No other all-in-one PC can offer touch-based input or an LCD screen as large as that of the HP TouchSmart IQ816. It's hard to deny that those features make this a compelling desktop for families with a place to put it. Weak performance hinders its suitability for work, and it's not the best digital entertainment center, but we recommend this system to anyone looking to get in early on the touch-computing experiment.

The (PRODUCT) RED version of Dell's XPS One 24 is the most fully featured of Dell's all-in-ones and would serve as a fine PC to anyone in search of a Windows-based all-in-one for basic digital entertainment and productivity tasks. A few more innovations or forward-thinking options would earn a warmer recommendation.

Sony's Vaio LV180J updates its digital-media-oriented all-in-one with a larger LCD, more powerful hardware, and an exceedingly smart method for switching between the Windows desktop and other components connected via the unique HDMI input. No other all-in-one can make as strong a claim as this one as a command center for your digital media.

Although the eMachines EL1200-05w's price tag is tempting, an extra $100 will land you a competitive desktop that can handle a wider variety of applications and even leaves room for future expansion opportunities.

Even if we have a few reservations about this system, we can't deny that Alienware has an outstanding deal on its hands, with the Area 51 X58. It offers the same core hardware and twice the storage capacity as PCs that cost $1,500 more. High-end bargain hunters, assuming they exist, will find an amazing deal in this PC.

Averatec's 18.4-inch All-in-One PC is a good-looking little Nettop, but you must make huge sacrifices in performance. Most users would be better off buying a cheap laptop or low-end desktop, depending on one's needs.

You can find flashier PCs than Dell's $1,299 Studio XPS, but few have as much power where it counts. We don't recommend its small, pared-down case for upgraders, but this PC will satisfy anyone who needs a loaded, powerful PC for gaming and consumer-level digital media editing.

With lots of useful features (some cleverly hidden), Gateway's FX6800-01e stands out from the boring mainstream pack. It also uses Intel's new CPU and motherboard combination to provide speed and upgradeability. You can find faster PCs for a similar price, but few with this much promise.

Velocity Micro's Edge Z55 provides a powerful example of the leap ahead in performance afforded by Intel's new Core i7 CPUs. Velocity Micro's own overclocking efforts don't hurt either. Any PC gamer would love to make this upper midrange desktop their own.

Falcon Northwest's latest Mach V provides a model for the coming trends in high-end computing. From the latest Intel CPU, to solid-state storage, to copious amounts of memory, there's lot to admire about his PC. You will also have to pay for it, which unfortunately will thwart all but the most well-off gamers and enthusiasts.