Sony Vaio VPC-L231FX/W

Sony VAIO VPC-L231FX/W

The Sony VAIO VPC-L231FX/W ($999.99 list, at Staples) is a great video and photo enthusiast machine. It has a brilliant 24-inch widescreen with seamless touch controls, a huge 1TB hard drive, and a pre-installed video-editing suite that rivals the one you get in the all-in-one PCs from Apple. If you're grooming the next Oscar-winning auteur in your family, this VPC-L231FX/W should be at the top of your holiday shopping list. As such, it earns an Editors' Choice in the midrange all-in-one desktop category. The VPC-L231FX/W looks like Sony's other L Touch all-in-one PC, the Sony VAIO VPC-L222FX/B ($999.99 list, 3 stars), down to its seamless glass and two-pronged stand. Like previous Sony all-in-one systems, the VPC-L231FX/W's components are built into the screen, including the Intel Core i3 CPU and 1TB hard drive. The screen hangs on a single hinge connected to the stand; there's a space below the screen to stow the wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. The system also has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. There's some optional wired connectivity, which makes the system more useful than rivals, like the Editor's Choice HP TouchSmart 610-1150y ($1,199.99 list, 4.5 stars), which lacks USB 3.0 and HDMI in.