All-In-One Desktops for 2012

and when 1 part goes down you send the whole thing out to get fixed, leaving you high & dry

Until I read this article, I was unaware of the serious differences between the traditional tower PC and the all-in-one units; the objective info here has convinced me that my ailing desktop (a Dell with problems that will keep me away from other Dells in the future!)should be replaced with the all-in-one. Hope I'll be able to keep my speakers, which are high quality and have a long life expectancy. Meanwhile, thank you Bob Rankin!

I purchased an HP TouchSmart 610 AIO in August of 2011, after my PC finally died. With a 750GB HD, 12 G's of RAM and an Intel Core i3 chip, and a 23 inch display I couldn't be happier. This little beauty is loaded, fast, good-looking and takes up minimal desk space. Set up was a breeze and everything was plug and play, including my broadband internet.

One note of caution. The HP TouchSmart comes pre-loaded with Norton Internet Security, which I have previously avoided like the plague. I removed Norton and substituted with another highly recommended suite. This substitute proved to be a nightmare resource hog, and constantly caused both Windows Explorer and Internet to freeze. Norton is preloaded for a reason, it works well on this system, as do many of the 'freebies' out there.

The huge advantage of these systems is a combination of minimal desk space, large display size, cool running temperature, ability to easily upgrade and the absolute silence of their operation.

I would definitely consider buying an AIO next time I'm in the market for a new PC if newest AIOs really are far more easily upgraded than previous generations, as the thought of not being able to replace components was the main thing that has always put me off them. So thanks for the heads up Bob!

I "love" Ask Bob Rankin. This was a very helpful article.

I just wish that the computer manufactures would wake up and make tv tuner cards a regular feature on these units.

They make a lot more sense when you also get a tv as well as a computer for basically the same price. I would tell anyone getting one to be sure it can take a tv tuner card. With that you have a great device for DVR, Movies, as well as a great computer.

What a timely article.

My desktop PC is kaput and I do not think worth repairing. I look to upgrade to i7 and a big screen. (Though my Dell Ultrasharp 21 inch is excellent and was £800 alone, at the time.

An AIO seems the answer, and will complement my ASUS laptop. Problem: Which one to buy?

Something I learned has knocked me sideways. A 27 inch Mac seems to have a screen resolution approaching 3,000 pixels across. I cannot get my head around this as I was under the impression the highest resolution was 1080p, which is what all other monitors and all other AIOs are maxing at, apparently. I quote Apple, "The 21.5-inch iMac features 1920-by-1080 HD resolution. Apple engineers could simply have stretched that resolution up and out for the 27-inch iMac. Instead, they took the display well beyond HD with 2560-by-1440 resolution. That’s 78 percent more pixels than the 21.5-inch iMac display."

Could you comment upon this aspect, please? I suppose I could get the big Mac and load it with Windows, as all my (expensive) software is for Windows OS but that seems slightly silly and, besides, as you say the iMac is not yet getting hardware we expect for that level of expenditure.

Thanks, Bob, and anyone else looking in on this conundrum.

I have played with one, and honestly would never consider buying it. Too inconvenient, and their target group is obviously only those who need more space on their desks. Mine is 7 by 3 feet, and even with a scanner, a tower PS, a laptop (connected to the 'Net 24x365/366), a monitor. a keyboard, and two printers. I still have about 2 sq.feet to spare.

I cannot understand the allure of AIO vis-a-vis reasonably robust notebook computers.

As always, I'll just stick with tried and true dependability, rather than just jumping on the bandwagon of the latest fad.

I do have an old iMac (not upgradable) & pc at work, but I would buy an AIO pc for all the reasons you mentioned in your article. Thank you.

I love my iMac....and why would I need space to upgrade (chief complaint against AIOs) when it already comes with everything in it.

You forgot to mention the ASUS AIO's. Probably the best of the lot.

I am so old school I doubt I would buy one even if I could afford it! My daughter has an AIO HP fully loaded and has touch screen.Every time I go there I see a million finger prints all over the screen because the kids use it also.
I just bought a really nice HP slim and I couldnt be happier.It came with a terrabyte of space and the on sale price was only $330.
I have a very old crt moniter that has a huge screen and weighs more than I do but the display is wonderful!
I guess you think I am wierd but I dont have pixel problems and I like the fact that I can interchange things when I want to and not be restricted with an AIO.
* just my humble opinion..*

Do these AIO's have batteries like laptops? This is important to me as power goes out sometimes in my district.

Why don't articles like this talk about the new, but not on the market yet, Vizio all in one. Is there no information available for this product? It sounds like this all in one has it all together

Hmmmmm, not much mention of HP AIO's. Was that an indication that you don't approve of them in general, or maybe that you don't think they are worthy?

I don't own one and maybe never will, but from what I have seen in the past, it seems like HP was one of the leaders in AIO's as well as touch.

I think many would be interested in your views of the HP AIOs.

Thanks for your atitcles, I read them often and they have helped me a lot.

Sincerely, Bill

Who puts a tower on their desk? The last thing I need is all the cords connected to my tower cluttering up my desk space. And as pointed out, when an AIO breaks the whole thing goes out for repairs. With my tower I simply replace what needs replacing. I know of a few businesses which are already regretting their purchases of their troublesome AIOs. No thanks!

I stumbled on to a HP AIO after my laptop died (not the hard drive, the motherboard. I have been very happy with it, especially the HD screen. I subsequently purchased another laptop, but find that I usually go to the AIO. Despite having a touch screen, I use the mouse about 99% of the time. These are not laptops, and are not battery operated, but I devised a carrier so that I can take the computer to do work at clients offices, which I used to do on the laptop.

I have a Packard Bell AIO and, boy, is it quiet. I love it. That aside, I may change my mind. I think something's wrong with the graphics. What're the odds it'll die on me the instant the guarantee runs out.