Product Reviews

If you need evidence that PCs aren't what they used to be, the VGC-LA1 from Sony should do it. Despite it being thinner than some standalone TFT monitors, Sony has nonetheless managed to cram in some of the newest technology around.

Given its tiny dimensions, it's no surprise that much of the hardware inside was originally designed for use in a laptop - including the Core 2 Duo T5600 processor, one of Intel's latest releases. It's got two cores and although each only runs at 1.83GHz, it's still phenomenally powerful - it scored 134% in our benchmarks, which is faster than many relatively new desktop PCs. There's 1GB of RAM too, which will keep Windows running smoothly and is enough to handle next year's Windows Vista should you decide to upgrade.

The GC-LA1 has a proper graphics card too, in the form of an nVidia GeForce Go 7400. Like most of the other components in the system the 7400 is a laptop part. Whilst it's better than weedy onboard graphics it's not one of the most powerful cards we've seen, scoring only 33% in our gaming benchmark. It is, however, more than powerful enough to run the fancy Aero graphics effects in Windows Vista, Microsoft's next operating system.

Vision of loveliness

Even the monitor is a laptop model. Most 19in widescreen desktop monitors have a 1440 x 900 pixel resolution, but laptop panels tend to be more generous, and the VGC-LA1 manages 1680 x 1050. That's 30 lines short of the resolution needed for the highest quality of High Definition TV (1080p). But don't worry, it's more than good enough for standard 720i and 720p HDTV resolutions, which are what everyone is currently broadcasting anyway.

The shiny coating on the TFT (which Sony refers to as X-black) gives a real boost to the intensity of colours, helped by the dual lamps behind it. While not as distractingly reflective as some on the market, you'll need to make sure that the stand isn't tilted too far back to minimise reflections from overhead lights. Viewing angles aren't brilliant, but you can still see the screen clearly from all sides, and there's no dragging effect in moving images.

Media monster

The hard drive is the only desktop component in this PC, and with good reason. Laptop hard drives offer a lot less storage space than desktop equivalents. The 300GB drive in the LA1 is big enough for even a fairly comprehensive video and music collection. Desktop drives also tend to be faster than laptop ones, which means they're less likely to slow your system down at crucial moments.

It's very important that a PC such as the LA1, which is designed to function as a computer and an entertainment centre, doesn't suffer from any bottle necks that will throttle performance. The last thing you want as you settle down in

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front of the TV, is to have to get up and fiddle with your PC because it's not powerful enough to seamlessly play the video you want to watch. By making the right choice of components, Sony has made sure that this won't happen to anyone who buys the LA1.

If you do want a PC that will double as a home media centre, the LA1 is well equipped. It comes with Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, plus a TV tuner. The tuner can receive both analogue and digital TV signals, although sadly only one channel at a time, making it imposible to record one channel and watch another - annnoying. The LA1's side-mounted speakers are loud, if not great quality. There are also 8-channel audio outputs for plugging into a more ambitious audio system.

When it comes to using it as a desktop PC, the LA1 offers more than enough power and features for the basics, as well as tough jobs like video editing. The only difference compared to more traditional PCs is that the bespoke motherboard doesn't offer the same level of expansion - there are no parallel or serial ports, for example, although that's only an issue for very old or specialist peripherals. Its four USB ports and single mini-FireWire connection should be enough for most people, and there are also PC Card and ExpressCard/54 slots on the side (again, more normally found on laptops). These are potentially useful for future additions, such as upgrading the built-in 802.11a/b/g wireless card to next year's much faster 802.11n standard, for example, or adding Bluetooth.

Forward thinking

You may as well forget about upgrading this PC internally. The RAM modules are accessible through a hatch on the back, but they're proprietary laptop versions, and both slots are already full, so you'd have to discard the existing memory to upgrade. Besides invalidating the warranty, getting deeper into the PC's innards is incredibly fiddly and best avoided. There's not much we could think to add anyway - there's a memory card reader (for SD and MemoryStick cards), and even a basic 0.37-megapixel webcam nestled into the bezel at the top.

The keyboard and mouse are entirely wireless too, taking advantage of the built-in RF (radio frequency) receiver. This has an advantage over infrared versions, in that it doesn't need to be in line-of-sight to work and has a respectable range - the only slight disappointment is that there's no trackpad on the keyboard, so you'll have to use the mouse from the sofa when you're watching TV.

Attention to detail makes the LA1 a gorgeous bit of kit. Touches such as the power, hard disk and wireless lights which appear to hang in the middle of the chunky Perspex surround (they're actually projected from above), slot loading DVD drive and the sheer ease of setup only add to the luxury.

Ultimately, this isn't an entirely practical PC for your front room. Not only is it on the small side to act as a main TV for many people, but the single TV tuner soon feels limiting. It would be a perfect supplementary entertainment system or second PC though, recording TV and streaming media around the house behind the scenes, and acting as a desktop PC when you need to sit down at it. Given the processing power, designer looks and all the specialist components on offer, it's not actually bad value - but only if you'll take real advantage of everything it has to offer.