Fan of desktops? Here are some of the best options available

Beautiful Outside, Powerful Inside

The new iMac perfectly captures the essence of an all-in-one desktop’s look and performance. Available in vibrant coloured aluminium frames with matching accessories, this new device from Apple comes in a sleek package. Weighing just below 5 kg, it’s super convenient to move around. And while I was able to tilt the screen easily, its light weight and slender frame makes you extra careful around it. The long braided magnetic easy-to-plug-in power cord, accompanied with the wireless keyboard and mouse, complete the package.

In terms of performance, the 24-inch 4.5K Retina display with a resolution of 4,480x2,520 pixels offers 500 nits brightness, and delivers sharp visuals. But there’s also visible glare on the screen at times. The sleek 11.5 mm body packs in a punch with Apple’s latest M3 chip, making it ideal for home use, small business needs, or even heavy graphic workloads, with higher configuration machines. The review unit, with a 10-core GPU, had enough juice to edit high-res photos or multiple streams of 4K videos. Completing the setup is a 1080p FaceTime HD camera and microphones tuned to reduce background noise. The six-speaker sound system, along with faster frame rates, offers an amazing gaming experience. Plus, continuity between Apple devices works brilliantly, too. The rear houses two Thunderbolt and two USB 3.0 ports that are also blazing fast. So if you’re looking for a new all-in-one, the new iMac is your best bet.

Available on: apple.com/in

Mini Magic

Apple’s iMacs are great to work on, but if you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg, but still be inside the Apple ecosystem, consider the Mac mini. With a small footprint, this compact squarish box—that works as the central processing unit (CPU or brains) of the computer—has to be connected with your own display, keyboard and mouse to begin. Powered by Apple’s M2 chip, an 8-core CPU, a 10-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, the Mac mini is a snazzy machine great for daily tasks like making presentations, working with documentation, basic image and video editing, gaming and even coding, if that’s your thing. You can also go for the M2 Pro processor if you’re going to use it for extended video editing and rendering sessions. Also, you might want to invest in a quality set of speakers (the in-built ones might prove to be insufficient) and a webcam (if you do video calling often).

If you are new to the Mac ecosystem, most of your existing Windows software will not work on this machine, and you will have to invest in the software. However, Apple’s own free suite of applications comprising of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote work just fine, whereas the free iMovies app handles basic video editing tasks with aplomb. This mini computer—suitable for use in any setting—has its power button, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI, a 10-gigabit Ethernet connection, and a 3.5-mm headphone jack, along with the cooling vents, at the rear.

Available on: apple.com/in

Everyone’s Envy

The latest Envy Move from HP challenges the definition of all-in-one PCs. With an integrated handle, a rechargeable battery, and kickstand feet, the Envy Move is a versatile machine that you can carry wherever you may want. There’s also a pocket at the rear to keep the HP 720 White touchpad-integrated Bluetooth keyboard. HP has ensured that this compact 23.8-inch all-in-one PC weighs just a little over 4 kg, while the touchscreen, with a resolution of 2,560x1,440 pixels, BrightView, and Low Blue Light settings, offers crisp visuals at 300 nits.

The base variant of the machine comes with Windows 11 Home, and is powered by an Intel Core i3-1315U processor and Intel UHD Graphics, along with 8 GB RAM. Higher configuration options are also likely to be available once the device launches in India. The Envy Move houses a USB Type-A, USB Type-C and an HDMI slot for easy connectivity for all your accessories.

Available on: hp.com; *yet to be launched in India