Packard Bell has announced that it's launching the EastNote M series of laptops, a selection of machines that focus on design and social networking. There's a 14-inch version, a 15.6-inch version and a 17.3-inch variant.

All three, Packard Bell claims, are "the comprehensive solution for your everyday digital life" and run the gamut from portable to powerful, depending on screen size. They have a fingerprint-busting matte finish, and come in four colours - "Silk Silver", "NightSky Black", "Starlight White" and "Cashmere Red".

One innovation is the addition of a dedicated "Social Networks key", which when pressed launches a sidebar that allows you to access Facebook, YouTube and Flickr content from your friends. No word on whether it supports Twitter or not, which is surprising. There's also the usual array of media buttons and so on.

Inside, there's Intel Core processors, upto 8GB of RAM, the option of discrete graphics from ATI or Nvidia, upto 640GB of hard disk space and the option to bundle Adobe Photoshop Elements. Full specs will vary from country-to-country, for some reason. There's HDMI connectivity, as well as the option of a Blu-ray or a DVD drive.

Pricing will depend on spec, the screen size you're after and the specs inside. They'll be yours to get your grubby little hands on from April.

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