Acer Aspire 7600U
THE ASPIRE U’S attractive, modern ‘picture frame’
design stands out, a 60mm high, 5mm wide clear acrylic panel gives the
impression that the screen is floating in mid-air throughout its 30-80 degree
tilt range.
Acer carried that design through to the bundled wireless keyboard
and mouse. Both peripherals are a little plasticky, and the keyboard’s travel
is too shallow to be comfortable for marathon typing, but they’re functional
and look great. The media remote control includes a full QWERTY keyboard on the
back.
High style, but
not short on substance
The 1920 x 1080-pixel (83ppi) LED-backlit LCD screen has
good color uniformity and contrast, scoring four out of five with the
Spyder4Elite. On a 27-inch panel, at standard screen viewing distance, the
screen looks pixelated. At a distance, comfortable for touchscreen operation,
it’s a shortcoming.
Powering the Aspire U is an Intel Core i7-3630QM quad-core
processor, 8GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce GT 640M graphics card. Storage if
a 1TB hard drive, and there’s a slot-loading Blu-ray reader/DVD writer.
Connectivity is goof, with four USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0
ports, HDMI output, two HDMI inputs, separate headphone and microphone sockets,
SP/DIF optical audio output and Ethernet. Wireless functionality includes
802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and NFC.
The Aspire U is practical and stylish for home or office.
However, we could only get the Core i5 model in for review, and until we can
get our hands on the Core i7-based New Zealand version and put in through our
test suite, we’ll have to sit on our find verdict.
Specifications
·
Price: $3,299
·
Web: acer.co.nz
·
Intel Core i7-3630QM quad-core CPU
·
Memory size: 8GB RAM
·
Nvidia GeForce GT 640M graphics (2GB)
·
1TB hard drive
Logitech t400/t620/t650
Windows 8 touch peripherals
Stuck using Windows 8 on a desktop PC or all-in-one with a
non-touch monitor? You’ve probably noticed that it isn’t the most intuitive of
computing experiences.
Microsoft Wedge
Mobile Keyboard
Microsoft has a range of touch-enabled Windows 8 peripherals
designed to address this issue, and now Logitech has come to the party with a
similar range. We tested out the t500 Zone Touch Mouse, t620 Touch Mouse and
t650 Wireless Rechargeable Touchpad.
The t500 is a conventional two-button mouse, with a
touch-based scroll ‘pad’ instead of a scroll wheel. It works extremely well,
and the pad provides both vertical and horizontal scrolling. It also serves as
a dedicated windows 8 ‘start’ button, which works identically to the Windows
key on most keyboards. Highly recommended.
The t620 is an entirely touch-based mouse, like Microsoft’s
Touch Mouse or Apple’s Magic Mouse. It allows you to use up to six gestures,
including scrolling, app switching, accessing the Windows 8 charms menu and
start screen. It’s as uncomfortable and clumsy as any of its competitors, and
doesn’t have separate left and right click buttons – making it entirely useless
for gamers. Avoid.
Finally, the t650 is Logitech’s answer to Apple’s Magic
Trackpad. It’s a 134mm square wireless touchpad, with rounded corners and
edge-to-edge glass. It works like a giant version of a regular laptop touchpad,
and allows you to perform Windows 8 gestures to show the charms menu, start
screen and so forth. Though it lacks the precision of a mouse, it’s comfortable
and intuitive. If you prefer a touchpad to a mouse (perhaps for ergonomic
reasons), it’s worth a try.
Conclusion
OF THE ALL-IN-ONES tested, Dell’s XPS One 27 is a
clear winner. It’s an Intel Core i7-based powerhouse that will be overkill for
many users, but the Dell scores so high primarily because its flexible stand
and high-resolution display combine to make it the most touch-friendly
all-in-one. It makes no compromises: adjustability and a sharp picture also
benefit those who never use the touchscreen.
Dell’s XPS One 27
is a clear winner
For the $3,599 though, you could build or buy a
performance/gaming Pc to leave the XPS One in the dust. If you need power,
that’s what you should do. If you want the touch interface and the space-saving
convenience of an all-in-one, the XPS One 27 is highly recommended.
Windows 8’s touch accessibility came down to the PC’s stand
and screen.
We found touch-centric apps, particularly drawing apps and
games, uncomfortable to use for long periods on a vertical screen. Tilting the
screen to a shallow angle improves things greatly. All-in-ones that don’t
provide much adjustability, such as Samsung’s Series 7 or HP’s Envy 23
TouchSmart, are far better suited to conventional use.
While acceptable on a 23-inch screen at normal desktop distance,
1080p resolution started to appear blocky when leaning in close to the screen.
On a 27-inch screen, the effect was more pronounced. If you
intend to use touch a lot, a higher resolution screen is highly recommended.
Overall, Windows 8 is easier to use on a touchscreen
all-in-one than a standard desktop PC. This was most obvious in ‘tablet
friendly’ areas such as the charms bar, start screen and Windows 8 app-store
apps. Touch-friendly peripherals such as those offered by Microsoft and
Logitech are not nearly as useful as a touchscreen. If you’re considering an
all-in-one PC to use with Windows 8, pay the premium for touch – we think it’ll
help you avoid yelling at your PC.
