Vaio to Sell Laptops in Microsoft Stores to Compete With Apple

PC maker Vaio, once owned by electronics giant Sony (SNE) and now under control by a private equity fund, is looking to revitalize its bruised brand, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. The PC company is set to start selling laptops at Microsoft (MSFT) stores in the U.S., beginning in October. Vaio was sold to Japan Industrial Partners, a private equity fund, back in 2014. 'At the new Vaio, I ask every project team to make realistic goals and be accountable,' Vaio CEO Yoshimi Ota told the Journal, adding the new company could go public in about three years. Ota says the new Vaio will focus on specific markets - beginning with graphic designers currently hooked on Apple (AAPL) products. Ota says there aren't viable options for these consumers on the Windows system by Microsoft. He says Sony was eyeing the masses and too fixated on market share. The laptops will be priced at $2,199 in the U.S. market and cost roughly $1,600 in Japan. TheStreet's Scott Gamm reports from New York.