Sony E Series Notebooks Offer Color, Power for $700

Sony introduced a Vaio E Series line of laptops on Feb. 2. Geared toward consumers and students, the line starts at $700 and features widescreen displays that measure 15.5 inches on the diagonal, edge-to-edge keyboards with isolated, or Chiclet-style, keys, a dimpled touchpad and a built-in numeric pad. The notebooks weigh 5.95 pounds and offer 3.5 hours of battery life.
 
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium is paired with an Intel Core i5 processor with Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost technologies, which help with multitasking, as well as CD and DVD read/write functionalities.
 
The E Series also features three hardware buttons offering one-touch access. A Web button launches the browser without booting up the operating system for quick access. The Vaio button launches Sony's Media Gallery software, and the Assist button launches Vaio Care software, for troubleshooting or help with maintenance issues.
 
A Webcam with a microphone and face-tracking technology is included, along with HDMI output port for connecting to a high-definition TV, and there's an eSATA/USB port and three USB 2.0 ports.
 
From there, the system is up to the buyer. A Blu-ray disc is optional, as are HD capabilities and Bluetooth connectivity. And then there are the colors.
 
The E Series is available in five high-gloss, translucent shades—Caribbean Green, Iridescent Blue, Coconut White, Hibiscus Pink and Lava Black—as well as three more subdued, matte options: Maple Brown, Silver White and Gunmetal.
 
"Sony is once again bringing innovation to the PC industry," Mike Abary, Sony senior vice president of the Vaio business group, said in a statement. "The E Series delivers contemporary-cool designs at mainstream prices, proving consumers no longer have to sacrifice style for affordability."
 
(More than style, some have argued, consumers have lately been sacrificing processing power for affordability.)
 
The E Series is Energy Star 5.0-qualified, EPEAT Silver-registered and RoHS-compliant and comes in packaging that is 95 percent recycled. Now available for preorder, the notebooks will arrive in Sony Style stores and at other retailers beginning in February.
 
On Jan. 7, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony introduced a Z Series of ultraportable notebooks, an F Series of multimedia notebooks, a W Series of mininotebooks and a Y Series of environmentally sensitive notebooks.