We're so very over this spec sheet: 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 LCD, 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor, 160GB HDD, 1GB of RAM, 802.11b/g WiFi, SD slot, 1.3 megapixel webcam, XP Home. We could recite that song of the netbook in our sleep, and the Japan-bound LaVie Light doesn't stray a note. NEC even did us the special honor of placing the mouse buttons on either side of the trackpad, placing it in the upper echelon of lazybooks, and seems to have fended off any industrial designers that might be lurking around the company with great success. Akihabara News says the price is "really similar to all Netbook already put on the market," which is probably the least surprising statement we've heard all week.

[Via Akihabara]

NEC's LaVie lineup has been dressed up in just about every costume imaginable, but for whatever reason, it has yet to be embossed with the characters from Kimi Kiss -- until now, that is. Fans of the series will surely appreciate the design cues, but the hard part will be choosing from the smorgasbord of color options. Nevertheless, those actually concerned with what's inside the chassis will find a 2GHz Mobile Sempron 3600+ CPU, 512MB of RAM, an 80GB hard drive, DVD combo drive and a 15.4-inch 1,280 x 800 resolution panel. A bit underpowered for ¥90,783 ($879), but even NEC knows you aren't looking at this one for the exquisite componentry.

[Via Gizmodiva]

NEC's Lavie laptops have never been the most exciting machines, and true to form, when the company decided to release one of those oh-so-hip carmaker branded versions, they turned not to Ferrari or Lamborghini, but to the Japanese Nissan X-Trail. Based on the 12.1-inch Lavie G Type J, the unit features custom panels in the same red paint as the X-Trail, a custom palmrest with X-Trail logo, a waterproof nylon case made from the same material as the X-Trail's seats, and membership in a special Nissan website, where you can apparently buy more X-Trail branded gear. Specs are pretty variable since the machine is primarily BTO, but a sample configuration lists out at ¥243,495 ($2113), which'll get you a U7500 Core 2 Duo, Vista Home Premium, and a dual-layer burner. Of course, it's doubtful that we'll ever see this bad boy Stateside, but something tells us there aren't that many of you clamoring to show your X-Trail pride anyways.

[Via Akihabara News]

Sorry NEC, but we're just totally not feeling this look. You weren't exactly winning design awards when we saw some of these last year, but now we just feel sorry for you. Granted, this new lineup of LaVie laptops from NEC falls squarely in the budget sphere, with a good many weakling Intel and AMD processors between them, but the top-of-the-line LaVie C (pictured) is no slouch. It sports up to a 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 processor, Blu-ray drive, Radeon X1600 graphics with 512MB of VRAM and HDMI out. The 15.4-inch screen comes in WXGA (1280 x 800 and WXGA+ (1440 x 900) flavors. Other members of the new lineup include the 12.1-inch LaVie J, with a 1.06GHz Core 2 Duo U7500 processor and XGA screen, the LaVie L "Advanced Type," which does the LaVie C form factor with lesser specs, and the LaVie L "Basic Type," which brings its own form factor and takes things about as basic as they get. No word on price or release date for any of these, but we're not so sure we care. The other models are pictured after the break.

While there has been more than a few laptops that look pretty in pink, NEC is hoping to dish out a few blues with its latest in the LaVie lineup. The LaVie L LL550/HG sports a light blue coating on the lid that runs to the top of the keyboard, a 15.4-inch 1,280 x 800 resolution LCD, 1.8GHz AMD Sempron 3200+ processor, dual-layer DVD burner, 100GB hard drive, ATI Radeon Xpress 1100 graphics set, 1GB of RAM, and of course, Windows Vista Home Premium (and Office 2007) pre-installed. Additionally, you'll get 802.11a/b/g support, Ethernet, a flash card reader, and a dashing white keyboard that's sure to turn yellow before you even get it broke in good. Notably, the widescreen machine tips the scales at a heavier-than-expected 6.83-pounds, but those still digging the color scheme can pick this up now for ¥169,890 (or just under $1,400).

[Via AkihabaraNews]

No, we haven't heard any rumors of NEC merging with Fujitsu, but apparently both companies enjoyed busting out the ugly stick on their latest creations. Expanding its VALUESTAR lineup, the VW990/HG sports a relatively gorgeous 32-inch LCD HDTV with a WXGA resolution (or a 20-inch WSXGA+), but loses all hope of being attractive due to the gaudy PC flanking its bottom. While the firm has various spec'd models available, you'll find in them an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 2GB of RAM, NVIDIA's GeForce Go 7600, up to 800GB of hard drive space, a Blu-ray drive (read-only), four USB 2.0 ports, dual FireWire connectors, PCMCIA, flash card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 56k modem, VGA, audio in / out, and a hybrid digital / analog TV tuner to boot. On the laptop side, the 12-inch LaVie J (pictured after the jump) ultraportable packs an Intel Core Duo U2400 processor, up to 120GB of hard drive space, Intel's 945GMS Express integrated graphics set, up to 2GB of RAM, dual-layer DVD burner, a trio of USB 2.0 ports, 802.11a/b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, SD / SDHC slot, PCMCIA, audio in / out, VGA out, and if you're really going against the grain, you can pick this bad boy up in "Urban brown" as well. The clunker of a desktop should be available right alongside Vista's upcoming release for ¥360,000 ($2,989) to ¥500,000 ($4,150) depending on your configuration and LCD size, while the Vista-equipped laptop should land early next month for around ¥200,000 ($1,660).

Read - NEC's VALUESTAR W/S lineup
Read - NEC's LaViE J lineup