VIZIO Launches First PCs; Pricing Starts At $898


NASDAQ
By Shara Tibken
June 14, 2012

NEW YORK--Vizio Inc. Thursday unveiled a line of laptops and all-in-one desktop computers, marking the electronics maker's first push into the personal-computer market with pricing that starts at $898.

The Irvine, Calif., company, which ranks as one of the top sellers of televisions in the U.S., announced five different computers at a New York event. The products will be available this summer in time for the back-to-school selling season.

Vizio first showed the products, which run Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) Windows operating system, in January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Vizio shook up the market with inexpensive high-definition televisions, and it is trying to do the same in the PC industry. The closely held company, which also produces Blu-ray players and a tablet, worked on the computer designs for a couple years in an attempt to offer an aesthetic that competes with Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) popular products but at a lower price.

The new PCs announced Thursday will start at $898 for a 14-inch, thin-and-light laptop. That compares with $999 for the least-expensive, 11-inch Apple MacBook Air and the approximate $1,000 pricing for most new, thin-and-light notebooks, dubbed ultrabooks by chip company Intel Corp. (INTC). A 27-inch, all-in-one desktop, Vizio's highest-end computer, starts at $1,098.

"People don't need another PC manufacturer giving them a bunch of junk at a low price," Vizio Chief Executive William Wang said. He stressed that Vizio used high-end components to help it target tech-savvy consumers who can't afford pricey notebooks.

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