Averatec gets into the All-In-One PC game

It ain't quite an iMac, but Averatec's new All-In-One PC -- their first consumer desktop -- has plenty to love. The design looks to be based on that TG LLUON design we saw a couple of years ago, but sadly the looks seem to have taken a bit of a step back from the snaz of the LLUON, and the processor hasn't really received much of a bump either. Averatec's All-In-One PC sports an ancient 3GHz Pentium 4 processor, but the 20.1-inch 1680 x 1050 display, 250GB 7200RPM HDD, DVD burner and 7-in-1 media card reader spiff things up significantly. The Media Center PC also sports a wireless keyboard and mouse, along with a Media Center remote and a 1.3 megapixel webcam. We don't have a price or a release date on this one, but we're hoping the P4 processor means this'll be a budget affair -- and not just another lame iMac ripoff.

[Thanks, Arthur B.]

[Joey Schenning @ Aug 31st 2006 8:30PM]

No offense to all you Apple haters... but if the Mac is so bad... why is everyone coping it? lol.

[Tull @ Aug 31st 2006 9:00PM]

All because apple has a product out on the market doesn't mean they were the original creators. Plus mac isn't bad, but why limit yourself with the OS and it's hardware?

[Raider @ Aug 31st 2006 9:01PM]

Before some of you go and say "the iMac wasn't the first all-in-one home computer"... of course it wasn't... but the first was still an Apple product = Apple II.

[wulff @ Aug 31st 2006 9:15PM]

the apple II was multiple pieces.. so i would not consider that an all in one any more than my old ibm 8086..

http://www.pc-history.org/

specifically the Heath Z-89.. wow their add even looks vaguely familiar.... hmm :)

i'm not saying apple's bad.. but i'm also not saying that they've suceeded at coming up w/ anything particulrarly origional either. but then.. few people in tech have, and you never hear about them cause a bigger company re-packaged and marketted the hell outta their own, pushing the other into obscurity.

[Michael H @ Aug 31st 2006 9:20PM]

Lol... Mac FTW. It looks better, thats why ill limit myself to it. kthx

[Ian @ Aug 31st 2006 9:49PM]

To be honest, I think it's a good step, and probably we'll see more all-in-ones hitting the market soon.

As a long-time PC user, I recently made the switch to an Imac, and I have to say, it is simply the best machine I've ever had and I wish I'd switched years ago. Admittedly, part of the appeal is the tiny amount of space it takes up in my small study. In that respect, the Averatec will win some fans, but they have a long way to go to match the other "generic home user" features of the Imac, e.g. you'd have to really strain your ears to hear if the Imac is running because it's that quiet, and also the fact that everything just...works....

The most worrying thing I see about this one is I'd be reluctant to buy something from a company called Averatec - should I expect anything more than Average Technology? That's a cynical comment, but from a marketing perspective, it's a horrible name.

[Michael Chastain @ Apr 28th 2008 5:14PM]

While an all-in-one might take up less space, it's a horribly inefficient way to design a computer. A decent monitor will outlast a single computer--I typically use mine through two or three PCs. Repairs are more costly. A friend just cracked the LCD on her iMac. It was so expensive to replace she was better off replacing the entire computer. It limits upgradability and it necessitates using smaller, costlier, and sometimes slower components to make everything fit.

[Intrepid @ Aug 31st 2006 9:54PM]

It looks better than an iMac... because these guys have managed simplicity without compromising design.
Yes Apple fans... I hate boring white squares...

[Technology Slice @ Aug 31st 2006 10:49PM]

The Macs are getting better and better each day. I wouldn't have even thought about buying one 2-3 years ago

[CaptSnuffy @ Aug 31st 2006 10:50PM]

This thing doesn't look nearly as good as an iMac, but i'd stil ltake one of my custom PCs over a mac anyday when it comes to looks.

Glad i'm not the only one who thinks macs are ugly.

[Raider @ Aug 31st 2006 11:27PM]

wulff I'll give that to ya.
But what is up with that super low-budget half ass website? lol
Was it free web design class at Freeloader Elementary?

[RY @ Sep 1st 2006 12:13AM]

Looks nicely designed. Based on personal experience however, Averatec makes crap. Shoddy materials, fit and finish, durability, etc. I'd stay far away from this company.

[Eli @ Sep 1st 2006 12:27AM]

What are they thinking, putting a P4 in there? It's like saying "Hey! We just released an obsolete computer! Wanna buy it?!"

[Paul @ Sep 1st 2006 12:54AM]

You don't limit yourself by buying a Mac. You get a computer that will run more software than any other PC as it can run both Windows and MacOSX and ALL of their associated applications. By buying a windows PC you are actually limiting yourself.

Paul

[Armie @ Sep 1st 2006 5:56AM]

Who would think this fugly piece of crap is fashionable or good looking? It's totally hideous and I'm not one that thinks that EVERYTHING Apple puts out is gorgeous but damn that thing looks pasted together with airplane model glue and styrofoam. Yes, Averartec uses crappy materials.

[begbie @ Sep 1st 2006 6:04AM]

A Mac may run more software but is extremely limited on the hardware side. Can a Mac use an AMD processor? Nope. With a PC I can upgrade to a Core 2 Duo right now simply by purchasing the CPU and a mobo. With a Mac I have to wait for one to come out and then buy a completely new and full computer. If I want to run ATI crossfire, again, all I need to do is buy a mobo. Can a Mac do that? Is it possible to buy various Apple oem components and assemble them in a personally built case? I admit that Apple OS is better than Windows but hardware selection is abysmal.

[shirizaki @ Sep 1st 2006 7:22AM]

That thing.....is ugly. If you want a small form PC like that, get a Mac and install windows or make a smallform tower.

[Mystech @ Sep 1st 2006 10:06AM]

Don't kid yourself, Apple, just like any company will try to use the cheapest material and labor possible and sell it for the most money they think they can get. The only thing Apple really splurges on is their concept/design department and their advertising agencies... sweatshop factories, butter-soft iPod screens, yellowing MacBook wrist-rests, ever-shrinking number of accessories with newer iPod (no ac charger and took a lawsuit to get a slipcase). Not a Mac hater folks, just a Corporate realist.

[Arthur Barnhouse @ Sep 1st 2006 1:45PM]

One thing I noticed that is a real step down is the Ingegrated Graphics. I wonder how close its price point will be to the Educational iMac.

[Tamoko @ Sep 1st 2006 1:49PM]

I'll give them credit for trying, but the housing for the camera and wrap-around are but ugly. I also like the inclusion of a remote... Interesting, but definetly foe someone on a budget... probably no expandability for drives either

[Brandito @ Sep 1st 2006 4:04PM]

So, this thing's hitting the market with a 32-bit processor, right before Vista comes out? I guess that 20.1 inch screen won't be providing much shiny HD video from the movie industry if you install Vista on it, since its copy protection hates 32-bit systems.

[Arthur Barnhouse @ Sep 1st 2006 4:53PM]

"Looks nicely designed. Based on personal experience however, Averatec makes crap. Shoddy materials, fit and finish, durability, etc. I'd stay far away from this company."

http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2005/8/25/1045

Averatec must be doing something right, because PC magazine readers ranked them least likely to have to have repairs. only 14% of the time.

[Arty @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:36PM]

You are buying value with Averatec...that means lower cost but not necessarily the most bells and whistles.

[Stephen M Kirk @ Sep 1st 2006 6:45PM]

A card reader? This alone trumps the Imac. To sell a desktop in this day and age without a card reader is ridiculous.

[David @ Sep 1st 2006 10:37PM]

"A Mac may run more software but is extremely limited on the hardware side. Can a Mac use an AMD processor? Nope. With a PC I can upgrade to a Core 2 Duo right now simply by purchasing the CPU and a mobo. With a Mac I have to wait for one to come out and then buy a completely new and full computer. If I want to run ATI crossfire, again, all I need to do is buy a mobo. Can a Mac do that? Is it possible to buy various Apple oem components and assemble them in a personally built case? I admit that Apple OS is better than Windows but hardware selection is abysmal."

wow...what an argument...I am strugglingto find the words..the courage to dissprove it...

[JeffDM @ Sep 15th 2006 10:31AM]

This is at Sam's Club now. $1199 buys the unit shown above, 20" display, wireless keyboard and mouse, slot loading drive and so on.

I think it's a pretty sleek unit. It might not perform quite as well as the iMac and might be a little louder but I think it's a viable alternative to the Apple unit if you want this type of system. Previously, PC all-in-ones costed more than an equivalent iMac.

[Arty @ Sep 22nd 2006 12:29PM]

I just checked and Averatec is not offering this All-in-One product as part of a contest it is running right now to create the best notebook skins. Looks like they are giving away notebook and GPS units as prizes at www.CreateYourCase.com, which ain't too shabby.