I couldn’t resist throwing in a reference to the Three Musketeers. In fact, I can’t help it. Ever since the first all-in-one PCs came out I’ve had the urge to wield a sword and rescue damsels in distress whenever they are talked about.
Lately there has been quite a lot of interest, and a lot of development, in the realm of the all-in-one PC. ASUS have just announced seven models within their 23.6inch ET2400 range, all with different specifications ranging from the casual user to the high-end gamer.
It’s a market that, I think, has been remarkably underappreciated until recently so these new arrivals are a Really Good Thing in my book. Why? Because, especially in the UK space is at a premium. Few people have loads of room to spare in their homes and offices so why should what little space there is be taken up by tons of technology and cables?
Feng Shui and personal space issues aside, there’s also the fact that you may not like having to squeeze yourself around a metal box and cables and a monitor all the time. In fact, it may make you a little cranky.
Unlike fashion, where a onepiece could make you look like an adult in a babygro, this particular trend is very, very cool. Having one of these lurking in your lounge will do good things to your street cred and techo-cool. Which, we all know, is very important.
I have to confess that I’m completely shallow when it comes to that sort of thing. I like people to come into my home and go, “Oooh, you have the XYZ machine! Wow! Does it work? Can I play with it.” I am an early adopter which has its ups and its downs, but definitely has its cool.
In this particular instance I haven’t actually gone ahead and bought an all-in-one. I wasn’t entirely happy with the specifications and I was loathe to get something that didn’t do everything I needed it to even though it saved me some space. Now, with the latest models coming out, this is the time to get one of these machines.
As a parent, the advantages are pretty clear cut. From the moment you have a child your house becomes cluttered. It’s as if all the baby accessories, toys and so forth multiply secretly behind your back and explode out of every corner. I’ve actually found stuff in the fridge.
So, you can imagine how important it is to have technology that isn’t going to take up valuable room. And, most importantly, not put too many cables at child level. When they are young the urge to chew is irresistible (and deadly) and as they get older the urges to pull, shove, tug and maim become more dominant. Therefore, less cables, less danger of expensive technology crashing to the floor and either injuring small children or shattering into a thousand pieces.
Another great advantage is that these are pretty low maintenance. You have everything you need in one package. For the high-end PC enthusiast this is probably not ideal. But for anyone who just wants a nice machine to play around with images, watch media and stream wirelessly, this is a brilliant solution.
So sign me up! My lounge is looking longingly at pictures of the ET2400 and saying, “Imagine how awesome I would look if you bought one.” Sneaky lounge…
Mrs Mario
Mrs.Mario is a freelance journalist who loves to write about anything and everything. She accidentally fell into the cauldron of technology about eight years ago and has been slowly simmering in there ever since. She’s a geek but still has tons to learn about the wonderful world of technology. She also suffers from a rare disease known as “need to game” that demands it’s sufferers play at least one videogame a week. So far, she’s been coping with her ailment admirably.