Sony launches all-in-one PC

Sony is preparing to launch a new all-in-one PC, the Vaio VA1, designed to capture a share of the home entertainment desktop market. 

Surprisingly for Sony, it lacks any of the cutting edge style associated with the Vaio range and, at 25cm deep, is a bulky affair.

Powered by a Pentium 2.8GHz processor, it runs Microsoft Windows XP Media Centre Edition and features a 250GB hard disk drive and a dual layer DVD rewriter.

The screen is a 20in widescreen LCD that uses Sony’s X-Black screen technology and has double lamp illumination.

Covering all possible TV scenarios, the VA1 has both analogue and digital TV tuners so is well placed to cater for the arrival of the first HDTV channels this summer.

Graphics are handled by an ATI Mobility Radeon X700 with 128MB of Ram and, unusually for an all-in-one PC, there’s space for a second hard disk drive and extra memory.

Due later this month, it will cost £1,500.