Vizio Windows 7 PCs Ship Bloatware-Free

American television manufacturer Vizio has revealed a collection of new Windows 7-based laptop and desktop PCs. This launch marks the company's first venture into building stand-alone computers for the PC market.

Included in the recently unveiled products are two thin, lightweight laptop computers, one larger and more powerful laptop, and two all-in-one desktop PCs. Pricing starts at $898.

Bloatware Banned from Vizio PCs

Vizio's plan to set itself apart from major rivals, like Dell, Hewlett-Packard (HP), and Acer, is a subtle but potentially effective one.

The company's most visible differentiation strategy may be its clean install of Windows 7. Unlike most of the rival PCs, Vizio's new PCs come without any so-called 'bloatware.' This is the pejorative name for third-party software that comes pre-installed on most new computers.

By leaving out these promotional products, the Vizio machines are likely to deliver better performance, since running any such unnecessary software tends to slow down a PC. What's more, many users spend time and effort removing the bloatware from their new computers.

Vizio owners won't have to.

"The software image is fully optimized and contains no bloatware that can ruin the customer experience and reduce overall system performance," said Vizio chief technology officer, Matt McRae. (Source: abcnews.com)

The three new Vizio laptops come in two sizes; two of them feature 14-inch screens, one offers a 15.6-inch matte (non-glossy) display. The two smaller-screen devices are considered contenders in the "ultrabook" market, a relatively new category for extremely thin but still powerful laptops.

All of these new Vizio computers run on Intel processors with solid-state drives for data storage.

As an indicator of the Vizio PCs' performance, the laptop with the 15.6-inch display boasts a boot-up time of just thirty seconds.

All-in-One Desktops Designed with Media in Mind

The larger all-in-one desktop Vizio machines come equipped with the same kind of Intel processors, but are fitted with 24-inch and 27-inch display screens. Both these displays are capable of eye-catching 1080p performance. The computers include HDMI output, allowing users to connect their new Vizio computer to a cable box or video game console.

The all-in-one designs also come with high-quality SRS (Sound Retrieval System) speakers. That makes these machines ideal for viewing and interacting with games, movies, and other high-end media.

Pricing for the new Vizio all-in-one systems starts at about $1,100. (Source: wsj.com)

Vizio's new PC lineup is expected to begin shipping to retail outlets within the next month or so.