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Sony Vaio Lifestyle PC

We managed to be among the very first to snag a coveted Sony Vaio Lifestyle PC, so here are a couple of in-the-wild photos, plus some first hands-on impressions.

Despite the small overall size, we found the keyboard fairly easy to use. At first, the lack of a touchpad worried us, but the trackpoint was fast and responsive, and after 15 minutes or so, we got fairly used to navigating with it--a very light tap on the pointing stick will give you a left mouse click. We're still not entirely sold, however, and still think a touchpad is better for many tasks.

The 1,600x768 screen has a higher resolution than many 15-inch laptops. Some initial attempts at online video streaming played fine, and the built-in Verizon-powered mobile broadband worked as advertised.

Even with Vista as the operating system, the Vaio seemed to run about as well as any Intel Atom system with XP we've used (2GB of RAM and an SSD hard drive help). With Windows 7, purportedly excellent for Netbooks, it would probably fly (relatively speaking).

It's hard to convey just how small this thing actually is. In the photos below, you'll see it positively dwarfed by an HP Mini 1000.

Stay tuned for a hands-on video, as well as benchmark testing and a full review.

Tags: CES 2009, laptops, netbooks, Sony Vaio, Lifestyle PC

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HP e-PC C 766 MHz

The e-PC is part of the HP professional line and therefore offers the same benefits in terms of ease of deployment, management, and support. With the e-PC, HP has re-invented the desktop PC as a smaller, simpler and more reliable device to reduce the Total Cost of Ownership and improve user comfort. HP has

         Sell Price: $900.00

designed the e-PC using new technology. Over the years, new technology has been integrated into PCs while retaining some of the older technology. With the addition of improved processor performance and more powerful hard disk drives, it is obvious that the PC had to evolve to take these changes into account. Technology is not the only thing that has changed - the way people are using their PCs has also evolved. They want more simplicity, more reliability and better user comfort so that they stop worrying about their PCs and just use them. Reducing the Total Cost of Ownership is certainly the main incentive behind the need to change the design of PCs. The price you pay for a PC only represents a small portion of the time and money you will spend on it during its lifetime.
HP took these needs into consideration when it designed the e-PC. Its solid performance will meet the needs of most users, and because it runs all types of operating systems, it will fit seamlessly into your existing IT infrastructure. The external power supply and optimized cooling make it a very quiet system, giving end-users more comfort. The HP e-PC is manufactured with the same quality standards as other HP PCs, but its design brings more reliability. This improved reliability directly translates into cost savings for the customer in terms of the support costs. While the benefit of a traditional PC is its expandability, one benefit of the e-PC is its "sealed box" concept. This is a real advantage for companies that want to reduce the cost of PCs through standardization. IT departments can control the PCs they deploy to make sure that no unauthorized hardware changes are made. Because of its simplicity and innovative design, the HP e-PC is much smaller than a traditional PC. Its versatility means it fits almost anywhere - you can place it vertically, horizontally, integrated with an LCD monitor, or even rack it in the optional mounting brackets.

Product Description:  HP e-PC C 766 MHz
Type:  Personal computer
Form Factor:  Tower
Dimensions:  (WxDxH) 3.5 in x 10.7 in x 9.4 in
Weight:  7.7 lbs
Localization:  French / Canada
Processor:  1 x Intel Celeron 766 MHz
Cache Memory:  128 KB (installed) / 128 KB (max) - L2 cache - Advanced Transfer Cache
RAM:  128 MB (installed) / 256 MB (max) - SDRAM
Storage:  Controller IDE ( ATA-66 ) - PCI
Hard Drive:  1 x 10 GB - standard - ATA-66
Hard Drive: (2nd) - none.
Optical Storage:  CD-ROM
Monitor:  None.
Graphics Controller:  AGP
Audio Output:  Sound card - PCI - stereo - 20-bit
Networking:  Network adapter - PCI - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet
Power:  AC 110/220 V ± 10% ( 50/60 Hz )
OS Provided:  Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Manufacturer:  Warranty 3 years warranty

Tags: Desktop

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