ViewSonic Enters PC Business with All-in-One VPC100

Monitor maker ViewSonic has entered the PC business with the ViewSonic VPC100 All-in-One, sporting an 18.5-inch screen, Intel Atom processor, and $599 price tag.

ViewSonic has managed to make a name for itself over the years offering decently-specced displays at consumer-friendly prices…now the company is looking to bring that momentum into the PC business with its new VPC100 All-in-One computer. Unsurprisingly, the VPC100 is almost nothing but monitor, wrapping an 18.5-inch LCD display in an iMac-like single-slab design with what amounts to an Atom-powered netbook on the inside—and ViewSonic hopes it’ll be a hit with everyone from students and casual home users to libraries, labs, and office settings.

"When people talk about office clutter, it’s not just about paperwork. Traditional computing solutions can be expensive, unattractive, and take up an entire desk," said ViewSonic North America VP and general manager Jeff Volpe, in a statement. "We designed the VPC100 to overcome that ‘computer clutter’ problem with one cable ease and a clean, All-in-One design."

Inside the chassis, the VPC100 is just about equivalent to a netbook computer: it sports a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive, and runs Windows XP. The unit also features both gigabit Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi wireless connectivity, two built-in 2.5-watt speakers, an integrated Web cam, four USB 2.0 ports, a 4-in-1 media card reader, and a super multi DVD burner. Front and center on the unit, however, is a feature that immediately distinguishes it from any netbook: an 18.5-inch TFT active matrix LCD display, with a native 1,366 by 768 resolution, 300 cd/m&exp2; of brightness, a 5ms response time, and a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.

ViewSonic says the VPC100 uses about 50 percent less plastic than a typical desktop computer, and also uses about 45 percent less power.

ViewSonic is pricing the VPC100 All-in-One at $599, which is considerable cheaper than the least expensive iMac or HP’s TouchSmart PCs, although the VPC100’s real competition might be so-called net-top computers rather than the more powerful offerings from HP or Apple.

The ViewSonic VPC100 All-in-One is available now from ViewSonic retailers.