Gateway One at DigitalLife -- are All-in One PCs an Alternative to Laptops?

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The Gateway One was unveiled at DigitalLife this week and I had a chance to play with it a bit. Some are accusing Gateway of just copying the Apple iMac all in one computer, but Sony has their VAIO LT series which is also the same concept and we'll be seeing more of these types of machines from other manufacturers before the end of the year. But is the interest there from consumers for these devices?

Before addressing that question, let's take a look at the Gateway One that was announced on Thursday at the DigitalLife show in New York.

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The Gateway One is very much like the Apple iMac, the screen and all components are contained within the same panel shaped case that rests on a desktop. The optical drive is on the side and a keyboard is wirelessly paired so you're free to move about. The screen on the Gateway One is 19&quot;, slightly smaller than the 20&quot; Apple iMac. The Gateway One uses a mobile Core 2 Duo processor, at the moment the options are an Intel T7250 (2.0GHz) or T5250 (1.5GHz). Following are the full specs for the One:

• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 or Intel Core 2 Duo T5250
• Chipset: Intel GM965
• Screen: 19&quot; Widescreen TFT Active Matrix LCD (1440x900)
• Memory: 2GB up to 4GB
• Hard Drive: 320GB to 500GB on board storage
• Graphics: Intel X3100 or ATI Mobility 2600XT
• Ports: 7 - USB 2.0 Ports (3 on the chassis, 4 on the power module), 1 - IEEE 1394 Port (Front), 5-in-1 media card reader, headphone out, microphone in,  1 - IEEE 1394 FireWire Port (Front)
• Audio: 8-Channel (7.1) High Definition Audio, Integrated NXT SoundVu Speaker Technology
• Optical Drive: Slot Loading 8x DVD+-R/RW SuperMulti Drive
• Input: Premium Wireless Multimedia Keyboard, River Rock Wireless Optical 2-Button Touch-Wheel Mouse, Media Center Remote Control
• Web Camera: 1.3MP built-in
• Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Tv Tuner: Optional

The keyboard for the Gateway One is paired via IR and has a one-to-one pairing with the machine it is purchased with. The mouse and media remote use the same type of IR wireless, no Bluetooth is included. Gateway is talking a lot about the fact the One is easier to upgrade than either the Apple iMac or Sony VAIO LT competitors. The One gives you easy access to the two memory slots, two PCI Express MiniCard slots and a spare hard drive bay.

A majority of the ports are on the left side:

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While the rest of the ports are interestingly contained in the power brick:

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On the right side you just have a slot loading optical drive and button that puts the machine into a sleep state:

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The wireless keyboard and mouse allow you to roam up to 30 feet away and still control the computer:

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Will All-in-One PCs compete with Laptops for Buyers?

The question arises that, since these all-in-one PCs are geared towards being clean and free of the number of wires a desktop requires, does it make it enticing to somebody that was just looking for a desktop replacement notebook computer? After all, the reason many people get a laptop is just so it's easier to move when necessary, even if that's infrequent such as when you move from a dorm back to your home for the summer.

So my question is, would you buy an all-in-one computer instead of say a 17&quot; screen desktop replacement notebook if your only intention for that notebook was to have it sit on a desk in a home? The shared benefits of a notebook and all-in-one computer are the following:

1. They are portable (though by varying degrees), or at least easier to move than a desktop PC with its multipe parts (speakers, monitor, tower, wires)
   
2. They only have one wire to deal with, and that's the power
   
3. The screen is built-in
   
4. Speakers are built-in
   
5. Both use mobile processors

Major differences are:

1. The all-in-one does not have a battery and is intended for in home or office use only
   
2. The keyboard is not built-in and a part of an all-in-one, it is wireless and detached
   
3. The all-in-one is much heavier than a typical notebook, weighing close to 20lbs
   
4. There is no ExpressCard or PC card slot on all-in-one machines

Personally, I can see these all-in-one PCs making sense in a home where you'd like a large screen device and be able to sit some distance away and control it. But notebooks are just as upgradeable, if not more so, than current all-in-one PCs on the market (Sony VAIO LT, Apple iMac and Gateway One), so there's no benefit with the all-in-one being as upgradeable as a typical desktop PC is. In the end it depends a lot on how your lifestyle is, but I mostly see these all-in-one machines further cannibalizing desktop sales and not a viable alternative to somebody that had their mind on a laptop.

 

I like the user serviceability of this Gateway One...but other than that, no bias to Apple but the iMac is much better, in terms of price and design.

Nice article by the way, Andrew .

 

Personally, I don't see a point to miniaturized desktop computers. Slim cases and "the monitor is the only unit" designs sacrifice performance, low cost, and possibility of upgrades: the strengths of a desktop. You can always put a bulky case under the desk or get a desktop horizontal case.

Basically, all-in-ones are for people who value the look of their machines as much or more than performance, price, or upgrade paths.

 

Agreed with above.

I don't think the Gateway One is an iMac ripoff; in fact, it looks a lot more like the 20th anniversary Macintosh from 10 years ago, or 1997:


What's old is new again!

 

Wow, no dedicated graphics card?

 

Graphics: Intel X3100 or ATI Mobility 2600XT

And Teraforce, you're right, it seriously looks like the 20th anniversary Mac .

 

Why is the "chin" on it so big? I thought the Imac's were bad but jeez.

 

Personally I find the all-in-one PC to be a dumb idea (but other people may find it suitable for themselves) because it fails in every aspect; it has the limited mobilty of a desktop with the lack of power of a notebook!

Btw, the OP said somewhere that people are complaining that it copies Apple's designs: so what? Thats the way business works; when you see your competitor create a new market niche, are you just going to sit there and let them rake in a monopoly of profits?

 

I agree, with the widespread use of LCD screens that thing doesn't even save more desktop space (I can see it saving space if you come from a CRT monitor, though). There are more powerful notebooks than that and weigh less than half as much. Though I can see one use for it, in libraries and tech labs where there's limited space (even under the desk). It may be cheaper than a desktop system, and take less space. It'd also be easier to maintain, I suppose.

 

I think it's ugly. I don't like how high of a profile it has and how high the lcd sits. It just looks weird to me.

 

I don't like it, I mean I guess those who want something stylish & minimal wiring would find it practical. Other then that I would take the greater power of a desktop, the upgradability of a desktop, the more economical price of a desktop and just have to deal with a couple wires/peripherals....

 

In my parent's house, where reside my old desktop there is such a mess of cables that this thing seems to fit (as a 20.1 laptop also seems to fit), speccially since they have a bird that ate the loudspeakers cable

 

me, I'd rather save some money and get an SFF Optiplex and place it on the back of a Dell monitor. There was one at my school like that, and it didnt look half bad, with a wireless keyboard and mouse it would be sweet.

 

I'd like that idea better; HP has their own version as well.

The more I look at the Gateway one, the more it reminds me of a giant iPod Video minus the wheel. It still reminds me of a 20th Anniversary Mac, too.

 

How about ergonomics?

 

haha yeah like half the front is the chin! I'll keep my white 24" iMac, thank you very much.

And putting the USB ports on the side just looks...wrong lol. Function over form I guess...

 

Couldn't have said it any better. I was at DigitalLife today and saw them first hand.

 

I've always liked the concept of the all-in-one for a certain group of users. Some people need something that is easy on space, while not needing the all out performance of a full blown desktop. Simple connections and having everything at their fingertips is nice as well.

My grandmother, for instance, would probably fit the demographic for this type of machine. Something sleek that takes up as little space as possible, and would be more than suitable for basic computing needs. Plus I could never imagine her cruising the web at our local Starbucks on a laptop.

Of course, a 400 dollar Best-Buy special would do the same, but it wouldn't be as neatly packaged.

As a younger person, i'd much rather have a laptop. It works just as well on my desk as it does in my friends apartment, or school, or the coffee house...

...the benefits of being able to throw (not literally) your computer in a bag and go.

 

All-in-ones are a niche market to an extent, but I'd say only due to price. The design and confines drive the cost up to more than many budget notebooks (at least in the case of the iMac and the Sony), so it's just not feasible for many people looking for a simple desktop.

One thing to consider, though, is that most people don't buy desktops for the power or upgrade ability; gamers and tech enthusiasts build desktops for that. Most people buy desktops from companies like Gateway or HP or Dell because they don't know enough to build their own and just need a computer, not a laptop. So for someone like my parents, an all-in-one is a good solution because it does what they need, has a nice large screen, and takes up minimal space. My mom actually thinks the iMac is really cool.

Me, however, I'll stick to the laptops or custom desktops.

 

I think the all-in-one pc lacks desktop power and laptop mobility. But it is eye-catching. Personally I would not buy an Imac or the sony vaio lt because the price doesn't justify the performance. And the fact that you can't upgrade the gpu, motherboard, or cpu really limit the potential of the system. But it is something cool to have in the library or a public service area where space saving is necessary and a larger screen is preferred.

 

Agreed, although from reading the posts apparently it won't even replace desktops since it can't be upgraded easily.

So it almost seems like it's stuck between laptops and true desktops, like it can't make up it's mind, possibly worse off than both? not truly portable and not truly a desktop?

Geez I wouldn't make a good iMac salesman

 

this is obviously aimed at people who will never participate in this forum. ie those non gamers who just use the computer for itunes, movies and internet. that is a huge market and they will love these.

 

....I'll just never participate on the forums then, eh?

These have a niche: they are cheaper than similarly specced notebooks (or at least the iMac is - from what I hear, this Gateway thing is pretty expensive, and the Sony LT, being a Sony, is a royal rip-off, just like everything else they sell), have larger screens, and for most people, do the job just fine. And its a pretty nice effect, my friends will come into my room and say, uh, wheres the rest of your computer, I'm only seeing the screen part? That kind of sleekness factor is the kind of thing that will make people pay an extra couple of hundred to get one of these things. Plus, if you don't want a notebook, an AIO would be an ideal college machine, since it takes up less deskspace than any other machine out there, and if you really wanted to, you could wall mount it.

However, I think Apple is still the only company to have done the AIO form factor right; though Gateway had a decent thing going back in 2002 with the Profile series or whatever it was called. The Sony LT is decent, except its overpriced by about half, and the Gateway One, though better than the previous Gateway AIO, still needs work, especially with the look of it. And while the ports on the AC Adapter thing is a novel idea, its a bit weird. And for comparison, the iMac doesn't have an AC adapter at all, so Gateway needs to build that PSU into the system.

 

hey let's not forget the Gateway Astro

 

I would like more of these AIO's to have touchscreen or digitizer, and starting with 24" screen size. We have HP's TouchSmart PC at home, too bad it's only 19" screen.

(FYI technically the HP is not a digitizer nor a traditional pressure-based touchscreen, but close enough.)