Design Sony's latest take on an all-in-one PC looks remarkably like something. It's just that the something in question isn't an all-in-one PC, but rather a small Bravia TV. That's undoubtedly a deliberate design decision and as with most all-in-one PCs, the point isn't pure grunt as much as looking good in a non-PC environment. The VPCL118FG/B does via stealth, as without a mouse and keyboard evident, you wouldn't pick that it was a PC. The VPCL118FG/B can even be used sans keyboard and mouse, as it comes with a touchscreen panel installed. Unlike some touchscreen units, you're not left bereft of mouse or keyboard, but the examples shipped with the VPCL118FG/B aren't the most stunning looking creatures, with the boxy mouse in particular being a design lowlight. Perhaps it's a rule with all-in-one computers, be they PC or Mac, that they have to come with rather ordinary peripherals?
At least on the plus side, the included Windows remote doesn't look quite so boring. Features Behind the screen, Sony throws in an Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 (2.93GHz) processor, 4GB of RAM and a 512MB Nvidia GeForce G210M graphics processor. A 500GB hard drive is provided, which is a touch on the low side for a multimedia machine. On the optical front, the comparisons with TV continue, with a Blu-ray disc combo drive and integrated digital TV tuner. The display panel, besides being touch capable, is also full HD capable, which pinpoints this as a home AV machine. On the software side, the VPCL118FG/B ships with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and a whole raft of software: Vaio Movie Story, Adobe Premiere Elements 7, WinDVD BD for Vaio, Click to Disc, Click to Disc Editor, PMB (Picture Motion Browser), Adobe Photoshop Elements 7, Vaio Media plus, Roxio Easy Media Creator, Vaio Gate, Vaio Control Center, WebCam Message Board, WebCam Companion, Magic-i Visual Effects, Vaio Recovery Center, Vaio Update, Vaio Transfer Support and Vaio Data Restore Tool. On the trial side of the fence, you also get a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Professional 2007, a 30-day trial of McAfee PC SecurityCenter, a 60-day trial of Norton Online Backup and finally a 60-day free trial of Webroot Spy Sweeper.
That's a lot of trial security software from different companies to stack together. Performance Those after an all-in-one that does everything could be rather satisfied with the VPCL118FG/B, even if they haven't got a hope of pronouncing it properly without prompting.
As with most touchscreens, we've yet to see a really compelling usage scenario that consumers will latch onto, but in the meantime the combination of touch and Windows 7 works fairly well. If you have to, it's not too tough to select files, launch applications and scroll around, even if most applications aren't really optimised for that kind of usage. Frankly, the better scenario for the VPCL118FG/B is as a home media centre, given its TV and Blu-ray playback options, with the option to then bring out mouse and keyboard as required. On the pure performance front, the VPCL118FG/B showed itself to be more of a pure performance machine than a gaming powerhouse, with a PCMark05 score of 6248 and 3DMark06 score of 3228. That's mostly down to the mid-range Nvidia chipset on board.
It'll certainly handle most games, but not the most up-to-date graphically punishing ones at full resolution. At AU$2999, the VPCL118FG/B isn't exactly a machine you'll pick up for pocket change, but it is a machine with a lot of appeal to a particular market that's willing to pay for the convenience it offers. Beyond the current novelty of touchscreens on full PCs, like Apple's similar iMac lines, there's a lot to like here, if you can afford it.
Sony has released many media-centre PCs, most of which also happen to be perfectly usable desktop machines. The TP2G is different: this is practically an audiovisual component.
It comes with no monitor, for instance, with Sony envisaging users connecting via the HDMI port to a flat-screen TV. Using the HDMI port has the added benefit of combining audio and video on one cable, which keeps installation simple and cable clutter to a minimum. The keyboard and trackpad combo is wireless as well, and the inclusion of 802.11a/b/g wireless means you could get away with only power and HDMI cables. As a media centre, the TP2G’s most likely home will be your living room, and the good news is that it’s almost silent: there’s just one fan, and it’s barely audible even in the quietest of rooms. The design’s interesting, too.
It’s striking enough that you’ll want this VAIO on show and, with a diameter of 270mm, it’s small enough to live on a standard TV shelf. The ports, both on the front and back, are cleverly hidden.
A sliding, spring-loaded cover hides the two front-mounted USB ports, mini-FireWire, SD and Memory Stick slots. A panel on the back, held on with magnets, covers another two USB ports, the network port, HDMI and D-SUB outputs, microphone and speaker sockets, an optical S/PDIF out, a socket for the wall-mountable WLAN antenna and TV-in. The TV tuner is a DVB-T hybrid model, which is useful if you live in an area with no digital reception. However, the actual hardware is a USB AVerMedia tuner, but while the VAIO VGC-LT28G had two built in, the TP2G has just one. This is severely restricting for a modern media hub: you can only record a single channel at a time. There are bound to be times when you want to record two channels simultaneously – and that’s assuming your TV has a digital tuner built in, otherwise you won’t even be able to watch one programme and record another.
At least the optical drive reads Blu-ray discs (though it only writes to DVDs) so you’ll be able to make the most of your HD TV. Internal storage takes the shape of a 500GB hard disk, which is just enough for a medium-sized standard-definition media collection, but when space runs out you’ll need to add external storage. The TP2G’s small dimensions mean no space for a second internal drive bay, and replacing the existing drive is all but impossible thanks to the TP2G’s tightly integrated nature.
Vaio All In One Computer
The keyboard and mouse combo looks good, but can be frustrating for extended use. We found key presses occasionally failed to register altogether, making long documents irritating to work on. Also, the trackpad was equally prone to occasional blips. The TP2G offers plenty of power for encoding, courtesy of its 2.1GHz Core 2 Duo and 2GB of RAM. It scored a respectable 0.94 in our application benchmarks.
The one area of entertainment where the TP2G falls down is gaming – Nvidia’s 8400M graphics adapter is underpowered for 3D gaming, so you can forget about running anything but the oldest games. But there are plenty of good points: the design is excellent, performance is more than adequate, and the large hard disk and integrated WLAN will be big advantages for anyone with a modern media network at home. The inclusion of HDMI is another major plus point over DVI, if only because it carries an audio signal, meaning less cable clutter. However, the lack of twin TV tuners is a major downside – especially when you can buy a twin tuner set-top box, complete with 120GB hard disk, from online retailers for $300. This highlights the Sony’s other problem: price. Although competitive with other Windows-based media centres, it’s too expensive for a device with this many restrictions. If you’re looking for a media centre that will give a spare room a touch of class, and will actually be used as a PC, we can’t argue with the TP2G’s excellent design, but it’s too expensive to be given pride of place in the average living room.
Sony’s latest all-in-one desktop joins the fight from other manufacturers to unseat the market leading iMac. What Sony brings to melee is a display with multiple inputs, 3D and its Vaio computing heritage. Features The first all-in-one with 3D to come across our test bench, Sony’s VPCL229FGB L series desktop features some well spec’d components capable of handling just about anything you or your family are likely to throw at it in the next couple of years. Let’s start with the speed, because this computer has it in spades: a second-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB RAM, NVidia’s GeForce GT540M graphics processor with 1GB of memory, plus 1TB of storage.
Meters. All of this computing power operates behind a 24 inch LED backlit LCD screen supporting 1920 x 1080, also known as Full HD 1080p. The screen supports a few multi-touch gestures, and there’s a 1.3 megapixel webcam built into the frame. A Blu-ray drive is bundled in, but it’s not just for playing HD movies on disc.
The Vaio VPCL229FGB allows you to burn Blu-ray discs too, making the machine suitable for video editors and those who want to backup to 25GB and 50GB writeable Blu-ray discs. Connectivity-wise, this Vaio brings lots of options.
The left-side of the computer houses two USB 3.0 ports, one small Firewire video port, headphone and microphone jacks, and a card reader capable of reading SD cards and Sony’s MemoryStick format. There are also three USB 2.0 ports on the back, as well as an Ethernet port for wired networking. Wireless networking is also taken care of, with the L series supporting the faster Bluetooth 3.0 standard and WiFi 802.11 b/g/n. More than just a desktop computer, the VPCL229FGB also doubles as a monitor for connected video devices, including digital TV set-top boxes and games consoles. To accomplish this, you’ll find both a HDMI port as well as composite AV ports on the back of the computer (above). If you want to export the VPCL229FGB’s screen to a larger-screen TV, there’s a HDMI-out port to do the job. And then there’s 3D, with the VPCL229FGB bundling one pair of Sony 3D active shutter glasses and NVidia’s 3D Vision technology for games and watching 3D movies.
Sony tells us that these glasses are compatible with its Bravia TVs. Everything here sits inside of a plastic computer with a solid-metal stand. A few extra function buttons are provided on chassis of the Vaio, including a “web” button for surfing the web without having to switch the full computer on, volume, input selection, and a button to switch the monitor off when it’s not being used.
Performance Taking the Vaio out of its box, it’s easy to see that the computer is well-built. Much like the iMac and every other all-in-one desktop, computing components are housed within the body of the screen, with the 24 inch display held up by a solid metal stand. Plugging it in is simple, and there’s a large 19.5v brick powering the computer. Making the power separate from the body – in the way that notebooks do – means the main body of the computer tends to run cooler, making the computer safer to touch, which is especially useful given that this is a touchscreen computer with extra buttons on the frame. After a day of operation, the Vaio was certainly far cooler to the touch than the aluminium-wrapped iMac that is our usual workhorse. For the most part, the touch experience is decent, making it easy to use Windows 7 without the need for a mouse. Pointing and clicking the smaller menu shortcuts can be difficult, but scrolling web pages and double-clicking desktop icons works a treat.
You’ll still want a keyboard at your side, as the onscreen keyboard experience for Windows is slow and clunky. Sony complements Windows 7 with its own TouchPortal software, which appears as a dropdown shortcut bar at the top of the screen whenever the desktop is touched. This software works to the Vaio’s benefit, and includes media viewers, more touch-friendly desktop interfaces, and touchscreen test applications from Microsoft. The TouchPortal desktop interface makes the Windows touchscreen experience just that much more interactive, in fact, that we wish it loaded automatically alongside Windows. Some of the test applications from Microsoft show off the touchscreen functionality quite well: Microsoft’s Surface Collage, for example, lets you zoom and rotate photos, and make layered-image artworks easily. Unlike other touchscreen devices though, the multi-touch isn’t strong here, with just two points of touch on offer and only a few apps supporting more than single-finger operations. The frame around the screen has some level of touch interaction too: the “Sony” logo can switch from lit to unlit and 3D mode can be turned on and off.
Pressing the left or right of the Sony logo will also allow you to move backward and forward while surfing the web. Beyond the touchscreen is a solid experience. Most games and multimedia needs will appreciate the high-end specs on offer, with 8GB of memory and the Core i7 good partners here. If you opt for a regular 2D experience, in games, the combination of Intel’s Core i7 and the GeForce 540 works well enough, providing solid graphics and speedy performance in current titles. The mid-range mobile graphics processor doesn’t stack up when trying to play games in 3D using the native 1080p resolution, however. Our test title of “Portal 2” – the same game we used when benching Apple’s latest iMac – performed sluggishly when 3D was used, forcing us to drop the resolution down to 720p. Not such a good result from a computer advertising 3D credentials.
Watching Blu-ray movies on the 24 inch screen is made possible with the inclusion of Corel’s WinDVD software, but it can be quite buggy. We experienced numerous crashes during playback of test titles, and each occurrence required us to restart the program. Movies in 3D work fine when the software isn’t crashing, but the best 3D effects are realised only when seated at least two metres away.
The “web” button on the top of the Vaio allows you to run a web browser and surf the web without booting into Windows. On a big TV, we’re pretty sure we’d love this feature, but given this is a full-blown computer it seems a little superfluous. It may be that this feature was designed to satisfy the needs of a Japanese market, where smaller homes dictate that screens perform a dual function. There’s also no remote, which is an oversight for a device designed to look like a TV, and with ambitions of blending computing with entertainment. Plug in a PS3, for example, and you need to approach the Vaio, switch to the HDMI input and adjust the volume manually.
We’re also surprised that there’s no inbuilt TV tuner either. The Vaio’s image quality was disappointing, too, especially in light of Sony’s credibility in display technology. Images appeared soft, even from Blu-ray, and colours tended to be oversaturated. Conclusion Sony has brought elegance to the Windows touchscreen experience in this Vaio, and equipped it with a powerful processor, good headroom, adequate storage and thoughtful Blu-ray backup and output options. For a hair under the three grand asking price, 3D gaming performance – it’s point of difference in the all-in-one desktop market – should be better.
Touch screen PCs haven't yet changed the way we compute at home or in the office — most of us are still more comfortable using a mouse to move the cursor rather than prodding or dragging our fingers across a screen. Sony's VAIO L Series (VPCL118FG) all-in-one touch screen PC is the latest model to try and convert us — and it succeeds with its good looks and ease of use. The screen and overall design The Sony's VAIO L Series (VPCL118FG) is an elegant, 24in all-in-one PC with a design that's understated — to a point. There are no overbearing lights, just tiny LEDs at the top of the screen; you don't get any buttons except for power and turning off the display, both of which sit conveniently at the top of the unit. The button for switching off the display is particularly useful if you want to listen to music in the dark. A Blu-ray drive can be found on the right side of the PC; USB, FireWire and audio ports are on the left, and more USB ports, as well as networking, TV and optical audio ports, are on the rear.
The unit sits on a desk in the same way a picture frame would, and it can be tilted back. The rear of the L Series has an antenna connection, a Gigabit Ethernet port, a digital audio port, and three USB 2.0 ports. The PC has a Full HD screen and it supports dual finger inputs, so it can take advantage of Windows 7's multitouch capabilities.
You can use your fingers to drag files, zoom and rotate photos, scroll windows and flick back and forth between files, folders and Web pages. The screen itself has plenty of contrast and images look vibrant, but it is glossy and reflections will sometimes drive you crazy (especially while you are watching TV). At 24in, the screen is a good size if you want to use the L Series as a TV in an average-sized room; it comes with a remote control, and the integrated speakers will fill a small space easily.
Sony Vaio
It has a hybrid TV tuner installed, which means it can receive digital and analog channels. We'd prefer a dual digital tuner so that you could record one digital channel while watching another, or record two digital channels simultaneously. Media centre Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit edition is installed, and the Media Centre interface of the operating system is used for watching TV.
You can also view DVDs through the Media Centre interface, but not Blu-ray movies (which are watched using the preinstalled WinDVD BD software). There's no doubt the L Series is geared towards multimedia activities such as viewing and editing photos and videos, watching TV, DVDs and Blu-ray movies, and listening to music. It ships with plenty of software to help you edit photos and piece together home movies, including Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. Configuration The Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 CPU, which runs at 2.93GHz, will have no problems running those programs and its speed is beneficial when you render videos and transcode media files. In the Blender rendering test, it took 1min 04 sec to render our test 3D image. This is not as fast as the, which uses a 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo T9600 mobile CPU.
However the T9600 CPU is a better performer as it has 6MB of cache as opposed to E7500's 3MB. The rest of the L Series' configuration includes 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 210M graphics adapter and a 500GB hard drive. We wish the drive was larger.
For a PC that will be used to create and consume media files, 500GB is not enough; we'd like to see at least a 1TB drive, and 2TB would be optimal. Of course, you could connect external USB 2.0 drives or store files over a network — you get five USB 2.0 ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port, as well as 802.11n WiFi — but more local storage would be appreciated.
The NVIDIA GeForce 210M is a mainstream graphics adapter that won't play many games unless they are at a low detail level. If you want a PC for high-end gaming, you'll have to look elsewhere. A hardware and software solution The VAIO software that ships with the PC is useful for novice users as there aren't many features and effects to choose from; simply line up your videos in the order you want them to appear and the program will do the rest. However, if you want to take more creative control over your work, you can use the afore-mentioned Adobe programs.
VAIO Media Gallery is a useful program for viewing and sorting your photos, and it works nicely with the touch screen. In many ways, the Sony VAIO L Series touch-screen PC is ideal for anyone who wants a complete hardware and software solution that isn't a Mac. Because it comes with Adobe Premiere and Photoshop Elements preinstalled, as well as VAIO-braded software, all you have to do once you get home is plug in the power cable, switch the PC on and start using it. (The keyboard and mouse are cordless, so you'll need to switch them on, too.) You might have to calibrate the touch screen the first time you use it, but for us it worked perfectly straight out of the box. It was accurate enough to allow us to select files and menu items, as well as minimise and close windows with our fingers. Gestures for zooming and rotating photos were recognised without any problems and we rarely had to repeat one.
Conclusion A machine like the VAIO L Series doesn't come cheap, and $2999 definitely isn't a sum that many of us can afford to splurge on a new PC. But if you want a good looking, all-in-one PC with a touch screen, then it's definitely worth considering. It's powerful enough for image and video editing — and it ships with approximately $200 worth of Adobe software to boot.
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