Sony VAIO Pro 13 Touch (SVP1321WSNB) Review

we have tested a fair number of Ivy Bridge-based Ultrabooks so far and have been eagerly waiting to get our hands on an Intel Haswell-based Ultrabook, which claims to give a boost to the battery life thanks to its power-efficient micro-architechture. We received the Sony Vaio Pro 13 (SVP1321WSNB) which sports an Intel Core i5-4200U processor. This Ultrabook is sleek, looks great and houses the 4th generation Intel processor. So let us see if it delivers on the Haswell promise of better performance with a much higher battery life.  

Design and build

The Sony Vaio Pro 13 sports a 13.3-inch LED backlit LCD full HD touchscreen and a chiclet keyboard

Sony Vaio Pro 13 is quite the looker and a very well-designed Ultrabook. What adds to its beauty is its light weight. It measures 322 x 216mm and has a maximum thickness of 17.2mm on its thickest and 12.8mm on its thinnest sides. At just 1.06 kg, the Sony Vaio Pro is one of the lightest Ultrabooks we have seen in a long time.

Sony Vaio Pro 13 Touch is quite slim and looks attractive at first glance

The Vaio Pro 13 comes in an all-black body with sharp edges with a tapering profile around the sides. It’s made of carbon fibre material which keeps the weight light. There is a nice chrome touch on the rear side with the Sony branding. One thing we found surprising was that the top cover tends to flex when you apply mild pressure.The rear side of the laptop is clean and it has a provision to add an extra sheet battery pack. There is a rubber strip running along the base on the rear side to give the Pro 13 a good grip when placed on a table.

On the right hand side you have an HDMI port, two USB 3.0 ports, headphone jack and the SD card slot, whereas on the left hand side you have the power port and the cooling vents. We really liked how the design on the edge tapers from top to bottom. 

On opening the top flap, you are presented with a chiclet keyboard, a palm rest with a brush metal finish and a considerable trackpad. The keypad is laid out on a matte black finish material and all the keys are backlit. The trackpad has a monolithic design and it suffers like most of the other monolithic trackpads we have seen, requiring a harder press to register a response beyond a point. The keypad is well laid out with the keys having a decent amount of travel. There are no surprises as far as the size and placement of keys such as Ctrl or Enter are concerned. Seven of the twelve function keys serve a dual-purpose.

The hinge mechanism is a bit different on the Vaio Pro 13. As you lift the top flap, you will notice that the chrome edge with the Sony branding will touch the base of the table in a way that the top of the keypad is raised from the table. Now while this mechanism is alright on a flat surface like a table, it can be annoying when you use it on your lap.

The speakers are nicely concealed on the top of the keypad

The speakers are stealthily-located and you can see them only on opening the top flap all the way out. The speakers fire in the direction of the monitor which is another reason why the hinge mechanism is thought out this way. 

Features

The Sony Vaio Pro 13 has just two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port and an SD card slot on the right hand side

The Sony Vaio Pro 13 houses the fourth generation Intel Core i5-4200U processor clocked at 1.6GHz with a Turbo Boost upto 2.6GHz. It is an ultra-low voltage (ULV) series dual-core processor with hyper-threading and has the Intel HD 4400 on-die graphics. The Vaio Pro 13 houses 4GB of RAM and a Samsung MZNTD128HAGM which is a 128GB SSD. There are only two USB 3.0 ports along the sides and it lacks an optical drive which is the norm with thin Ultrabooks. There is no LAN port as well. It sports a 13.3-inch full HD resolution LED backlit screen, with a glossy finish. The screen is a multi-touch screen and is quite responsive. We found the presence of a USB port on the power charger to charge your mobile devices quite thoughtful. It leaves the two USB 3.0 ports free to be used with a mouse or an external hard drive. The Vaio Pro 13 bundles an HDMI to D-Sub adapter so that the monitor contents can be shared on another display or projected on a screen while making presentations. This is a good tool for business users.

The VAIO Care utility has various sections for troubleshooting, system settings, security settings etc.

It comes with a variety of VAIO specific apps such as VAIO care, VAIO update, VAIO Movie creator, VAIO control centre and so on. The VAIO Care utility has various sections dealing with troubleshooting, system settings, security settings, updating software etc. The VAIO Movie maker as the name implies allows you to make amateur videos from the images or videos you have shot. The VAIO update app allows you to update your VAIO utilities as well as drivers.

Just like the recent bunch of Sony Xperia devices and high end compact cameras, the Vaio Pro 13 also supports near-field communication (NFC) which allows you to pair your NFC-enabled mobile devices or cameras with the Ultrabook and transfer or stream data. On the OS front, the Vaio Pro 13 comes bundled with Windows 8 and there are a decent number of apps available by default such as Sony Music’s Jive HD, Socialife, Shufflr, Gaana, Big Flix and so on.

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A keyboard and mouse for a new generation

The good: The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop is a simple split-key keyboard with integrated shortcut keys and a spherical mouse, designed to take undue weight off your wrists.

The bad: Split keyboards are an acquired taste, setup takes up a lot of desktop space, and some users will lament the glossy shell on the mouse that attracts sticky fingers and fingerprints.

The bottom line: Whether you're already noticing early signs of carpal tunnel syndrome or just want to get started on prevention, the Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop is a cost-effective, well-thought-out solution that puts a healthy posture at your fingertips.

There was a time when secretaries, data input professionals, and stenographers were generally the only ones who suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries. Fast-forward a few decades and everyone's posture is out of alignment thanks to the ubiquity of computers in the office and something called "text neck."

Microsoft endeavored to combat the physical effects of sitting in an unnatural position all day, and after two years, the design team came up with the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop: a keyboard-and-mouse combo that positions your hands to alleviate pressure on the wrists. Though it's priced ambitiously at $129.95, the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop will certainly satisfy users craving a more natural, comfortable position to keep wrist pain at bay.

Design and features

Microsoft tells us that the keyboard earned the code name Manta Ray during its test phase, a hat tip to the angled-in design of the keypad and the teardrop cutout in the center that truly emphasizes the separated form.

The keyboard is especially flat on the sides and gradually rises toward the center, forcing your hands into the proper position that feels very natural.

The design saves room by splitting off the number pad into a separate unit, which you can stick in a drawer if you're not using it. Without the number pad, the keyboard only measures a little more than 15 inches wide.

When you place your hands on the home row, you'll find that your wrists are delicately guided to the softly padded wrist rest that stretches beneath the device and measures nearly the width of the keyboard itself.

The integrated wrist pad is designed to combat bad habits before they become an issue. Those already suffering through carpal tunnel syndrome are surely familiar with the splints worn to prevent the hands from moving into problem positions.

The keyboard also comes with a removable riser bar that attaches to the bottom and pushes your wrists up even farther; personally, I prefer to type without it and still feel a relief from prolonged strain compared with a traditional, horizontal keyboard.

The riser and the battery compartment door underneath include magnets that snap them into place, and Microsoft adds another nice touch by including Duracell batteries instead of the usual generic brands typically bundled with other peripherals. The keyboard uses two AAA batteries for power, the mouse uses another two AAs, and a small internal lithium ion battery juices up the number pad.

Every keyboard requires some time to learn in order to get back up to normal typing speed, and this is especially a factor with the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop set. While the keys gave my fingers a comfortable home row, I found myself getting thrown off by the placement of the B key. Glance down at any standard keyboard and you'll see that the B sits directly underneath the G and the H keys, with an equal distance to access with either the right or the left hand.

I've been touch typing for more than 15 years with an average typing speed of 120 words per minute (humble brag) and consider the B an ambidextrous key, but Microsoft forces you to follow its standard and hit it with your index finger. It's a minor gripe, but an anecdotal poll around the office showed that roughly half of those surveyed access the B with both their right and left hands depending on the letters that come before and after it.

On a positive note, the chiclet-style keys themselves have a very short distance to depress and actuate, which makes for a very quick and quiet typing experience. I'm also a big fan of the decision to cut the spacebar into two parts, allowing a more unobtrusive click for either hand.

The Sculpted Ergonomic Desktop is optimized for Windows 8 so you'll recognize the Windows Metro button instead of the old Start icon to the left of the spacebar. Discerning typists might also notice the omission of the familiar Fn button that usually gives access to a secondary set of shortcuts on the number row.

Instead, this keyboard features a switch on the upper right corner to toggle among the functions of the F1-F12 keys, which isn't a deal breaker but will likely dissuade hard-core PC gamers whose virtual lives relies on these shortcuts.

The keyboard is a solid performer for ergonomics and easy access, but it doesn't have much by way of extra features, such as backlit keys or even a small LED diode to let the user know that it's on. I also would've liked to see the option to use an internal rechargeable battery with the keyboard-and-mouse combo, as well as the ability to power off the devices when not in use to prolong life between charges.

The mouse that comes with the Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop bundle has a new shape for a Microsoft product and feels like a slightly oblong baseball in your hands. A cutout on the left side means this is a dead end for left-handed users, but like the keyboard, it guides your fingers into a position that minimizes contact between the desk and the palm of your hand.

In addition to two standard left and right clickers, the mouse also includes a notched scroll dial in the center along with an additional Windows Metro start button for easy access to the Windows 8 Start menu.

There's also a button on the left side that operates as a Back button in an Internet browser by default, but it's somewhat hard to find without looking for it specifically; I prefer the larger thumb rest on the Logitech Wireless Performance Mouse MX.

Unlike the matte keyboard, the Sculpt mouse is covered in a glossy, black plastic finish that attracts fingerprints and can leave your hands slightly sticky if you're prone to sweating. The undercarriage houses two AAs and you also get a built-in sheath for the USB dongle for easy access on the road.

As with the keyboard, there's no way to check the status of the battery when you're using the mouse, but at least you get a power switch underneath as well as a small laser that emits a blue light so you know it's on.

Conclusion 

The Microsoft Sculpt Ergonomic Desktop is not without its design flaws, and I wish Microsoft had included backlit keys and rechargeable batteries, but such features aren't the focus of the set.

The target customer for the Desktop is anyone who spends the day with his or her hands glued to input devices and who is concerned about painful hand and arm posture. Microsoft delivers a keyboard and mouse that force your hands into a more relaxed position, and while it may take some time to adjust to the placement and angles, once you do, you won't regret buying this set.

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Back to School 2013: Budget Laptops

The following post is sponsored by Best Buy. Head over to Best Buy for your back to school needs.

We’ve already run through our favorite, but somewhat pricey, choices of laptops for back to school.  However, we know not everyone can afford a $2,000 laptop.  So we’ve put together a collection of our favorite units under $600.  We were pleasantly surprised to see the quantity and quality of options in this price range.

Dell – Inspiron 15.6-inch Laptop

The Dell Inspiron 15.6-inch laptop bucks the thought that you have to settle for small displays and little or no features when shopping for a budget laptop. This particular model packs in a 1.5 GHz Intel Celeron Processor, 4GB of RAM (expandable up to 8GB), double-layer DVD-RW drive, 320 GB HD, webcam, 15.6-inch LED display (1366×768), 8-in-1 media reader, 4 USB ports (2-USB 3.0, 2-USB 2.0), Bluetooth 4.0, all packed in an 1-inch thick enclosure. Pretty impressive especially when you consider the price is just $279.99. 

If you’re looking for slightly better specs than the Dell Inspiron model above, the Asus 15.6-inch laptop may catch your eye, figuratively. This particular model comes in three eye-popping colors: White, green and pink. This unit sports a 3^rd Gen i3 1.8GHz Intel Core processor, 4GB RAM, 15.6-inch LED display (1366 x 768), 500GB HD, HDMI Out, webcam, 3 USB ports (1-USB 3.0, 2-USB 2.0) all weighing in under 4.4 lbs and less than an inch thick. While this model does not include an optical drive, most new devices seem to be heading in that direction anyway. This model will set you back just $349.99.

Lenovo – IdeaPad S400 Touch 14-inch Touch-Screen Laptop

Now if you’re in the market for a touch-screen laptop, which we personally feel is the best way to experience all Windows 8 has to offer, then you may want to shell out just a little more for a device like the Lenovo Ideapad S400 Touch. This laptop comes with a 14-inch touch-screen display (1366 x 768) sporting a 3^rd gen i3 1.9GHz Intel Core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500 GB HD, webcam, media reader, HDMI out, 3 USB ports (1-USB 3.0, 2-USB 2.0). At $449.99, it is definitely worth a look if you’re in the market for a touch-screen display laptop.

Dell – Inspiron 17.3-inch Laptop

If the earlier mentioned 15.6-inch Dell Inspiron’s specs have you pining for more then you may want to check out this 17.3-inch variant.  The Dell Inspiron features a hefty 750 GB HD, 6 GB of RAM, a 3^rd Gen i3 1.9GHz Intel Core processor, DVD burner, 8-in-1 media reader, 4 USB ports (2-USB 3.0, 2-USB 2.0), Bluetooth, with a gigantic 17.3-inch display. Though you end up having to pay a bit more ($599.99) than the 15.3-inch version, you definitely get your money’s worth with this unit.

HP – Pavilion 17.3-inch Laptop

The HP Pavilion 17.3-inch laptop sports a 3^rd gen i3 2.4GHz Intel Core processor, 6GB of RAM, DVD/CD burner, 750 GB HD, 3 USB ports (2-USB 3.0, 1-USB 2.0), Bluetooth, with a 17.3-inch LED display (1600 x 900).  The HP Pavilion comes with a list of stellar specs without breaking the bank at $550. While this laptop weighs a bit more than other models, it also has a larger battery. This particular model comes in sparkling black and silver.

Acer – Aspire 15.6-inch Touch-Screen Laptop

The Acer Aspire 16.6-inch touch-screen laptop is near the top of my list in this category. First off it looks sleek, but it also has brains to match.  This model comes with a 3^rd gen i5 1.8GHz Intel Core processer (with Turbo Boost, up to 2.7GHz), 6GB of RAM (upgradable up to 10 GB), 500 GB HD, 15.6-inch touch-screen LED display (1366 x 768), web cam, digital reader, HDMI out, 3 USB ports (1-USB 3.0, 2-USB 2.0), and Bluetooth 4.0. This unit has pretty much everything you would possibly need. Priced at $579.99 it’s near the top of the category, but definitely worth a look.

Samsung – ATIV Book 4 15.6″ Laptop

The Samsung ATIV Book 4 sports a mean 3rd Gen Intel Core i5 2.6GHz processor (with Turbo Boost up to 3.2 GHz), 6GB of RAM (up to 8 GB), 15.6-inch LED display ( 1366 x 768), 750 GB HD, webcam, digital reader, HDMI out, 3 USB ports (1-USB 3.0, 2-USB 2.0), and Bluetooth 4.0. The processor alone sets this unit above other units in the category and it’s packaged in a beautiful sleek design. Priced at just $579.99, this unit is a great deal considering we would find similarly spec’d devices going for much more.

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Toshiba Qosmio X870 review

Spearheading the Ivy Bridge refresh for Toshiba is the 3D-toting gaming giant known as the Qosmio X870 (£1,699 inc. VAT).

From the black and chrome-red chassis to the bleeding edge components inside, this is a laptop designed specifically to take on the 3D-ready Samsung Series 7 Gamer and the might of the Alienware M17X.

Its mission is to simply cater to power hungry gamers looking for the best machine to handle 2012's latest titles.

We use the word giant with good reason; the X870's chassis is a huge 418 x 272 x 44mm and weighs an impressive 3.4kg.

The design follows a head-turning trend with a black plastic body trimmed with shiny red chrome.

In a world of sleek, silver machines, like the new MacBook Air or the Dell XPS 14, the Qosmio embraces the outlandish design we've come to expect from the gaming laptop stable.

We have no doubt that the Qosmio X870 could run any game under the sun thanks to the combined power of the Intel Core i7-3610QM CPU, clocked at 2.3GHz and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M graphics card.

Meanwhile all the extra features we would expect from a laptop at this price are here in force.

And yet, for all its dominance when it comes to performance, there are a couple of slight hiccups that cause us to question whether this is The Greatest Gaming Machine Ever™ or just a very, very good challenger to the all-conquering Alienware series.The Toshiba Qosmio X870 boasts 4 USB 3.0 ports, a Blu-ray drive, HDD protection, harmon/kardon speakers, a backlit keyboard and, of course, that all-important 3D screen.

Specifications

There's no compromise on specifications here.

Toshiba has kitted the Qosmio X870 out with an Intel Ivy Bridge Core i7-3610QM CPU with a speed of 2.3GHz that can be overclocked to 3.3GHz.

On top of that the Nvidia GeForce GTX 670M graphics card will give you 3GB of dedicated video memory on top of the 3GB already provided by the integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip.

Moreover, there's a massive 16GB of RAM keeping the operation as smooth as possible.

And, because the native resolution is a pin-sharp 1,920 x 1,080, you'll be able to enjoy all your gaming in Full 1080p High Definition. The way that nature intended.

Alongside the Full HD resolution, the 17.3-inch screen on the Toshiba Qosmio X870 is also extremely bright.

This is a good thing - as the bundled Nvidia active shutter glasses that you'll need for 3D will shade the display dramatically.

The stereoscopic 3D works well and the Nvidia Control Panel will give you a list of compatible games and how well those titles work with the 3D technology.

The only drawback is that the thick plastic glasses look like something Michael Caine would pull on back in his Harry Palmerdays.

We know that 3D glasses can be lightweight and look good, because we've seen Samsung do it with the Series 7 Gamer.

Don't worry about the space required for high definition or 3D media, the Qosmio X870 has a terabyte of hard-drive space, giving you plenty of digital real estate for media and games.

All four USB ports are the faster USB 3.0 format which gives you data transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps. So, should you decide to invest in some external storage or a few extra peripherals to accessorise the Qosmio X870, you won't be left waiting around.Toshiba has also built in HDD protection, so when vibration or a drop is detected; the X870 shifts the position of the drive to keep your valuable data safely protected.

The rest of the connections read as standard, HDMI and VGA for connecting extra monitors and a Gigabit Ethernet port in case you don't want to use the 802.11n wireless connection.

The optical drive on the Qosmio X870 is a Blu-ray, doubling this laptop as an extra Blu-ray player for your home and you also get the benefit of sleep-and-charge.

When the Qosmio X870 is in sleep mode or even shut down completely, you can use it to charge your smartphone or tablet.

Performance

Cinebench 10: 21,197

3D Mark '06: 10,772

Battery Eater '05: 41 minutes

The build quality of a gaming machine is vital – the laptop needs to stand up to some serious hammering during that final boss battle or tense shootout.

Happily, the Qosmio X870 stood up well to our repeated pokes and prods.

There's no getting away from the design though, and we feel it will divide opinion.

On one hand, it's not as outrageous as, say the Alienware or MSI gaming laptops, but it's also not as conservative as the likes of the Medion Erazer X6819 or the Samsung Series 7 Gamer.

Strangely, for a machine with as much chassis real estate as the Qosmio X870, the travel on the keys is relatively shallow.

We'd be expecting keys similar to the HP Envy series, with a reassuring depth to them that could take a pounding during those aforementioned boss battles.

Instead, it's almost as if the keyboard was taken from a space-conscious Ultrabook.

Despite the lack of depth, the Qosmio X870 was comfortable to type on and there's a good amount of space between the keys.

Admittedly, the blood-red backlight behind the keys does look great.

You're also given a dedicated numeric keypad on the right-hand side, although we don't expect you'll be spending a lot of time editing spreadsheets with this machine.

Media playback is complimented not just by the excellent screen, but also the integrated harmon/kardon speakers placed at either side of the chassis.

You get an excellent level of volume from these speakers and the sound has plenty of depth.

It would have been great to see a subwoofer included on the underside of the Qosmio X870, similar to the one found on the HP Envy 17 3D to add extra bass to the audio.

We take no joy in pointing out flaws on a £1,699 machine but unfortunately, they exist. The DC output power cord doesn't seem to fit snugly into the Qosmio's 19V jack, giving you the worrying feeling it could fall out at any moment.

This is bad, because the Qosmio X870 only lasted 41 minutes during our battery test, possibly the worst score we've ever recorded.

While we don't expect to carry the Qosmio X870 around all day, a little extra juice would be a benefit.

The price of the Qosmio X870 renders it the preserve of hardcore gamers and 3D aficionados who require the kind of power this laptop can generate. And, power is the name of the game here.

With both the Ivy Bridge processor and Nvidia GPU firing, the results are astounding.

Graphics are crisply rendered on the 17.3-inch screen and the Blu-ray capability and stereoscopic 3D give this entertainment scope beyond just gaming.

This is a fully-featured entertainment machine and although we quibble at the battery life and 'Marmite' design, when it comes down to sheer performance, this has got most other gaming laptops truly beat.

We liked

As a gaming machine, this does exactly what it's supposed to. We could not only play Battlefield at full-detail settings, but also engage the 3D setting and blast away in a whole extra dimension.

We also liked that fact that Toshiba has upped each of the USB ports to USB 3.0 – a decision that lets us use the latest gaming peripherals at top speed to help improve the experience.

Special mention must also go to the 17.3-inch screen, managing to be crisp and bright enough to enjoy even with dimmed 3D specs on.

We disliked

In some cases, gaming machines can work well as standard desktop replacement devices.

But if you're not a gamer it's extremely unlikely you'll go anywhere near the Qosmio X870.

The overall design is likely to appeal to some, but not all, while battery life is atrocious. A few extra tweaks such as a deeper keyboard and added subwoofer could also have added greatly to this machine.

Final verdict

The Qosmio X870 is without doubt the best choice for anyone (with cash to burn) who needs the best gaming machine waiting for them at home.

However, the styling and price won't appeal to everyone and if you still want the 3D experience, albeit with slightly less power, then the Samsung Series 7 Gamer is a worthy alternative.

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Far and away, the best Windows 8 all-in-one

The good: The Dell XPS One 27 boasts the highest-display resolution among Windows 8 all-in-ones, and at an aggressive price.

The bad: A new adjustable display support arm is welcome, but stops short of reclining a full 90 degrees.

The bottom line: Updated with a touch screen, a new stand, and up-to-date components, the Dell XPS One 27 leads the inaugural class of Windows 8 PCs.

It was only timing that held back the original XPS One 27 from an Editors' Choice Award. I wanted to see if Apple would unveil a new iMac, and also what might emerge from the PC side in the run-up to Windows 8. Apple's plans will be a mystery for another few hours, but after having seen the new slate of big-screen all-in-ones, I can say with confidence that Dell's updated XPS One 27 is the clear winner among the Windows crowd for its high-resolution 2,560x1,440-pixel display and a still-reasonable price tag.

I can see the pricing questions for this review now, so let's get that out of the way. The XPS One 27 starts at $1,399 for the non-touch model. The touch-screen version starts at $1,599. This review unit is based on the $2,099 step-up configuration, but Dell wanted to show off the big display so it included a Blu-ray drive.

The Blu-ray option is not available with the current $2,099 unit, but Dell says it will start offering the upgrade in December for $200. That puts this exact review configuration at $2,299. Other than the Blu-ray drive, it's identical to the $2,099 model that you can purchase today. If you want an XPS One 27 with a Blu-ray drive now, your only option is the highest-end $2,599 version.

At those higher price tiers, the XPS One 27 enters another pricing level relative to competing 27-inch all-in-ones. Vizio's CA27T-A4 starts at $1,219. The Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 starts at $1,470. Even Acer's high-flying Aspire 7600U tops out at $1,899. But none of those systems offers a 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution display, much less with touch input.

Considering that the touch-screen XPS One 27 starts at $1,599, Dell has the best of both worlds with this PC. It offers high-end options for those who want to pay for them, and it also outclasses its competition by offering the same high-resolution screen with its more modestly priced starting models.
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Dell XPS One 27	Acer Aspire 7600U	Apple iMac 27-inch
Price (at time of review)	$2,299	$1,899	$1,999
Display size/resolution	27-inch, 2,560x1,440	27-inch, 1,920x1,080	27-inch, 2,560x1,440
CPU	3.1GHz Intel Core i7 3770S	2.5GHz Intel Core i5 3210M	3.1GHz Intel Core i5 2400
Memory	8GB 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM	8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM	4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
Graphics	2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 640M	768MB Nvidia Geforce GT 640M	1GB AMD Radeon HD 6970M
Hard drives	2TB, 7,200rpm	1TB, 5,400rpm	1TB, 7,200rpm
Optical drive	Blu-ray/dual-layer DVD burner	Blu-ray/dual-layer DVD burner	dual-layer DVD burner
Networking	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless	Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless
Operating system	Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)	Windows 8 (64-bit)	Apple OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.7

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Among Windows 8 launch PCs, the Acer Aspire 7600U is the only other model to approach the $2,000 price point. Even if you throw out the Dell's higher-resolution screen, the XPS One 27 is still a strong competitor to the Acer system. Dell includes more memory for the GeForce graphics card, and also offers a faster, higher-end Core i7 chip, and twice the hard drive space.

Acer poured a lot of effort into the design of its new all-in-one, and it probably looks a little slicker than the Dell. It also has a unique support foot that makes it easier to adjust the display than the Dell's double-jointed stand support. Where Acer is mostly attempting to make a "lifestyle" appeal for its new all-in-one, Dell sticks to its price-performance roots. The payoff is clear in terms of features and performance, and for any serious PC buyer, the XPS One 27 is the clear choice.

Comparing the XPS One 27 with Apple's high-end iMac is harder, given the potential for a new iMac announcement later today. If you discount operating system preference and compare against the existing iMac, the Dell offers more onboard storage, a touch screen, and the convenience of its HDMI input and output jacks.

The iMac's primary non-software advantage might be its Thunderbolt ports, which open up the door to fast external storage arrays and other peripherals that leverage Thunderbolt's faster data transfer speeds. Professional users in particular might appreciate that option. Otherwise, and again, operating systems aside, the Dell looks like a more fully featured offering than the existing iMac. An update from Apple can always turn this comparison on its head, and I will revisit this review in the event that Apple announces a new iMac.

From a performance standpoint, the Dell is simply the fastest 27-inch all-in-one at its price. Among Windows PCs it has no true speed competition. The Core i5-based $1,599 XPS One 27 (and its $1,399 non-touch equivalent) would also be competitive, if not quite as fast. Our Dell review unit also trounces the existing 27-inch $1,999 iMac. A more expensive iMac with a Core i7 chip would perform better, and a new iMac might also give the Dell a race. Dollar for dollar, though, the Dell XPS One 27 is currently faster.

Moving beyond a pure price-performance calculation, the newest phase of Windows computing aspires for more than simply posting fast benchmark scores. Whether you like it or not, touch screens, lightweight applications, and product design are all ascending. The XPS One 27 excels in most of these aspects as well.

Of these "softer" features, the Dell's touch screen might be its best. Like competing new all-in-ones, the XPS One 27 has edge-to-edge glass, which means you won't struggle to make proper contact with the screen in its corners and along its edges. But more than that, Dell also seems to have put an effort into the responsiveness and the general feel of controlling the system with touch.

Unlike with touch screens on the Acer and the Sony Vaio Tap 20, your fingers glide relatively smoothly along the XPS One 27's screen, with minimal drag. In our test with the Air Hockey app, downloaded from the Microsoft's Windows 8 app store, the Dell also never lost our input with the onscreen paddle. Those other systems, the Acer especially, can't say the same. You don't always need to maintain a continuous, fast-moving connection to the touch-screen on an all-in-one. Dell deserves credit, though, for ensuring that you can.

If I have any major complaint with the Dell, it has to do with its inability to recline the display a full 90 degrees. Both Dell and Acer settle for 60 degrees of movement. The battery-powered Sony Vaio Tap 20 makes 90-degree positioning simple -- you simply lay it down on a tabletop. I agree that you're more likely to use the Sony that way given that you can free it from a power cable, but Lenovo's non-battery-powered IdeaCentre A720 also offers full flat input, thanks to a well-designed stand. Limiting the XPS One 27 to a 60-degree recline feels like stopping short.

The Dell's other features mainly carry over from the original all-in-one. Its screen is huge, clear, and bright. HD video content in particular looks great, and the higher resolution also means that the Dell can fit more text than its competitors into shortcut boxes on the Windows 8 main UI screen. Photo editors and others might balk at the glossy coating on the display, and the high resolution also means that SD video can look particularly blotchy. You might have trouble playing some more challenging games at its native resolution, but Dishonored was smooth and visually stunning at 2,560x1,440 pixels.

As for other details, the slot-loading optical drive is a polished touch. Input arrays on the left edge and along the back provide you with most of what you'd want in a high-end all-in-one, including the aforementioned HDMI jacks, and six USB 3.0 inputs. The ports on the back of the system are a bit cramped behind the display stand, but you can move the screen easily enough that it's not a major obstacle.

Conclusion

It took two years before any Windows vendor found a way to offer an all-in-one with the same 2,560x1,440-pixel resolution as the 27-inch iMac. Now that Dell has figured it out, the remaining 27-inch Windows PCs look woefully under-featured. Dell may have locked up the right supplier to make the XPS One 27, or perhaps it's simply willing to make less profit than its competition. Whatever Dell has done to make this system available, consumers have won. At any of its various price points, the XPS One 27 is the best Windows 8 all-in-one you can buy.

All performance testing conducted by Joseph Kaminski. Find out more about how we test desktop systems.

System configurations (at the time of each review)

Apple iMac 27-inch (Spring 2011)

Apple OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.7; 3.1GHz Intel Core i5 (second generation); 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 1GB ATI Radeon HD 6970M graphics card; 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive.

Acer Aspire 7600U 

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1); 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-3210M; 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 768MB Nvidia GeForce GT 640M graphics card; 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive.

Asus ET2700I

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1); 2.8GHz Intel Core i7-2600S; 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 540M graphics card; 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive.

Dell XPS One 27

Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit; 3.1GHz Intel Core i7-3770S; 8GB 1,600MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 2GB Nvidia GeForce GT 640M graphics card; 2TB 7,200rpm hard drive.

HP Omni 27 Quad

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1); 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-2400S; 8GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 64MB Intel HD Graphics 1000 (embedded); 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive.

Lenovo IdeaCentre A720

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1); 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-3210M ; 6GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 630M graphics card; 500GB 7,200rpm hard drive.

Vizio CA27-A1

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (SP1); 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-3210M; 4GB 1,333MHz DDR3 SDRAM; 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE graphics card; 1TB 7,200rpm hard drive.

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