AMD Vision Aims to Simplify Buying a Computer

Buying a computer is no easy task, for the average user. Sure we know what we want to do with a new notebook; but how many of us know how that translates into GHz, GB and GPUs? While there are techies like myself who know exactly what we want, the ever-changing terminology and marketing used to describe the power of new computers is difficult to fully comprehend for most users.

After observing this, AMD began working with partners to create the AMD VISION program. This new tool takes the specs out of the picture and instead asks potential buyers what they want to do with a computer. There are three main vision categories that revolve around how the computer will be used and can be summed up nicely with one word.

VISION by AMD categories:

  • See – VISION
  • Create – VISION Premium
  • Share – VISION Ultimate

Let’s take a closer look at these three VISION categories and what they can do.

VISION

This category is for budget consumers who want to have a responsive computer that can display photo as and videos without pauses without breaking the bank.

VISION Premium

The VISION Premium category is designed for people who are more demanding users and want to create videos and more. Some of the tasks that VISION Premium notebooks can handle include:

  • Playing games (not 3-d Intensive ones)
  • Converting videos and music for mobile playback
  • Video editing including webcam recording
  • HD movie watching including online streaming and Blu-Ray playback
  • All these in addition to standard email, web surfing and other computer tasks.

VISION Ultimate

For the most demanding users, there’s AMD VISION Ultimate. Machines in this category include multi-core processors and high end graphics cards with Direct Z 10.1 support for enhanced HD performance. Some of the tasks that VISION Ultimate notebooks can handle include; the tasks mentioned above, and:

  • Recording Live TV
  • 3D gaming with high frame rates and great performance
  • 5.1 or better surround sound
  • Creating your own HD movies.

What I like about this new program is that it makes it easier for many people I know to narrow down their computer choices, or even make a purchasing decision, before asking my advice. It’s also nice because while it simplifies the process; VISION doesn’t hide the actual specs so you can still do comparisons based on the hardware.

You can look at VISION and VISION Premium notebooks online at AMD or look for a small sticker on the palm rest  next time you are in the store. These notebooks come from manufacturers like Acer,HP, Dell, Toshiba and Gateway.

Currently the Notebooks.com staff is reviewing 3 VISION notebooks and will be sharing our impressions and full reviews in the near future.  The lineup for review include two Acer laptops and one Toshiba.  The staff will be putting them through their paces and see how they do as day to day notebooks, and how the qualify as AMD VISION machines.

And now for Amy’s two cents:

AMD VISION.  When I first heard about this program, I really wasn’t sure what it was all about.  My first inclination was that it was something akin to the Nvidia ION for graphics.  I mean, AMD VISION sounded like it was about graphics, so why not a graphics card or something.  Well, after talking to the folks over at AMD today, it turns out, in an odd way, I was right.  It does deal with graphics, but more as a category of laptop.  Are you a light graphics users, a medium or a heavy?  AMD VISION wants to know and has broken up their product lines accordingly.  All to make it easier for the consumer, you all who read this site, to find the laptop you are looking for to make working on them a pleasure instead of a pain.

For me personally, I am a medium graphics person.  I watch YouTube videos, stream a TV show or two, and edit photos for Notebooks.com.  Gaming, not so much, unless you count Mafia Wars and Castle Age on Facebook.  So, according to AMD VISION, I should look for a laptop with the VISION Premium logo on it. Its easier to walk up to a sales person and ask for an VISION Premium laptop than a 2.2 GHz, 2GB RAM, 150 GB hard drive..*insert tech blather here*

I am hoping this new marketing strategy does two things.  First, I want it to make it easier for people to buy a laptop.  I want them to be able to look at just one label and know with certainty that is laptop will do what they want.  Second, I want this to help AMD “come back” so to speak.  Its been an Intel dominated world for sometime.  Maybe by doing this, AMD will endear themselves to the public once again and give Intel a new run for the consumers money.

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