CES 2013: 8 All-In-One Products That Pack A Punch

The Best Of All Worlds

Windows 8 has proven to be a strange beast for traditional PC manufacturers. While laptops, as a form factor, have been thrown into disarray, all-in-ones seem to have finally come into their own. That showed at this year's CES. While Ultrabooks have been taking on increasingly disparate shapes, AiOs seem to be climbing a ladder of iterative innovation. These are some of the best ones we saw at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2013.

Sony Vaio L24

The Vaio L24 is already on the market, but that doesn't keep it from being one of the more attractive all-in-ones on the shelves. The touch-enabled, 1080p panel looks great as a Windows 8 display and as a television. Yes, a television, because Sony brings along an HDTV tuner as well as an HDMI input for set-top boxes or game consoles. Beyond that, Sony has been busy building apps that will be exclusive to its Windows 8 and Android devices. One acts like a cork board that allows family members to post notes for each other. Another acts as a scheduler for various family members. It's a stylish design and offers thoughtful post-launch support that earns the L24 its place on this list.

Samsung All-In-One PC 700

This all-in-one has a gorgeous 2,560-x-1,440 display that stretches 23 inches. That display also sits atop a handsome brushed aluminum stand. It also has a suite of Kinect-like gesture recognition technology that enables some control of the PC as well as a slew of gaming options. While pricing and availability were elusive, we're sure it won't be long before this bad boy is rebranded as a Series 7 and shipping to stores.

Toshiba LX835

It may not be the easiest on the eyes, but it packs a wallop. The stubby LX835 packs a slew of ports and inputs, totaling out at 6 USB (two 3.0 and four 2.0) and an HDMI-in. The panel is a 23-incher with 1080p resolution. Toshiba also allows a fair amount of choice as far as innards are concerned, letting users pick between AMD and Intel processor offerings. Expect the updated LX835 to hit stores in February.

Vizio All-In-One Touch

Vizio brings a unique value proposition to its 24- and 27-inch all-in-ones. Of course, the traditional TV manufacturer is putting top-quality 1080p LED back-lit panels on its flagships, but Vizio announced this week that AMD (discrete graphics, ahoy!) processors would join the fray alongside its Intel competitors. In addition, Vizio ships a 2.1 sound system, touchpad and remote control with its all-in-ones. We can't vouch for the speaker's quality, but the gesture is certainly appreciable.

Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon

The Horizon nearly stole the show. The 27-inch all-in-one has a retractable stand that turns it into what Intel is calling a "Tabletop" PC. It's an interesting new space that only Lenovo and Sony (Vaio Tap 20) have entered. Lenovo envisions families gathering around the gargantuan 1080p panel to play Monopoly and other classic board games. Reassuringly, the battery in the Horizon will keep the beast running for around two hours. Pricing is not yet available, but the Horizon will be ready to take home this summer.

Asus Transformer AiO

The 18-inch (1080p LED) Transformer AiO is a machine with a split personality. Nominally, it's a relatively small, touchable Windows 8 all-in-one, but really, it's a giant tablet. Removing the screen turns the Transformer into an enormous Android 4.1 tablet. We're not sure how practical it is either, but we are sure how cool it is. Interestingly, using SplashTop, the tablet can continue to run Windows 8 if it remains within Wi-Fi range of the base. Spec-wise, the tablet packs a Tegra 3 processor, and the base packs in an Ivy Bridge Intel processor. Pricing and availability are still unavailable.

LG V720

LG, like Vizio and Sony, packs its best TV tech into its all-in-one PCs. In the Korean giant's case, that means Cinema Screen IPS and 3-D capable displays. The 1080p, 27-incher also makes room for an Nvidia manufactured discrete GPU. The V720 has a classy white chassis with a slim base that belies the computer's power. LG almost never brings its PCs to the states, but here's to hoping 2013 changes that.

HP Spectre One

HP's Spectre One is the venerable company's top-of-the-line all-in-one. Curiously for a top-shelf product, the One is missing a TV tuner and most importantly (tragically?) a touchscreen. In its place, the computer has Beats Audio, NFC, a 24-inch display, an optional discrete GPU 1080p panel and an absolutely beautiful design. It's sad to see that HP had to give up so much brains to be so beautiful. The Spectre One is already available, starting at $1,300.