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Acer Aspire Revo AR1600-U910H
Created: 12/07/2009
Acer's Aspire Revo 1600 might be the first Nettop we don't actively dislike. We'd rather have an Xbox 360 in the living room, but the Aspire Revo 1600 would be suitable as a PC for young kids or as a low-profile cloud kiosk. Thanks to its $199 price tag, you won't feel too much remorse if it breaks or you outgrow it.
Maingear Shift
Created: 12/03/2009
Maingear's Shift is the boutique vendor's new flagship gaming PC. It brings almost everything we expect to find in such a system, from expert craftsmanship to fast overclocking to a case that makes a statement. We found a few minor sticking points, but, on the whole, this PC sits comfortably alongside the top tier of luxury gaming boxes, and we recommend it if you have the means.
Apple iMac (21.5-inch)
Created: 11/19/2009
Despite its good looks and a few useful new features, Apple's new iMac is all about business. You can find a larger screen for less, not to mention all kinds of digital entertainment features, but no other all-in-one at this price can boast similar performance. If you need a modestly priced all-in-one for getting work done, we'd recommend no other system.
Sony Vaio L117FX
Created: 11/17/2009
Earlier this year Sony was the unquestioned king of all-in-ones designed for home entertainment. The new Vaio L117FX retains and improves on many of the features we liked about older models, but revamped all-in-ones from its competition make the new Vaio seem a touch overpriced.
Apple iMac
Created: 10/20/2009
We haven't given it the full review treatment yet, but our first impression of the $1,699 iMac left us wowed by its expansive, vibrant display. We're eager to test the new iMac chops in the lab, but off-the-cuff, the screen alone might be enough to sway anyone shopping for a midrange all-in-one.
HP TouchSmart 600
Created: 10/12/2009
HP's new TouchSmart 600 takes advantage of Windows 7's multitouch capability better than any other new all-in-one we've seen this Fall. Between strong touch software and a host of digital entertainment options, it might just be the self-contained home entertainment PC you've been looking for.
ZT Affinity 7334Ma
Created: 10/12/2009
The $799 ZT Affinity 7334Ma's stellar performance benchmarks, Blu-ray drive, and plenty of room for expansion give it a step up from the competition. ZT still needs help in the external design department, but this system certainly earns our recommendation as a workhorse do-it-all system.
Psystar Open(Q)
Created: 10/09/2009
If you've heard of Psystar, chances are you know the risks involved with buying its systems. You might also have guessed, correctly, that in this OS X Snow Leopard-based Open(Q) system, Psystar once again shows up Apple in the price-performance department. There's little else to recommend this spare system, but if fast and cheap OS X is what you need, Psystar has you covered, at least for as long as it's still around.
Gateway ZX6810-01
Created: 10/07/2009
The Gateway One ZX6810-01 makes a strong first impression for Windows 7-based all-in-ones PCs, with fast performance and an attractive case design. Its touch input and accompanying applications fall flat, but there's enough respectable computer here that it's worth a look. Our only suggestion is that you wait to inspect the rest of the new Windows 7 crowd once they are released.
Averatec D1133 All-In-One
Created: 10/05/2009
Extra performance by way of a low-wattage AMD chip helps Averatec's D1133 All-In-One stand out from its dismal Nettop competition, but it remains a below-average deal in the grand scheme of budget desktops. We see the appeal of Netbooks, but the benefits of Nettops like this Averatec continue to elude us.
Lenovo C300-3012
Created: 10/02/2009
Don't let the 20-inch screen fool you. The Lenovo C300 is still a Nettop, and thus still not worth your money. With its terrible performance and limited convenience benefit, a true budget PC or a Netbook would be a wiser purchase.
Velocity Micro Edge Z30
Created: 09/11/2009
Velocity Micro's Edge Z30 is the best deal going right now for midlevel gaming PCs featuring Intel's new Core i7 chips. The overclocked Core i7 860, a fast Nvidia graphics card, and a solid selection of features all around make it easy for us to recommend this system to anyone looking for a capable gaming desktop.
Falcon Northwest Talon
Created: 09/04/2009
Falcon Northwest's revamped Talon gaming PC puts its best redesigned foot forward with a strong configuration build around Intel's latest batch of Core i7 CPUs.
Dell Studio XPS 435
Created: 08/26/2009
The Dell Studio XPS 435 successfully overcomes our bias against desktops that claim to be experts at everything through charming case design and a strong configuration at a relatively fair price. It misses greatness because of a handful of minor missteps, but if you need a do-it-all mainstream tower system, this Dell more or less covers all the bases.
