Sony VAIO LS1 TV-PC

Students heading to college who are looking for more performance than Westinghouse's laptop and TV bundle certainly have their options. The latest is Sony's LS1, the most recent entry into the company's expanding line of home theater PCs. Though it still uses integrated Intel graphics, the LS1 offers a much faster 1.83GHz Core Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, and 250GB of hard drive space that give it considerably more power for video and multitasking. Its 19-inch screen also uses a sharp 1680x1050 resolution that makes it genuinely useful for high-resolution content. As a TV, the LS1 lacks the component video input needed for HDTV (RCA and S-video are included) but makes up for this by integrating an NTSC tuner into the computer that lets the Sony PC act as a PVR through Windows Media Center. Its $2100 asking price is in keeping with the extra television functions and performance; it's set to arrive just after school begins in mid-September.

By Electronista Staff