List Price: $1,799.99
Sale Price: $1,699.99
Today's Bonus: 6% Off
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program NOTE!! Amazon Vine sent me model XPSo27T-714BLK and NOT the one this review is attached to! Unfortunately, I cannot return it or review under the one they sent me, but they require this review to be written anyway. This -2143BLK model comes with a faster processor, a 'Thunderbolt' port, and double the memory of the one they sent. The -714BLK model I review below is otherwise identical. If you want to see the specs of the one I am reviewing, look here: http://www.amazon.com/Dell-XPSo27T-714BLK-27-Inch-Touchscreen-Desktop/dp/B00F4MEAYG, or this one is the same but with the added Thunderbolt port: Dell XPS XPSo27-715BLK 27-Inch All-in-One Touchscreen Desktop (Piano Black)
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Just a little of my background so you know where I'm coming from: I am a professional computer programmer and technician. I usually research on forums and computer 'geek' sites and then build my own PCs from parts I buy online. I feel like I know PC hardware and software pretty well.
With the evolution of the Desktops, Laptops, Smartphones and Tablets, we have come full circle back to the desktop computer with the "All-in-One". This computer is the combination of a very large (TV-size) tablet with a touchscreen and apps, and an immobile desktop computer for gaming, browsing and home/office computing. Can it do the job of both and do it well? Is it practical as both? Let's see...
Setup was quite simple and it was quickly usable. I plugged in the A/C power cord (the standard IEC plug no wall wart or inline brick transformer) and connected an Ethernet cable to my network. The wireless keyboard and mouse come with (Duracell!) batteries. The power button brings up a setup screen to help configure Windows 8 that comes with it. (Remember to update to v8.1 later when you are online!) It attempts to connect to wireless networks at this point, if you want to set that up as well. Beyond that, there is not much else to do. You can sign in with your Windows Live ID/password and it will link to your online account right away. Once Windows starts up, you are left at the typical "app" screen on a tablet or smartphone this is the new Windows 8 "Start Menu". The computer then functions like a tablet or smartphone from here -you touch, click or swipe the screen to scroll through your apps and touch/click the one you want to run. It will run multiple apps at once.
For the purist or typical desktop user, you must start the "Desktop" app and then your screen will look like a typical Windows desktop with the wallpaper, Recycle Bin, taskbar, etc. I prefer this app only because I am used to it. You can use the mouse to click/drag on apps or the desktop as normal, although some activities are easier by touching or swiping the screen directly. There is even an on-screen keyboard if you want. This can become tiring on a 27" screen at arm's length, though. OK, enough about Windows 8. How about this particular incarnation of the Dell desktop computer?
Overview: As a desktop computing center, it seems a bit unnecessary to have a touchscreen, but maybe it will come in handy as I 'convert' from the typical desktop. I can see the use for maybe 'signing' your name or other handwriting, occasional 'swiping' type activities, for creative uses like drawing/painting, or for enlarging or thumbing through photos. The only drawback with such a large screen as far as touching is that it must be within comfortable reach, but it's large enough that you need it a comfortable distance away to see everything.
Hardware: The included chiclet keyboard is just OK -about the size of a typical laptop keyboard with a number pad. It's useable, but as a programmer who types about 8-10 hours per day, it would get uncomfortable fast. I was able to plug in my Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 and the drivers installed automatically. The mouse is OK as well, although I use a trackball mouse to minimize carpal tunnel issues...and it installed fine too. There are 4 USB 3.0 ports on the back, an HDMI out and HDMI in port, and the Ethernet cable port. On the left side are 2 more USB ports, a mic and headphone jack, and a memory card reader. On the right is a DVD/CD drive and the power button. It has typical laptop type stereo speakers, which are adequate for Windows sounds, voice chat, casual music listening. If you want good sound for music or movies, you will need to use an external sound system to plug into the USB or headphone port. The screen's touch sensitivity is very good without any skips or mis-touches. Fingerprints do not seem to smudge the screen. The surface of the screen is glass-like, making it quite reflective, so you will need a dark background behind you. Mine came with the Intel quad-core i5-440S @ 2.80GHz, 8GM RAM, 1TB 7200RPM hard drive, and built in HD webcam and microphone. This ad specifies an Intel i7 processor and 16GB RAM, so please contact Amazon to make sure you are getting what you expect!!
Software: The computer comes with Windows 8, Cyberlink Media Suite Essentials, all of the usual plethora of Dell update, backup, recovery, utility software, the usual Windows software, and a trial version of Microsoft Office.
How does this compare with other Windows 8 tablet/desktops available? If portability is an issue (which this 27" all-in-one is NOT), then you might opt for the Acer Iconia W700-6499 11.6-Inch 128 GB Tablet (Silver), with its docking system, although you sacrifice computing power and ports. The Microsoft Surface Pro 2 with 128GB Dark Titanium is also an option for the 10" size. If you are looking for a laptop with tablet features, you might also consider the ASUS Taichi 21-DH71 11.6-Inch Convertible Touch Ultrabook, which comes with a better keyboard and bridges the gap a little better between a laptop and tablet, as well as the Dell XPS 12 12.5-Inch Convertible 2-in-1 Touchscreen Ultrabook.
If you are really sold on an All in One desktop computer that will not move from your desk, then this XPS 27 is a fine performer if you can adapt to its chiclet keyboard and/or prefer to mostly use the touchscreen. You should also consider the VIZIO CA27T-B1 27-Inch All-in-One Touchscreen Desktop with a slightly slower processor but a smaller price. Finally, even cheaper is the Acer Aspire AZ3-605-UR23 23-Inch All-in-One Touchscreen Desktop (Black), slightly smaller at 23" and a slightly slower processor, but plenty of power to run your apps and entertainment media.
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