How Desktop PCs Got Their Groove Back

08.01.2011
Is the desktop PC dead? Far from it.

As PCWorld's editor, I have something of a vested interest in seeing these dinosaurs prosper. and of all shapes and sizes are hogging the limelight, but the desktops unveiled at this year's CES have offered up important evolutions in form and function. Driven by versatility, performance, and (arguably most importantly) value, the humble desktop will be with us for some time--we probably just won't recognize it.

We've seen the rise of the PC coming for some time now. In 2010 especially, these melds of monitor and machine sought to simplify the desktop experience. "There's only one cord!" became a common refrain on marketing materials. All-in-Ones were a svelte, hassle-free alternative to the burdensome beige and black boxes we've known for so long.

But all-in-ones were more expensive than comparable tower desktops, and generally rather sluggish. That's changed. Intel's processors have demonstrably lower power requirements, while offering substantial performance gains -- for the same price. That means smaller, thinner chassis -- or models that are the same size as today's all-in-ones, packed with discrete graphics cards and all sorts of neat extras. And while AMD's platform will be making its way into notebooks first, we've already seen all-in-ones like offering up Fusion in an inexpensive chassis.

Multi-touch all-in-ones are also becoming the norm, and they've come a long way. Operating systems have long existed as mouse-driven applications, but the influx of smartphones and tablets has changed all that. We've become increasingly accustomed to navigating devices by touch: ATMs, navigation systems, cell phones -- chances are, you've used a touchscreen at least once today.