Digital Trends

Intel never intended for the ultra-low-voltage Atom processor to power anything but ultraportable PCs, but its widespread popularity in netbooks has now earned the chip yet another new home in desktop computers as well. Manufacturers like Asus, Averatec and Shuttle have all turned to the netbook parts pile to begin churning out all-in-one PCs that employ the same hardware, and although performance isn’t a selling point for this new breed, price is. Consider MSI’s Atom-powered AE1900, which sells for just $530. For a full PC with all the accoutrements, including an 18.5-inch monitor, keyboard, and mouse, that’s an awfully inviting package in a cash-strapped economy. And, like HP’s TouchSmart (which utilizes the beefier Intel Core 2 Duo platform), this model has full touchscreen capabilities. But does all the bean counting add up to a barebones value machine, or a PC crippled by cut corners? Read on to find out.