Review: All-in-one PCs

HP TouchSmart 300

Back in the day, computers used monolithic cathode ray tube displays and chunky desktop cases which meant that buyer choice was typically limited to a cumbersome set up consisting of three separate components.

These combined to consume an inordinate amount of scarce desktop real-estate.

As flat panel LCD displays gradually became more commonplace, a growing number of computer makers began to experiment by putting the guts of a PC into the screen's chassis to create a what is commonly referred to today as an all-in-one PC.

Packing most of the features and functionality of an old-school desktop PC into a single LCD monitor-sized form factor offers big benefits for space constrained users wanting to de-clutter without sacrificing the power of a desktop PC.

This said, all-in-ones tend to have limited upgradability, especially when compared to their bulkier desktop and tower counterparts. After playing with a bunch of 'em, here's my pick of the best on offer.

The all-rounder: HP's TouchSmart 300

Packing a plethora of features under the bezel of its 20" touchscreen, about the only thing missing from HP's TouchSmart 300 is the kitchen sink. Powered by Microsoft's new(ish) Windows 7 operating system, the TouchSmart's slim form factor makes it an ideal PC work horse/media hub for space-constrained apartment or dorm dwellers.

The TouchSmart is a well specc'd beast. Being the only all-in-one to sport an integrated Freeview TV tuner, it also includes wireless networking, a webcam, and some touch-enabled applications. Spec-wise the TouchSmart was driven by an 2.8GHz Athlon II X2 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a roomy 640GB hard drive.

HP bundles a suite of finger friendly touch apps (and a cleaning cloth) that will frequently see you choosing to leave its bundled slimline keyboard and mouse tucked away under the screen.

The TouchSmart software offers a raft of full-screen proprietary widgets for accessing music, video, browsing, basic photo touch ups, and interweb apps like Twitter. In practice, the apps were a joy to use, with slick kinetic scrolling making the whole shebang feel very Minority Report.

Looks-wise the TouchSmart gives the other all-in-one PCs in this round-up a definite run for their money. HP has opted for a slick black-on-silver finish that doesn't muck with its minimalist design or look tacky.

HP has also added several nifty mechanical tweaks. The addition of a pivot point to its rear stand makes it easy to manoeuvre the screen for optimal video viewing. Its bezel-mounted webcam also has a discretely hidden pivot knob, allowing you to reposition the webcam - incredibly handy when video conferencing with several people.

As a multi-media workhorse, the TouchSmart 300 proved a real winner, only let down by the lack of a bundled Blu-ray drive. As a productivity tool it also did the business. Its vivid touchscreen proved handier than I'd thought and watching video in 720p is always a great viewing experience. If gaming is your vice, however, you may want to look elsewhere as the TouchSmart's Radeon HD 3200 graphics card will struggle with all but the most basic in-game graphics.

SPEC
HP TouchSmart 300
RRP:$2,299

CPU: 2.8GHz Athlon II X2
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 640GB
Optical Drive: DVD burner
OS: Windows 7 (64-bit)
Display: 20" LCD Multi-touch screen



The Multimedia Beast: Apple's 27"iMac

Nothing quite prepares you for the sheer amount of on-screen real-estate on offer with Apple's latest iMac. Being seated in front of its vast 27-inch 2560 x 1440 16:9 LED backlit display, is a real treat, giving plenty of workspace for multi-taskers who like lots of open windows.

Specifications-wise, the iMac is a zippy number, thanks largely to its 3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, 4GB RAM and 1TB hard-drive. As with the HP TouchSmart, the iMac also packs an optical DVD writer on the side of its screen. Graphics are provided by an ATI Radeon HD 4670 card with 256MB of dedicated memory, making the iMac less of an option for hard core gamers.

Apple haven't skimped on the connectivity front, bundling four USB ports, FireWire 800 and Mini Display ports. Networking is done via Gigabit ethernet, WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth. Buyers also get the option of a 2.66GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, or as a premium option, a Core i7 CPU.

If this round-up were to be a beauty contest the iMac would definitely take first prize. From its slick brushed aluminium finish through to its edge to edge black glass screen bezel, the iMac oozes atheistic awesomeness from head to foot.

Apple engineers have taken advantage of its 27" screen's larger chassis to fit decent speaker drivers, allowing the iMac to crank out surprisingly solid audio. Rounding things out, Apple has also bundled a Bluetooth keyboard as well as the Magic Mouse, meaning the only cord required is a power cable. Falling off a log is harder than setting up the iMac.

About the only fly in the iMac's otherwise impeccable media ointment, is the fact that Apple doesn't offer of a Blu-ray drive. Doing so would be a perfect paring to the iMac's stunning 27" 1080p-capable LED backlit screen. This said, Apple has bundled the usual swathe of Mac apps for home movie editing, photo processing and music to make the iMac a great productivity all-rounder right out of the box.

SPEC
Apple iMac 27-inch
RRP:$2899
CPU: 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 1TB
Optical Drive: Apple Super Drive DVD writer
OS: Mac OS
Display: 27" LCD (LED backlit)

The Best Bang Per Buck: Dell's Inspiron One 19"

Dell Inspiron manages to pull off the tricky feat of being both affordable and looking like a million bucks. Decked out in a minimalist fingerprint-seeking piano black, it is devoid of any lights or buttons on the front and its bottom panel sports a smoky transparent panel to give it a whiff of sophistication.

Whilst the Inspiron is able to be tilted via the stand mounted on its back, I found myself frequently wishing that I could lift its 18.5" screen just a tad a la the iMac. This minor gripe aside, unboxing and setting up the Inspiron was so bomb-proof that even I managed to get it right the first time.

After plugging in its power cord, keyboard and mouse I powered it up and immediately thought I'd broken it. There were no power lights on the front to show it was alive and it made practically no noise whatsoever - both of which are actually good news when it comes to watching DVDs.

The Inspiron may pack less grunt than the iMac or HP, but still is sufficiently well specified that it will deliver the goods as a basic multimedia or productivity box. Powered by an Intel Pentium E5300, Dell also bundled 4GB RAM, a 500GB hard drive and an Intel X4500 graphics chip, all of which are reflected in its reasonable price tag. There are options to upgrade the CPU and increase RAM.

The Inspiron's budget price tag doesn't however mean Dell had skimped on connectivity. Three USB ports provide plenty of peripheral connectivity, whilst a single FireWire port and an eight-in-one memory card reader make for plenty of video and photo editing goodness. Throw in three additional USB ports, gigabit Ethernet, a parallel port, a serial port, plus keyboard and mouse PS/2 and there's connectivity to boot.

Despite its affordable sticker price, it was hard not to be impressed by just how much "bang per buck" Dell has managed to cram into the Inspiron One. Its $1,349 plus government stupidity tax gives you get a surprising amount of PC that's more than up to productivity and multimedia.

SPEC
Dell Inspiron One 19"
RRP$ 1,349+GST;

CPU: Intel Core2 Duo E7500 (2.93GHz)
RAM: 4GB
Hard Drive: 500GB (7,200 RPM)
Optical Drive: 8X DVD+/- RW
OS: Windows7 Home Premium (64bit)
Display: WXGA 18.5" LCD