What you are looking at is not just an LCD monitor. It is the ViewSonic VPC100 All-In-One computer. Yes, that is the computer, built into the monitor chassis.
If space is at premium the VPC100, which is only 35mm thick, may be an option. According to the ViewSonic website this PC can operate independently, hardwired into a LAN network or work wirelessly in any 802.11b/g WiFi network. I found the specs on the VPC100 comparable to the specs that is currently being seen in today’s netbooks. This type of “all-in-one” PC may be the future; especially if cloud computing becomes a mainstay. Most computer users really do not take full advantage of the operating power or specs of their PC’s anyway. Really, what else would the everyday internet user need? Currently the VPC100 is a little pricey ($550 to $650) in my book, but it is worth a look see. If anyone out there has one of these, I would love to hear your comments.
Specs
Type
18.5″ Color TFT Active Matrix LCD
Display Area
16.1″ horizontal x 9.1″ vertical; 18.5″ diagonal
Resolution
1366×768
Contrast Ratio
1000:1 (typ)
Brightness
300 cd/m2 (typ)
Viewing Angles
160º horizontal, 160º vertical
Response Time
5ms (typ)
Light Source
Long life, 50,000 hrs. (typ)
AUDIO
Speaker
3-watt (x2)
CONNECTOR
Power
Adapter: 19V DC; 65W / Cord: 3-pin AC plug
POWER
Voltage
AC 100–240V (universal), +/–10% Wide Range
Consumption
60W (typ)
DC-DC Power
On-board, 19V DC-in to 3.3V, 5V, 5VSB, 12V
OPERATING CONDITIONS
Temperature
32-104ºF (0-40ºC)
Humidity
10-90% (non-condensing)
Altitude
0–6,000 ft. (1800 m), operational up to 10,000 ft. (3048 m) at reduced reliability and performance
DIMENSIONS
Physical (WxHxD)
17.72″ x 14.18″ x 1.38″ (450mm x 360mm x 35mm)
WEIGHT
Net
11.73 lb. (5.32 kg)
Gross
16.53 lb. (7.5 kg)
RECYCLE/DISPOSAL
The lamp in this product contains mercury. Please dispose of in accordance with local, state or federal laws.
PACKAGE CONTENTS
VPC100, power cord, power adapter, keyboard, mouse, Driver CD, Quick Start Guide, ViewSonic Wizard CD
VESA® MOUNT
100mm x 100mm
WARRANTY
1-year limited warranty on parts, labor and backlight
CORE
CPU Processor Type
Intel® Atom N270
CPU Processor Speed
1.6GHz Single Core, FSB 533MHz, BGA
Chipset
Intel® 945GSE + ICH7M
MEMORY
1GB DDR2 SDRAM
SOFTWARE
Operating System
Windows® XP Home
HARD DRIVE
Capacity
2.5″, 160GB SATA
COMMUNICATION
Ethernet LAN
10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
Wireless LAN
802.11b/g
INPUT/OUTPUT
USB 2.0 (x4), PS/2 (x2), RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Microphone jack, Earphone jack, 4-in-1 card reader (XD, SD, MMC, MS)
April 30, 2009 at 2:33 pm |
This is not the first such “all-in-ones” (think “Apple”) but is certainly an interesting contender in this “marketspace”, and I thank you for bringing it to my attention.
It’s main ‘benefit’ — space savings (and.. lessening of cable tangle) — also means that your “upgrade” path is going to be limited, so I advise, when considering purchasing these types of machines, buying the more ‘loaded’, higher end ones — you probably won’t be able to upgrade them later.
April 30, 2009 at 3:15 pm |
TechPaul,
I think we will be seeing more and more of these… Upgrade path is very limited; however, if these type of PC’s start to plummet in price, which is possible, upgrading major components (ie. video cards, etc) may become a thing of the past (for the basic home user). These PC’s will ultimately and solely be the link to the the cloud…
Lot’s of neat things happening…
Rick
April 30, 2009 at 3:52 pm |
Maybe the younger set will let that happen.. but they’re going to have to pry my onboard OS and self-installed applications and games out of my cold, dead, fingers…
You’re right though. Everything live and online is the future.
A future with nightmare implications.
But. Hey. It’s new. It’s shiny. And it’s kinda neat. Let’s rush at it with all our might! We’ll worry about the security (and privacy) implications later.
Maybe.
April 30, 2009 at 3:58 pm |
Sorry. Didn’t mean to be so one-sidedly negative, nor detract from your article.
We have already seen many benefits from “Web 2.0″ (such as your and my ability to post articles and comments) and the “cloud computing” model.
And what can be done is really only beginning to be explored.
I just have concerns, is all.
April 30, 2009 at 5:23 pm |
TechPaul,
I’m with you all the way… I figure I’ll get buried with a Pentium Processor and Windows install CD… (LOL). I too, also have the same concerns.
Rick
April 30, 2009 at 4:12 pm |
Rick,
Science fiction becomes the reality once again! I’m blown away!
“These PC’s will ultimately and solely be the link to the the cloud…” – I absolutely agree, and it’s safe to say; very quickly.
Gotta agree with TechPaul though – “they’re going to have to pry my onboard OS and self-installed applications and games out of my cold, dead, fingers…”, mainly because I’m just an old Dinosaur at heart, and I LOVE games. LOL.
Once again, a great article. Thanks for this.
Bill
July 23, 2009 at 12:05 pm |
It’s interesting that you’d raise this conversation, as CIO.com’s got a really cool slideshow on these all-in-one monsters posted right now.
These things have got in and out of fashion many times, and I think they’ll continue to do so. When I was in college, I lived with my uncle during my intership, and he had one of these things. It sucked. But I’m sure they’re getting better…..
As far as “the cloud” is concerned, I’m not sure how complete that transition will ever really be. There will always be those types (such as myself) who refuse to share their information with whoever controls the cloud, be it Google, Microsoft or some other up-and-coming company.
Bottom line for me: I like computers with pieces that I can work on. These all-in-one boxes are great for people who never upgrade their computers, just buy new ones every-so-often. My machines stay with me for the long haul (my laptop is pushing 6 years with no retirement in sight), so I like the option to upgrade.