Sony has unveiled the new line of Vaio J Touch All-in-One PCs that will compete with the Apple iMac and other rival touch devices.
Sony's newest all-in-one offering is designed to replace the aging JS series of products, which were also designed as all-in-one desktops. This isn't Sony's only current touchscreen offering, as the company already has the AIO line, though the Vaio J is designed more for casual consumers.
The affordable touchscreen PCs are designed to provide easy use for high-definition movie viewing, MP3s, and other interactive features. The new unit has a 21.5inch widescreen panel including 1080p HD support, a Blu-ray player, and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, according to the company's press release.
On the hardware side, the Vaio J Series uses an Intel Core i3 CPU, 4GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 310m GPU (512MB GDDR RAM), and ships with Microsoft Windows 7 Home or Premium.
"The J Series changes the way consumers interact with their PC enabling them to tap, drag, zoom, rotate and engage with their content and entertainment like never before," said Mike Lucas, Sony Vaio business VP. "And with its attractive price point, this cutting-edge technology will reach a whole new audience."
The touchscreen technology is controlled by the Display Plus proprietary software, and includes a You Paint app, Media Gallery program, and other interactive devices.
Sony has prices starting at $900, and appears to be a lower-end version of the higher priced Sony AIO PCs. The Vaio J Series will launch in early July in-store and online through Sony's official store.
I've used the earlier touchscreen technology with somewhat disappointing results, but have watched as Sony, Hewlett-Packard, and other manufacturers fine tune touch technology, which has largely been made popular thanks to Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPad.
