But there it is: thin, massive, and impressively configured with a Core-i7 Sandy Bridge CPU, 8GB of RAM, up to 1.8TB of storage space (with solid-state drive options), a 2GB discrete graphics card, and a slot-loading BluRay player. The screen has a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels; and fittingly for an All-in-One, it supports ten-finger multitouch.
Its weight seems a bit on the heavy side, but the solid metal chassis is gorgeous, with an attractive, clean finish. Like the Vizio all-in-ones that I saw earlier today, this PC has its innards tucked into the base, allowing the screen to achieve its superslim profile.
Overall, it’s reminiscent of the HP TouchSmart 610–albeit in a larger, thinner form–especially because both incorporate a logical and perhaps inevitable development in all-in-one PCs. Holding your arms in the air to get things done is uncomfortable at best. Using a sliding screen alleviates some of that discomfort, but laying the screen entirely flat is a neat extra step, and should get even better as more game developers take advantage of touchscreen-enabled PCs–a virtual certainty with Windows 8 on the horizon.
First Vizio, and now Lenovo. More of this, please, PC manufacturers. As components get smaller and better at dissipating heat, design choices of the type adopted here become easier to realize. And that’s good news for anyone who wants a desktop PC that’s worth showing off.
In Video: Best Desktop at CES: Lenovo’s IdeaCentre A720