Just thought I would share my new purchase I recently made - a new addition to my VAIO collection - VGC-V520G. I have not purchased a VAIO desktop since I got my trusty AV entertainment VAIO MXS20.
VAIO MXS:

I have been looking for a model that is considered “all in one” and been enjoying VAIO W and V series. I played around with W a bit (the early version W30), really liked the concept, the newer W700G was a bit bulkier for me. V series has an attractive shape - the earlier V300G model, that one of my friends has, is neat but 15 inch LCD is a bit too small for me. I was glad to hear that VAIO Japan released an upgraded V series with 17 and 20 inch X-Brite LCDs and hoped one of them would make it to the shores of the US. As we all know not all JP desktops or notebooks make it here, like VAIO M series, or X Type.

In Japan this model is sold in Black and White.

Anyways, I decided to get the top model VAIO V520G with the following specs:

Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP
Processor Class: Intel Pentium 4 Processor w/ HT Technology
Processor Speed: 3.2 GHz
System Chipset: Intel 848P Chipset
Bus Speed: 800 MHz
Cache Size: 1 MB
Installed Memory: 1 GB DDR
Installed Video Memory: 128 MB G-Force FX
Hard Drive Capacity: 250 GB 7200 RPM
Included Devices: Integrated PVR
  Integrated TV Tuner
Interface Type: Audio - Digital Optical
  Ethernet - RJ45 Twisted-Pair (XBaseT)
  2x IEEE 1394
  Infrared - iRDA Wireless (iRDA-SIR)
  Serial - RJ11 Modular (Phone/Telco)
  4x USB - Universal Serial Bus 2.0
Included Network Card: Ethernet (10/100 Mbps)
  Wireless Ethernet - 11 Mbps IEEE802.11b
  Wireless Ethernet - 54 Mbps IEEE802.11g
Resolution: 1280 x 768
Video Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce FX Go 5700
Display Size: 20 in
Display Type: LCD Display w/ XBRITE Technology
Video Bus: AGP 8X
Included Drives: DVD+-RW Dual Layer Combination Drive

Slots: Memory Stick
  Memory Stick Duo
  Memory Stick PRO
  PC card

What really attracted me to this model is its TV-PC convergence. VAIO division integrated a high-quality TV Tuner and Motion Reality chip that is usually installed in its WEGA line of TVs.

MotionReality

See the difference:

Plus the 20 inch X-Brite LCD just kicks ass! The images and graphics are superb and DVD playback is simply awesome.

VAIO ZONE software rocks as well an a neat GUI that nicely organizes all your music, photos and videos, plus adds TV and PVR functionality. With its integrated iPEG - TV Guide- you can schedule your shows to be recorded with a click of the remote. Supposedly you can schedule recordings remotely as well. So if you wanna see something later but you are not at home to set it up, use a recording timer online - and you are all set.
The desktop has an Atheros b/g miniPCI card installed, so by switching it on and off like on a notebook you can use it to surf the net or create your WLAN.
The system is supplied with a wireless keyboard and a mouse (like VGP-WKB1). That interesting keyboard includes a built-in touchpad on a fold-up panel at the front; you can close the panel if you don’t need to use the keyboard, and the touchpad remains exposed so you can press any on-screen buttons.
I was very surprised how smooth and quiet the V520G runs!
All in all it is a nice all in one system, a bit pricey if you wanna pay MSRP.
It can be a nice office PC or a TV-PC in your bedroom.

Here are some pics:

VAIO ZONE:

DVD Playback:

From the Side

Next to its VAIO brother X505 :wink: :

You can read some other reviews here:
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,120662,00.asp
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1775873,00.asp
http://reviews.cnet.com/Sony_VAIO_V520G/4505-3118_7-31307473.html

VAIO V Developer story in Japanese:
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/Inside/typeV/01.html

Very nice…enjoy it. I’ve been eyeing the W for the longest time, I just have nowhere to put it that it would actually get good use.

Erik

im jealous!  ever since i saw the v520g at Sony Style (Orlando, FL).  I fell in love with it and wanted to kick my v200g because yes, the 15” monitor is too small.  even though i have a TR laptop, the 15” for a desktop is a no for me.  heh, and i love the widescreen.  wireless everything kicks ass as well.  oh yeah of course the one power cord deal, thats awesome, less of a mess with wires and cords.  oh yeah, my tv tuner, it does come out like that first image comparison, at first i thought it was the cable at my apt. until i took to my sisters home and it was still the same.  it kinda did bother me.  now i feel like selling my v200g just to get a small discount on the v520g.  lol

ExFusionInc,
I also checked out V520G in Orlando, at SonyStyle store. I saw 517G - a 17 inch model at CompUSA and loved it, but when I saw the 20 inch model I was sold.
I actually have to lower the brightness because it is super X-Brite! I guess when you sit close to that huge 20 inch widescreen LCD you kinda have to. If you use it as a TV, the keyboard supllied with it allows you to sit as far as 30 feet away. Which is great!
Stan