ViewSonic Thinks the World Needs More Netbooks

Need more proof that the netbook market is the most popular kid on the block? Try this on for size - ViewSonic is getting in on the action! That's right, the company best known for its monitors, digital picture frames, and other types of displays plans to offer a computing line based on the stupid popular netbook and nettop segments.

The VieBook, as ViewSonic's calling it, will check in at 2.6 pounds and pack an Intel Atom (what else?) 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of memory, a 160GB hard drive, a webcam, WiFi, and all the other doodads you'd expect on a modern netbook. A 10.2-inch screen and Windows XP Home round out the package.

On the nettop front, ViewSonic will also release the VPC100 ViePC, an all-in-one unit with an 18.5-inch display. This too will boast the same internals of the VieBook, except the ViePC drops down from a 4-in-1 media card reader to a 3-in-1 and adds a DVD burner.

Last on the list of ViewSonic's venture into low power computing is the LinkPC, an attachable box that the company says will hook up to the back of any VESA compatible monitor. Once again, look for an Intel Atom 1.6GHz processor, 1GB of memory, and a 160GB hard drive as the main components.

ViewSonic says the VieBook and ViePC will be available in February 2009 for $430 and $550 respectively, with the LinkPC showing up in March 2009 for $400.

Image Credit: ViewSonic