapore last month is about to make its North American debut with Mini branding — and although calling a 13-inch machine with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo and ATI Mobility Radeon HD4330 graphics a “Mini” seems a little odd, we can’t say we’d be surprised if it came to pass. We’re digging for more, keep a sharp eye.

Dell may have ditched the 12-inch Mini netbook, but for those still looking for something a touch larger than 10-inches, there’s the all-new Inspiron 11z. Strictly classified as a “thin-and-light,” this three-pound machine measures in at just one-inch thick and ships with a 1.2GHz Celeron 723 processor, a 1,366 x 768 LED-backlit panel, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 250GB (5400RPM) SATA hard drive, GS45 integrated graphics, WiFi, a 3-cell battery and nary an optical drive to speak of. There’s also a 1.3 megapixel camera, twin stereo speakers, an Ethernet port, three USB sockets, a 3-in-1 multicard reader and an HDMI output, though we get the feeling Windows Vista won’t be too happy with the hardware. Thankfully, you can drop your $399 now and snag Windows 7 on the cheap here in just a few months.

Suzuki, huh? No, not that Suzuki. Singapore-based Suzuki Technology Private Limited calls itself a “value for money” brand, and has stuffed quite a bit of “value” into the Neutron 701 MNI. With basic netbook parts under the hood, and a rather exceptional complement of ports (ExpressCard and S/PDIF in a netbook? Yes, please!), the 701 really sets itself apart with its swivel tablet display. Sure, 7-inches isn’t a lot of room to work with when you’re touching Windows, but it’s a nice “twist” at least. No word on price or availability.