Vizio Announces Sleek New 14" and 15" Notebooks Discussion

Vizio has announced two new thin and light notebooks with high resolution screens. They are available for pre-order starting at $900.

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900 + free xbox = 900-200 = 700 lappy.

 

FINALLY a thread about these! When I saw these at CES I was really impressed with the design and was hoping they'd come in at a decent price point...which they have.

Ultrabook + aluminum unibody + 1080p 15" screen for less than $1000? Just take my money now, Vizio.

EDIT: Pretty interesting article from The Verge today about these: http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/15/3076519/vizio-reboot-pc-american-hdtv-success-do-it-again

 

Never really understood the appeal of aluminum unibody. I'd take plastic polycarbonate any day.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

 

It looks better and feels more solid.

Not really hard to understand. But enjoy your plastic.

 

Aluminum unibodies feel nice. Consumers thus think its quality stuff, even if aluminum unibodies are heavy, lack durability, and transfer heat into your lap.

 

looking at the 14" the only flaw I see is potentially not being able to upgrade the RAM to 8gb.

The "best in class" option with the i7/256gb SSD/8gb RAM for 1300 would be killer, no?

 

I could see myself purchasing the 15" model. I'm currently using an AMD A6 system, and it's fast enough for my light gaming needs. The Ivy Bridge CPU and GPU in these laptops should be more than fast enough.

 

Vizio? $898? Are these Walmart exclusive?

 

These laptops weigh like 3.5 pounds...

Also available at the Microsoft Store, Sam's Club, Amazon, and Costco at some point

 

Looks better? That's a design thing.
Feels more solid? That's also a design thing.

Polycarbonate (a.k.a. Lexan) is very sturdy and is, unlike aluminum, resilient. I have seen a polycarbonate/ABS notebook that survived falling down the stairs with only a few scratches. On the other hand I've seen a Macbook Pro that didn't survive a 20 cm fall.

 

Exactly. Quote from The Verge article:

Vizio isn't catering to those who necessarily want durability. That's what Panasonic Toughbooks are for.

Vizio is catering to those who want something "premium."

 

Vizio has had a significant impact on the TV market, I have owned 2 and now have their 65" model and am very impressed w/their quality and price. I expect them to have the same effect on the PC market. I love the new Samsungs series 7 17" but am waiting to see the new Vizio laptops before buying anything just because of their record of performance & price in the past.

 

Actually, it is. I own a 2011 MBP. I prefer the feel of my TP, but I guess it's all personal preference.

Exactly.

 

Wait, only 2 USB ports on both versions?

 

And no SD card reader. Kind of expect this to be a stand option nowadays.

 

Well, according to the Vizio website the 15" version has an SD card slot. It also has an ethernet port which is a plus IMO.

VIZIO

Edit: Oh, that is not their thin and light version. I didn't realize they had another 15" laptop.

 

Yeah the more I think about it, I can't justify buying the 15" thin and light over the regular 15" notebook.

I mean you've got:

• 500GB HD vs 128GB HD
• Discrete graphics vs integrated
• SD card slot/ethernet port vs. neither
• $900 vs $950
• .68" vs .86"

As awesome as the thinness is, it just doesn't seem worth it for .18" and saving 10 seconds on boot time.

 

3.96lbs vs 5.28lbs is a very noticeable difference, though.

 

Does anyone know if and/or when these will be released in Canada? I tried searching the internet for answer but no luck.

 

Only in the USA for now

 

We'll have more info on these hopefully this week. Vizio isn't giving out details right now ... though they've given enough to make these notebooks look VERY interesting.

 

The specs went live on their website on Friday:

14" ultrabook specs
15" ultrabook specs

EDIT: The 14" and 15" ultrabooks have A0/A1/A2 versions but for some reason the processor isn't listed for the A0 versions on the above links. The data sheet pdf however lists both the 14" and 15" A0 models as using the i3-3217U @ 1.8GHz.

 

Is these North America only? (never heard of Vizio in Denmark)

 

Yep (for now.)

The company itself is only 10 years old and until now they've focused primarily on TVs.

 

Vizio just posted this pic of the keyboard on Facebook. I've read some concerns about spacing and travel of the keys but this looks almost perfect:

 

I have seen the Vizio roll-out and I'm impressed, But I am leaning even more toward the Samsung 17's, no 17 in the Vizio line-up. Good price-point on the Vizio's..

 

the specs for the listings of the thin and light models on Amazon seem to indicate an 8gb maximum for the RAM but it's not an option to purchase with at any of the pre-order sites. wonder if that means it'll be user replaceable.

you can see it here on the 14" and here on the 15"

 

I have a question for you guys. I'm thinking of getting the 15" thin and light one, but was wondering about their RAM options. Based on their site, it seems like there isn't going to be any customization, which I'm alright with, I usually do the lowest specs on RAM/HD and upgrade them myself anyways. My concern is that since this whole unibody design stuff, how easy would it be to upgrade the RAM from the stock 4gb of 1333mhz to 8gb of 1600mhz? Feasible?

Also, what are your thoughts on the keyboard?

I was looking around the market for a 15" laptop that runs 3rd gen Intel ULV CPUs, battery lasts around 6 hours, has an island style keyboard (MBP-esque), has SSD, and runs full 1080p. The only other option currently is the HP 6t-1000, but it runs at a lower resolution than I would "like", so kinda hesitant on that despite it being ~$150 cheaper.

 

We'll have to wait for some reviews after the release date before we find out about this. Hopefully Vizio will put up repair manuals on its website like Dell does.

My hope is that since the bottom face is one solid piece, it can hopefully just be lifted to access the internals after removing a few screws.

Looks pretty awesome to me based on the pic I posted above. CNET's video from the launch event shows them typing on it and it looks like it has decent travel.

 

According to the VIZIO Support Q&A, the RAM, SSD and Battery are NOT user replaceable or upgradeable. The case of the Ultrabooks and the 15.6" Notebook are all 'sealed'.

So all Ultrabook configuration, whether 14" or 15.6", or i3/i5/i7, will have 4GB of RAM. The i7 version of the 15.6" Notebook has 8GB of RAM, while the i3/i5 models only have 4GB.

Despite these limitations, there are still some great aspects and features that make these systems very desirable, IMHO.

Displays- The 14" Ultrabook has a standard 1600x900 resolution display and the 15.6" Ultrabook & Notebook have a Full HD (1920x1080) display standard! They are said to be of higher quality than anything we've seen on a consumer laptop before.

Price- The 14" Ultrabooks are priced at $899.99 (i3), $949.99 (i5) and $1199.99 for the i7. For the 15.6" Ultrabook, add $50 to each of those prices. I'm impressed that upgrading from the i3-3217U to the i5-3317U only adds $50 to the price. The $250 premium for the i7 model an upgrade to the i7-3517U and doubles the capacity of the SSD (from 128GB to 256GB).

The 15.6" Notebook is priced at $899.99, $1049.99 and $1199.99.

Warranty- If you order from VIZIO.com, you get a FREE 2-year Warranty upgrade!

I am planning to buy the 14" Ultrabook (i5) in the next six weeks or so. I just want to see and touch one in person before I pull the trigger. Most importantly, I want to check out the display and compare the 14" and 15.6" versions. The 15.6" is just as thin as the 14" (0.68") and it only weighs 0.57lbs more (3.96lbs), so I may decide that the 15.6" model is the way to go???

I'm anxious to hear some feedback once the first systems make it into customers' hands...

 

These laptops look amazing. Can't wait for this release. I'll probably go for the standard laptop version but might jump for the Ultrabook. The price is incredible. I just hope I can get the money to afford it.

I hope Microsoft sells them with the Xbox 360 deal, so I can sell the Xbox for $100 on Ebay. BTW, did anyone notice that the full hd 1080p screen is and IPS panel according to Vizio. It says its IPS on the features page.

 

They do:



I'm trying to decide which retailer makes the most sense...they all have their benefits.

Microsoft Store: Free Xbox 360, but charges tax
Sam's Club/Costco/Vizio.com: Doubles the warranty to two years, but charges tax
Amazon.com: No tax

 

They do look great, and Vizio has an incredible warranty. I think I maybe back on the fence between Vizio & Samsung. Until I can get my hot little hands on the Vizio I won't be able to decide. Oh Well,, The grass is always greener etc..

 

if only the 32gb cache ssd is replacement i would upgrade to a bigger one and use a boot drive with the hybrid hdd. we'll see if it is indded not upgradeable for the regular 15.6 laptop non thin and light.

 

Ohhh. Thanks for figuring that out. The only worry I have now is that the Microsoft store does not offer customization... (i think). It looks like they only sell the standard notebook model with the i7. If that's true, i'll probably buy from amazon or vizio.com.

Also according to Target.com the official release date is only in 5 DAYS! ( June 25th)

 

Vizio 14 looks promising, I'm going to pick one up when MSstore has free xbox

 

Target.com, WalMart.com and Microsoft Store are all showing 06/25/2012 as the ship date! That's this coming Monday, only five days away...if it's accurate???

I haven't been this excited over the release of a tech product in my life....well, maybe over the Commodore 64, but that was 30 years ago (and pretty much a letdown, in retrospect).

I'm still impressed by the fact that there won't be a single 1366x768 display in the bunch!!! If we're lucky, we'll start seeing more and more 1600x900 and 1920x1080 displays from competing brands, even on Ultrabooks!

 

Pretty sure that's accurate. I called my local MSFT Store on Monday and asked when they'd be getting the Vizio's in and he said 6/25 as well.

EDIT: Vizio posted on its Facebook page that they will be in Walmart on 6/25: https://www.facebook.com/vizio/posts/433231576709588?comment_id=5339469&offset=0&total_comments=30

 

Awww =[ that sucks... Hopefully they're not doing something proprietary... I'm very interested in buying the 15.6" T&L A1 version (based on their site) and I still am after hearing that. Hopefully someone figures out a way to upgrade the ram, which is my only major concern really... that and the keyboard.

Also, what is your opinion between these two:

15.6" Ultrabook CT15 A2 - $1,249
15.6" Notebook CN15 A2 - $1,199

My main concerns are speed, portability, battery life, and price, in that order. The ultrabook is 1.3 pounds lighter and has a 256 SSD, so in my opinion, it should be slightly faster. Also, because of the ULV CPU, I assume that the battery life on the ultrabook will be better.

The notebook, on the other had, has 8gb of 1600mhz ram, a better CPU, and is slightly cheaper. Although the notebook also has a discrete graphics card and 1tb more memory, I already have a newly built gaming desktop at home that has plenty of memory. Also, due to the heavier specs on the notebook, I assume that it'll have worse battery life.

Which one would you guys choose (assuming that you can't do upgrades to the RAM)?

 

This is the picture that interests me when it comes to user upgrades/repairs:



As long as one of those faces can be lifted, everything inside seems to be fairly easily accessible.

 

Man. I am tired of the trend of silver-color laptops.

 

Accessible, but wil you be able to replace anything? RAM/SSD are probably soldered on.

 

How many companies have actually soldered on their RAM? I know Apple did, but I'm pretty sure they're in the minority here. Before this latest iteration of Mac Book Pros and Airs, changing out the RAM in the older Macs were possible too. For a company that is just starting out, I highly doubt they'll make a move that would jeopardize their standing with consumers when they haven't even established a steady following.

 

According to a Vizio respresentative on their Facebook page, on at least the Notebook the RAM is upgradeable, but doing so will void the warranty. Not sure about the Ultrabooks, however.

 

Soldering the RAM to the motherboard is fairly common on some netbooks. The main reasons are to simplify the manufacturing process (which reduces costs) and because many ultra-thin designs can't accomodate conventional RAM modules.

If Vizio had made 8GB of RAM standard on all the Ultrabooks, I wouldn't give it a second thought! But with only 4GB and no upgrade option, it could be a real issue for more demanding users!

As much as I love the Vizio Ultrabook designs, the inability to make user upgrades or replacements is VERY troubling to me! I refuse to buy any Apple products for this very reason!!! I won't be forced to return to the manufacturer for something as simple as replacing the battery! As much as I still want to make an exception for these Vizio products, it would be hypocritical to do so....

So I've been taking yet another look at the SAMSUNG 7-Series 14" and they have everything I want and no hassles or compromises to worry about...and they're on sale for dirt cheap now! I'm looking at one for $799, which is $380 off MSRP!

 

I chated with one of their reps. All of their laptops are upgradeable to 16GB or Ram. Both the notebook and the Thin+light model have user upgradeable ram. The SSD drive is a standard Sata3 2.5" bay.

 

I'm eyeing either this or the new XPS 15. Both seem really nice, but the Vizio seems to hit a nicer price point. XPS 15 has way more connectivity options, but I only need HDMI and a few USB ports (and a hub isn't that big of a deal). I'm hoping to find some reviews, but I'm very excited for what Vizio is doing.

 

If you have a gaming tower, I'd get the ultrabook, assuming you don't need the space. 256gb SSD's are pretty fast, and a ULV CPU is fine, Ivy bridge has really increased the turbo on them.

Battery life on the ULV will be better, but the normal gets 6 hours or so of battery, which is respectable by itself. I'm getting the notebook (if I buy vizio) but that's because I don't have a desktop and need something portable.