Home > Consumer Reviews > Viewsonic Airpanel V150 15" Smart Display

Having seen this in Chicago on a recent visit, I fell in love with it for the techno-geek that I am. I found that the airpanel is solidly built with good functionality. It has a PCMCIA expansion slot and 2 USB slots although I don't think they are enabled in the version 1 that I saw. It can replace that bulky monitor when purchased with the Dock. It lacks some of the functionality that a Tablet PC could bring, such as Journal, but as long as you are within range of your 802.11b network it is a delight to use. Surfing the internet while in the bath is to be avoided!!! NEVO are releasing a remote control for it which will allow all us couch-potatoes to sit back surf the net and control everything in sight!

I want to share with the major purchase I made this year which I am extremely excited of. During the beginning of September '03 I brought a Viewsonic Smart Display. Its basically a wireless touchscreen monitor that you can carry round the house with you. The hardrive, processor, pci cards, keyboard, mouse, etc. all stay in one spot, but you can take the touchscreen monitor anywhere in the house, and continue your home computing experience.

I can browse the net now anywhere in the house (even on the toilet) work on Money 2003 on the couch, look at porn (ahem), I mean interesting technology websites on my bunk bed, pass round the monitor to my friends showing porn (ahem), an amusing picture. It's basically a very convenient piece of hardware to have.

The model I've brought is an Viewsonic V150. It's an 15" screen that you can use as your main monitor you as an secondary monitor on top of your old one that you can use anywhere in the house. The price is an hefty £999, but I feel that since it has a) replaced my old monitor, b) come with wireless networking equipment, and c) come with an upgrade of Windows XP Professional, these extra's have nearly made up for the huge amount. Albeit you can get an half decent laptop with that amount.

Also you cannot play decent quality video on the display while in wireless mode. Although the 54g networking standard should solve this as the smart display supports PCMCIA cards, so a 54g networking pc card in the back of the monitor should do the trick.

The range is limited, basically in your front / back garden and you're at the limit of your range.

Finally, you need to also purchase a v150 docking station to be able to use the Smart Display's full capacity. Sigh, all these extra costs.

But the Smart Display gets full marks from me, cos I love it.

Works lots faster than using VNC to share desktops between computers. Device itself is just a client - not a full pc so doesn't have a hard drive. Just operating system in ROM, wireless networking and some USB ports to connect keyboard and mouse. A wireless USB adaptor is provided for your desktop PC if it doesn't already have one.

A good idea overall but do bear in mind that you can buy or build your own PC and run VNC or similar for the same money.

Update - May 2006:
Since writing this review three years ago I see that my prediction was correct! The whole concept of a tablet screen, wireless linked to an existing deskbound computer has proved to be a dead-end technology as has long since ceased production. No wonder, when you can buy a notebook -or these days a tablet notebook- for the same price as just this screen. I hope the readers who voted my comments as unuseful don't regret blowing the best part of a grand on a defunct concept...

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May 2003
The fundamental idea of this item is excellent - easy access to your pc whilst lounging around in bed / on the sofa / whatever. I am a big fan of recreational computer use, and am in fact in bed as we speak. Liberating your surfing from the desk is wonderful.

However, it is the execution of this concept that is flawed here. To put it in a nutshell, why spend one thousand pounds on what amounts simply to a new screen that connects to another pc based on your desk and that you need to get out of bed to switch on?! And it's a heavy screen at that.

Instead, and for the same money, buy yourself a nice new NOTEBOOK COMPUTER. It has a screen the same size, weighs less, and is a standalone item - unlike the screen above - so you'll be able to work / surf / watch dvd's on the move and more than 50 feet from your desktop!

If the manufacturers fit ALL the components into a touch screen tablet that is wafer thin, then I'll be impressed. Like I say, this item is pointless and simply represents a technological cul-de-sac. I do not believe they will survive long in the market!

absolutely excelent. i now no longer have to print pictures off to take into the bathroom! can take the screen in with me!! excelent range on it too. these babies are so good i'm buying a few as bday presents for the grandkids.