The C14 is also exceptionally quiet. A vent is built behind the hinge, so warm air exhausts straight out the back, not onto your lap. I fired up Google Chrome with over 20 Flash-heavy tabs running, and the fan didnt kick in. When the machine was running PCMark 7, the fan finally fired up, but overall noise levels were pretty lowfar more muted than the Sandy Bridge-equipped Macbook Air I often use.

Overall, the Vizio C14-A2 is a distinct pleasure to use, but its not perfect. I would still like to see a built-in memory card reader. The lack of an ethernet jack isnt a deal breaker, and were likely to see more of these compact systems that eschew wired connections. The keyboard and touchpad are quite usable, though theres still some room for improvement in pointing behavior. The display is good, not fabulous, but its size and resolution are welcome. Perhaps most disappointing is the overall sound quality of the speakers, given Vizios background as a consumer electronics provider.

Still, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of the parts. Vizios first entry into the PC business makes a bold design statement, getting many things right, and the misses are near-misses, rather than thuds of disappointment. The whole affair feels solid, looks good, types well, and performs like a champ. What more could you want in a PC?