The first wave of Vizio tablet PCs!

Coke Robot

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Vizio announces 11-inch AMD-powered Windows 8 tablet

Vizio has announced an 11 inch Windows 8 powered tablet PC, running on an AMD Hondo chip; dual core at 1 GHz with Radeon graphics. Along with 64 gigs of SSD storage, 2 gigs of RAM. I'm iffy about the RAM as this implies a 32 bit OS. Hopefully that's just meeting base standard for 64 bit Windows, and easily upgradable.

I think the cost of this will be around 5 or 600 dollars considering the base specs. Vizio's ultrabook offering is REAL nicely built. They also have install clean, fresh Windows, no bloatware or other crapware.

Personally, I think this might be my number two choice depending on the price and how the keyboard dock attaches. I'd like to see something like the Surface's touch keyboard happen with this.

Overall, I'd say if you're looking into the tablet PC market, I'd probably wait until later this year or after CES to see what options you'll have later this year. I do like an AMD powered tablet...
 

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the AMD chip is an interesting chip and could fill a void. Although it consumes more power than the Atom (Clover Trail), it's more powerful and has a much more powerful graphics card. It can actually play games that hardcore gamers play like Call of Duty. Whether people would want that in a tablet over battery life is the unknown factor.

it's a weaker CPU than the Intel Core i5 but then again, it uses less power than Core processors and still has better graphics.

So it kind of slots in-between the Atoms and the Core i5. However, the pricing for the AMD is rivaling the Atom equivalent which means if you're willing to sacrifice battery life, it's a more powerful alternative for the same price. Another unknown is there's going to be a refresh of the Core processors that use less energy so the window for AMD to stand out is not that big.

here's a brief summary of the AMD option:
AMD enters Windows 8 tablet fray with Z-60 chip: 'all-day' battery life, graphics 'you would never expect'
 

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The thing I have to wonder is what is the ACTUAL performance of it in gaming. AMD's said it can play CoD, but there haven't been any sightings of the chip, let along actual game play.

It also does consume some more power, but again, we need to see actual performance, or at least some benchmarks, to get a feel of performance per watt and performance per dollar.

The Radeon graphics though, that's an interesting aspect. So far, all of Intel's integrated graphics chips are crap compared to AMD's. Nowadays, PC performance isn't hindered by the CPU as it did before. It's more a reverse bottleneck of hard drives and a GPU bottleneck. This Vizio tablet gets rid of both, so this could be interesting to see.

It seems that is be purely a tablet without a keyboard dock, but that's left to be seen at CES. The thing that kills it a little for me is the lack of kickstand, this is first world amenity that should be on EVERY tablet PC.
 

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[video=youtube;mqlEc5YD66o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqlEc5YD66o[/video]

Well then! :eek: Definitely looking forward to this!
 

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    16 gig DDR3
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    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
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    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
Well I would wait,, there is no mention of this being RT or Pro.
 

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    EVGA GTX680 4GB
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    ASUS 24" LED VG248QE
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG E 256GB SSD 840 PRO -
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    SEAGATE 1TB PIPELINE
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    CORSAIR GS800
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    CORSAIR 600T
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    CORSAIR HYDRO H100I LIQUID COOLER
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    THERMALTA CHALLENGER ULT GAME-KYBRD
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    RAZER DEATHADDER GAME MS BLK-ED
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    APC 1000VA -
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    HAUPPAUGE COLOSSUS
the links say Windows 8, not Windows RT. There's no such thing as a Windows 8 RT.
 

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Engadget has a hands-on of the unit at CES:

Vizio Tablet PC hands-on (update: now with video)


@rmeigs: for clarification, Windows RT was compiled for ARM processors and X86/x64 processors. Some of the Atom machines are running Windows RT. So it is possible for a PC to have an AMD or Intel processor and still be Windows RT. But the Vizio is said to be running Windows 8.

That's why if hackers are able to successfully hack Windows RT (with Intel or AMD processors) so that it can accept sideloading of desktop apps, it really muddles up things and compromises hardware lines. Because Windows RT and Windows 8 are really supposed to separate hardware lines (among other reason). For lesser powerful hardware, it's advisable to using Windows RT whereas higher spec'ed devices, it's advisable to use a more powerful OS in Windows 8. This separation was to prevent what happened with Windows 7 across such diverse hardware. People would buy a $200 netbook and then complain it sucked at running Photoshop and thus Windows 7 sucked. I've heard comments from a number of less tech-savvy people saying, "yeah, my wife had a Windows 7 netbook and it was just so slow." Windows RT is aimed at the tablets and netbooks where people are used to expecting lower end specs.

When did Atom powered tablets start running Windows RT? That seems to defeat the purpose of Windows RT altogether if it's going to not have Desktop software when it can.
 

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    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
AnandTech - Vizio's AMD Z60 Hondo-based Windows 8 Tablet PC at CES 2013

Anandtech wrote a quick blurb on the Vizio tablet with AMD. positive impressions overall. it seems that Vizio downclocked the CPU to hit 4.5W but says that even at 1080p, it seemed faster and smoother than the Samsung ATIV Smart PC 500T (with a Clover Trail Atom processor) at 1366x768.

Hopefully AMD can get back in the game and price it at the same as Intel's Atom. for performance that slots between Atom and mobile Core processors at the same price as Atom? that could win some fans.
 

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I just don't understand WHY AMD isn't targeting the tablet PC sector with everything they got. This is LITERALLY how they are going to make themselves relevant for the future is through powerful, low cost, low powered chips; basically what they're doing and have done for a long while but in a new PC front. Right now, Intel sucks hard for the low powered tablet PCs with the Atom. The i series is decent, but again, AMD wins over in graphical performance which what Windows 8 wants more than anything. It's bewildering. Looking forward in seeing more from AMD, I'd LOVE an AMD powered Surface tablet. This is for sure.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS
    CPU
    AMD FX 8320
    Motherboard
    Crosshair V Formula-Z
    Memory
    16 gig DDR3
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS R9 270
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Seagate Barracuda (starting to hate Seagate)
    x2 3 TB Toshibas
    Windows 8.1 is installed on a SanDisk Ultra Plus 256 GB
    PSU
    OCZ 500 watt
    Case
    A current work in progres as I'll be building the physical case myself. It shall be fantastic.
    Cooling
    Arctic Cooler with 3 heatpipes
    Keyboard
    Logitech K750 wireless solar powered keyboard
    Mouse
    Microsoft Touch Mouse
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, but I might go back on KIS 2014
I suppose I am the only person who has had better luck with Intel processors.
 

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    touchscreen
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    Comcast cable
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