Sony's iMac-ish VAIO VGC-LT19U reviewed

Sure, Sony's been kickin' out iMac-like machines for some time now, but the firm's latest all-in-one desktop made a pit-stop by the PCMag labs in order to get critiqued. The sleek, stylish VAIO VGC-LT19U fared pretty well, and the built-in Blu-ray burner, dazzling 22-inch panel and satisfactory integrated speakers were all given a thumbs-up. Granted, you won't find any drool-worthy hardware on the CPU / GPU fronts, but the machine was said to run quietly thanks to its reliance on "laptop-grade components." The only major digs revolved around the lackluster mouse / keyboard combo and the "obscene" amount of bloatware that comes loaded on, and of course, the folks were none too pleased to see an external CableCARD tuner (hard to avoid, we know) bundled with an otherwise elegant machine. All in all, the system seemed to perform quite well, and in our book, earning four out of five twinkling stars (or red dots, whateva) ain't half bad.

[robert @ Sep 26th 2007 1:51AM]

Cue anti-mac, and fanboy mac desscussion in:

3...2...1

[azayzel @ Sep 26th 2007 7:25AM]

Yeah, when there's really no reference to a Mac to begin with, why try to say it's a Mac-clone? If anything, it's an all-in-one PC that's been coming out for the past 5 years.

Yet another paid attempt by Engadget Mac groupies to try an score free Apple items. Come on guys, stop all the needless/clueless references to Macs when we all know Mac are for n00bz & old people.

[RedBull Runner @ Sep 27th 2007 6:00AM]

But PCs are for fart-huffers, and Macs get you laid!

[robert @ Sep 26th 2007 1:51AM]

Discussion*

[Jon @ Sep 26th 2007 1:53AM]

What is so Imac about this may I ask?

[Azsori @ Sep 26th 2007 2:04AM]

The ridiculous price?

[Argot @ Sep 26th 2007 8:05AM]

Perhaps it's lacking in quality?

[Trace The Hedgehog @ Sep 26th 2007 6:28PM]

Maybe it cant run doom! =O

[toronado455 @ Sep 26th 2007 2:23AM]

Just that it's AIO. The computer is INSIDE the screen. (Zoolander pun intended)

When I saw the word "obscene", I thought they were going to be talking about the size of the bezel around the screen. Seriously, could they add any more useless plastic around that thing?

[Dinraj @ Sep 26th 2007 2:24AM]

Engadget you need to stop whoring apple in every second news you give out.

The Vaio L series has been far out well before your beloved iMac was out. It had the laptop-esque keyboard far before your iMac had it. And it is inspired by it's television sister, the Bravia series and not your iMac.

So, next time please call the iMac, a Vaio L'ish product.

[Jon @ Sep 26th 2007 2:29AM]

Exactly.

[chrisyeoh @ Sep 26th 2007 2:36AM]

testify!

[keithwwalker @ Sep 26th 2007 2:54AM]

100% correct, typed on such a machine, when Apple was still selling CRT iMacs' that looked euro toilets....

[Drvec @ Sep 26th 2007 2:47AM]

*lids that came out - sorry.

[Michael La Framboise @ Sep 26th 2007 2:51AM]

"elegant" ...right -- I mean I'm all for the pretty glass frame n all, but WHY the 5 ugly pain-in-the-ass-to-remove stickers right on the glass? O_o

I just don't get this retardation that all PC manufacturers seem to share. I mean WHY do you have to remind the user every time they look at the computer about what CPU they have, what GPU they have, what version of Windows is running there, about all the other crap that went into the computer...

I highly doubt that its some sort of a requirement from the chip manufacturers - look at Apple for example, somehow they manage to ship their machines w/o a single sticker - not even a big-ass advertisement.

[Jon @ Sep 26th 2007 3:01AM]

Stickers are easy to remove. Took me less than a minute to remove the three stickers from my girlfriend's new company notebook.

So why bitch? Or are you one of the people who can't even remove stickers?

[Michael La Framboise @ Sep 26th 2007 3:07AM]

The problem isn't in removing stickers as much as it is in... why stick them on in the first place.

[Willen @ Sep 26th 2007 9:23AM]

The stickers are there so the retailer's demonstration model (which is usually pulled from regular stock) has some selling points on it. A few of the stickers like the DLNA one are specifically there to promote the fact it is compliant (not that most people use it), something that most retailer's price/description tags don't list as a feature. Some people would like to know what is exactly inside of the PC you are looking at without digging for the system information page. It's nice to know at a glance whether the PC you are buying for your parents has an AMD chip or an Intel chip, don't you think?

Obviously, the Intel and Microsoft Vista (and for non-Sony PCs, AMD) stickers are on there as part of the contract of including it in the computer (of which Apple is exempt from doing).

[Jon @ Sep 26th 2007 3:17AM]

Because in the PC world we get loads of *choices*.

Believe it or not there are consumers out there who look for specific manufacturers stickers before they even consider purchasing a computer. I am not one of them, but they exist.

It may not be a mandatory requirement from chip manufacturers, but they may be discounts for OEMs who stick stickers on their products.

If you hate them it is so easy to remove them. So why dismiss a purchase of a good spec'ed computer just because it has some removable stickers.

[snorbalp @ Sep 26th 2007 8:38PM]

And the stickers make it "go-fast" too! lookeeseerighthere!: http://www.molestedcars.com/rice/042.jpg

[Junkie @ Sep 26th 2007 5:11AM]

Apple recruiting Sony VAIO engineers to build the first Intel PowerBook?
http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/30/apple-recruiting-sony-vaio-engineers-to-build-the-first-intel/

They all get along...

and..
I Love my Macbook ;)

[Naveen @ Sep 26th 2007 8:15AM]

Shame on you engadget for calling it iMac'ish despite it having an original and arguably better design and quality.

[Peter Worth @ Sep 26th 2007 8:32AM]

I don't understand the arguments here. Ok, so you say the Vaio may have been the first brand to shy away from the old grey box designs, but it's the brand that does it the best that catches our attention and makes the bigger impact. That Vaio "iMac-esque"? I'm actually appalled that someone can even compare that thing to an iMac. Pansy glass surround? Exposed CableCARD tuner? It looks like a cheap and tacky picture frame you'd buy from the market. I say form needs to coexist with functionality, and the iMac does that to the nth degree.

[strider_mt2k @ Sep 26th 2007 8:57AM]

Hint:

Just judge it on it's own merits.

[opti @ Sep 26th 2007 9:19AM]

The Imac is not only the hardware (which is important) it is ALSO the software. The Sony is loaded with crapware and the memory hog Vista system. The IMac is both visual and intuitive, making things like adding hardware easy and setting up wireless conncetions etc. is a breeze compared to with Vista. The ILife package contains applications it would cost hundreds of dollars to replicate on the Sony and yet the Sony still costs more. And all the applications are integrated so they really work with each other.

[Jon @ Sep 26th 2007 3:36PM]

That is your opinion. Not everyone thinks Mac OS is intuitive.

[daedric @ Sep 27th 2007 1:04AM]

I think it's pretty well established that most writers of this tech blog aren't that aware of tech history. I also remember them saying Sony stole the idea of depressed latches from Apple, when Sony was the first company to ever make depressed latches for notebooks. So read engadget for the new gadgets coming out, and not the stupid comments made by people who knows nothing about gadgets.

[Mobilizer @ Sep 27th 2007 7:54PM]

I too am sick and tired of all this ridiculously biased and totally undeserved love affair of Engadget with anything Apple and anything Steve Jobs says.

Why are we giving Apple and Steve Jobs' closed ITunes/IPod systems so much attention?

Enough already!

Stop pushing Steve Jobs' arrogance and overpriced copycat technology down everyone's throats. Jobs did not invent the Mac's GUI, Xerox did. Jobs did not invent the mouse, Eberhart did. He did not invent MP3 players, smart phones, touchscreen computing, all-in-one crippled IMac, none of that.

Let's stop talking about Apple, Steve Jobs and all the brainwashed crowd. Leave them alone.

Let Apple spend another 20 years working on their second 3% of the global personal computer market. Wow. 3% marketshare and those Macs are selling like hotcakes, not!