Packard Bell Thursday introduced the Z1, a sleek, two-toned, flat-panel PC that combines style with the latest technology into a system that is both easy to use and easy on the eyes. The Z1 is targeted at upscale, design-conscious consumers and is priced at $2,499, well above average consumer PC prices.
The Z1 is a slate grayish-green and light gray-colored computer made of a new plastic material that looks like metal. It has a wireless keyboard and minimal wiring for an easy-to- setup system. The keyboard has mouse functions built into a new mouse key, but a separate mouse can also be used.
The Z1 is built around Intel Corp.'s new 450 megahertz Pentium III processor. The 15-inch flat panel screen is attached to the chassis where the easily removable 8.4 gigabyte hard disk drive is located, along with a DVD-ROM drive and built-in speakers. It will be available in early August in North American computer retail outlets.
Packard Bell also said it plans to incorporate this new design into other new PCs.
The base of the Packard Bell NEC Z1 measures just 10 inches (25 cm), or about the size of a standard piece of paper. This, combined with the thin monitor makes the new Z1 five times smaller than the conventional desktop PC, Packard Bells said.
It weighs abut 20 pounds, or less than half the weight of a typical PC, and minimizes wires by requiring just two connections -- a power cord and a telephone line.
Other features include a latch on the back of the display that enables consumers to upgrade the 15-inch monitor to 18 inches, and a wireless keyboard design that incorporates several multimedia functions.
The rest of the article repeatedly mentions Apple, and as always, we recommend you read it for yourself.
We have been unable to find a picture of this new computer, and we would appreciate any Observers who can direct us to one.