Check out our review of the Vizio CA24T all-in-one PC.
As we reported from CES, Vizio is bringing touch to all its Windows 8 Thin + Light laptops and all-in-one desktops this spring. But you might be in for some sticker shock as these slick Vizio devices are not exactly budget machines.
In fact, these laptops and AiOs with brushed-aluminum unibody chassis and rounded corners are part of Vizio’s premium portfolio. They all feature 10-point touch so you’ll be able to make use of the touch display when navigating Windows 8. In addition, Vizio has just revealed that all of its Touch PCs will use the fastest Wi-Fi chip, 802.11ac (also known as Gigabit Wi-Fi), making these Vizio computers some of the first on the market to support the new standard for wireless networks. 802.11ac is technically three times faster than 802.11n, the current Wi-Fi standard, but you’ll need a router that matches the new Gigabit Wi-Fi standard before you’ll enjoy the faster speeds that the technology is capable of.
What most impressed us about the updated Vizio Touch Thin + Light laptops we saw at CES, is that, unlike Ultrabooks that use low-voltage parts, Vizio’s offerings manage to cram standard voltage processors into chassis that are under an inch thick. You even have a choice of processor to suit your budget and needs. You can either opt for the Intel Core i7 processor, or the slightly more affordable quad-core AMD A10 APU with integrated Radeon graphics.
Vizio is offering four new Touch Thin + Light laptops in total, with two new models per display sizes. There are two 14-inch Touch Thin + Lights: the one with the AMD chip starts at $1,090 (CT14T-B0), while the Intel-powered one has a suggested price tag of $1,420 (CT14T-B1). If you prefer a 15.6-inch display, Vizio also offers an AMD A10-equipped unit (CT15T-B0) for $1,190, as well as an Intel-powered one (CT15T-B1) for $1,470.
On the AiO side, Vizio is also offering its sleek Touch PC in two display sizes, which includes two models with a 24-inch 1080p touchscreen (starting at $1,280) and one unit with a 27-inch screen ($1,550). We were smitten at CES with the beautifully designed standalone sub-woofer and liked that we could pivot the big touchscreen. While the 24-inch model has the option for the quad-core A10 APU processor from AMD (CA24T-B0) as well as the Intel Core i7 processor (CA24T-B1), the 27-inch is only available with the Intel chip (CA27T-B1).
Back in January, Vizio promised that its touch PC lineup would be ready by March. Coming in three days before deadline, you can snag one of the new models for yourself today from Microsoft’s online store, or you can pre-order from Vizio.com.