Apple showed the world how an all-in-one computer can be both fun and efficient. Now the competition from the Windows universe has arrived. The idea of putting the entire PC technology into the monitor’s casing has grown more popular with manufacturers. They’re offering incentives like touchscreens and 3D at prices significantly lower than those offered by Apple. Is an all-in-one for you?
The advantages are clear: Putting the monitor and CPU together in one place eliminates the need for the usual tangle of cables. This is especially true if the receiver for a wireless keyboard and mouse are also integrated into the device. There’s also more space under the desk with the boxy casing gone.
While the all-in-one PC is here to stay, the concept was hardly an immediate success. Manufacturers initially used components from the laptop world, which meant inferior performance — and the machines were too slow, too loud, too boxy, and too expensive as well. So the early iterations of these compact computers didn’t enjoy a good reputation.
Those concerns are largely a thing of the past now, says hardware expert Christof Windeck from German computer magazine c’t. This applies at least to devices in the mid-range price segment of around $850, as a recent test by the magazine showed. For low-end models, the lower prices mean lower-quality displays and slower netbook chips.
The good news for most consumers: “The devices are built for people who aren’t interested in every last aspect of technology, but rather who just want to work with the PC,” Windeck says. The roster of manufacturers with these models in their lineup continues to grow constantly, and now includes Hewlett-Packard, Dell, Asus, Acer, Lenovo and Sony, as well as smaller providers like MSI, Medion, and Packard Bell.
The “all-in-one” concept for PCs can be a negative for some…