Business buyers will also likely take note, according to InformationWeek who said, “For CIOs, this news is likely to inspire additional confidence that Windows 7 can be regarded as a viable upgrade strategy.”

I don’t know about you but I’m sold on the Caribbean Green. I love this color.

The keyboard on the VAIO E Series is edge-to-edge with the numeric pad built-in. Sony did this to give users the experience of using a “full” keyboard but in a smaller space. The touch pad is dimpled and integrated into the palm rest.

The VAIO E Series will ship with the following specs:

• Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Processor: Intel Core i3 Processor (Select models ship with a Core i5 Processor)
• Memory: 4GB DDR3 (Up to 8GB max)
• Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator HD - HM55 Express Chipset (1366 x 768 screen resolution)
• Network: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wireless
• Optical: Blu-ray with DVD and CD read/write
• Storage: Up to 500GB

It comes with an eSATA/ USB port and 3 convenient USB ports and a HDMI port for connecting the PC up to an HDTV. It will also support Bluetooth as well.

The VAIO E Series notebook will retail for about $700 is currently available for pre-order today online via Sony’s website at www.sonystyle.com/pr/e.

On June 1st, 2010, a non-genuine experience is triggered where your wallpaper is removed and “This copy of Windows is not genuine” will be displayed in the lower right corner above the taskbar. This means your PC will no longer be able to obtain optional updates or downloads that require genuine Windows validation.

To avoid any data loss, I suggest making plans to move to a released version of Windows 7 before the automatic shutdowns start. During these shutdowns, your work will not be saved.

Remember, pre-release versions of Windows are unsupported. For more information on the expiration of the Windows 7 RC, see this KB article.

To move to a released version of Windows 7, you’ll need to do a custom (clean) install to replace the installation of the Windows 7 RC. I suggest install, reinstall, uninstall Windows page on Windows.com which covers all kinds of installation scenarios.

Do you need more time to test your application and hardware compatibility in Windows 7? If so, the Windows 7 Enterprise 90-day Trial provides a great opportunity for IT Pros to finish critical testing with a full version of Windows 7 Enterprise.

If you’re an IT Pro ready to move to Windows 7, I suggest visiting the Springboard Series on TechNet which provides the latest tools, whitepapers, walkthroughs and tips and tricks to help you with your Windows 7 Deployment. On the Springboard Series on TechNet, you’ll find resources such as Deploying Windows 7 from A to Z and Installing Windows 7 on an Existing XP PC. You can visit the Window 7 TechNet Forum for more information as well!

HP: HP announced several new PCs this week at CES including the HP TouchSmart tm2, and additions to their Mini line. The HP Mini 5102 brings multitouch!

Dell : Dell has announced new Alienware PCs, Inspiron and Studio laptops and a new Studio XPS desktop PC and many of these PCs will be shipping with Intel’s i3, i5 and i7 processors (desktop and mobile versions) processors. For more on what Dell showed off at CES, read this post from Lionel over on Direct2Dell.

Lenovo: You can catch all of Lenovo’s new PCs on their CES 2010 page. I’m diggin’ their IdeaCentre A300 All-in-One desktop PC.

AMD: AMD has shipped 2 million of its DirectX 11 capable graphic processor. Holy cow that’s a lot of DirectX 11! They also introduced the ATI Mobility Radeon 5000 series graphics – bringing DirectX 11 capable graphics to laptop PCs. The 13” Lenovo ThinkPad Edge will be shipping and is the first laptops to ship with AMD’s Vision Pro Technology which includes the ATI Mobility Radeon 5000 series graphics.

Samsung: This press release talks about Samsung’s new PCs being shown off at CES.

Toshiba: Here’s what Toshiba announced at showcased at CES this year. Toshiba is shipping custom touch apps on PCs that support multitouch in Windows 7 – the Toshiba Bulletin Board and Toshiba ReelTime apps. They also announced the Satellite E205 series, the SatelliteT100 series, and the NB300 netbook series.

NVIDIA: At CES 2010, NVIDIA showed off their new “GF100” (Codename) graphics chip. The GF100 is based off NVIDIA’s Fermi architecture and supports DirectX 11. They also showed off their impressive 3D Vision technology including 3D Vision Surround which allows gamers to play games in 3D on up to 3 screens. 3D was huge for NVIDIA this year – they also showcased Blu-ray movies playing in 3D on PCs on top of gaming. ASUS also showed (introduced) the G51J 3D Gaming Notebook powered of course by NVIDIA’s 3D Vision! You can expect me to be blogging more about 3D Vision from NVIDIA in the coming months. For more on 3D Vision, check out this blog post from NVIDIA.

Sony: Sony announced an eco-friendly netbook PC – the VAIO W Series – that is 23% made out of recycled CDs. They also announced the VAIO Z and F series laptop PCs and the VAIO Y Series as well for high power at an affordable price.

Acer: A few new PCs were announced at CES this year from Acer. The Gateway EC14D is an 11.6” ultraportable ULV notebook with a DVD drive that will cost $629. And the Acer Aspire Gemstone series laptop PCs will be shipping with Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors starting at $599. They also announced the Acer Aspire One 532h and Gateway LT netbooks. Acer also revealed the Aspire AS5740 and AS7740 series of laptops. These will ship with the new Intel Core i3 and Core i5 processors and select models will also come with AMD’s ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 graphics – supporting DirectX 11!

MSI: MSI this year at CES revealed several new Ultra-Thin PCs: the 13" X350 and X360, the 14" X420, and 15.6" X600Pro.

Silicondust: Silicondust has announced a new addition to their HDHomeRun product line – HDHomeRun CableCARD. HDHomeRun CableCARD is the first network attached TV tuner with CableCARD support for PCs running Windows 7 & Windows Media Center. I’ve heard a lot of great things about HDHomeRun so you can bet I’ll be checking this out!

Ceton: Speaking of TV tuners with CableCARD support, Ceton has announced it will release a quad- tuner CableCARD capable PC card. With this card, you’ll be able to record up to 4 HDTV shows at once in Windows Media Center!

While PCs and devices were front and center at CES, I thought I would take a look at some really cool software for Windows 7 that was highlighted at CES this year.

Ambient Design: You can use ArtRage 3 to use a real paintbrush or your fingers on a Windows 7 PC with multitouch capabilities through Windows Touch to create a painting just like you would on a real life canvas or you can recreate a photo by tracing it.

Nuance: OmniPage 17 is software that converts paper, PDF and pictures into files for editing in Office. If you are a student, you can use OmniPage 17 photos of blackboards or scans of notes into Word docs, or send them to a Kindle. Check out the OmniPage 17 page on Nuance’s website for more information.

Sabi Games: Based off an IP Ventures spinout from Microsoft, leveraging multi-year research, Sabi Games introduces multi-touch support for their award winning new game called ItzaBitza. ItzaBitza is a children’s game that takes their sketches and brings them to life using the game’s built in drawing recognition technology. Sketches become interactive and the game encourages reading. If you have a young kid, this game is worth checking out. Sabi Games will also be announcing upcoming multi-touch enhancements. They support single touch today.

Graphic.ly: a digital comic book plus a whole lot more. Read my Q&A with Graphic.ly CEO Micah Baldwin for the lowdown on Graphic.ly and why comic book fans should pay attention to this app! 

Blio (KNFB Reading Technology): The Blio eBook reader will provide full-color, interactive reading of tons of books. The Blio eReader software will include features such as annotation, embedded multimedia and web look-up, translation, a "read-aloud" option for hands-free reading, and a multi-device synching personal library.  For more on Blio, read this guest blog post on the Windows Partner Blog from Forrest Dobbs, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at KNFB.

Betty Crocker Kitchen Assistant: I’ve talked about this app before – Kitchen Assistant from Betty Crocker helps you find the right recipe for dinner through an interactive experience. This app is perfect for a Windows 7 PC serving as a Kitchen PC and is even more perfect if that PC supports touch. You can download the Betty Crocker Kitchen Assistant here. At CES, they announced the app will support multitouch (right now, it only supports single touch through 1 finger).

I also wanted to take a moment and remind everyone to check out the videos I posted late last week and over the weekend sent to me by Mark Relph. Mark stopped by several of our Partner’s booths on the CES showroom floor and talked to them about what they are doing, new products, and of course Windows 7.

#1: A Closer Look at the Microsoft Booth at CES 2010 and Partner Products Inside!

#2: AMD bringing DirectX 11 to Laptop PCs

#3: Canon Cameras & Printers with Compatible with Windows 7 Logo

#4: NVIDIA Showcases 3D Vision Technology on Windows 7

#5: Kodak talks using Windows 7 to offer ease of use for their customers

#6: D-Link shows their concept of “Link your Life” at CES 2010

The above screenshot is from one of the latest beta releases. They are doing quite a bit of work right now on the app so some aspects are subject to change (see below on beta info and release timing).

I sent along some questions to Graphic.ly CEO Micah Baldwin about Graphic.ly and their plans.

Brandon LeBlanc: So Micah, tell us about Graphic.ly.

Micah Baldwin: Graphic.ly provides an immersive social experience and marketplace for digital comics and associated merchandise. We like to think of Graphic.ly as a place for all people that, like us, love the art and storytelling that lives within the pages of a comic book or graphic novel, and enjoy nothing more than sharing that enthusiasm with their friends. 

Brandon LeBlanc: What kinds of things does Graphic.ly take advantage of in Windows 7? Why do people wanting to use this app would also want to do it on Windows 7?

Micah Baldwin: The Windows version of our app is built with WPF, and takes advantage of all the touch features Window 7 has. Have a touchscreen with Windows 7? Then there are some great bells and whistles for you...

Brandon LeBlanc: Tell us about what kinds of comics we’ll find in your Comic Store.

Micah Baldwin: There is a wide selection of current comics and back issues, plus graphic novels and other great books. We are also working on bringing Marvel and DC comics to our service in the future as well – including the Windows application.

Brandon LeBlanc: You’ve worked closely with Microsoft in developing this app. You’re also a BizSpark company. Dave Drach, a Managing Director for the Emerging Business Team here at Microsoft, posted a blog post about working with you. Can you elaborate on that experience?

Micah Baldwin: It’s been a great experience. We are getting introductions and mentorship that would have been really difficult or take a long time to develop. It has truly accelerated our growth. 

Side note from Brandon: For more on BizSpark, click here.

Brandon LeBlanc: Graphic.ly’s entire backend service is hosted on Windows Azure correct?

Micah Baldwin: Yes.

Brandon LeBlanc: You guys launched the Private Beta for Graphic.ly this week at CES right? How can someone get on that Private Beta?

Micah Baldwin: They can sign up at http://graphic.ly or shoot me an email at micah AT graphicly dot com and I can probably work something out. :)

Brandon LeBlanc: When do you expect to have a more public release?

Michael Baldwin: Probably closer to the end of January, maybe middle of February. We are currently receiving a ton of beta tester feedback and it has really added to what we will deliver.

Brandon LeBlanc: Thanks Micah for taking the time to answer my questions!

Once Graphic.ly announces their public release, I’ll be sure to update everyone on where they can go and grab it. Stay tuned!

For more on Graphic.ly, visit their website.

According to IDC early projections, PC shipments in 2009 were up 2.3% overall over 2008.  In the US, the PC market established a new record of nearly 20.7 million units shipped in the fourth quarter – a year-on-year growth of 24%!  Also in the US, four of our OEM partners make up the top 4 vendors for PC shipments. You can find the original report from IDC here, including information on international PC markets.

According to the Gartner press release “Gartner Says Worldwide PC Shipments in Fourth Quarter of 2009 Posted Strongest Growth Rate in Seven Years,” Gartner Newsroom, January 13, 2010, Worldwide PC shipments surpassed 90 million units in the fourth quarter of 2009, a 22.1% increase from the fourth quarter of 2008, according to preliminary results by Gartner, Inc. It was the strongest quarter over quarter growth rate the worldwide PC market has experienced in the last seven years. More information can be found here. 

Why the huge upswing? Both Gartner and IDC gave two key reasons:

1. The launch of Windows 7 sparked renewed interest in the PC market. Essentially, customers heard great things about Windows 7 and were anxious to get their hands on it.

2. A wide variety of powerful, affordably priced netbook, laptop and desktop PCs hit the market and gave customers a chance to get a great machine at a great price.

It’s great to see the worldwide market’s excitement for the wave of sleek new PCs running Windows 7. 

Many of D-Link’s products use Windows Connect Now which allows their consumers to experience a fast and easy installation. Click here for more information on Windows Connect Now.