Sony Wednesday unveiled its new mid-year PC lineup for Japan, including a new product family, the Vaio L desktop series.The total line consists of 41 models. Absent are the Blu-ray Disc-based machines that are expected to go on sale in the middle of this year.The new Vaio L desktop machines are all-in-one models in which the computer circuitry is built behind the monitor so the whole thing looks similar to a flat-panel television. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe Sony debuted two main types. The LA series has a 19-inch widescreen display and wireless keyboard, and the LB series has a 15.4-inch widescreen display and attached keyboard. The keyboard on the latter model is attached to the main body on hinges just under the display and can be folded up to cover most of the display when not in use. This is reminiscent of the Vaio W and M machines that Sony has sold in the past. The LA machines are available in two hardware configurations. Both include a TV recording function, 512MB of memory and a 200GB hard-disk drive. They differ in the choice of processor: One features an Intel Core Duo T2300 processor and the other an Intel Celeron M 420 processor. The basic configuration for the LB machines has a Celeron M 420 processor, 512MB of memory and an 80GB hard-disk drive—but no TV recording function.The Intel Core Duo LA machine will cost about 250,000 yen (US$2,110), the Celeron M-based LA machine will cost 220,000 yen, and the LB machine will cost 180,000 yen. All three will be available in Japan from April 22. Sale of the machines overseas is still under consideration, said Sony. None of the 41 machines supports the Blu-ray Disc format that a group of companies led by Sony is championing as a replacement for DVD for high-definition movies. Sony said at the CeBIT show in Germany last month that it hopes to put Vaio desktop and laptop computers with Blu-ray Disc support on sale worldwide in the middle of this year. On Wednesday, the company said the machines would be available in the United States in the “early summer” and wouldn’t comment on a launch time for other markets.-Martyn Williams, IDG News ServiceCheck out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature The dark arts of digital transformation — and how to master them Sometimes IT leaders need a little magic to push digital initiatives forward. Here are five ways to make transformation obstacles disappear. By Dan Tynan Oct 02, 2023 11 mins Business IT Alignment Business IT Alignment Business IT Alignment feature What is a project management office (PMO)? The key to standardizing project success The ever-increasing pace of change has upped the pressure on companies to deliver new products, services, and capabilities. And they’re relying on PMOs to ensure that work gets done consistently, efficiently, and in line with business objective By Mary K. Pratt Oct 02, 2023 8 mins Digital Transformation Digital Transformation Digital Transformation opinion The changing face of cybersecurity threats in 2023 Cybersecurity has always been a cat-and-mouse game, but the mice keep getting bigger and are becoming increasingly harder to hunt. By Dipti Parmar Sep 29, 2023 8 mins Cybercrime Security brandpost Should finance organizations bank on Generative AI? Finance and banking organizations are looking at generative AI to support employees and customers across a range of text and numerically-based use cases. By Jay Limbasiya, Global AI, Analytics, & Data Management Business Development, Unstructured Data Solutions, Dell Technologies Sep 29, 2023 5 mins Artificial Intelligence Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe