The first look at Acer 23-inch AZ5 Series all-in-one desktop

First look

Just in time for holidays, Acer has released a line of all-in-one (AIO) desktop PCs, the AZ5 Series. Aimed at bringing HD entertainment and media to the home users, the desktop comes with a host of features all on a touch screen display. With minimal and stylish form factor, the AZ5 might have it all to make it to your holiday wish list.

Acer AZ5 desktop

What's new?

Lately, the electronics market has taken a sudden liking towards things that are compact and save up space. So, how could a manufacturer as big as Acer stay behind in having all-in-one desktop PCs that are excellent solution for saving space. The previous models of all-in-one desktops from Acer weren't able to capture the market, but with the new line of AIOs Acer is hoping to be back in the game.

What's been refreshed?

Compared to previous models of all-in-one PCs from Acer, the AZ5 Series has a lot of new features to offer. It comes with a touch screen, faster processor, more entertainment focused features and a new and delightful form factor.

Features walkthrough

23" touch screen: The AZ5 Series comes with a lavish 23-inch HD monitor that is also a touch screen display. It supports multi-touch so you can have all the joy of touch-screen to access your apps, entertainment and browsing.

High-definition: With a HD monitor it's needless to say that you can have entertainment right at your home in a much bigger way. And if you add the optional Blu-ray Disc drive, your entertainment level will go even a step further. Gaming, graphic heavy applications, digital TV and surfing are rich and ultra sharp.

Acer TouchPortal: Being a touch screen, Acer has its own touch software suite, the Acer TouchPortal. It ensures a smooth switch between different applications on your PC and a better control of your apps. Applications such as TouchPhoto, TouchVideo, TouchMusic, TouchBrowser and TouchCam allow you to perform touch operations to access your information.

Seamless integration with other Acer devices: Acer's clear.fi helps you manage, store, share or enjoy media across all clear.fi enabled devices. This means you can access your media from any of the Acer devices without much hassle, thanks to the clear.fi technology from Acer.

Faster processor: The AZ5 Series all-in-one desktop PCs feature the second generation Intel Core i3 processor, which means you can use your PC for multitasking without much trouble.

Plenty of storage space: With the media and entertainment going all HD and Blu-ray, it's important to have a large disk space for all your favorite games and movies. And this is why Acer has included a huge 1.5TB of hard drive into the AZ5 Series.

Six USB ports: The AZ5 Series of all-in-one desktop PCs include six USB ports so you can connect a number of devices to your PC. Two of the ports are USB 3.0 powered for new generation devices while the rest are USB 2.0 so you can also enjoy the older generation devices.

What's good

All-in-one desktop PCs are not only great for saving up on space but also look more stylish and elegant. And Acer's AZ5 Series looks quite great with all its sleek form factor. Along with that it has a touch-screen display, which adds a different level of entertainment to the computing experience. With so many features, the all-in-one desktop comes at a affordable price and one year warranty.

What's not so good

There is a word around the web that Acer's touch software suite is not exceptionally well designed compared to the likes of HP. However, it still remains to be seen, as it could be a major drawback. Other than that if you are a heavy gamer or expect your PC to be a real work horse, you would be disappointed with the Intel Core i3 processor, which although very fast is not enough for heavy gaming. Acer could have tried getting the i5 or i7 processor to attract even the gamers and those who perform heavy multitasks on their PCs.

Price and availability

The new AZ5 Series of all-in-one desktop PCs is already available at leading retailers. The price range of these all-in-one desktops starts at $749.99 and goes up if you add more features to it.

Wrap-up

There are not many touch screen all-in-one desktops at present and Acer certainly doesn't have all the bits to make it the most powerful of all. But, the affordable price tag and entertainment features can attract a lot of buyers who do not expect their desktop to be a powerhouse of speed. Acer's AZ5 Series is excellent for basic home use and entertainment purposes.