Roundup: All-In-One PCs

[Guest]

Can the latest budget All-In-Ones from MSI and Asus give you the best bang for your buck? Or are you better off with the latest iMac or HP TouchSmart?

Roundup: All-In-One PCs : Read more

 

[erichlund]

Interesting that you chose the higher spec'd Apple then gave it the higher rating. Well...duh! Perhaps the HP IQ800 series with similar size screen and the same 9400M graphics (available with a Blue Ray player, even) would have been a better fit. Or compare the 20" Apple with it's lower resolution, comparable to the HP.

And why is the HP noted to be difficult to move around, but the same comment is not made about the 24" screen Apple?

Since you were demonstrating an array of products, the rating should have reflected price. If one only has $800 to spend, it doesn't make any difference how good the Apple is, you can only compare the Atom machines.

Frankly, these machines serve different purposes. The Atom machines are what netbooks are to the laptop world. They are not intended for the power user, and that should be considered in their rating. My mother would be well served by a simple machine that does email and a few simple tasks well, without taking up much space or cost.

But I have no use for such a basic machine. The HP and Apple are desktop alternatives, and really cannot be directly compared to the Atom machines, because they are not marketed to the same user. But, they do have to compete for my dollars with a full desktop, and they fail miserably, even compared to my current machine with its 8800GTS 320 graphics. I'm looking at upgrading my machine, and I can upgrade my box to I7 920, GTX260, 6GB (and a smattering of other stuff) for about $800 (I roll my own, in an aluminum case that's seen about 3 MBs so far).

 

[burnley14]

This article reeks of Apple favoritism.

The iMac is applauded for its low power consumption, while the Asus uses only 1/4 as much power. The Asus and MSI are criticized for a lack of ports, but the iMac has the same shortcomings. Every "con" for the HP is true for the iMac as well, so how did Apple earn that extra star?

It sounds like the only thing the iMac does better is look pretty on a desk, and pack a little more power for twice the cost.

 

[Guest]

"...but only recently have they become PCs."

Oh really? I can remember playing around with a Compaq 486SX integrated with a 14" color SVGA display in the early 1990s (a 1993 model it was, I think).
On the other hand, the Macintosh name actually started with an all-in-one in 1984...

 

[Guest]

When was this article written? August 3rd? Seriously?

You could only manage to find a measely four All-in-Ones? What about Dell's Studio One? Or Avaretec's 22" D1005 or budget-minded D1100? How about Lenovo's Idea Centre A600? These are major competitors, and deserve attention.

I wanted an article that could help me discern the possible uses and values of each of these All-in-Ones so I could weigh the merits of each and make logical assessments. I have been eagerly awaiting such even-handed benchmarking from TomsHardware...

Instead, I got a poorly written iMac ad.

Fanboy = Fail.

 

[Guest]

Mac > PC = True

 

[Guest]

Don't forget that the first mass selling all-in-one was the Commodore PET.

 

[burn-e86]

since all the others have touchscreen as a plus, shouldn't apple having no touch screen be a con?

 

[Clintonio]

I've always thought the huge bulky PC towers that people like myself love so much will be on their way out of the mainstream very soon. In fact, most people I know own micro-towers or laptops now. Even I haven't turned my own tower on in weeks, as my laptop works as a desktop replacement box.

Still though, not sure if I like the AIO PC concept, I'm gonna stick with my laptop.

 

[ebattleon]

There are quiet a few calls of Apple bias and on the surface it seems to be correct. There needs to be a weighing system that is clearly defined before hand so in the readers mind the comparison are oranges to oranges. Cause it is somewhat unfair to compare an atom and core duo on the same scale with out some de-rating concept as they really are two different types of CPU