Sony has announced a new VAIO notebook series NW-line with a 15.5-inch form factor. With the NW VAIO notebooks, Sony wants Blu-ray playback capability with an aggressive price.

NW VAIO notebooks are powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processor, optional ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570-graphics and Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit. They are also equipped with “chicklet” keyboard, touchpad textured, built-in Webcam, microphone, multi-card reader, HDMI output and ExpressCard slot. The latest VAIO has a wavy textured surface and is available in three colors: black walnut, white birch, silver and rattan.

Sony also offers a isplay Offa Button, you can use its screen, while the notebook is running in the background. In this way, power users, while enabling them to quickly return the PC functionality without having to boot back. An Instant Internet button launches directly into the web without having to wait for Windows to load. Pre-applications are installed: VAIO Movie Story software – an easy way to make your own high-quality videos, VAIO MusicBox software – a fun and automated way to download music on one s mood, and then click Disc Editor software – for a simple video-editing and creation.

Expected in the U.S. from July.

One of our favorite all-ime Netbook, the HP Mini 2140, a brushed-metal system from HP’s business line is a cousin that focuses on the consumer mini-1000. Interestingly, it is one of your favorites, also known as Mini 2140 is the fourth most viewed laptop.

The new and quite different, 5101 Mini-trades the silver metal-look, with a slight curve on the lid, for a squared-off design in black brushed aluminum. HP Ted Clark, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Notebook Global Business Unit, calls it “truly a work of art, a demanding PC companion crafted for the trend-savvy mobile professional needs, the functional, durability and style.” We are not sure we would go so far, but it is a pretty smooth looking Netbook.

We are always happy to HP mini 2140 for its solid construction and high-end extras, such as an ExpressCard slot. The new version loses the ExpressCard, but adds a standard hard drive 7200 RPM and an optional higher resolution 1366 x768 screen. An optional integrated Gobi powered HP Mobile Broadband Module will also be offered, along with some proprietary software for the organization to synchronize files between desktop PCs and portable Netbook (and HP has promised us that it is better than the corrupted version the same software found in the last HP Netbook Mini 110).

The other thing we are a little concerned about is changes to the mini-keyboard – one of our most popular features. The broad, flat, closely spaced buttons have been optimized to look and feel a bit more like the keys on a MacBook or Sony Vaio laptop, with a good amount of space between them. We need to play around with the system a bit longer to decide whether we like the new layout better. A positive development – the touchpad mouse buttons were in a traditional spot under the touchpad, rather than on both sides.

The HP Mini 5101 is expected to be available in late July.

via gizmodo