Sony's US senior vice president of its information technology products division, Mike Abary has warned that continued moves towards the sub-notebook market by vendors could see the PC industry become "a race to the bottom".

Speaking to technology blog Engadget's Ryan Block, Abary said that if current trends continue, and customer expectations increasingly begin to weigh towards the $300 (£151) mark, then it could have a "profoundly negative impact on the industry".

He added that razor thin margins would make it difficult for vendors that enter that market to continue funding research and development, and could damage their ability to compete at the high-end of the market.