
Vizio reboots the PC: a quiet American success story - ditados
http://mobile.theverge.com/2012/6/15/3076519/vizio-reboot-pc-american-hdtv-success-do-it-again
======
hollerith
Here is my comment on their desktop computer: it has two pieces, one with most
of the electronics plus a monitor, the other with an AC-to-DC converter plus a
sub-woofer. I much prefer the more conventional division of duties in which
one piece is a monitor, the other piece has a power supply and most of the
electronics and the interface between the 2 pieces is some standard protocol
like DVI-D, HDMI or DisplayPort.

I notice that their desktop computer uses a mobile CPU, which has advantages
and disadvantages. One of the biggest advantages is portability, which is
useful even in a "desktop" computer like the Mac mini. Specifically, the
reduction in the demands on the cooling system allows the electronics and the
case containing the electronics to be small and light. (A 2011 Mac mini or the
recently-announced Chromebox for example weighs only 2.7 pounds including the
AC adapter which in both cases is built-in.) But if you integrate the mobile
CPU with a monitor, you lose the ability to unplug the box with the CPU from
your monitor, carry it around and plug it into some other monitor or TV (which
is something I do a lot with my Mac mini).

~~~
spartango
Worthy of note is the fact that the original Intel iMacs and Mac Minis shipped
with Mobile processors (Intel Core/Core 2 TXXX rather than EXXX), for the
reasons you mention.

~~~
hollerith
Although some iMacs and maybe all iMacs now use desktop-class processors, all
Mac minis still have mobile processors. (35 W TDP for the processors in the
$599 and the $799 2011 models; 45 W TDP for the CPU in the 2011 Mac mini
server.) Otherwise they couldn't be so small and light without overheating!

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joshbaptiste
The non-mobile link: [http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/15/3076519/vizio-reboot-
pc-am...](http://www.theverge.com/2012/6/15/3076519/vizio-reboot-pc-american-
hdtv-success-do-it-again)

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hristov
I am going to sound like a broken record, but they should have a linux
version.

~~~
simonh
Because you genuinely believe it would be a good business decision, or because
it would be cool?

Also which build, of which distro, with which desktop? The problem is there
aren't really Linux fans, there are Ubuntu fans and Redhat fans and Mint fans
and, etc. If Mint is your thing, with Ubuntu as acceptable, a Redhat desktop
probably isn't going to be interesting to you, and so on.

Linux being a kernel, not an operating system, is a very real issue for a
company like this. Each is a tiny little fragment of the Desktop Linux market,
which is a tiny little fragment of the overall desktop market. Fragmentation
of fragmentation.

~~~
hristov
It would probably be a good business decision. Their costs for offering a
Linux version would be very low if they choose their hardware well. The cost
would be just testing and sending an additional image to a manufacturer.

They would get instant recognition and instant free press. Marketing is one of
the highest costs for companies like these. For example, I am willing to bet
that the article we are discussing now cost Vizio good money (probably paid
through a PR firm).

But if they offer the only premium laptop with Linux on it, they would get
free coverage in all Linux media and most tech media.

So yes, there is a good business case for it. The big wild card about the
business case is Microsoft. Microsoft, will probably make their lives really
hard if they do offer Linux. This would probably be anti-competitive behavior
with doubtful legality but would likely happen nevertheless. But other than
potential Microsoft meddling, I think there is a good business case for it.

~~~
rosstafarian
Did you even read the article?

"Vizio is one of the best-kept secrets in consumer technology. The tiny
Southern California company consistently sells the most HDTVs in America, but
it's a sure bet that you know virtually nothing about it. Hell, most people
don't even know Vizio is an American company, even though all but three of its
417 employees work in the US. That's sort of what happens when you run
virtually no advertising outside of sponsoring a few major events like the
Rose Bowl, hold no press conferences outside of CES, and build the foundation
of your empire by selling low-cost TVs at Walmart. Yet Vizio's customers keep
coming back, and bringing others: a combination of low prices, increasing
quality, and solid customer support is pretty hard to resist."

Vizio sells their products in walmart for good prices and relies on word of
mouth. How many average walmart shoppers even know what linux is? It might get
them some free press but it's probably not the press they need. Personally I'd
love to be able to get the thing $100 cheaper without the windows license, but
what about the time they have to spend testing and developing drivers/etc will
that even out the cost? What about the extra support they'll have to provide
for Joe Walmartshopper trying to install word on his brand new machine he just
dropped $800 on? What kind of press will it generate when they tell him, that
no he can't use outlook? As much as I'd love to see linux on these things it's
not a good business decision. Company's like dell massive resources with a
huge product like so they can have a linux offering, but for a company like
this it just doesn't make sense.

~~~
hristov
Yes, I read the article. What is your point? Sponsoring the Rose Bowl is very
expensive so they definitely have an advertising budget.

Also, these laptops, as opposed to the TVs, are not the low cost option. So
they will have to have another strategy for selling them. For premium laptops
that will definitely involve advertising.

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leonlee
I had heard of Vizio before but never held them in the same league as the
Samsungs or LGs of the TV industry. I appreciate how they seem to be fighting
against the flow to do things differently. Instead of cramming extra software
and stickers onto their product Vizio chose to sterilize, and instead of
supporting legacy connectors and optical disk drives Vizio chose to modernize.

~~~
Apocryphon
It's almost as if they're adapting Apple minimalist aesthetics for Windows
machines. Which is mind-boggling that no other PC manufacturer has tried the
same in the last few years.

~~~
btown
Their quasi-mantra of "focus" is also very reminiscent of Apple's way of
thinking. I have 100% more respect for them than I did this morning, that's
for sure.

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patrickgzill
"I hate opening a PC and seeing stickers and flashing LEDs all over the
place." === A-MEN!!!!

~~~
Stratoscope
For anyone else who hates stickers as much as you and I do, I found the
perfect tool for removing them: the plastic toothpick from a Swiss Army knife.

The toothpick has a very flat tip that will go right under the corner of a
sticker and let you lift the corner - and then the rest of the sticker will
pull away easily. At the same time, the toothpick is soft enough that it won't
scratch whatever surface the sticker is on.

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Spittie
Those look really nice. Seems that they understand what the mainstream market
want: something that look nice, work nice, are durable and don't cost too
much.

Too bad that they are using a mobile gpu for their desktop computer, and that
it "just" have a 1080p resolution instead of something bigger (1440p or 1600p
would be perfect for me).

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jpxxx
Let's wait until their PC products are on the market before calling this a
success story.

~~~
nostromo
The full title is more accurate: "Vizio reboots the PC: a quiet American
success story takes on sleeping giants"

It looks like the character count was reduced to fit HN's title limitations.

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x1
More pictures & Info: [http://www.chipchick.com/2012/06/vizio-dives-laptop-
all-in-o...](http://www.chipchick.com/2012/06/vizio-dives-laptop-all-in-
one.html)

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seltzered_
I was excited to read this, just hope their next iteration of the 14-inch
model has a more powerful cpu.

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emperorcezar
All this hardware is strikingly similar to Apple's.

~~~
prezjordan
Just because it's clean and rounded courners. I think they've got the same
mindset (keep it simple, no blinking lights, etc) and I appreciate that.

But no, they're not blatantly ripping off an apple keyboard ( _cough_ HP Envy
_cough_ ) and tricking people into thinking it's a mac from far away.

~~~
Apocryphon
I don't think Vizio is trying to copy Apple, but it's a bit disappointing that
their machines also have a similar aluminum unibody style. There's no other
way to express "striking but not cluttered"?

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krakensden
Well sign me up- that laptop sounds like a fantastic idea.

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aurynn
Wow, first PC laptop I'd actually buy.

