27-inch

One highlight of this year's Consumer Electronics Show was the debut of the 27-inch Windows all-in-one. Finally, two-and-a-half years after Apple debuted the 27-inch iMac, Windows vendors found a way to compete.

Asus, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and Vizio all had big-screen all-in-ones to show off, giving CES an uncommonly intriguing batch of desktop PC announcements.

I had some hands-on time with Vizio's 27-incher a few weeks ago, but the company still has not submitted a system for review. That Samsung Series 9 all-in-one has come out in Asia, but it hasn't hit U.S. shores yet.… Read more

HP and Asus released the first 27-inch Windows-based all-in-ones this year, but with 1,920x,1,080-pixel resolution screens, they failed to match Apple's high-density, 2,560x1,440 iMacs. Dell's new XPS One 27 does.

Dell says the starting price for the new XPS One 27 is $1,399. That puts it ahead of the $1,249 HP Omni 27, but on par with the Asus ET2700I. All are also at least $300 below the most affordable 27-inch iMac.

At least for now, those other 27-inch all-in-ones also all use second-generation Intel Core CPUs, aka Sandy Bridge. The XPS One 27 has third-generation Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs, aka Ivy Bridge.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--The specs in Samsung's Series 9 demo unit were far from final, but the chassis itself is refreshingly unique.

Yes, almost everyone seems to have a 27-inch all-in-one at CES, but HP's Omni 27 played it safe by using its existing exterior, and the Lenovo, Vizio, and Asus units all took obvious cues from Apple in their design language.

The Series 9 all-in-one, on the other hand, is the only one that seems to have its own visual identity. The asymmetrical screen has a graceful curved hinge that's pleasing to look at. And although the brushed-aluminum … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Now I'm starting to wonder what it means for the vendors that have not announced a 27-inch all-in-one.

Asus joins HP, Vizio, and Lenovo in introducing a Windows all-in-one with a new large-screen display at CES. The ET2700 will appear this month at Best Buy with a 27-inch, 1,920x1,080-pixel-resolution display built in. Like HP's Omni 27, also available now, the Asus model doesn't have a touch screen. Asus reps told me at the company's booth that it will add touch in a midyear update. I've asked for pricing information, and will update when I have it.

The screen size is really the only significant news for this system. The Core i5 CPU and GeForce 540M graphics chip should come as no surprise, and the array of ports--USB 3.0, HDMI in, eSATA--is in keeping with its competition.

I'd only note that the design of the ET2700, with its edge-to-edge glass and pedal-style support foot, joins Lenovo in borrowing liberally from Apple's iMac design language. A vendor copying Apple is also not especially newsworthy, but at least the trend remains healthy.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--HP was first, then came Vizio. Now Lenovo has a 27-inch all-in-one with its new IdeaCentre A720.

Beyond the large screen, Lenovo has also taken inspiration from HP and Samsung, offering a unique hinge that lets you use the A720's display in full horizontal mode.

Other than the hinge, the design of the A720 will of course look familiar to Apple fans. The edge-to-edge glass and CNC-tooled aluminum chassis borrow egregiously from current-generation iMacs. Lenovo even went so far as to ape the default Apple wallpaper.

Whether you demand originality in your all-in-ones, it's hard to … Read more

More than two years after Apple introduced its 27-inch iMac, HP will offer the first large-screen Windows-based competitor with its new Omni 27 all-in-one.

Available in the U.S. on January 8, the Omni 27 will start at $1,200. Configuration options will include Intel CPUs ranging from the Core i3 to the Core i7 series, with 4GB and 8GB memory variants discrete graphics chip options from both AMD and Nvidia, and up to 3TB of hard-drive capacity.

Respectable specs aside, the 27-inch display is the main attraction. HP is not using the same high-resolution, 2,560x1,440-pixel display as … Read more

Users in a growing Apple Support Discussions forum thread are expressing their concerns over what appears to be a hardware-related sound issue with Apple's 27-inch Cinema Displays. The main issue seems to be that sound will randomly cut out, ceasing to work until a system restart is applied.

Jerky video presentation with no or distorted sound is another symptom these users have noted, along with a delay when pressing the volume keys up or down to when the volume graphic is displayed onscreen.

Though a definitive solution does not appear to be available from Apple or users on the … Read more

Along with most Apple releases comes a considerable amount of hype, and last week was no different with the release of the Apple LED Cinema Display (27-inch, 2010).

The Apple LED is part of a new breed of 27-inchers, which have super-high, incredibly impressive-looking 2,560x1,440 resolutions. Check out the comparison to see which the 27-inch monitors that are included and which of them also have the tears of joy-inducing resolution.

Also, be sure to check out the monitor hub, if CNET monitor news and reviews are your thing.

Nearly two years ago, Apple released the 24-inch LED Cinema Display, much to the chagrin of not only PC users unable to use the display, but Mac users with older systems as well. This was thanks to Apple' s decision to use Mini DisplayPort as the display's sole connection option.

Fast-forward to today, Apple has upgraded the 24-incher with an extra 3 inches of screen real estate, and many more pixels onscreen--3.6 million to be exact. Apple also adds a ambient light sensor.

Otherwise, it's pretty similar to the monitor released in 2008. Luckily, this time there … Read more