We prefer the latter because they're more flexible, and the ET2300 showcases this better than most. From its standard, front-facing desktop position, it's possible to push the ET2300's screen all the way back until it's lying flat, or at any angle in between. That's a step ahead of the similar Dell XPS One 27, which stops a few degrees short of horizontal.
The Asus is steady on its base, whatever position you choose to leave it in, and its 11.6kg weight keeps it firmly anchored to the desk.
It's also rather trim-looking: the screen is only 50mm thick at its deepest point, and it tapers attractively to an 18mm chromeeffect edge. The wedge-shaped base is large, but it's finished in slick, brushed aluminium, and ports are side-mounted, so they don't spoil the overall appearance of the PC.
Vision and sound
Switch it on and the 23in screen continues to impress. Although one of this month's smaller systems, Windows 8 is more manageable on this size than on the 27in behemoths. Edge-swipe gestures, scrolling, panning and zooming all feel more natural on a screen this size, and the ability to tilt the screen to any angle is a major boon. Coupled with a top-quality keyboard and mouse, the ET2300 is a joy to use.
There are no Windows 8-specific keys on the keyboard, or touch facilities on the mouse, but those are our only gripes.
The image quality of the IPS panel is one of the best here. The 1,920 x 1,080 resolution renders Windows 8's Live Tiles in sharp detail, and the 245cd/m2 maximum brightness is plenty. Colours are vivid without being oversaturated, and an average Delta E of 3.7 makes for superb colour accuracy – it comes second this month. A contrast ratio of 907:1 lends photos and movies depth and wide dynamic range. Better still, both dark and bright tones are well separated.
This is the only 23in PC here to include an integrated subwoofer – a 3W unit on the underside of the base. It provides rumbling bass to complement the slightly tinny mid-range and high-end produced by the ET2300's quartet of 1.5W drivers. The audio setup is loud, but provides better balance than most here.
Performance
Performance was mediocre in the context of this Labs. In our Real World Benchmarks, it scored 0.74 – right in the middle of this month's pack. In our Low quality Crysis test (run at 1,366 x 768), it managed a smooth frame rate of 39fps, but this tumbled to 13fps when we ran the Medium quality benchmark at 1,600 x 900; don't expect the latest games to run without a hitch at the native, Full HD resolution of the panel.
Windows 8 felt perfectly responsive, though. The Start screen's Live Tiles flicked back and forth smoothly, and there was no sluggishness when running Windows Store apps. There's enough power to handle the majority of desktop software, too, although if you regularly edit and render HD videos, you may want more power and RAM on tap.
Verdict
This week's test has illustrated that, no matter how good the screen, 27in panels are too big for comfortable touch-based use – Dell's XPS One 27 is an example. Smaller 23in screens are more manageable – and this Asus is the best of the bunch.
As well as the adaptable stand and great screen, the ET2300 has enough power to cope with general-purpose applications, media and low-end games. Only the Dell Inspiron One 23 and Toshiba LX830 are cheaper, and the Asus ET2300 is more accomplished than both.
http://www.asus.com/AllinOne_PCs/ET2300IUTI/
