Vizio refreshes its PC lineup: all new models have touchscreens, quad-core CPUs (updated)
When Vizio entered the PC market last year, we weren't gushing about its computers, per se, but we found ourselves rooting for the company anyway: for all it got wrong (flaky trackpads, poor battery life), it did a lot of things right. We had to respect Vizio for giving most of its PCs 1080p screens and installing a clean, bloatware-free version of Windows. Not to mention, Vizio kept the price relatively low, the same way it did when it was trying to break into the TV space. Now, the company is completely refreshing its lineup for 2013, leaving only one model from 2012 (that would be its 15-inch mainstream notebook). Starting now, all of its all-ones and Thin + Light laptops will come standard with touchscreens and quad-core processors, including some from AMD (a first for Vizio).
What's curious is that although Vizio is taking the opportunity to replace most of its PCs, it hasn't actually made any changes to the industrial design. That means, for better or worse, that these new models will probably be quite similar to the PCs we tested just a few months ago. Same metal chassis but also, the same flat keyboard. What they do promise is faster performance, along with improved audio. Both the 14- and 15-inch Thin + Light Touch are available with either a Core i7 CPU or AMD's top-of-the-line A10 chip. Likewise, the 24-inch all-in-one is now the All-in-One Touch, and it too will be available with AMD and Intel processors. The 27-inch model, however, will be Intel-only.
As ever, these machines will have that clean Microsoft Signature install, and almost all will have 1080p screens, save for the 14-inch Thin + Light, which has 1,600 x 900 resolution. No word on pricing, though Vizio says they'll go on sale in mid-February. We'll be back soon enough with hands-on shots but for now, check out some press photos after the break.
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Update: We've received a little more information from Vizio that suggests the industrial design has changed more than we originally thought. The battery now has double the capacity and the keys have been re-tooled so that they're springier (from the outside, the keyboard looks the same as it ever did, though).
