Would you buy a computer from Viewsonic?

[James_F]

http://rss.com.com/2100-1040-979361.html?type=pt&part=rss&tag=feed&subj=news

Not sure I would, but you can't argue with name recognition nor the fact that they do have distribution.

[MarkA]

Why NOT? They sure have a fairly good reputation. I don't see what's wrong with Viewsonic?

[gcutler]

I've found that when a vendor know for one component tries to expand their realm into other areas, it usually dosen't go so well. And the market has such low margins, why would they want to try?

Kind of reminds me of the Celebrity Talk Show, the failure rate is so high, why embarrass yourself. But maybe that is why I'll be a worker bee all my life and never an Entreprenuer...

[Mike123abc]

Who really builds PCs these days? Most of them are just assemblers from standard parts. They could even be branding a box assembled by someone else.

[gcutler]

Originally posted by Mike123abc
Who really builds PCs these days? Most of them are just assemblers from standard parts. They could even be branding a box assembled by someone else.

I believe the big 4 vendors (Dell, IBM, HP, Gateway) do more than just assemble, but then again it may just be a very custom case with a built to spec motherboard (all made in china)???

But if it is literally them putting their name on a pre-assembled box (or building using standard parts) what is the draw to buy a a Viewsonics over another clone maker. What can Viewsonics do to make the product more attractive than any other vendor, I doubt that they can sell it cheaper than other vendors out there?

Maybe you end up getting a much better quality Viewsonics Monitor with one of their new bundles, I can't see them subsidizing the Monitors to sell the PCs, perhaps they are willing to "break even" and subsidize the PCs and not care about margins on the PC to sell more Monitors??? That is the only logic I can see to it. As I think about my own buying habits, I used to buy monitors seperately from the tower, but past 4 years the bundled monitor options from Dell or Gateway were good enough for me to just add one to my order. Perhaps that is a trend that viewsonics wants to hook into???

[James_F]

Heck my new Dell laptop was made in Malasyia, not the US so why can't Viewsonic "resell" a Asian special? :shrug: I think if Dell can brand their printers, Viewsonic wants to brand the CPUs.

So what will their ads say?

"Viewsonic on Top and Bottom"?

[Richard King]

I just threw away a 17" Viewsonic monitor yesterday while doing some cleaning up of some junk I had sitting around here. The screen had faded to the point where it was totally unusable. I have had monitors die before, but never had a screen just gradually, over a period of months, fade away to oblivion.

[gcutler]

Rking401, Was it an "Old Soldier?"

[gcutler]

Originally posted by James_F
Heck my new Dell laptop was made in Malasyia, not the US so why can't Viewsonic "resell" a Asian special? :shrug: I think if Dell can brand their printers, Viewsonic wants to brand the CPUs.

So what will their ads say?

"Viewsonic on Top and Bottom"?

But I think there is a draw to the Dell Web site, between the commercials or just word of mouth, "Goto Dell.com" is said alot and people will click on the rebranded printer if the price is right (so there is another $200 expense on a $1200 purchase, not out of control). But I don't hear people saying "Gotta get a Viewsonic", or goto viewsonic.com to buy a monitor and decide to spring for a PC (Where they intend to spend $300 on a monitor but drop another $900 on a PC???).

Unless it is just a ploy to sell more monitors, they would have to be crazy to enter the PC market.

[James_F]

I don't doubt that, but what Viewsonic has is a distribution network to get their product out. I don't see people going to Viewsonic.com, but I do see their product in Best Buy, Fry's Electronics and Costco.