All-in-one computer
{{Short description|PC form factor with integral display}}
{{distinguish|2-in-1 laptop}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
File:Dell Inspiron One 23 Touch AIO Desktop PC.png One 23 Touch, an all-in-one PC from 2012]]
An all-in-one computer (also called an AIO or all-in-one PC) is a type of personal computer that integrates the computer components, such as the CPU, monitor, and speakers, into a single unit. It occupies a smaller footprint than a desktop computer with a tower form factor, and also uses fewer cables.{{cite web|last=Domingo|first=Joel Santo|title=How to Buy an All-in-One PC|date=September 13, 2012|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2409554,00.asp|website=PC Magazine|access-date=November 23, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915021211/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2409554,00.asp|archivedate=September 15, 2012}}{{cite web | last=Pogue | first=David | date=December 5, 2012 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/technology/personaltech/reviewing-all-in-one-luxury-pcs-from-vizio-hp-and-apple-state-of-the-art.html | title=Sleek PCs That Don't Come Cheap | work=The New York Times | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206133036/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/technology/personaltech/reviewing-all-in-one-luxury-pcs-from-vizio-hp-and-apple-state-of-the-art.html | archivedate=December 6, 2012 | page=B1}}{{cite web | last=Cunningham | first=Andrew | date=August 9, 2021 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-all-in-one-computer/ | title=The Best All-in-One Computer | work=The New York Times | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221008053249/https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-all-in-one-computer/ | archivedate=October 8, 2022}}
Advantages and disadvantages
Some advantages of the all-in-one computer compared to other form factors include being easier to set up, a reduced physical footprint, ease of transportation, and the option to interface with the computer via touchscreen (a now-common fixture on all-in-ones).{{cite web | last=Hunt | first=Cale | date=November 29, 2018 | url=https://www.windowscentral.com/benefits-and-downsides-buying-all-one-pc | title=The benefits and downsides to buying an all-in-one PC | work=Windows Central | publisher=Future US | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181228163725/https://www.windowscentral.com/benefits-and-downsides-buying-all-one-pc | archivedate=December 28, 2018}}{{cite web | last=Staff writer | date=October 17, 2022 | url=https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/articles/hardware/desktop-vs-all-in-one.html | title=Desktop PC vs. All-in-One Computers: What You Should Buy? | publisher=CDW | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221020142102/https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/articles/hardware/desktop-vs-all-in-one.html | archivedate=October 20, 2022}} Some disadvantages include generally being more expensive than desktop computers, a lack of customizability—most of the internal hardware such as the RAM and the SSD, especially in post-late-2010s machines, is soldered onto the system board—a lack of upgrade paths for the CPU, RAM, and technology of the display, and the difficulty of repair.{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Matthew S. | date=August 19, 2015 | url=https://ktar.com/story/2953301/here-are-4-reasons-why-all-in-one-pcs-should-be-avoided/ | title=3 reasons you shouldn't buy an all-in-one | work=Digital Trends | publisher=Digital Trends Media Group | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819232828/https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/why-you-shouldnt-buy-an-all-in-one/ | archivedate=August 19, 2015}}{{cite web | last=Staff writer | date=February 1, 2020 | url=https://ktar.com/story/2953301/here-are-4-reasons-why-all-in-one-pcs-should-be-avoided/ | title=Here are 4 reasons why all-in-one PCs should be avoided | work=KTAR News | publisher=Bonneville International | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202124753/https://ktar.com/story/2953301/here-are-4-reasons-why-all-in-one-pcs-should-be-avoided/ | archivedate=February 2, 2020}}{{cite web | last=Staff writer | date=n.d. | url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/all-in-one | title=Definition of all-in-one | work=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203235522/https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/all-in-one | archivedate=December 3, 2020}} The slim design also allows for minimal airflow, which can make them prone to overheating.{{Cite web |date=2022-05-29 |title=Thinking about an all-in-one computer? Here are the pros and cons |url=https://www.nerdsonsite.com/blog/the-top-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-all-in-one-computers/ |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=www.nerdsonsite.com |language=en-US |last1=Kirkland |first1=Matthew }} Having more powerful processors and graphic cards causes overheating which leads to inefficiencies.{{Cite web |title=All-in-One PC - Knowino |url=https://www.tau.ac.il/~tsirel/dump/Static/knowino.org/wiki/All-in-One_PC.html#:~:text=The%20first%20all-in-one,unit%27s%20main%20source%20of%20input |access-date=2023-05-02 |website=www.tau.ac.il}}
History
This form factor was popular during the early 1980s for personal computers intended for professional use such as the Commodore PET,{{cite book | last=Peddie | first=Jon | date=2013 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6a8_AAAAQBAJ | title=The History of Visual Magic in Computers: How Beautiful Images are Made in CAD, 3D, VR and AR | publisher=Springer London | page=352 | isbn=9781447149323 | via=Google Books}} the Osborne 1,{{cite web | last=Mueller | first=Scott | date=January 27, 2014 | url=https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2176003 | title=Before the PC: Remembering Kaypro and Osborne Computers | work=InformIT | publisher=Pearson | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129073809/https://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=2176003 | archivedate=January 29, 2014}} the TRS-80 Model II,{{cite book | last=Welsh | first=Theresa M. | author2=David Welsh | date=2007 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C6sfAQAAIAAJ&q=%22All-in-one%22+%22TRS-80+Model+II%22 | title=Priming the Pump: How TRS-80 Enthusiasts Helped Spark the PC Revolution | publisher=Seeker Books | page=42 | isbn=9780979346804 | via=Google Books}} and the Datapoint 2200. Many manufacturers of home computers like Commodore and Atari included the computer's motherboard into the same enclosure as the keyboard; these systems were most often connected to a television set for display.{{cite book | last=Newman | first=Michael Z. | date=2017 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y20ODgAAQBAJ | title=Atari Age: The Emergence of Video Games in America | publisher=MIT Press | page=118 | isbn=9780262035712 | via=Google Books}} Apple has manufactured several popular examples of all-in-one computers, such as the compact Macintoshes of the mid-1980s and early 1990s, the Macintosh LC 500 series in the mid-1990s, the eMac from 2002 to 2006, and the iMac series since 1998 to the present.
Since the early 2000s, some all-in-one desktops, such as the iMac G4, have used laptop components in order to reduce the size of the system case.{{cite web|url=http://www.betanews.com/article/1037064105|title=Review: Gateway Profile 4 vs. Apple iMac|work=BetaNews|access-date=November 23, 2022|date=November 12, 2002|last=Wilcox|first=Joe }} By the mid 2000s, many all-in-one designs have used flat-panel displays (chiefly LCDs), and later models have incorporated touchscreen displays, allowing them to be used similarly to a mobile tablet.
Like most laptops, some all-in-one desktop computers are characterized by an inability to customize or upgrade internal components, as the systems' cases do not provide convenient access to upgradable components, and faults in certain aspects of the hardware may require the entire computer to be replaced, regardless of the health of its remaining components.{{cite news|last1=Schofield|first1=Jack|title=Should I buy an all-in-one PC for my small business?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2014/sep/25/should-i-buy-an-all-in-one-pc-for-my-small-business|access-date=November 23, 2022|work=The Guardian|date=September 15, 2014}} There have been exceptions to this; the monitor portion of HP's Z1 workstation can be angled flat, and opened like a vehicle hood for access to internal hardware.{{cite web|title=HP Z1 G2 Review|last=Domingo|first=Joel Santo|date=April 3, 2014|url=https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/hp-z1-g2|website=PC Magazine|accessdate=November 23, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407044755/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2455870,00.asp|archivedate=April 7, 2014}}