In a world where desktop sales have long been on a nose dive and plenty of other and cheaper all-in-one desktops on the market, is there anything Sony can do to change up their machine and stand out from the crowd, without just shoving more power in it? After playing around with the new VAIO L Series Touch HD, it seems like there is. At a first glance, the new 24 inch VAIO L looks to be just the next evolution of the all-in-one series from Sony. It packs what you would expect from a Sony machine that starts at $1,200 with HDMI in and out, built in TV tuner, DVR and Blu-ray player and burner for the media fans. For those who want more power out of their machine, you can also custom configure it with a Intel i7 processor. NVIDIA’s latest GeForce GT500M graphics, Dolby Home Theater speakers and a wireless keyboard and mouse all come standard of course. So how does this differentiate from the previous generation? With touch of course, but without the need to actually touch the screen.

You see, Sony decided to put that extra space around the monitor screen to good use. The glass surround the screen is actually an infared border that contains shortcuts for closing windows, opening programs or shutting down the machine which is shortcuts that Sony has built into Windows 7, so not something you can just turn on with other machines. On top of that, the built in camera detects your movements, allowing you to swipe your hand across the screen from left to right to change to the next song, opposite of that to go to the previous song and from the top to the bottom to pause. This particular feature of course won’t work with a program like iTunes so instead, Sony has their own iLife-like suit built into their machine that gathers your photos, videos and music. Think of it like Windows Media Player but on steroids and when activated, your hand gestures are good to go. Imagine sitting back and reading a book and when you want to change the song, you just wave away at the computer screen like Minority Report, but without the gloves. For a Mac user like me, it almost felt like having the Apple Magic Trackpad without the pad part. Look for these to go on pre-order in late February and hopefully we can get one on hands for a review for a more in depth coverage then just our CES time.

 MEDIA ALERT: NEW SONY TOUCH HD PC/TV MERGES HIGH DEFINITION WITH INTUITIVE TOUCH

Subject: Media Alert: VAIO L Series Touch PC and HDTV All-in-One Provides Multi-Touch Entertainment Experience

WHO: The new Sony VAIO® L Series Touch HD PC/TV features a stunning 24-inch (diagonal) multi-touch screen enabling intuitive touch access to the internet, TV, Blu-ray Disc™ movies and more.

WHAT: Unique to the L Series, the multi-touch screen features technology which extends the touchable area of the screen to the LCD bezel. This technology provides simple access to everyday shortcuts enabling users to close windows, flip through web pages quickly and zoom by touching the black glass sections along the edge of the PC.

The L model features a built-in television. It also serves as a DVR letting you play and record your favorite television shows to Blu-ray Disc media or store up to100 hours of HD content to its massive hard drive. This model features two built-in speakers and Dolby Home Theater® technology providing a cinematic listening experience at home.
For those who prefer to watch content on a big screen television, the L Series also has an HDMI™ output connector so you can connect to a high-definition TV set for a larger viewing experience.
Designed to easily blend with your home décor, the VAIO L Touch PC features a sleek V-shape stand and is wall-mountable for a slick, space-saving computing experience. It also comes with a stylish wireless keyboard and wireless mouse letting you work freely without cords, and optional keyboard skins in eye-catching colors.

WHEN: Available for pre-sale in late February at www.sony.com/pr/lseries and at select retailers around the country for about $1200. To find the closest Sony Style store, please visit www.sonystyle.com.

Best Regards,
Amy Hamaoui
For Sony Electronics, Inc.
(213) 996-3768

*For complete specifications and digital images, members of the news media are invited to visit Sony Electronics’ news and information Web site at www.sony.com/news.