If it is time for you to consider a new computer, think about an All-In-One (AIO)

 

The market for computers has been dominated by laptops for quite a few years. If you walked into a store, the staff would promptly have directed you toward all the new laptops in the market. Companies such as HP, Dell, Acer, and Lenovo focused their entire business to prioritize laptops. It's difficult to say whether it was the manufacturers' focus on this segment or was it consumer demand that led to this phenomenon. What can be said with certainty is that for many years, perhaps, more than a decade, the laptop was seen as the ideal fusion of compactness, functionality, power, convenience, and even aesthetics. Of course, they were an ideal package made possible with improvements in processor, hard disk, and motherboard technologies. Today also, most people would look for a laptop. Laptops of today are terribly powerful, fast, sleek, and have utilized heat management technology for optimum performance. Most young people, especially, would still exclusively consider a laptop as their first choice.

However, in the last few years, a new segment has emerged. It is the All-In-One computer. As the name suggests, all its components are neatly assembled behind the display. There are only the necessary peripherals - keyboard and mouse. Other than that everything is behind a big display. When you are using an AIO, all you see is the screen, pretty much like a huge mobile device. You sit comfortably at your desk with a wireless, Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and there is no clutter on your desk space. Just one power cable connects the AIO to the power supply, and there's nothing else. Of course, you have ports at the back, especially USB, that allow you to attach any needed peripheral. The huge screen size and silent performance make for a very attractive package. It truly is a segment that can displace the laptop for a lot of users who wish to keep a computer at their workstations. It's easy on the eyes, and you are in a better posture with a good, ergonomic setup at home or in an office.

What to look for in an AIO?

Since you will be making an investment that would ideally last for the next 3 years or more, consider making a worthwhile purchase rather than the cheapest one you can get. Of course, you have to determine what your needs are today, and what they will be in the next few years. So, plan accordingly. Still, there are a few things an AIO must have, and these days, manufacturers are providing them as standard. These considerations are so basic and fundamental that you will see them prominently highlighted in nearly every advertisement for every model, by every manufacturer!

• Processor: You will be looking at Intel or AMD. And, unless you are into benchmarks and geeky details, for an everyday user doing normal, everyday work, they are both capable of delivering great performance. My preference is anything with an AMD Ryzen chip. Yours might be different.
• SSD: The AIO must have a Solid State Drive. Many of them come with the OS loaded onto the SSD, and then, a Hard Disk Drive (older technology which now stands to be considered outdated). My view is, to go for an AIO with a 1TB SSD. Again, you are going to use this for a few years. But, if you think, 512GB is enough, then that's fine. Don't look for anything less than that for storage. Of course, you could always use an external SSD.
• RAM: I would suggest looking for 16GB. The present-day RAM would be DDR4, but do make sure in the specifications. Do not settle for 8GB RAM, if any manufacturer is even providing that. Remember, an AIO can be upgraded, but it's a hassle. Better to get the configuration that you will use as-is provided from the factory.
• Display: Of course, this is the thing you will be looking at. Make sure you get a display size and resolution you will be happy with from day one and for the next few years. It's not necessary to get a 4K display, but surely you would appreciate having the color saturation, contrast, and sharper details. For most users who will be working with text and graphics, 1920 X 1080 pixels would be the minimum; and, manufacturers understand that. Anything higher, is better, of course.

Aside from these major considerations, you will have wireless connectivity for Wi-Fi and USB. Please, make sure, it is up to your requirements for now and in the future.

With all of these necessary details out of the way, let me share with you some recommendations from Amazon.

I have divided the following by brand, price, and all-important reviews by verified customers. In each widget, you will see the current price. As soon as you see a price you like, click on the graphic and visit Amazon for details. At the end of this post, I will also have linked graphics to the online store of each major brand with desirable AIOs in the market. After all that, I will embed a few YouTube videos for instructions and recommendations as well.

Here are my recommendations

I have deliberately considered models that have been in the market long enough, to have gathered a sufficient number of reviews from verified buyers. There will be newer and better models available. To take a look at what each brand features, please visit their dedicated online stores on Amazon.

Visit DELL

Visit HP

Visit ACER

Visit LENOVO

Visit APPLE iMac

Do remember, that on these online stores, the manufacturers feature only certain models as recommendations. There would be many other models available, and it would help to do a keyword search on Amazon like: "AIO with AMD Ryzen 7 1TB SSD" or "AIO with Intel i7 NVIDIA graphics". Then, on the results page, you can apply any filters you like, such as brand, ratings, price, etc.

And, if you would like to get advice and recommendations from some YouTubers about AIOs, here they are.

If you like what they share, and as they themselves often remind others, do subscribe to their YT channels if you wish. Thanks, for visiting. I do hope you will get yourself an AIO that will fit your needs and bring you pleasure in work and play for years to come!