Sony debuts 15-inch Vaio E: Intel Core i3, vibrant colors, $800

Sony on Tuesday debuted the new, vibrant Vaio E lineup of laptop computers, a 15.5-inch family of relatively budget models that look good and, hardware-wise, get the job done.

The 15.5-inch notebooks sport up to a 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, up to 8GB of memory, up to 500GB of storage, an almost 6-lb curb weight and just 3.5 hours of battery life. (It's about an inch to 1.25 inches thick.)

Outside, you'll find a chiclet-style keyboard, edge-to-edge display glass (1366x768 resolution) and electrostatic touchpad.

You'll also find three USB 2.0 ports, an optical drive, Gigabit Ethernet, VGA out, HDMI, eSATA, an ExpressCard slot and an SD and Memory Stick Pro slot.

But for the price, it's not too shabby as an inexpensive desktop replacement: a Vaio E configured with an Intel Core i3 processor, 4GB of memory, 500GB of storage and a CD/DVD burner will run just $800.

Unusually colorful, the Vaio E comes in five colors: pink, lime green, electric blue, black and white. It also has optional "keyboard skins" to colorize the keypad, too.