Viewsonic 150 or 1000? Anyone know?

[JasonW]

I've been thinking about getting a wireless touchscreen for my HA system. The 150 seems like a really popular solution but it doesn't seem to be a full fleged computer, while the 1000 seems to be the same thing with full laptop funconallity as well. Is there some reason people are opting for 150's instead of 1000's? Can someone clue me in?

Thanks.

[independentpete]

Welcome to the board JasonW. If you're referring to the ViewPad 1000, yes it's a full-fledged PC at the cost of a full-fledged PC. Most people who need a touchscreen for HA control only require a browser, not a full PC. I think the airpanel is a better fit for the task. The airpannels are about 1/3 the cost of the 1000, are completely silent (no moving parts) and the V110 weighs about half as much as the 1000. Search this board for <B>airpanel</B> and you'll find several threads with lots of info.

[Rupp]

But IP the 1000's are on EBay for around the 350-450 range. This is about what others are paying for the V150's.

[JasonW]

That's exactly why I'm confused. They seem to sell for the same price so I'm trying to figure out why anyone would want the 150 over the 1000. Anyone know?
Or is there a place to get the 150 alot cheaper?

[independentpete]

Rupp: I did glance at eBay before posting and saw the 1000 in the $600 price range. If they are actually available for $350-$450, then I missed it. That's a good deal.

JasonW: The one big advantage I see in the V150 is that it's roughly as fast as the host PC. So, if you connect it to a 3GHz PC with 1GB of RAM, it will perform better than the built-in 800MHz Celeron on the 1000. Two years from now, you'll probably be able to connect the V150 to the processor-of-the-day and get improved performance. Whereas, two years from now, the 1000 will be a dog. Of course, being that the 1000 is a full-fledged PC, you could probably just run RDP on it and connect to the processor-of-the-day too. There, I guess I just talked myself out of that advantage. Maybe it's the lack of moving parts on the V150? This makes it completely silent and theoretically more trouble-free. I can't say much more because I own a V110 (there are differences). Perhaps some actual V150 owners can chime in. Or, maybe they're out shopping for 1000s.

[JasonW]

Ah what are the diffs with the 110? I was actually probably gonna get that not the 150 just due to the size. I'd love a bigger one but something smaller would be easier to handle and easier to keep away from the kids lol.

Also how much can I get a 110 for and where? I've seen the 1000's sell on ebay for around 400 used, I'd love to pick up something used on here pretty cheap.

What I really want to do is be able to use the new mainlobby when it comes out and do simple things like web surfing and use office software. I'd also really like it to have onboard sound so I can get audio alerts from it when I get new email etc.

[independentpete]

The V110 has a resolution of 800x600 and the V150 has 1024x768. The V110 weighs about 2 lbs and the V150 is over 5 lbs (HEAVY). Both models have a built-in speaker that can receive audio from the host PC. See this thread for more info about features and differences - http://board.homeseer.com/showthread.php?t=100566. There are some differences in the way the units act in their respective docking stations. See <a href="http://board.homeseer.com/showpost.php?p=616881&postcount=34">post #34</a> in the above thread for a good description.

TigerDirect sells the refurbished V110 with dock for about $450. You'll probably be able to get one a little cheaper on eBay, but the TigerDirect ones come with 1-year warranty. Several people on this board, including me, have had battery problems with the airpanels. It was great to be able to get a new battery from ViewSonic under warranty. ...Just something to keep in mind.

What I really want to do is be able to use the new mainlobby when it comes out and do simple things like web surfing and use office software. I'd also really like it to have onboard sound so I can get audio alerts from it when I get new email etc.

Sounds like you intend to use it for more than HA control. Don't expect to have a good experience trying to use office applications unless you're gonna connect an external keyboard. The on-screen keyboard is good for occassional typing, but tends to get in the way if you're doing a lot. The 10" screen on the V110 is an adequate size for Web browsing and e-mail, but is a little small for office applications.

[Rupp]

independentpete,
Todays listings are attached. I'm really confused but it seems that these panels are being used for MainLobby and not a whole lot more. They can't stream video from what I gather and really need a keyboard and mouse to be used as a quasi PC. So I guess if you need a PC that does more then one of the New Compaq Presario laptops would be a better deal.

What do you actually do with your touch screens. Maybe this would help make decisions.

[independentpete]

What do you actually do with your touch screens. Maybe this would help make decisions.

I think that's the point I was trying to make. For my needs (control lighting and AV equipment through a browser interface), the V110 is perfect. The V150 would be too heavy to carry around. The 1000 is also heavy and does more than I need. It sounds like JasonW is intending to do more than HA control, so an inexpensive touchpanel for HA control and a "regular" laptop for office applications might be what he really needs.

[Rupp]

Good points IP.