Windows 7: Hot New Hardware

Sony is one of a few manufacturers releasing new Windows 7 Touch PCs. The Sony Vaio L All-in-One Touch PC/HDTV has capacitive multi-touch display, Blu-ray and DVR capabilities. The aim with the 24-inch Vaio L is to give users a one-stop shop for touch-screen access to the PC, the television and DVR features.

Price: $1,300
Available now with Windows 7?: Yes

For more information on the Sony Vaio L All-in-One Touch PC/HDTV, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

The HP Envy 13 ultrathin notebook is one of the first computers out of the gate with Windows 7 pre-installed. It's a luxury machine with a luxury price tag, but it boasts a sleek and sexy design, a 13-inch screen and up 16 hours of battery life from one charge. It's also quite portable at 3.68 pounds.

Price: $1,699
Available now with Windows 7?: Yes

For more information on the HP Envy 13, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

The Acer Aspire Z5610 is another touchscreen PC designed for Windows 7. This multi-touch machine with a 23-inch HD display comes bundled with Windows 7 Home Premium. The PC in this photo is running "Kindle for PC", a free application new to Windows 7 that lets users read books purchased from the Kindle Store on their PCs.

Price: $899.99
Available now with Windows 7?: Not yet. Scheduled for a holiday release.

For more information on the Acer Aspire Z5610 All-in-One PC, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

The Games for Windows LIVE version of car racing game DiRT 2 has improved image quality in Windows 7 through the use of DirectX 11 graphics technology. Here, an attendent at the Windows 7 launch event takes the game for a spin on an HD TV running Windows 7.

DiRT 2 Games for Windows Live edition supporting DirectX 11 technology is set to ship on Dec. 1.

For more information on Games for Windows LIVE, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

A big part of Microsoft's Windows 7 message is the ability to create an entertainment hub in the home by connecting the PC to the television. Here a laptop is connected to a 52-inch Sharp HDTV displaying the Windows 7 desktop.

Sharp 52-inch Flat Panel HDTVs typically range from $1,300 - $1,500.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

At 1.6 pounds, the Vaio X from Sony is the lightest notebook out there. The Vaio X is not a high-performance machine given it uses Intel Atom processors, but did I say it's 1.6 pounds! The screen is 11 inches and battery life is 3.5 hours, though an extended battery can be purchased to increase battery life to 17 hours.

Price: $1,300
Available now with Windows 7?: Yes

For more information on the Sony Vaio X Ultrathin Notebook, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

The Sx2210t 21-inch monitor is Dell's first dedicated multi-touch display designed for Windows 7. It has facial recognition capability and a built-in two-megapixel Web camera with dual microphones for video chats.

Price: $469
Available for use with Windows 7?: Yes

For more information on the Dell SX2210t Touch Monitor, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

The HP Mini 311 is one of many netbooks that will now be sold with Windows 7. Yet the option to run Windows XP will remain for a year or so. Like most netbooks, it has a lightweight design and built-in Wi-Fi. With an 11.6-inch screen and a weight of 3.22 pounds, the HP Mini 311 is actually on the bigger side of netbooks.

Price: Starts at $399.99
Available now with Windows 7?: Yes

For more information on the HP Mini Netbook, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

One in a series of Lenovo's netbooks, the IdeaPad S12 is now sold with the choice of Windows 7 or Windows XP. The S12 weighs 3 pounds with a screen size of 12 inches. Its price is steeper than competitor HP Mini because of its bigger screen and computing muscle (more memory and storage).

Price: Starts at $599
Available now with Windows 7?: Yes

For more Information on the Lenovo IdeaPad S12 Netbook, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

This is Toshiba's thin and light yet still regulation-size laptop (that's right, there are portable PCs out there that are not netbooks or ultrathins). The T135 is the latest in Toshiba's affordable Satellite line, and with 4GB of RAM and a dual-core Intel Pentium SU4100 processor, it will run Windows 7 quite smoothly on its 13.3-inch screen.

Price: Starts at $700
Available now with Windows 7?: Yes

For more Information on the Toshiba SatelliteT135, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

PC games like "Batman: Arkham Asylum" can utilize 3-D technology in Windows 7 with wireless glasses and 3-D software from NVIDIA. Here a gamer sports some NVIDIA 3-D shades and takes on The Joker on an HDTV at the Windows 7 launch event.

The NVIDIA 3-D technology works on both Windows 7 and Vista.

For more information on Games for Windows LIVE, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill

Known more in America for its netbooks, Asus has built an impressive business laptop with the UL50VS model. The screen size is a spacious 15.4 inches, but at 5.2 pounds it is fairly light for a laptop, making it a good fit for the traveling worker who needs more than what a wimpy netbook can offer. The Asus UL50VS laptop ships with Windows 7 Professional (64-bit).

Price: $1,279
Available now with Windows 7?: Yes

For more information on the Asus UL50VS Laptop, click here.

Photo Credit: Shane O'Neill