Sony Vaio E series laptop early review: Phat with a 'ph'

Sony unveiled its brand-spanking-new E-series laptop today -- a 15.5-inch offering the company describes as fun, friendly and luxurious. Having experienced a few online dating sites, we initially figured that was marketing-speak for 'it's a little on the chubby side, but you'll like it'. After seeing it in person, however, it's actually something of a looker.

Sure, it tips the scales at 2.7kg and measures a hefty 248 by 31 by 369mm, but it's relatively slim and chic, and it's ideal fodder for replacing your desktop PC at home.

Inside, it's crammed to the gills with modern parts. The model we saw used an Intel Core i5-430M CPU -- capable of up to 2.53GHz with its fancy Intel Turbo Boost technology -- 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics and a Blu-ray drive. That last feature complements the 15.5-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel display beautifully.

The E series has a couple of interesting features, notably a 'Web' button that loads a Linux-based graphical user interface that allows you to browse the Internet without having to wait for Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit to load. There's also a fancy 'Web clipping' tool that allows you to keep track of anything interesting you come across during your browsing session, and gain access to these things from any other PC or Web-connected mobile phone.

The E series will go on sale via the Sony Style site shortly. We would have had some exclusive hands-on pics for you, but our camera decided to serve up a particularly smelly plate of fail. Our apologies -- feel free to hit the 'Continue' link below for another press shot. When you've done that, come back for a full review soon.