Packard Bell unveils slimmed down PB oneTwo all-in-one PC

Looking to build on the success of its original PB oneTwo all-in-one desktop computer solutions, Packard Bell has announced two new slimmed-down revamps in the shape of the 21.5-inch PB oneTwo M and the 23-inch PB oneTwo L. Both space-saving, touchscreen models will feature second generation Intel Core i processor options, a choice of NVIDIA or AMD discrete graphics, a high definition webcam and the option of a Blu-ray optical drive, when they go on sale later this month in Europe.

Packard Bell says that its new PB oneTwo models represent the slimmest ever all-in-one that the company has so far produced. With dimensions of 21.6 x 19.5 x 5-inches (549 x 496 x 129 mm), however, the PB oneTwo L (with 23-inch screen) doesn't quite match up to the slim profile of HP's TouchSmart 610, which we spent some time with earlier in the year. Likewise, the PB oneTwo M (with a 21.5-inch screen and 20.4 x 18.7 x 4.72-inch/520 x 476 x 120 mm dimensions) doesn't come anywhere near Lenovo's ThinkCentre Edge 91z. However, the profile diet that Packard Bell has forced its new computers to endure is said to have resulted in a slimming down of 65 percent compared to previous models.

Both of the new all-in-ones have touch-enabled displays thanks to the company's own TouchPortal suite, but - as we concluded in our review of the HP 610 - whether such functionality is important to you is very much down to personal usage patterns. In the end, though, it's probably better to have it available than not.

Under the hood, both flavors appear to be identical - with Intel Core i3/i5/i7 processor options, integrated Intel HD 2000/3000 graphics with a choice of either NVIDIA GeForce GT530/GT520 or AMD Radeon HD6450 dedicated GPUs, up to 8GB DDR3 RAM and up to 2TB of HDD storage. The full 1080p resolution visuals are supplemented by 5.1 surround sound, Creative THX TruStudio audio through a pair of 2.5W stereo speakers.

There are two USB 3.0 ports, four slower USB 2.0 ports, an HDMI input and a 5-in-1 media card reader. Gigabit Ethernet is offered as standard but, rather bizarrely, both Bluetooth and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi are listed as optional. A DVD Multi optical drive also comes as standard, but users can opt for Blu-ray as an added extra. Also optional is a useful DVBT TV tuner.

The PB oneTwo's run on Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), and benefit from a number of onscreen creativity and productivity widgets - such as social networking portals, photo sharing apps, and onscreen memos, which can be hand-written if desired. A full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 has also been thrown in for good measure.

The PB oneTwo M is priced at GBP599 (US$950), while the PB oneTwo will cost GBP699 (US$1,108).