Mitac Preps Widescreen PC

TAIPEI -- Mitac International will begin shipping in October a desktop PC with an integrated 17-inch widescreen TFT LCD, according to a company spokesperson. An engineering prototype of the PC was on display at the Computex 2003 exhibition here.

From the front, the E8181D resembles a flat-screen television with a widescreen display, which can be tilted back to an optimium viewing angle. The PC components are hidden from view and integrated into the rear of the display's base.

Technical Details

The E8181D runs Microsoft's Windows XP operating system and is based on either an Intel Celeron processor or a Pentium 4 processor running at a clock speed of 2 GHz or higher. The PC will have a hard-disk drive with a capacity of up to 240GB, according to Mitac.

The E8181D also includes a DVD-ROM drive, an optional Wireless LAN card, built-in speakers and sub-woofer, and a card reader that can accept MMC (Multimedia Card), Secure Digital, and Memory Stick Pro memory cards. Users can control the E8181D by using a wireless keyboard and mouse or an optional remote control.

Coming Soon?

Mitac is currently holding talks with PC vendors that are interested in distributing the E8181D under their own brand, said Royce Chang, a Mitac spokesperson, declining to name specific companies.

In addition, Mitac's sister company Synnex International will distribute the PC under the Lemel brand, she said.

Pricing for the E8181D has not yet been determined, Chang said.

Computex runs through September 26.