Pentium III, 1 GHz clock speed, 128 MB RAM, 40 GB hard disk, 15" monitor, Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition installed

The Sony VAIO Slimtop PCV-LX900's stylus and touch-sensitive display offer an innovative user interface for graphics applications and everyday computing

If you use a mouse instead of a digital pen and tablet, you're missing out on the most tactile and enjoyable way to interact with your computer. But a tablet shares one drawback with the mouse: You are still detached from what you see onscreen, with your hand moving about to the side of the keyboard. Sony's VAIO Slimtop PCV-LX900 Pen Tablet computer bridges the gap. This desktop's special 15-inch, 1,024-by-768-pixel LCD doubles as a pen tablet, making it perfect for sketching in Adobe Illustrator or editing pixels in Adobe Photoshop. And the cordless pen doesn't hinder ordinary Windows tasks, such as opening files, selecting tools from a toolbar, or dragging icons around; just use the pen as you'd use a mouse. Even if you don't know graphic design from a street sign, you'll enjoy directly manipulating what you see. But beware: Some slower components hobble this computer's graphics performance.