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Lenovo's banking on motion control and Flex-able laptops with latest releases
Motion control hasn't outmoded the mouse and keyboard yet, but it is finding its way into more and more consumer products. Take Lenovo's upcoming A540 all-in-one desktop, for instance: its one of a handful of the company's products to feature Lenovo Motion Control, a 12-gesture collection of hands-free (well, hand waving) media controls. The $1,279.99 machine is built specifically with families in mind, featuring a 23.8-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen, NVIDIA GeForce GT 840A graphics, an Intel Core i7 CPU and an aluminum frame that tapers down to 4 millimeters at its thinnest point.
Lenovo gives 'portable' all-in-ones another shot with the 27-inch Horizon 2 (video)
In addition to announcing a slew of laptops, tablets and convertibles, Lenovo just unveiled a trio of Windows 8 all-in-ones. Of the bunch, the most notable might be the Horizon 2, which marks Lenovo's second attempt at a "portable" 27-inch desktop. In particular, Lenovo added both NFC and a new, graphically-pleasant way to pair the PC with an Android device: you can now shake your smartphone to share its media with the Horizon 2, causing photos and other content to "fall" onto the tabletop screen -- an effect demonstrated in the video after the break. From there, you can use motion controls on the smartphone to do things like navigate the UI and sort through photos, music tracks and the like. The wireless link between the two devices also lets you instantly browse fresh photos on the Horizon 2 once they are taken with the phone, as well as letting you throw PC content onto the phone.
Hands-on with HP's Recline 27 all-in-one, whose touchscreen sits close to your lap
We admittedly didn't initially get the point of HP's new "Recline" family of all-in-ones. Sure, we understood the concept well enough; these machines use a patent-pending hinge allowing the touchscreen to hang off the table, close to your lap. But we couldn't understand why HP would opt for such a funky design, other than the fact that its research team concluded a good deal of people would prefer to use their desktops this way. (We're skeptical of marketing departments, can't you tell?) It turns out, a lap-screen is the sort of feature you really do want, even if you don't know it yet. Setting aside that onscreen piano example in the above photo -- now that's a gimmick -- we found we had a much easier time interacting with IE and Maps app than we would have if the screen were upright. In part, that's because having the 1080p display sitting lower and at that particular angle makes it easier to type on the onscreen keyboard, which in turn takes the pain out of entering URLs and search terms. Also, though, the lower the screen is, the more you're likely to interact with it like a tablet -- a very big tablet, but a tablet nonetheless. That means you might even find yourself using two hands at once, as opposed to reaching up occasionally to swipe with your finger. Our only gripe? There's no physical Start button, so you'll have to either swipe the Charms bar or pause to hit the shortcut on your keyboard. Not a big deal, but it does mean the tablet experience might not feel as seamless as what you'd expect from a proper slate. If we've convinced you to take a closer look, the Recline 23 and 27 are both available today, though if you'd rather have it with a red hinge (and even more Beats branding than usual) you'll have to wait until November.
Hands-on with Acer's DA241HL 24-inch all-in-one running Android
Granted, tablets are getting up there in size, but even after a couple of Android all-in-ones (including, in fact, one from Acer early this year), we're still not fully used to playing Angry Birds on a glossy 24-inch display. We're sure we'll get a better handle on it, but these things take time. For those who want their Android games and apps in full, giant HD, there's the DA241HL. We've got to admit, while it's still an odd space, Acer's doubling down here, with a pretty nicely designed all-in-one that looks a bit better than the current DA220HQL. Along the bottom, you'll find one long speaker grille with four buttons: input, monitor settings, volume up and down and power. Flip the device around to find the hinged stand and a removable panel that hides three USB ports, an SD slot, a headphone jack, HDMI and micro-USB sockets. The USB, in particular, will come in handy when you want to connect up a keyboard and mouse, and you'll be using the HDMI and micro-USB should you decide to connect a phone or PC to use it as a secondary display.
Gateway unveils slimmer NE laptops, updates DX, SX and One ZX desktops
Gateway may live in the shadow of its parent company Acer, but it's getting the spotlight today with refreshed versions of its entry-level PCs. New versions of its 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch NE Series laptops are slimmer than their ancestors, carry Kabini-based AMD A4 and A6 processors and offer up to 1TB of storage. Desktops remain largely the same on the outside, but there's a few welcome tweaks on the inside. Although the small SX Series isn't radically different, regular DX Series towers now have the option of a Haswell-era Intel Core i5 alongside recent AMD A-series chips; there's also a new entry-level version of the One ZX all-in-one that puts a 3GHz Pentium behind the 21.5-inch LCD. Gateway is now shipping the two NE portables at baseline prices of $380 (15.6-inch) and $450 (17.3-inch), while the DX, SX and One Z lines respectively start at $298, $398 and $530. A KX Series of desktop displays is shipping at the same time, starting at $99 for a 19.5-inch screen. %Gallery-194229%
Medion Akoya P2004 gives the UK an understated 24-inch all-in-one for £500
Medion isn't the best-known PC badge outside of Europe, but it does have an occasional eye for sleek design. We'd say the Lenovo-backed company's new Akoya P2004 offers that kind of style UK crowd. The all-in-one fits a 23.6-inch, 1080p display into a minimalist design that's oddly charming for what's ultimately a budget machine. No one would call the P2004 feature-loaded when it's carrying a dual-core 3.2GHz Core i3, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive and a DVD burner, but the price is right at a frugal £500 ($770). The catch? If you like what's on offer, you're going to have to swing by ASDA, which has the UK exclusive. Still, we wouldn't object too much to picking up a fairly tasteful Windows 8 PC alongside the groceries.
Lenovo rolls out extra-compact ThinkCentre Edge 62z all-in-one for $549
Some of Lenovo's pro customers can be very fussy: hospitals and schools want multiple computers in a small area, but without skimping on the usual features they'd expect from desktops. If any PC could resolve those contradictory demands, it might be the company's new ThinkCentre Edge 62z. The extra-angular design purportedly fits a 18.5-inch all-in-one into a third of the space of a 20-inch display, all while carrying up to a Core i3 processor and a DVD burner. Whether or not you see the 62z as a feat of engineering, the design has some room to grow with up to 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. The price may be the real clincher for some customers -- Lenovo expects this lower-tier ThinkCentre Edge to cost $549 when it reaches the US in May, which could squeeze it into a few more IT budgets.
InFocus' BigTouch is a 55-inch all-in-one built for conference spaces, classrooms with large desks
Having not seen every single all-in-one PC that's ever been released, we'll stop short of saying the InFocus BigTouch is the largest AiO ever to grace the Earth. That said, it's pretty damn enormous. What we have here is a 55-inch Windows 8 machine -- far larger than you probably have room for on your desk -- and it's intended specifically for classrooms, conference spaces and office lobbies. Basically, any scenario where lots of people will need to see or use the computer at once. Given that, its connectivity options are perhaps more extensive than what you'll find on a regular consumer desktop: six USB ports, two HDMI sockets and two Ethernet jacks (highly unusual, that last bit). Other than that, this isn't a machine for spec hunters: it will initially ship with a Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor (that's what was available when the product was being developed) and the screen resolution tops out at 1080p, which is fairly low considering those pixels will be distributed over a 55-inch panel. The 120GB SSD, at least, should do just fine for the above uses cases -- we don't imagine folks will need to store more than that. Additionally, the BigTouch is designed to be easily serviceable, and the processor is part of Intel's vPro family, so the system might meet IT requirements anyway. With a price of $4,999, though, we hope your company doesn't have too many conference rooms to furnish.%Gallery-183328%
HP Pavilion 20 Linux AIO launches in the UK, ships with Ubuntu for £349
Ready to take the plunge on a new all-in-one, but not super pumped about tackling Windows 8? You're probably not alone, and it looks like HP's got a solution. The company's entry-level Pavilion 20-b101ea AIO desktop now ships with Ubuntu pre-installed, so if you've been considering a jump to Linux but wanted to avoid dealing with a system refresh, this might be just the opportunity you're after. The alternative rig is shipping to UK customers for £349 including VAT, which roughly works out to $530, for blokes across the pond. Interestingly, the Ubuntu machine has yet to appear in HP's US store, where you're only able to snag the Windows 8 configuration, with pricing starting at $450. Those of you with a mailing address in the United Kingdom are in luck, however -- hit up our source link to snag your very own Ubuntu-equipped all-in-one.
MSI shows off its first gaming all-in-one, the Wind Top AG2712 (hands-on)
MSI has been churning out all-in-one PCs for we don't even know how long, but until now it hasn't marketed any of them toward gamers. And we can see why: all-in-one PCs don't have the modular, expandable design of a tower, and also aren't mobile like a laptop (not that gaming notebooks are portable, per se, but you get what we mean). Nonetheless, MSI is taking a chance anyway, in the hopes that some gamers out there would prefer a slimmer, space-saving machine, even if it meant sacrificing the processing clout you'd get from a full-fledged rig. The AG2712, which was announced a few days ago and is on display here at CeBIT, is a 27-inch desktop that generally looks and runs like any other all-in-one -- you know, one not targeted at the gaming set. On the outside, it has a few too many glossy bits, with a see-through stand at the rear and a wide speaker grille sitting just below the bezel (it makes use of THX audio technology, but there's no subwoofer for accentuating bass tones). On the inside, it runs a mobile Core i7 processor -- Ivy Bridge for now, though a company rep staffing the event here didn't rule out a Haswell refresh later on. For graphics, you've got NVIDIA's 670MX, a laptop-grade GPU announced back in October. As it happens, it's actually standard for all-in-one PCs to pack mobile components. The difference here, though, is that this was built for gamers, and the AG2712 is also kinda thick 'round back, which defeats the purpose of building a desktop with mobile bits in the first place. On a cheerier note, we appreciate the 27-inch, 1080p touchscreen, which will be offered with a wide-angle matte finish, as pictured above. (Okay, fine, you can get a glossy version instead, if you like.) Otherwise, the remaining specs are pretty standard: HDMI in / out, VGA, Ethernet, a multi-format memory card reader, a tray-loading optical drive, headphone / mic sockets, and six USB ports, two of them USB 3.0. If, on second thought, you don't need all that, MSI is also showing off a 22-inch model, the AG2212, which will have optional discrete graphics and starts with a Core i3, not i5, CPU. Either way, pricing hasn't yet been finalized, so although we're not keen on the idea of a gaming desktop using mobile parts, we'll withhold final judgment until we see how inexpensive it is. For now, enjoy some hands-on photos past the break.
Velocity Micro announces 23.6-inch Edge all-in-one, begins shipping this month
If you were blasting the Springsteen earlier, you may as well keep it cranked. Velocity Micro's joining the "Assembled in the USA" party and the Windows 8 brigade with its new Edge AIO. The 23.6-inch all-in-one comes in a brushed aluminum frame, packing a 1,920 x 1,080 LED display, 720p front facer, SD slot, ports for HDMI out and USB 3.0, as well as support for WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth. The basic model is set to retail for $799, but expect that price to climb once you factor in a host of available configurations: your choice of Intel's Core i3/i5/i7 processors, a max of 8GB DDR3 RAM, HDD or SSD storage options that top out at 2TB and 240GB, respectively, as well as Home and Pro editions of Windows 7 and 8. Orders for the homegrown rig are expected to begin shipping as early as next week. Hit up the break for the related PR.
ASUS outs ET2300 all-in-one desktop with articulating, 23-inch touchscreen, optional Thunderbolt (update: eyes-on!)
If you're a PC maker launching a new lineup of Windows 8 devices, you're going to look awfully square if you don't have at least one touch-enabled all-in-one to show off. Clearly, ASUS got the memo. Here at a press event in New York City, the company announced the ET2300, a 23-inch desktop whose display can be pushed down to lie basically flat -- a pretty ubiquitous form factor these days. Starting with that IPS screen, it has 1080p resolution and promises horizontal viewing angles of 178 degrees. Under the hood, it runs your choice of Core i3, i5 or i7 processor, with either integrated Intel graphics or NVIDIA's GT 630M GPU. (Even then, you can choose between one and two gigs of dedicated video memory.) Other specs include up to 8GB of RAM, up to 2TB in HDD storage, a slot-loading DVD drive, Intel Wireless Display and optional Thunderbolt connectivity. Additionally, like ASUS' other products (even its tablets and phones), it makes use of SonicMaster's audio technology. We haven't heard anything regarding pricing or availability just yet, but we'll update this post if we do. Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Apple unveils next-generation iMac with slimmer design and Ivy Bridge, starting at $1,299
Who said Apple's event was all about the little things? Apple just unveiled its first redesign to its iMac desktop in three years. The new all-in-one makes the widely expected leap to Intel's Ivy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 processors, but also represents a much leaner and meaner replacement for the 2009-era template -- its edges are just 5mm thick, and it's constructed with "friction stir welding" as well as a gapless, less reflective display that's laminated together with the glass. Screen sizes remain the same and include both a 21.5-inch, 1080p model and a 27-inch, 2,560 x 1,400 model -- sorry, no Retina displays this year. They share 720p-capable front cameras with dual mics as well as NVIDIA's GeForce 600-era graphics, up to 32GB of RAM and a panoply of storage options that peak at 3TB of spinning storage, a 768GB SSD or what Apple calls a Fusion Drive that mixes both 128GB of flash with 1TB or 3TB of conventional storage (a hybrid drive, for those of us who've seen it before). There's no optical drive unless you plug in a USB option. The 21.5-inch model ships in November, and will set you back $1,299 for a 2.7GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive; pony up for the 27-inch model at $1,799 and you'll get a 2.9GHz Core i5 as well as the same memory and storage. Apple's larger iMac doesn't ship until December, however, which will give some impulse buyers at least a brief respite. %Gallery-169056% For more coverage, visit our Apple Special Event hub!
Acer announces Aspire 5600U and 7600U all-in-ones, coming this month for $1,000 and up
For the most part, Acer blew its Windows 8 load back at IFA and Computex, but as we're learning now, the company still had a handful of goodies left to announce. The outfit just introduced a pair of touch-friendly, Win 8-ready all-in-one desktops, the 23-inch Aspire 5600U and the 27-inch Aspire 7600U. As you can see in the press shots, the design here is fairly minimal, with an edge-to-edge display, a transparent panel at the bottom of the bezel and a thin frame measuring less than 1.4 inches thick. The machines can also tilt so that they lie at a nearly face-up 80-degree angle. In either case, you'll get a 1080p panel, with 8GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Either machine, too, can be configured with Acer's InstantOn technology, which promises 1.5-second resume times. The 27-incher has a discrete NVIDIA GT640M GPU with 2GB of video memory, however, while the 23-inch model is stuck with integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics. Further, while they both have Core i5 CPUs, the 5600U has a 2.4GHz 3110M, while the 7600U has a 3210M, clocked at 2.5GHz (overclockable to 3.1GHz). The 7600U also has two HDMI inputs, whereas the 5600U has one. Finally, the U5600 will be available in touch- and non-touch-enabled configurations, while the 7600U will be touch-only. Both will be available this month, with the 23-incher starting at $1,000 for touch-enabled models, and $1,150 for touchscreen variants. The 7600U will sell for quite a bit more: $1,900.
Dell to offer its XPS 27 and Inspiron One 23 all-in-ones with optional touchscreens
Dell gave us a heads up back at IFA that it was planning on offering its high-end XPS 27 all-in-one with an optional touchscreen. Well, that day has come: the company just announced that it will begin accepting pre-orders today, with the touch-enabled models starting at $1,600. As a quick refresher, that 27-inch screen tops out a whopping 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, while the stand tilts to a near-flat angle of 60 degrees. If sixteen hundred bucks is more money than you were planning on spending, Dell will also offer the Inspiron One 23 with an optional touchscreen. At a fraction of the cost ($780 and up) it makes do with lesser specs (a 1080p, not quad HD, display, for instance), but it has been refreshed with Ivy Bridge, so you should at least be future-proofed on the CPU front. Again, you can order these starting today, but don't expect them to ship until after October 26th.
Sony VAIO Tap 20 battery-powered all-in-one arriving this month for $880 and up
Sure, you were expecting PC makers to announce loads of Windows 8 hybrids, but a battery-powered all-in-one? Probably not. Nonetheless, that's exactly what Sony unveiled last month at IFA when it showed off the VAIO Tap 20. Designed with families in mind, it could stay plugged into an outlet, but it's built so that you can carry it easily enough from the kitchen to the living room, if that's where the kids are hanging out. (It's 11.4 pounds, so we're guessing you won't want to schlep it much farther.) Though we've already gotten a sneak peek at the machine, Sony announced today that it will go on sale in the US on October 26th (the day Windows 8 launches), starting at $880. At that entry-level price, you'll get a laptop-grade Core i3 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, though you can also configure it with i5 and i7 CPUs and an SSD. As the photos suggest, that 20-inch, 1,600 x 900 display can lie flat, which should come in handy with drawing apps and certain games, like jigsaw puzzles. In keeping with that kitchen-friendly, kid-proof theme, Sony's also billing the display as "drop-resistant" -- there's a rubber seal around the bezel that promises to keep water far, far away from the motherboard. Oh, and though this isn't exactly a premium desktop, the display at least uses IPS technology, so it's safe to say you can expect decent viewing angles if you're crowding around to watch a movie or have the screen lying flat. Rounding out the spec list, the Tap 20 also has built-in NFC, a 1.3-megapixel webcam, dual speakers and a subwoofer. Software-wise, the Tap 20 comes with Artrage Studio Pro, along with Fingertaps, a Sony-made app that combines drawing functions with to-do lists and reminders, all arranged in a cute clothes-pin-style interface. Head over to the Windows Store and you'll also find some other Sony apps ready for download, including the Socialife aggregator, Music by Sony, VAIO Movie Creator and Album by Sony (the latter is a photo and video organizer). Again, this thing won't go on sale for another two weeks, but if you're curious we'll point you toward our earlier hands-on post for photos and video.
HP takes Open webOS 1.0 live, shows it supersized on a TouchSmart (video)
WebOS loyalists have been waiting a long, long time for HP's September launch of Open webOS, but the company has made good on its promise with not a moment to spare. Open webOS 1.0 is now available with core browser and e-mail apps, the Enyo 2.0 framework and enough hooks to allow porting to a platform of choice. To prove this last point, HP has gone so far as to port the software to a TouchSmart all-in-one -- a device just a tad larger than a Veer 4G. Lest anyone be hasty and get visions of developing a custom build for the TouchPad, though, they'd do well to remember both HP's disclaimer ruling out legacy support as well as word of the holes that exist in the current Open webOS release. The company needs time to offer open-sourced media support, a Bluetooth stack, advanced network management, faster rendering and newer versions of both Qt and WebKit. The curious can nonetheless try the OS in an emulator today, and intrepid developers can start building their own projects with the code and tools found at the source link.
Vizio All-in-One review (24-inch): a TV maker tries its hand at desktops
More Info Vizio Thin + Light review (14-inch, 2012) Vizio officially introduces PC line Vizio's 24- and 27-inch Ivy Bridge all-in-ones get official: on sale today for $898 and up We see lots of computers announced every year: many of them are forgettable, and we don't even have the manpower here at Engadget to review them all. You might wonder, then, why we've been a little fixated on Vizio's. Well, for starters, up until a few months ago the company didn't even make PCs, and now it's selling five. Secondly, they actually look pretty good, especially for an outfit that's best known for its value-priced TVs. We've already had a chance to take its 14-inch Thin + Light laptop for a spin, and came to the conclusion that although it had a flaky trackpad and poor battery life, it represented a good start for a company that hadn't previously made a computer. Now we're taking a look at one of the company's all-in-one desktops -- the 24-inch version, to be exact. At $800 and up, it, too, is attractively priced, with an eye-catching metal design, external subwoofer and a crapware-free Windows install. But is it as good as it looks? Let's find out.
ViewSonic VSD220 Smart Display with Android 4.0 comes to US in October, dips to $399
You might remember ViewSonic's slightly strange VCD22 Smart Display from our journey to Computex. If the sight of that 22-inch, Android-based all-in-one desktop set your heart aflutter, you'll be glad to know the finished version is coming to the US as the VSD220 by mid-to-late October. It's decidedly less portable what we saw in Taipei this June and strips out the battery we suspect most buyers wouldn't have used. For better or worse, though, most everything else is the same: while we didn't expect a change to the TI OMAP 4 processor, the VSD220 will be clinging to Android 4.0 instead of upgrading to Android 4.1 for its trip across the Pacific. The micro-HDMI video input, 1.2-megapixel front camera, microSD slot, three USB ports and Ethernet (yes, Ethernet) do help justify a space on the desk, especially for those who want a secondary display for another mobile device or PC. The VSD220 faces a stiff fight from traditional all-in-ones that don't always cost much more -- but we'll at least get a price drop to a more palatable $399 in return for our patience.
HP announces Spectre One desktop, three other all-in-ones
Didn't you hear? All of HP's top-shelf product consumer products will henceforth have the word "Spectre" in the name. So, it makes sense that the company would expand beyond laptops and release a futuristic desktop bearing the same branding. Indeed, the company just announced the Spectre One, a 23.6-inch all-in-one with a skinny design and nice-to-have features like NFC. Though that aluminum frame and tilting 1080p display are pleasing to look at, the real story isn't what the Spectre One has, so much as what's missing. You see, in order to get the system down to 11.5mm thick, the design team had to forgo certain features you might otherwise expect -- features like a TV tuner, touchscreen and even an optical drive. It's a gamble, to be sure, but HP is betting that fashion-forward, tech-savvy users won't really mind. (The jury is out on whether a Windows 8 all-in-one without touch is a missed opportunity.) In any case, HP did include four USB ports (two of them 3.0), HDMI input, an Ethernet jack, Beats Audio and a memory card reader, with optional discrete graphics and SSDs. The components are also easily serviceable via a back door, if tinkering is your idea of fun. Lastly, the One ships with a keyboard, Magic Trackpad-style wireless touchpad and two NFC tags, which can be assigned to favorite websites. In addition to the Spectre One, HP also trotted out three other all-in-ones. At the mid-range, you'll find the Envy 20 and 23, which have 20- and 23-inch screens, respectively, with 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Rounding out the list, the company announced the low-end Pavilion 20, another 1080p system. Put simply, the two Envy systems have touchscreens, Beats Audio and will be offered with Ivy Bridge processors only; the Pavilion is non-touch, and will be offered with both Intel and AMD chips. Whichever you choose, HP's old Magic Canvas UI for Windows is gone; in its place, the "Connected Suite," which includes a mix of desktop and mobile apps for sharing photos, streaming music and remote access. Though the mobile applications work with iOS and Android devices, you'll need a Windows 8 laptop on one end of the setup -- specifically, an HP PC. That's right: for now, at least, the software will only work on the company's own computers. The Envy 20, Envy 23 and Pavilion 20 will all be available on October 23rd, with the budget Pavilion going for $499 and the two Envys starting at $849 and $1,099, respectively. The Spectre One doesn't arrive until November 14th, but when it does it will cost $1,299.
