All-in-one machines are usually a lot more
expensive than standard desktop PCs, and the XPS One is no exception, coming in
at around $1950 for a 4GB model with a Core i5 processor and 1TB HDD.
That said, you do get a lot for your money
here. The XPS One can handle HD content without a problem, which 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 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, and on the 27-inch display it looks wonderful.
Dell
XPS One 27 Touch
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 desktop toolbars 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 design of this all-in-one is solid and
attractive. We’d have no qualms about housing it 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.
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 to the XPS One, and the HDMI-out port lets you add a second monitor or TV
if you want more desktop space. An optical audio port lets you hook up a
surround sound setup or external amplifier too. A wireless mouse and keyboard
complete the package, and although they’re a bit no-frills, they do the job.
The
ports at the back could potentially be hard to reach, but at least you’ve got 2
more USB ports on the side.
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 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.
The fast processor and healthy amount of
RAM mean Windows 8 is fast and smooth. Apps are nice and responsive, even with
the high resolution, but since the graphics side of the XPS One is catered for
by a relatively weak mobile Nvidia chip gaming is going to be out of the
question t this res.
Dell
XPS One 27 Touch from back
Overall though, it’s a decent package, and
easily one of the nicest looking all-in-one PCs we’ve seen. While the $1950
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 would have to spend around $600-$750 on the
monitor alone.
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Vital
Statistics
- Price: $1950
- Manufacturer: Dell
- Web: www.dell.com
- CPU: Intel Core i5
- RAM: 4GB DDR3 1.6GHz
- Graphics Nvidia GeForce 640M 2GB
- Screen size: 27-inch (2,560 x 1,440)
·
Storage: 1TB HDD
Verdict
- Features: 8/10
- Performance: 6/10
·
Value: 7/10
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