CES 2011 Coverage

Sony

As usual, Sony's booth was huge, showcasing everything from televisions to digital cameras to notebooks and more. Because OCC is predominantly a computer site, it was the latter that we decided to focus on. The first things to catch our eye were a pair of Sony VAIO concept designs. Scheduled to release some time this year, both VAIO design concepts will feature the upcoming second generation Intel Core mobile processors, which are expected on the market around March. The first concept has a unique texture and copper color. It features a 13" display and a sheet battery for double battery life. The second concept has a 14" display and was being shown in neon orange and neon green.

Next up was a VAIO F Series Laptop 3D Multimedia PC, which has some pretty sweet specs — 1920x1080 3D capable 16" LED backlit display, second generation Intel Core i7-2630QM processor, NVIDIA GeForce GT540M with 1GB VRAM, Blu-ray drive, and 3D active technology glasses included.

If you're looking for something a little more portable, the VAIO Y Series Laptop Ultra Mobile PC may be more your style. It features an 11.6" LED backlit display with a resolution of 1366x768 and an AMD dual-core E-350 CPU (1.6GHz). Sony advertises it as having up to six hours of standard battery life and being optimized for Microsoft DirectX 11.

The coolest VAIO wasn't a laptop, but rather an all-in-one monitor and PC. The VAIO Signature L Series VPCL21SFX/W is a Full HD (1920x1080) 24" multi-touch display with a whole PC built right in. We've seen products like this before, but none as beefy. The VPCL21SFX/W features the second generation Intel Core i7-2630QM processor with a whopping 8GB of RAM and 2TB of storage, along with a Blu-ray drive. On the left-hand side, you'll find a built-in HG DUO/SD memory card reader, two USB 3.0 ports, an S400 i.Link port and headphone and microphone ports. On the back, you have three USB 2.0 ports, RCA video inputs, and both HDMI output and HDMI input. The HDMI and RCA inputs will allow you to connect a cable box, console or various other devices. What's even better is that you do not need to turn the PC on to be able to use the inputs. Another rather unique feature is a touch-enabled bezel, which is demonstrated in the fifth image below. Lastly, the VPCL21SFX/W is VESA mountable, making it a great choice for a space-saving HTPC. Sony stated that the expected MSRP is $1299, which seems pretty remarkable, but note that things may still change, as the i7-2630QM isn't even available yet.

The last thing we took a look at was one of the coolest concepts at the show, showcasing Sony's "Future 3D Technology" — The 3D Head Mounted Display. Inside the Cyclops-like glasses are two Sony-made OLEDs displaying a panel resolution of 1280x720 with 24-bit RGB color depth. The two separate OLEDs, one for each eye, help create a "Virtual 3D Cinematic Experience" and it's rounded out with simulated 5.1 surround sound. Andrew (ClayMeow) tried them out, and they were pretty damn sweet. Looking through the glasses, you really feel like you're looking at a large movie theater screen, and the sound was great too. The only problem was, because it was still a concept, it actually had to be held on your head. We asked if there would be a headband or something to keep it on your head, but simply got a response that it was a concept and they don't have the final details yet. In fact, we got that response with practically every question we asked. Still, it is definitely something to keep your eye out for!