£800.From www.very.co.uk
VERDICT
The Akoya E23401 makes up for its bland display with good performance, a competitive price and a sleek design
IT’S EASY TO see the appeal of budget all-in-one (AIO) PCs, even more so than a low-cost conventional desktop. A fully working Windows 10 system, sleek monitor, mouse and keyboard, all for well under £1,000? For someone looking to buy their very first PC or upgrade from a laptop, the entire concept is close to perfect.
And yet, the limitations of shopping cheaply are in effect just as strong with AIOs as they are with any kind of computer. Last year’s Acer Aspire S 24 (Shopper 371) is a good case in point: despite looking the business, with its sleek chassis and gold finish, a flawed display and slow storage held it back from greatness.
Maybe the Medion Akoya E23401 will have better luck. It, too, is a sub-£1,000, 24in AIO with a slimline profile. A wired mouse and keyboard are also included in the box, as is a neat little USB webcam. It magnetically attaches to the top of the display, plugging into a USB2 port at the back, so you can remove it and store it when not in use.
RETURN TO SLENDER
Like the Aspire S 24, the Akoya E23401 does an effective job of looking like a far more expensive PC. The small screen bezels, crescent-moon stand and brushed aluminium finish combine to make something that’s stylish on any desk. The power supply has been relegated to a power brick, in order to keep that thin design, but it’s not so bulky that you’ll be tripping over it.
Our only complaint, design-wise, is that the stand isn’t particularly adjustable. It can tilt the screen up and down, but not rise or rotate, so can’t match more dedicated monitors for ergonomics.
Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av Computer Shopper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av Computer Shopper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
XIAOMI Mi Mix 3 5G
VERDICT This is the most affordable of the first 5G smartphones, but even with great hardware, the service isn’t yet worth the expense
RHA T20 Wireless
VERDICT They’re not cheap, but these well-designed earphones deliver superb sound quality
Protect And Preserve
Data might be A Valuable Commodity, But It’s Remarkably Easy To Lose Or For Others To Get Their Hands On. Mike Bedford Provides Guidance On How To Preserve, Recover And Destroy Data, And Looks At The Technologies Involved
NZXT H510i
VERDICT Some qualities shine through, but this is an underwhelming case from a maker we know can do better
Kicking Off A New Era Of Football?
With the new football season well and truly under way, David Crookes talks to Jon Hare about reviving the spirit of Sensible Soccer with a new, more sociable offering that he hopes will avoid an own goal
NAIM Mu-so 2
VERDICT A luxurious and fine-sounding slab of metal, but for most homes it won’t be worth the expense
Motorola One Vision
VERDICT The One Vision comes close to being a brilliant mishmash of tech – shame about the camera
JBL Xtreme 2
VERDICT With top-quality sound and a versatile design, this is a great – if expensive – rugged Bluetooth speaker
HUAWEI MateBook 13
VERDICT What the MateBook 13 lacks in flourish, it makes up for in value and performance
GIGABYTE X570 Aorus Master
VERDICT A loaded and forward-thinking motherboard, but not one that fully justifies its high price