The move follows Dell, which launched a series of consumer-focused notebooks last week in a similar array of colours.

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The Sony CR series also offers what Sony describes as "special styling features such as smooth rounded borders and flashy lighting effects." However, says Sony, the notebooks are not just a pretty face, but feature a multiple layered coating which is robust enough to protect the keyboard and LCD inside.

Also new to the range is AV mode, which is embedded into the PC, so you can click straight to your music or DVD, without having to power up Windows to access the files. The notebooks come with Vista Home Premium, are Bluetooth-enabled and feature an inbuilt Web cam as well.

RRP: $1999

See: www.sony.com.au

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