Vizio unveiling PC range at CES, promises rock-bottom prices

Vizio isn't exactly a household name here in Blighty, but trust us, you'll be hearing a whole lot more about it soon. The company is one of the biggest makers of TVs in the States, while also making other home cinema kit. Now it's about to introduce a range of ultra-portable laptops and all-in-one desktop PCs at CES, Bloomberg reports.

The company is promising the same kind of wallet-friendly prices it exercises for its TVs. While Vizio's range of TVs aren't well-known in the UK, you can buy its tablet, hinting that the PC range could go on sale on these shores. The line-up consists of two all-in-one desktops (like the iMac), and three laptops.

They'll run Windows, and will go on sale by June at a "price that just doesn't seem possible," Vizio's chief technology officer Matt McRae said. He didn't give specifics, and obviously he's going to big up the low price, but still, this is encouraging stuff. If successful, it could help bring down the price of PCs generally.

The desktop PCs will have 24 or 27-inch screens, while one laptop will have a 15.6-inch screen. There will be two ultra-thin portables that could rival the Macbook Air for slimness -- one of these will have a 15.6-inch screen, and the other a 14-inch display.

Specs are scarce until the official announcement, but they'll have DLNA for streaming to Vizio TVs. The pictures show the laptops will have a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a headphone socket and an HDMI port, while the desktop will have one USB 3.0 and an SD card slot.

The PCs look similar to Apple's range, with what appears to be brushed aluminium, and sleek designs.

On the pricing strategy, McRae said, "It's very similar to TV -- we want to get in there and disrupt it. We think most PCs have been designed for the small business users, that others have not done a very good job of making them entertainment devices". Them's fighting words.

What do you reckon? Are you crying out for a more affordable ultra-portable laptop? Let us know in the comments below, or over on our Facebook page.