ViewSonic Starts Selling VOT125 Mini PC 'Handheld Desktop'

The words 'Mini PC' usually make consumers think about the smallest computer they ever saw, but ViewSonic gave this phrase a whole-new meaning back in January. At the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show, the company came out and unveiled a new kind of PC concept, a sort of cross-over between a nettop and a handheld. Back then, three such devices were showcased, among which was the VOT125.

Consumers may be acquainted with the concept of nettop as a compact desktop meant to save space while managing a reasonable performance. The ViewSonic VOT125 is not a nettop, because, though it may sound unlikely, it delivers just as high (or even higher) a performance in a much smaller form factor. Nettops can be easily moved and mounted on the wall. ViewSonic's PC Mini can be held in the palm of one's hand.

Essentially, the VOT125 is a little, shiny, black box that measures 1.5” by 5.1” by 4.5”. Within, end-users can find an Intel Celeron SU743 central processing unit, a Celeron SU2300 CPU, a Pentium SU4100 processor or a Core 2 Duo SU7300 chip. It is the chosen CPU that determines the final price, as all other specifications are the same for all models. To be specific, there are 2GB of RAM, a hard drive with 250GB of storage space, Ethernet, WiFi, a 3-in-1 card reader and even VGA and HDMI outputs.

Consumers or business users that end up buying this small form-factor PC will be pleased to know that their purchase comes pre-loaded with the full-featured Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. ViewSonic has already allowed pre-orders, at prices of $499, $529, $629 and $679, depending on the chosen chip. It is not completely clear when shipments will start, but those interested can go here to see a video demonstration, in the meantime.