Dell XPS One 27: Can An All-In-One Make Us Love Windows 8?
Windows 8 is unquestionably intended to create consistency between consoles, tablets, phones, and the PC. But the desktop world is still largely without touch input. Can Dell's XPS One 27 make the Windows 8 experience better with a gorgeous touchscreen?
Windows 8 represents Microsoft’s first earnest effort to bring mobile users back to the desktop (Ed.: Or is it the other way around?), where they can find huge quantities of local storage and vast computing resources to be more productive, create content, and game in a truly enveloping environment. A 5" screen just can't hold a candle to three 1920x1080 displays for any of those tasks.
For those of us glued to our desktops, not necessarily concerned about a convergence of phones, tablets, game consoles, and PCs, the Windows 8 interface is jarring. We saw it from your comments as soon as the operating system debuted. But we've been using it since last year and navigate around it fairly smoothly, particularly on multi-monitor configs that circumvent that interface almost entirely.
What about the folks using Windows 8 on a PC with a single screen? That's where the operating system seems to run into most of the resistance. The one thing hurting Microsoft the most with its touch-based interface is the lack of PCs with touchscreens.
Dell saw that coming.
If you have a mobile device with Windows on it, you already know that consistency between interfaces is nice. Really, though, you want functionality to match. A touchscreen turns Dell’s XPS One 27 from a device that resembles a super-sized tablet to a device that actually works a lot like one. And that capability adds only $200 to the price of the most entry-level $1,399 model.
Of course, Dell wants to show off. So we're testing something a little (lot) more deluxe.
| Dell XPS One Touch 27 (2710) $2599 Configuration | |
|---|---|
| Platform | Intel FCPGA988, H77 Express, Embeded PCIe Graphics |
| CPU | Third-Generation Intel Ivy Bridge-Based Core i7-3770S (3.1-3.9 GHz, 8 MB Shared L3 Cache, 65 W Max TDP) |
| RAM | 2x Nanya NT8GC64B8HB0NS-DI (2 x 8 GB) DDR3-1600 SO-DIMM, CL11 |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce GT 640M: 645 MHz, 2 GB GDDR5-4000 |
| Display | Capacitive Touch 27" LED Backlit Glossy LCD, 2560x1440 |
| Webcam | 2.0 Megapixel w/dual microphone and sliding cover |
| Audio | Realtek Integrated HD Audio with Waves MaxxAudio 4 |
| Security | Kensington Security Slot |
| Storage | |
| Hard Drive | Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001: 2 TB, 7,200 RPM, 64 MB Cache, SATA 6Gb/s Samsung MZMPC032HBCD-00000: 32 GB MLC Cache Drive, mSATA 6Gb/s |
| Optical Drive | HL-DS 8x Slot Loading DVD Burner/BDR Combo HL-DT-ST DVDRWBD CT40N |
| Media Drive | 8-in-1 SDXC/MMC/MS/xD flash media interface |
| Networking | |
| Wireless LAN | Intel Advanced-N 6235 802.11n PCIe |
| Wireless PAN | Integrated Bluetooth Transceiver on Wireless Combo Card |
| Gigabit Network | Atheros AR8161 PCIe 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet |
| IEEE-1394 | None |
| Telephony | None |
| Peripheral Interfaces | |
| USB | 6 x USB 3.0 (4-rear, 2-side) |
| Expansion Card | 1 x empty Mini PCIe (for optional TV tuner) |
| External Hard Drive | USB-only |
| Audio | Headphone, Microphone, Rear Out, SPDIF |
| Video | HDMI Out, HDMI In (Display-Only) |
| General Stats | |
| Weight | PC 34.4 lbs, Peripherals 1.6 lbs, Total 36 pounds |
| Operating System | Microsoft Windows 8 Pro 64-bit Edition, OEM |
| Warranty | One-year parts/Labor w/In-Home Service |
The extra $1,000 brings with it a slew of upgrades, including the Core i7-3770S CPU, 16 GB RAM, the 32 GB SSD cache drive, a 2 TB hard drive, and Blu-ray reader/DVD burner.
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