Review: Vizio CA24-A1 All-in-One PC

Vizio is well known as a producer of affordable televisions with acceptable quality. The question now is, can the company do the same thing with computers?

The straightforwardly named Vizio All-in-One PC, part of the first wave of Vizio-branded computers, is exactly what you'd expect from something designed to be a budget knockoff of an iMac. It's sleek and futuristic, and it even includes a large, wireless, external touchpad instead of a mouse.

Aesthetics are where the similarities end, however. Under the hood and in actual use, Vizio's all-in-one is a decidedly somber experience.

Under the hood and in actual use, Vizio's all-in-one is a decidedly somber experience.First there's one big caveat: This isn't a Windows 8 machine but rather a standard Windows 7 computer, so don't expect to be swiping your way around tiles on that touchpad until you upgrade. And that Cupertino-inspired touchpad is where you'll be doing all of your swiping – the screen, 24 inches and 1920 x 1080 pixels, is not touch-enabled.

Internal specs are modest but acceptable: 2.5GHz Core i5 CPU (3rd generation), 4GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. There's no optical drive on the unit, and the ports, all lined up on the base of the machine, not on the back of the display, include 2 HDMI inputs, wired Ethernet, 2 USB 3.0 ports, an eSATA port (for real, y'all), and an SD card reader. 802.11n wireless and Bluetooth are of course included, too. There's no discrete graphics on the system we reviewed, just Intel's integrated GPU. (An Nvidia GT 640M LE is available as an option for extra cash.)

Performance is decidedly lackluster. General apps and graphically heavy tasks both dragged noticeably. Benchmarks on all fronts were in line with low-end laptops, and apps were deathly slow to load. You'll really feel the sluggishness at boot time. For a new computer to take over a minute to boot is almost unconscionable today.

Vizio's definition of "all-in-one" also involves some liberties, as the box includes not one but a full five components. Sure, Vizio gets a pass for the keyboard, aforementioned touchpad, and remote control. But what are we supposed to make of the big honking subwoofer that you have to daisy-chain between the computer and the wall? The subwoofer does boost audio quality, but it also serves as a hiding place for the computer's power brick... and that's not something I want sitting on my desk. You can stash it underneath the desk, but the length of the proprietary cable that connects the two pieces limits flexibility. It's telling that on its website, Vizio doesn't show you the subwoofer component at all.

Aside from performance issues, my only other complaint with the machine is the touchpad, which is functionally useless. The tracking is poor, it misses taps, and physically depressing the pad to click requires so much force that your cursor invariably moves off of whatever you're clicking. (Don't even think about multitouch gestures.) Compounding problems is the fact that the touchpad turns itself off periodically and has to be physically clicked to "wake up," wasting time and creating nothing but aggravation. If you purchase this machine, do yourself a favor and invest in a wireless mouse.

The dual HDMI inputs are a nice touch, and they belie Vizio's origins as a TV manufacturer. Plug in your Xbox and Blu-ray player and you've no need for a television in a small room, although bear in mind there is no TV tuner included in the system.

The Vizio AIO starts at $898 (with a Core i3 and 500GB hard drive). Though this machine is cheap at $950, it strangely feels surprisingly expensive when you put it next to competitive offerings that look just as good and work substantially better.

WIRED Pretty. Nicely bright screen, fitting for a TV company. Compact and versatile in smallish environments.

TIRED With its limited travel, keyboard could stand an upgrade. External subwoofer design doesn't quite work. Rotten performance. Even worse touchpad.