| Last week, Apple refreshed its one-piece iMac line, and now Dell plans a one-piece computer. Called the Studio One 19, the new desktop was announced Thursday and will be launched in Japan next week. The computer maker said a U.S. rollout is expected later this spring. The Studio One 19 features an optional multi-touch screen, a hard drive of up to 750GB, and a starting price of $699. Target: The Kitchen A major targeted environment for the Studio One 19 is the kitchen. "More and more people are making the kitchen the center of their entertainment and computing experience," said Alex Gruzen, Dell senior vice president of consumer products. The new model, he continued, is "the ideal system for that need" because of its form factor, its capabilities, and a pricing that is "very affordable for the family." The lifestyle and design aspect is being emphasized. The Studio One 19 is made with aluminum, glass and fabric, which Dell expects will offer a "style statement" that people will want to display rather than park in a corner. Colors include Solid Pure White, Tuscan Red, Navy Blue, Powder Pink, and Charcoal. In addition to the footprint and the style, the Studio One 19 is being promoted for its multimedia capabilities. If the multi-touch option is chosen, that kind of interaction can be used for photo editing, slideshow creation, playlist building, note-taking, and Web browsing. You Paint finger-painting software offers a playful means of expression without the mess, and there's a multi-touch percussion center for creating music. Videos can be recorded and uploaded right to YouTube with touch controls and, similarly, photos can easily be uploaded to Flickr. 'Great Specs' Options for processors include the Intel Celeron, Dual Core Celeron, Pentium Dual Core, Core 2 Duo, or Core 2 Quad Core. Integrated graphics options include the Nvidia GeForce 9200 or GeForce 9400. There are six USB ports and dual-channel memory is available up to 4GB. Media input includes a slot-load optical drive and a 7-in-1 media-card reader. A Web camera, Blu-ray Disc drive, and wireless capability are options, as is face-recognition security  , which requires the Web cam. Doug Bell, an analyst for industry research firm IDC, called the Studio One 19 "a very nice product." He pointed out that this isn't Dell's first all-in-one product, but multi-touch could be a key differentiator in helping to make the model popular in the kitchen and living room. "Relatively speaking," Bell said, the Studio One 19 "has great specs and some nice bells and whistles." Although PC sales are down in many categories, he noted, the "all-in-one PC form factor is a bright spot" and growing. |