Customer Reviews

ViewSonic airpanel V150 15" Smart Display

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

many comments compare the SmartDisplay with a laptop. in this comparison almost any laptop naturally wins, but in my opinion the AirPanel is a stand-alone product that serves a completely different purpose. the V150 is supposed to turn your main workstation into a portable device, and it does that job very well. no need to sync or update files, one can print while laying in bed or access info on how to plant flowers, while surfing the net in the backyard. the possibilities when, where and how to use the AirPanel are nearly endless. accessing a home network or other LAN workstations? no problem with this easy to setup and use device. SmartPanels like this won't revolutionize the wireless world, but -again- i don't think they are meant to do so. it is not a device that one absolutely needs for home-computing but it makes it a whole lot easier and most important of all it adds the "fun-dimension" to it!

I think the so called "Technology" pundits giving negative reviews of this technology should be ashamed of themselves. These products/technology is called Smart Displays, therefore don't even compare them to Notebooks nor to Tablet-PCs.

They were designed to solve a single problem some of us who spend hours behind the pc face in our job: "Spend some time with the family!" Sit with your kids on the couch and draw some mickey mouse that can be colored and printed out! Try that with your desktop pc and your crt monitor on the couch. Get a life guys.

So you want to compare the RDP of Terminal Services with Netmeeting or VNC? I thought you said you're a geek? There is nothing to compare, RDP leaves all your other solutions in the dust. Try VNC or NetMeet on a 56K line. Try to watch Video or listen to music with your VNC or NetMeet. Wake up guys.

I have been in this business for quite sometime now. I can tell you for a fact there is nothing to compare with other technologies sending bitmaps and keystrokes on wire.

Smart Display will prove their place in the future. Have you ever been to a meeting where everyone has a laptop and trying to keep a meeting note? Have you ever been to a Elderly Club meeting and trying to take a note; or sitting in the train trying to read all those Microsoft's White Papers?
Notebooks are obtrusive in these cases. I've heard people tell me the staccato of my Ten-finger typing on my notebook is disturbing in the management meeting. Solution is these cases: Tablet PC or a Smart Display. Office 2003 is on its way. Go use OneNote with your VNC/NetMeet and see what I mean.

Lastly, so you wanna read that favorite eBook while lying in bed with your not-so-Digitally-inclined darling of yours? Go ahead, take your notebook/tablet pc to bed with you. Soon you will have a divorce because of constant zooming of the ventilation fans, and sleeplessness of your spouse.

Smart Displays are designed to be less obstrusive, and family friendly. Your wife can now read her mail without having to sit behind your 21" Programmer's CRT. Get a real life guys!

Smart Displays is an emerging technology, so you pay the early adopter's price. Of course price will drop in the future, but then, geeks don't wait till the future. For a real geek, the future is today; now.

I think allot of you writing these reviews do not have the money to buy one and are jealouse. No it is not a laptop. No it is not a tablet pc. It is almost a grand below a tablet pc. Which only packs a 12" monitor at the most. Us that have laptops and have to copy data back and forth all the time know how cumbersome that can be. I think this product is a step in the right direction. Of course it is pricey it's new and new technology is always pricey. The thing works almost perfect. I have no problem surfing the internet or playing games. Granted this is not the best graphics machine and it does have video playback issues. Laptops are not gaming machines either. This serves a completely different purpose for people who want to stay home and not be constrained to the computer desk. I only gave it four stars because the video problem. Audio playback for me is fine. I am typing this write now from the monitor I don't find it that cumbersome. Anyone who wants mobility and all their same programs and files on one location this is a must have!!!

I am sitting in my recliner, watching Buffy and tapping this message out. The handwriting recognition is only fair, but the keyboard works fine. The wireless works great and was easy to setup - applying sp1 took longer than the setup did. We have been able to get it to work with both of the computers at home, AND it even was able to access my work machine via terminal services! I am using it at home with my existing wireless network - no problems. I hooked it up to my PC, but did not leave it that way - my old CRT was better. I was not happy with the quality when using it as my primary monitor, but it is great for portable uses. Very cool device.

Works very well as a monitor as long as you don't use it to watch any sort of video. You can use the stylus pen they supply you or your finger to touch the screen. You can do all this from you couch. Music works fairly well over it although there's a slight lag. Hopefully the next release will fix the problem with video. That the only one major flaw.

It may be hard to justify this thing economically, but it is a very cool toy. Some assorted thoughts:
1) Get the 15" version. You are going to want 1024x768 resolution.
2) Best application after two weeks: Kid Pix. This is a great kid's drawing and painting program and it's much better on a tablet. My two year old can't work a mouse, but he adores drawing directly on the screen.
3) Typing on the screen is horribly slow. If you have illusions of replying to emails from the couch, you better plan on having VERY short responses or looking into speech recognition.
4) The answer to the question of why you would have this instead of a tablet PC is simplicity. All of your applications, documents, settings, and printers from your main PC are available on this device. Use a tablet PC and you will start spending a lot of time moving things between devices. Also, there is no limit to how many PCs you can remotely access from the Smart Display, including home and work PCs.

In short, an expensive toy but a great addition to the geek home.

To be honest, I don't own one, but I played with them quite a bit at CES In January. I know that everybody that has one and likes it says not to compare it to a laptop or a Tablet PC, but here's my question: Why do they have to be so heavy? The 15-incher seemed tons heavier than a Compaq Tablet PC to me, and the 10" one seemed somewhat heavier, too. Why would a device that has no hdd, much less RAM, a simpler display, no digitizer, and a much lesser processor not be much lighter than a Tablet? It seems to take away the whole reason for having a mobile display for your stationary desktop. The ones that I played with at CES were quite uncomfortable to hold before very long, I can't imagine carrying one around the house. I think that the concept is amazing, it just doesn't seem ergonomically implemented.

I am in IT profession, the less number of computers the better. I agree it is a product on its owned, but if you have to compare to cheap laptop. I can think of many advantages over laptop using some sort of remote control software to your main computer. First of all, another computer (laptop) just to do remote control is too much in maintenance, extra software licenses and extra hardware. With this Air Panel, you only deal with one computer instead of two. Second, you only need to upgrade one main computer.

The Air Panel is a better solution to have powerful processor at the base main computer and portable at the same time.

Giving time, when LCD display gets even cheaper and thinner couple with wireless technology. There will be so much application people can dream up. I can see Doctor use this panel in hospital room instead of the PDA using expanded wireless coverage

I have been thinking install a computer in the car, RV or boat. This panel will make the installation easy. I put the computer in a storage compartment. Mount the display wherever I want.

At this offering from Viewsonic, the 10 inches resolution is too low for today application although the 10 inches size is prefect for automotive application.

I think this wireless everything is the future. Powerful base station (computer) with wireless device attach to it.

The wireless connection is too slow (b) an upgrade to (a or g) is needed. Now video support really cuts in on the items usefullness. The Idea of stopping the wireless connection when in the Dock is stupid. It should be selectable. The support is poor. The crippled PCslot and useless USB ports (except for a keyboard or mouse) is more stupidy. The use of a PC Cam is what would have made this a great item.

The idea is great, IF, it had met it goals. The package info was misleading, and did not let you know all that was (UN-supported in this release) in other word tough luck.

The touch screen should be pressure sensitive and the battery life [is bad]. It took months to get the battery indicator to even work.

The setup was easy and the connection range is O.K. The unit could also benefit from a good designer who would have reduced the units weight, thickness and generaL bulk, finally it should automatically support landscape and portrate display depending upon units orientation.

Although this seems like a cool idea, why would I spend over $1,000 for a wireless monitor and stylis when I could get a cheap laptop for less money? If you really want the functionality of a tablet, Tablet PC's w/ Windows XP tablet edition do not cost much more than this device.