RSSViewSonic brand adorns a new netbook
By Scott M. Fulton, III | Published January 8, 2009, 11:58 AM
Known for its crystal-sharp displays, ViewSonic will enter (or re-enter) the PC business with its Atom-based LinkPC.
New netbooks are struggling to find the right price point, and the sluggish economy may not be helping much. So $400 is going to be a gamble for ViewSonic, a company not known to current buyers as having ever made a PC.
So the LinkPC's buildout needs something to help it stand out, and so far, that may be a problem. It's a 1.6 GHz model with 1 GB of RAM and a 160 GB drive, with LAN and 802.11b/g -- pretty standard stuff. Windows XP Home rather than Vista is understandable for now, given Vista's big footprint. Four USB ports rather than two will be nice. But the value proposition that the LinkPC is an upgrade or a "facelift" for a monitor that's just hanging around (read, an add-on to a ViewSonic monitor) will be a big stretch.
Availability is slated for March with an MSRP of $399.
While I understand that netbooks are supposed to be lightweight in capabilities, it makes no sense to buy something now that will never be able to handle Windows 7. Clearly the LinkPC won't cut it.
Score: -2
Well, there you have it folks.
NetBooks, as an entire category, are dead. LOL!
Face it, most folks don't care any more about Windows7 then they did about Vista.
In fact, if Apple got their head out of their proverbial posterior and offered an equivalent NetMac with OSX for $400, this category would be owned by Apple.
As it is, I fear the iPhone actually owns this category!
Score: -1
Never be able to handle Windows 7? I am typing this right now on a Samsung NC10 with identical specs running Windows 7. Works just fine. Clearly you need to go back and do some more research.
Score: 0
@foxfyre
Wow...Do you people not read any of the news? I guess you missed all of the articles stating how popular the netbooks are and how excellent Windows 7 is.
Score: -1
Yup, if all you want is a wallet sized appliance to browse the web and to possibly make calls.
But as a true productivity machine. Please. Give me a Lenovo W700. With VMWare and the capability to run multiple VMS. The irony is that I would also like to be able to run OSX/UNIX and to run VMWare Fusion - and then to run the various additional VMs under that!
And yeah, I have read how all the fanboys who are so disillusioned with the dog called Vista, as well as MS, are desparately hoping Win7 will regain some of the luster even they can't attribute to the platform with a straight face!
But then You obviously didn't even understand my response - nor recognize the over the top sarcasm, you utter nitwit! - a condition you exhibit with regards to MOST things on this forum!
Score: 1
Interesting.
I still think that more 'NetBook' manufacturers need to include an Expresscard slot for strategic marketing advantage as Lenovo has - thus allowing for 3G/4G and additional technology expandability and functionality.
I know that capability will be a determining criterion for myself if and when I look seriously at one of these as an alternative to a cell phone using SkypeOut, while allowing the the interfacing of other data acquisition devices that require more bandwidth, throughput and control than simple USB offers.
Score: 0