Sony has announced a refresh for of its VAIO line of laptops. While the Z series, S series and E series will all receive CPU upgrades along with various other component updates, the C series changes are limited to updates of the cosmetic variety.

The Z series will now offer built-in LTE mobile broadband and a new Carbon Fiber Silver exterior as options. The new laptop will equipped with a Intel’s 2nd generation Core processors ranging from the Core i5 up to the Core i7 and RAID 0 solid state drives (SSDs). Prices will start at $1,949.99.

The S series get the new processors, with both the 13-inch and 15-inch models offering up to Core i7 CPUs. Hybrid Graphics comes courtesy of either an AMD Radeon HD 6470M with 512MB of VRAM, or an AMD Radeon HD 6630M with 1GM of VRAM.

Lastly, both 14- and 15-inch C series models will receive a his and hers facelift. For the ladies – or maybe guys looking to challenge traditional gender stereotypes – Sony has introduced a new Kaleidoscope Pink (to be known as Elegant Flower in some markets) that features an engraved and textured look. For those preferring the look of classic black there’s also a new Geometric Black (aka Modern Geometric) that Sony describes as “60’s retro meets the Matrix.”

Good news for netbook fans: Sony’s bringing its 10.1-inch Vaio W model. Its a 10.1-inch netbook equipped with a 1366 x 768 LED backlit display, Intel’s Atom N270 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of RAM memory, a 160GB HDD with pre-installed Windows XP OS.

The Sony Vaio W netbook arrive also with a built-in web camera and microphone, 802.11n WiFi, Bluetooth, and Ethernet LAN, as well as two USB ports, a Memory Stick / SD Card reader, and a VGA output.

Retail price for Vaio W netbook about $500, sales starts in next month.

Sony unveiled its new VAIO NW series. The new laptops featuring a 15.5″ display, resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4570 512MB dedicated graphic cards, and a Blu-Ray Combo drive.

The Sony VAIO NW also includes a chicklet style keyboard, built-in web camera and microphone, HDMI and VGA outputs, WiFi, a Gigabit LAN port, three USB ports an ExpressCard slot, SD card and Memory Stick PRO slots, and a Firewire port.

The VGN-NW180J/S comes with the Core 2 Duo P7350 at 2GHz, 4GB of DDR2 memory, and a 400GB hard drive and runs Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit OS.

The notebook starts at $800 for the standard configuration (add $880 for models equipped with the Blu-ray drive).

Press Release

Sony today unveiled the VAIO® NW notebook– a new line of PCs that provide a powerful high-definition experience while starting at just $800 for the standard model and $880 equipped with Blu-ray Disc™ technology.

Part of a series, the NW notebook features an optional Blu-ray Disc ROM drive making it ideal for viewing pristine HD content on-the-go. It also has the added convenience of DVD and CD read/write functionalities.

The model features a high-resolution 15.5-inch widescreen display (diagonal), making it easy to view two full web pages– no side-to-side scrolling necessary. Sony’s XBRITE-ECO™ LCD technology has also been added so movies and photos can be enjoyed in brilliant clarity and razor-sharp detail.

For those who prefer to watch content on a big screen television, the PC has an HDMI™ output connector so it can be connected to a TV set for a larger viewing experience in high-definition.

“This notebook sets a precedent in the industry merging powerful Blu-ray technology with a portable, head-turning design– all for an unheard of low price,” said Mike Abary, senior vice president of the VAIO business group at Sony.

Gracefully thin, the notebook has a wavy textured finish and is available in three colors: walnut brown, birch white, and rattan silver.

The NW notebook features an isolated keyboard making it comfortable while reducing typing errors. Its translucent, textured touchpad enables you to smoothly control mouse movement.

The model is equipped with a “display off” button so you can turn off its screen while the notebook continues to run in the background. This lets users conserve power while enabling them to quickly resume PC functionality without waiting for it to boot back up. An instant internet button launches directly into the web without having to wait for the Windows® operating system to load.

The series comes with three Sony entertainment software applications. Offerings include VAIO Movie Story software– an easy way to produce your own high-quality home movies, VAIO MusicBox software– a fun and automated way to enjoy music based on one’s mood, and Click to Disc/ Editor software– for easy video editing and creation.

Easily transfer data, such as photos from your digital camera or music from an MP3 player, to and from the PC with a multitude of connectivity options including three USB ports and ExpressCard®, SD card and Memory Stick PROTM slots.

A built-in webcam and microphone lets users video chat with family, friends and colleagues. A third-party internet service provider is required.

The PC incorporates an Intel® Core™2 Duo processor for fast processing speeds and multitasking. An optional dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4570 graphics card makes it perfect for watching movies. It comes pre-installed with Microsoft® Windows Vista® Home Premium 64-bit.

Sony has announced its VAIO NS and CS series. Its a new SONY’s multimedia laptops with Blu-ray Disc Combo drives.

The Sony VAIO NS features a 15.4-inch display, while the CS has a 14.1″ screen. The laptops equipped with a Intel Core 2 Duo processors and GMA 4500MHD graphic cards.

The Sony VAIO NS priced at around $650, with Blu-ray – about $1,000. The VAIO CS’s price is about $920, with Blu-Ray – $1,070.

Sony has announced its new VAIO type A laptop for multimedia editors.

The Sony VAIO type A features a 18.4-inch display with LED backlit and a resolution of 1,920×1,080 pixels (full HD), the Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 processor at 2.53GHz, a Blu-ray burner, up to 4GB of RAM, and dual 250GB hard drives.

In addition, it has eSATA and Firewire ports, three USB 2.0 ports, and a “high-speed UDMA-enabled CF slot for quick image transfers off your DSLR’s CompactFlash card”.

The new Sony VAIO Type A is priced at around $3,000 and will be available in Japan at the end of September. There is no information on US price and availability.

Sony announced a low-cost ultraportable laptop based on the VIA OpenBook design. A prototype model of the Sony’s laptop was shown at WiMax Expo in Taipei.

VIA’s OpenBook reference design features a 8.9-inch display, the VIA C7-M ULV processor, and the VX800 digital media IGP chipset. The OpenBook weighs around 2.2 pounds and will begin shipping during the third quarter.