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Vizio Announces Apple-like Laptops & All-in-One Desktops
Just about every PC maker is already riding the wave of either Intel-branded Ultrabooks, or Ultrathins with something else inside; usually AMD. Now Vizio known for mid-pack quality TVs indicates they will attempt to disrupt the computer market with a level of component quality and design detail not seen from other makers.
What We Don't KnowVizio has not finalized the designs, has not announced the chip-set manufacturer, has not provided specifications, or a price, or a shipping date. You could certainly be excused for momentarily reacting with the ever so fleeting thought that this could be vapor-hardware; just don't let it happen again.
What We Do Know
Five products are firmly in the pipeline, three laptops and two all-in-ones; no vapor there. Perhaps the overall philosophy of design for the laptops, is the real attention generator. Elements that are not included will probably generate an immediate edge. The software will be a clean-load with no annoying bloatware or adware. It is expected there will be no trialware, or vendors such as antivirus irritating the user with endless reminders to subscribe and register. There will be no stickers or labels on the outside, about whatever is inside. The Vizio logo will be discrete and subdued.
Vizio has refrained from calling these Ultrabooks, which are Intel-branded. That leaves us wondering just what CPU chip-set is inside. Observers at CES 2012 simply assume that it will be Intel. What Vizio is saying is that the components will be the highest quality available on earth.
One thing that will be inside the standard laptop is discrete NVidia graphics, but the ultrathins (our focus here) will use integrated graphics. Solid State Drives (SSDs) will be standard as well as USB 3.0 ports, and HDMI video out. An external optical drive is available. The case on the pre-production units is gun-metal-gray, milled, anodized, unibody aluminum.Assessment
Industry observers are impressed with the overall perception of quality. Vizio spent two years developing these laptops and they know they only have one shot at making a first impression with their first production laptops. Whether they ride the crest of the wave, or just drown in it, may be determined by whether or not they keep their promise to use the best components on earth.
