Rich Brown, Senior Editor May 29, 2009
We have six all-in-one desktops featured in this roundup, but the list could easily be twice as long. We expect that by the end of the year every major PC vendor, along with several minor players, will offer some kind of all-in-one desktop.
We selected the six systems in this roundup mostly because they're the six we've reviewed most recently. Apple's new iMacs have more or less become the standard-bearers of the category. Sony's Vaio SJ250J and LV250B provide perhaps the best convergence of PC and home entertainment device (and who says convergence dead?). And even though we didn't love Dell's new Studio One 19 in the $1,000-plus configuration we reviewed, the default $699 price tag will get you the same 18.5-inch screen. You can also spend $749 on the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 and its 21.5-inch LCD, although that system also has price challenges from its competitors.
Chances are you've already seen or read about cheap "Nettops" and touch-sensitive all-in-ones. We're wary of the former and cautiously optimistic about the latter. Expect those fads and others to continue drawing attention to themselves in their quest for legitimacy. As you sort through all of that hype, be sure to keep in mind that all-in-ones like those featured here have already proven themselves.
| Product name | |
|---|---|
| Price |
As Reviewed: $1,199 |
| CNET editors' rating | |
| Average user rating | |
| Review date | March 09, 2009 |
| The Bottom Line | A few other all-in-ones make this 20-inch iMac look expensive on a dollars-per-screen-inch basis, but none are as attractive or as capable juggling multiple programs. With a fast dual-core CPU and a strong array of features, Apple's updated all-in-one will slide seamlessly into a variety of roles at home or at work. |
| Similar Products | Compare more products |
| Features | |
| Product Form Factor | All-in-one |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 19.1 in x 7.4 in x 18.5 in |
| Weight | 20.1 lbs |
| Processor | 1 x Intel Core 2 Duo 2.66 GHz ( Dual-Core ) |
| Cache Memory | 6 MB L2 cache |
| RAM | 2 GB (installed) / 8 GB (max) - DDR3 SDRAM - 1066 MHz - PC3-8500 |
| Storage Controller | Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 ) |
| Hard Drive | 1 x 320 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-300 |
| Hard Drive (2nd) | None |
| Hard Drive (3rd) | None |
| Optical Storage | DVD±RW (±R DL) |
| Optical Storage (2nd) | None |
| Storage Removable | None |
| Graphics Controller | PCI Express x16 - NVIDIA GeForce 9400M |
| Video Memory | 256 MB |
| Operating System | Apple MacOS X 10.5 |
| Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices | As Reviewed: $1,199 |
