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MBA competition from Vizio
- Thread starter Semaphoric
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I agree. That's the sole reason I buy Apple. If Apple computers just ran Windows, I'd be looking elsewhere since there're plenty of alternatives that are better and cheaper.
Macbook AirI think it's a nice device and am seriously considering it for my dad (who doesn't like Macs - my mother has a MacBook Pro). They are a new entrant, but I think they actually "get" the concept pretty well. They aren't loading it with bloatware, and they seem to have paid attention to design.
As for not running OS X, they can't do anything about it, since Apple won't license it. IMO, we should view competing notebooks on their own merits. Lots of us use Windows devices at work, and Apple doesn't seem to want more than a small, profitable niche of the traditional PC market, anyway. We should welcome devices like this.
I like how they went with a 1600x900 screen, and how they fit a 14" screen inside. I'll need to see how the keyboard and trackpad feel, though. At $1199 for the 256GB model with a 1.9GHz Core i7, the price is certainly attractive, though it lacks Thunderbolt and an SD card reader.
Comes down to the trackpad and the keyboard. If I ever go back to windows, and I may. It will be in a macbook air. By far the best and sexiest machine I have every used.
I might recommend that to people who ask me what kind of windows laptop they should buy.
The Vizio looks good, plus they don't load any crapware on the system... And no cheesy stickers.
The Vizio looks good, plus they don't load any crapware on the system... And no cheesy stickers.
I set up my dad's Vizio 14" Thin+Light today. It's nice for a Windows notebook, but I can see why it is $300 less than a comparable MacBook Air.
First the positives:
Now the negatives:
The keyboard, while a bit bigger than the MacBook Air's, still works pretty well and I didn't find it uncomfortable. I noticed that, like a Mac keyboard, it lacks page up/down, and home/end keys (you get the same functionality through a Fn-key combination).
It seems to be slightly cooler to the touch than the MacBook Air. I think this is for several reasons. First, the rubber bottom doesn't conduct heat as well. Second, the fan is noticeably louder than on the Air, and seems to kick in more often (but for shorter bursts).
Performance seems pretty good. The one we bought had a 256GB Toshiba SSD. I haven't run numbers on it yet, but if it's the same or similar to the Toshiba in the 2012 MacBook Air we should have a good idea of what those numbers are. The 1.9GHz Core i7 splits the difference between the base 13" and upgraded 13" Air.
On the whole, it appears to be a decent value for the money. The Air is nicer, but the Vizio is a solid first effort by the company.
First the positives:
- The screen is excellent. The colors are good (it doesn't look like it needs much, if any calibration).
- 14" is a good size, and 1600 x 900 works well.
- The thin black bezel looks nice. There is no glass cover, so it the glare is fairly comparable to the MacBook Air rather than the cMPB.
- It is fairly well built. The MacBook Air is nicer, but the Vizio's rubberized bottom is nice.
- Microsoft Signature means no bloatware. All Windows PCs should be Microsoft Signature.
Now the negatives:
- The touchpad needs a lot of work, particularly compared to the MacBook Air. It appears to be a single large button, but in reality the right half mimics the right button and the left half mimics the left button. The multitouch gestures are OK, but overall it needs significant refinement.
- The power adapter is cheap plastic. I got it all scratched up during the first few hours of setup (apparently it was rubbing up against the hard edges of the machine).
- Other little touches of the Mac are missing (besides the aforementioned power cord). For instance, the box is a bit too big and the unboxing experience, while OK, isn't quite the same. The notebook's hard edges are almost a little too sharp.
The keyboard, while a bit bigger than the MacBook Air's, still works pretty well and I didn't find it uncomfortable. I noticed that, like a Mac keyboard, it lacks page up/down, and home/end keys (you get the same functionality through a Fn-key combination).
It seems to be slightly cooler to the touch than the MacBook Air. I think this is for several reasons. First, the rubber bottom doesn't conduct heat as well. Second, the fan is noticeably louder than on the Air, and seems to kick in more often (but for shorter bursts).
Performance seems pretty good. The one we bought had a 256GB Toshiba SSD. I haven't run numbers on it yet, but if it's the same or similar to the Toshiba in the 2012 MacBook Air we should have a good idea of what those numbers are. The 1.9GHz Core i7 splits the difference between the base 13" and upgraded 13" Air.
On the whole, it appears to be a decent value for the money. The Air is nicer, but the Vizio is a solid first effort by the company.