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Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

For years now, I've been waiting for a competent tech company to rise above the ranks of the mediocre offerings from HP and Dell and directly challenge Apple electronics in the style department. Recently, I stumbled upon the Vizio laptops. I had no idea Vizio made any electronic device outside of televisions.

Prepare your eyes.

The build quality looks amazing. I can't vouch for it personally, but the official Vizio website says the desktop PCs and notebooks are both built using brushed aluminum, same as Apple computers. Most importantly, the price of these computers is very appealing.

All-in-One Desktop PCs

i7 Model - Check the Specs

i5 Model - Check the Specs

i3 Model - Check the Specs

Notebook Models

i7 Model

i5 Model

i3 Model

Thin & Light Models

i7 Model

i5 Model

i3 Model

There aren't many full-fledged reviews of these computers so far, but VentureBeat and other sites make it clear that Vizio is aiming to compete directly Apple. And I think they look pretty sweet, too. And don't break your wallet, either.

TheVerge Article about Vizio Computers

UPDATE: REVIEWS Thank you, Futureman, for posting the review.

The Verge
http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/23/31...trabook-review

6/10.

Futureman said:
+
great screen
256 GB SSD, i7 @$1,250 = value
nice design

-
bad keyboard
bad trackpad
3 hour battery

So it seems some gaffers were right about the keyboard issues. The Verge's review covers the CT15 model but since the keyboard and trackpad design are present in the other models, we can assume that there has been a major swing-and-a-miss on Vizio's part. The review mentions a response lag when using the trackpad, as well as completely unresponsive results concerning some gestures. Vizio has tried to correct the issue with software updates but those can only do so much. The keyboard issues are damnable, in my opinion, and the final dagger on the product is the ludicrously bad battery life. The reviewer, Sean Hollister, seems a bit optimistic about reviewing another model, the CN15-A2, but considering that this model also boasts a quad core processor and an Nvidia mobile GPU, I'm guessing it will have similar battery life issues.

Better luck next year, Vizio.

The Technomancer · Jul 7, 2012

They look sexy as fuck. If they're all-around high-quality I can definitely seem them becoming a force that competes with Apple over the next decade.

Ninja Scooter · Jul 7, 2012

seems pricier than I thought they would be.

Divvy · Jul 7, 2012

The verge did a really good article on them recently.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/15/3076519/vizio-reboot-pc-american-hdtv-success-do-it-again

I was pretty impressed with how frank their team was.

JBuccCP · Jul 7, 2012

It's their first go at it, so I guess people are rightfully cautious. The interview the head guy did with Nilay Patel was good and I hope they have success. They seem to understand what's been wrong with Windows computers.

FStop7 · Jul 7, 2012

Because they aren't Apple.

Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

Ninja Scooter said:
seems pricier than I thought they would be.

I agree with you about the lower end i3 models. They cost too much. But the i5 and i7 models are comparable to the Apple line (sans the Retina display resolution) and they cost several hundred dollars less. And the all-in-one PCs from Vizio are much better than the all-in-one PCs from Apple (again, sans the higher resolution monitors from Apple).

Levyne · Jul 7, 2012

I've never given them much of a look but those look nice. I won't need to upgrade my laptop for a couple years, though

Ingueferroque · Jul 7, 2012

The_Technomancer said:
They look sexy as fuck. If they're all-around high-quality I can definitely seem them becoming a force that competes with Apple over the next decade.

lol. Vizio?

They look tacky as hell..

SouthernDragon · Jul 7, 2012

I am now interested in the desktop line. If it's reliable, then... yeah, nice design!

The Technomancer · Jul 7, 2012

Ingueferroque said:
lol. Vizio?

They look tacky as hell..

The laptops look a bit tacky, but what caught my eye in the OP was the display design on the desktops. They need to get rid of the blunted pyramid thing though.

Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

Ingueferroque said:
lol. Vizio?

They look tacky as hell..

Tacky? I don't think so.

scitek · Jul 7, 2012

People I talk to are always skeptical of Vizio because they're sold largely at Walmart. I recently got a 42" LCD and really like it.

clav · Jul 7, 2012

FStop7 said:
Because they aren't Apple.

Or when it comes to TVs, they're not Samsungs or Panasonics.

I plan to purchase a Vizio TV whenever my Sony one breaks down.

Ingueferroque · Jul 7, 2012

The_Technomancer said:
The laptops look a bit tacky, but what caught my eye in the OP was the display design on the desktops. They need to get rid of the blunted pyramid thing though.

I can't shake it but these designs look tacky to me.. care to post higher res pictures of the laptops?

Forever · Jul 7, 2012

I have one of the laptops preordered but the shipments are way backed up.

Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

claviertekky said:
Or when it comes to TVs, they're not Samsungs or Panasonics.

Vizio makes excellent televisions that cost half as much as Samsung counterparts.

clav · Jul 7, 2012

Bombadil said:
Vizio makes excellent televisions that cost half as much as Samsung counterparts.

Yep.

Davidion · Jul 7, 2012

They've done a very interesting turn from discount LCD manufacturer to upstart design hardware maker.

I feel like they lack a strong brand identity for now, but am very interested in how they develop their market presence.

fritolay · Jul 7, 2012

I bought a Vizio TV, great deal and it is awesome. When I think of Vizio previously I thought of cheap TV's with good quality from some place like Walmart.

Therefore when I heard they were making computer's, I thought it would be more of the same. However the prices are not where I thought they would be. If they had the same formula, cheap prices, good computers, I think more people would be talking. Maybe also if they had come out with a tablet.

Right now, not many people are talking about laptops and desktop computers in general.

Edit: Exactly what the posts above are stating.

clav · Jul 7, 2012

Vizio tried to enter the mobile cell phone market, but because of the carriers, they backed out of it.

LQX · Jul 7, 2012

I have always thought they looked nice. Definitely the Apple of PCs but like Apple that premium in price is a deterrent for many.

CharminUltra · Jul 7, 2012

I was pretty interested when these were first announced, but then my Vizio TV broke on me twice in less than a year. No way in hell Vizio is getting another dollar from me.

Divvy · Jul 7, 2012

fritolay said:
I bought a Vizio TV, great deal and it is awesome. When I think of Vizio previously I thought of cheap TV's with good quality from some place like Walmart.

Therefore when I heard they were making computer's, I thought it would be more of the same. However the prices are not where I thought they would be. If they had the same formula, cheap prices, good computers, I think more people would be talking. Maybe also if they had come out with a tablet.

Right now, no many people are talking about laptops and desktop computers in general.

I think they have a tablet. I can't remember if it made it to market.

And their ultrabook prices are actually pretty good.

Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

Ingueferroque said:
I can't shake it but these designs look tacky to me.. care to post higher res pictures of the laptops?

These are very high res images.

clav · Jul 7, 2012

Divvy said:
I think they have a tablet. I can't remember if it made it to market.

And their ultrabook prices are actually pretty good.

Plus no OEM bloatware.

The Technomancer · Jul 7, 2012

Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of the look of the underside of the laptops but hey, that's what having different companies is all about. I seriously want to look into one of those desktop displays though.

Fusion Pizza · Jul 7, 2012

Damn those are some nice pieces of hardware, I can see people snapping these up.

akihara · Jul 7, 2012

why does this thread feel like a thinly veiled marketing ploy?

Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

ridley182 said:
I was pretty interested when these were first announced, but then my Vizio TV broke on me twice in less than a year. No way in hell Vizio is getting another dollar from me.

Devices from all companies are liable to breaking down. Why would you let a singular personal experience deter you from ever buying another product from Vizio?

I've had my Vizio television for a year and haven't experience any problems whatsoever? Do you feel that buying another Vizio product will automatically lead to another bad experience for you?

But I guess I can sympathize with you. I will never give HP another dollar.

why does this thread feel like a thinly veiled marketing ploy?

It's not thinly veiled. I'm outright linking you to their website (to check the specs). I'm just really happy that a tech company has stepped up to Apple, and I thought I'd share it with Gaf.

Deleted member 22576 · Jul 7, 2012

The build quality looks amazing? I can feel those keys jiggling from here.

neoism · Jul 7, 2012

fritolay said:
I bought a Vizio TV, great deal and it is awesome. When I think of Vizio previously I thought of cheap TV's with good quality from some place like Walmart.

Therefore when I heard they were making computer's, I thought it would be more of the same. However the prices are not where I thought they would be. If they had the same formula, cheap prices, good computers, I think more people would be talking. Maybe also if they had come out with a tablet.

Right now, not many people are talking about laptops and desktop computers in general.

Edit: Exactly what the posts above are stating.

yea got a 42 hd 720 for 1200 bones in 06 works perfect and looks great still. Will buy a another Vizio TV next.... I'd rather just build my comptuer, than pay 300+ more for a name.

injurai · Jul 7, 2012

must have awful marketing because this is the first I've heard of them...

Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

Jtwo said:
The build quality looks amazing? I can feel those keys jiggling from here.

Let's compare

Which of these two keyboards looks more likely to become loose or get stuck?

Majine · Jul 7, 2012

Does all manufactors use marketing words in tech specs, like "impossibly thin"?

giga · Jul 7, 2012

Bombadil said:
I agree with you about the lower end i3 models. They cost too much. But the i5 and i7 models are comparable to the Apple line (sans the Retina display resolution) and they cost several hundred dollars less. And the all-in-one PCs from Vizio are much better than the all-in-one PCs from Apple (again, sans the higher resolution monitors from Apple).

Are there any reviews of them? The Ultrabooks look interesting, but you can't even buy them yet.

The all in one has a nice price, but the price difference is probably due to the fact that the iMac uses an IPS panel with a much higher resolution. 1920x1080 at 27" is an extremely poor 81 PPI. (Also, 2560x1440 is hardly Retina)

fritolay · Jul 7, 2012

injurai said:
must have awful marketing because this is the first I've heard of them...

The article linked above was pretty interesting. They plan to just team up with Walmart again for their computers like they did their TV's. Also they are based in California so that is interesting they are a US brand. (thought they were from Texas)

Well good for them, they will ride that Walmart train again but I still thinking the prices are too high for their customers they are looking to get going this path.

GoldenEye 007 · Jul 7, 2012

Definitely a company I want to keep on my radar. Seems like they put out good, cheap stuff.

Tuck · Jul 7, 2012

They look very nice. You can tell they spent a lot of time thinking about the design. I'm good with my Macbook Pro though.

Aren't these things out? I haven't seen any reviews. I have heard that the trackpads suck however.

Vanillalite · Jul 7, 2012

Divvy said:
The verge did a really good article on them recently.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/15/3076519/vizio-reboot-pc-american-hdtv-success-do-it-again

I was pretty impressed with how frank their team was.

Yo just watched that video in the article. Thanks for the link!

It's nice to see them be so frank even if it's PR speak to an extent. It's also nice to see someone come in and give a fuck about industrial design because in general (there are always rare exceptions and edge cases) the pc market has been shitted up by bad designs especially in the laptop space for over a decade.

PS: It also was money that they went straight to the track pad issue. That's the #1 shitty thing on Windows based laptops that blow.

Horsemama1956 · Jul 7, 2012

I'm sorry but those desktops are fucking ugly as all hell.

Lkr · Jul 7, 2012

don't these lack bloatware too?

Ninja Scooter · Jul 7, 2012

Lkr said:
don't these lack bloatware too?

This is the other big selling point I remember hearing about these. In all honesty, if my parents were in the market for a new PC, i'd probably steer them towards one of these laptops, but in reality I'm trying to get them to get an iPad for their computing needs.

Bombadil · Jul 7, 2012

Horsemama1956 said:
I'm sorry but those desktops are fucking ugly as all hell.

What desktops do you find attractive?

Unicorn · Jul 7, 2012

Horsemama1956 said:
I'm sorry but those desktops are fucking ugly as all hell.

Not enough LED lights blinking urrwhere?

AlteredBeast · Jul 7, 2012

Yeah,people are really strange, these look really nice. A little out of my price range, but it looks like a really great product.

Zaptruder · Jul 7, 2012

That's a very nice lineup of PC devices. Certainly, if I was in the market for an all-in-one, I'd pick one up... but as an interior designer and an IT consultant, I would probably recommend something like this to a discerning customer looking for a PC...

CharminUltra · Jul 7, 2012

Bombadil said:
I don't understand this logic. Devices from all companies are liable to breaking down. Why would you let a singular personal experience deter you from ever buying another product from Vizio?

I've had my Vizio television for a year and haven't experience any problems whatsoever? Do you feel that buying another Vizio product will automatically lead to another bad experience for you?

But I guess I can sympathize with you. I will never give HP another dollar.

Seriously? Because 1) this POS TV broke twice on me in less than a year (8 months) which I find completely unacceptable and 2) I had to wait a week the first time and two weeks the second time it broke for Vizio to send someone to repair it, not to mention the second repairman almost refused to repair it claiming I was not using a surge protector.

grimshawish · Jul 7, 2012

US only is probably why they haven't set things alight yet.

They look nice though. The ultrabook especially.

Zaptruder · Jul 7, 2012

Horsemama1956 said:
I'm sorry but those desktops are fucking ugly as all hell.

You're entitled to your own opinion and all that, but in this case, your opinion is probably going to be a very lonely one.

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