All-in-one machines are now slimmer and more attractive than ever (essential for a PC that wants to be part of your living room), and are able to run the latest programs and apps with ease. Dell's slender new XPS One 27 Touch could be the perfect combination of power and elegance.
All this technology means that all-in-ones are usually a lot more expensive than standard desktop PCs, and the XPS One is no exception, coming in at around £1,100 for a 4GB model with Core i5 processor and 1TB hard drive. These days more than ever, that's a lot of cash to put down, particularly when you compare it to a laptop with a similar specification.
That said, you do get a lot for your money here. The XPS One is able to handle high definition content without a problem. This is especially important for this PC, since each model in the range comes with an absolutely stunning 27-inch touchscreen TV panel with WQHD (Wide Quad High Definition). That's a staggering 2,560 x 1,440 pixels - considerably higher than 1080p full HD - and on the huge 27-inch display it looks simply wonderful.
Windows 8's new interface suits the screen perfectly, and there's plenty of space in both full-screen apps and on the desktop. If you're using the touchscreen then smaller toolbars in the desktop view become a little bit fiddly, so you might need to tweak a few settings to make the most of your desktop at the full resolution. Apps scale beautifully though, so the modern interface works just as it should. This is a beautiful screen, and it's incredibly responsive to touch.
At home anywhere
The overall design of this all-in-one is solid and attractive. We'd have no qualms about housing this beauty in our front room or bedroom. Bolstering its position as a replacement TV is the built-in TV tuner, which lets you watch your favourite shows without having to turn on the whole PC. You can't access the tuner through Windows 8 though, so you won't be able to use that roomy hard drive as a PVR. That's slightly disappointing; we appreciate the TV functions, but we'd love everything to be tied a little closer together.
The fact that this is a TV first does have extra benefits though. The HDMI-in port lets you hook up a Blu-ray player or Xbox, and the HDMI-out port lets you add a second monitor or TV if you want even more space. An optical audio port lets you hook up a surround sound setup or external amplifier. A wireless mouse and keyboard complete the package, and. They're a bit no-frills, but they do the job.
It comes as no surprise that the biggest draw of the Dell XPS One 27 Touch is the '27' in its name: that massive screen. We're inclined to gush about it a little, but it's not entirely flawless; on the standard Windows 8 desktop you can see faint vertical and horizontal lines, which are a bit more noticeable on white and light coloured backgrounds. However, there's no sign of them when you're playing games, watching video, browsing the Windows 8 Start screen or using an app. The glass screen gives off some glare in sunlight, but viewing angles are very good, so if you're going to use it as a TV, getting friends and family to gather around it won't be a problem.
The fast processor and healthy amount of RAM mean Windows 8 is fast and smooth. Apps are nice and responsive and since the graphics side of the XPS One is handled by a hefty Nvidia graphics card, you won't have any trouble playing the latest games. Overall, this is a sweet package, and easily one of the nicest looking all-in-one PCs we've seen. While the £1,300 base price tag may seem a little steep at first, it's on a par with other machines of this type.
To get a decent 27-inch display at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels for your standard desktop PC, you'd have to spend around £800-f900 on the monitor alone.
The fact that the Dell XPS One 27 Touch is also rocking some pretty fine PC components (including a Blu-ray drive) makes it seriously tempting in just about any living room. It's huge though, and if you need an all-in-one that will double as a workstation, you may be better off looking elsewhere. A brilliant PC for media and games thanks to its stunning screen. The perfect machine for your living room.
