This summer, Sony is introducing a line of new notebooks – which may be rivals to hot products from Apple.

One of the first things noticed about Sony’s E Series laptops are the colors.

According to a company press release, the 14-inch and 15.5-inch notebooks are available in midnight blue, glacier white, charcoal black and blush pink. The 17.3-inch model comes in charcoal black and glacier white. There are geometrics on the lids and on palm rests.

“The Vaio brand stands for excellent quality and standout design,” Mike Lucas, senior vice president of Sony’s Networked Technology and Services Division, said in a company statement. “The new E Series delivers both, plus entertainment and connectivity options, at a price the everyday user can afford.”

In addition, the E Series has a textured touchpad and keyboard with an integrated number pad (on the 15.5- and 17.3-inch models.)

A Web button gives a one-touch Internet connection; a Vaio button launches Sony’s Media Gallery; and an Assist button opens Vaio Care, a troubleshooting/maintenance program.

With Intel Wireless Display technology, users on select models have online and stored videos, photos, online TV shows and movies.

Remote Play for PlayStation3 is available, which provides access to content stored on the PlayStation3 over the Internet.

The Vaio E Series notebooks start at about $550. They can be pre-ordered starting June 19 online. They will be sold in U.S. stores starting next month.

In addition, Sony will also be selling the Vaio C-series systems this summer. They feature either 14- or 15.5-inch screens and second-generation Intel Core i3 or Core i5 processors, according to Digital Trends.

The 14-inch model provides up to nine hours of battery life, and the 15.5-inch model provides up to eight hours of battery life.

Options on the Vaio C-series include: Intel WiDi wireless display technology; Blu-ray drives; and backlit keyboards with numeric keypads.

The C-series are available in blue or red. Prices start at about $730. Sony is accepting pre-orders on June 19. The C-series will be available in stores later in the summer.

In its review of the new computer lines, Venture Beat notes that the computers are “entertainment laptops” – aimed at “multimedia fans” – and a main goal is to take away market share from Apple.

“They’re not exactly going to wipe Apple off the face of the earth, but they’ll keep Sony competitive as we near back-to-school season,” Venture Beat said.

The new computers offer a more positive trend for Sony – which has been hurt this year from a massive earthquake, tsunami and related power outages in Japan.

The recent earthquake, along with recent hacker attacks on PlayStation Three, are among the reasons that Sony is predicting it will have a $3.2 billion annual loss, according to TechZone360.

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