Gateway is updating its ZX One line of all-in-one consumer desktops with the Sept. 29 introduction of the ZX4951 and ZX6951. Pitching the touch-screen PCs as perfect for living rooms, kitchen counters and dorm rooms, Gateway has made an effort to update the systems inside and out.
At 21.5 and 23 inches, the all-in-ones feature a curved design-no boxy desktop PCs here!-paired with a glossy black and chrome aesthetic. For ambience, there’s lighting along the bottom edge of the PC that can be set to four levels of brightness and that lights up the keyboard.
The chrome stand is also impressively thin, though either model can be mounted on a wall to free up desk or counter space. Wall mounting is a nice idea given that ZX One Series computers have high-definition displays and audio, Blu-ray drives, and TV tuners, allowing them to double as televisions, if not whole entertainment centers.
The brass-tacks details include the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit operating system, a choice of Intel Pentium or Core i3 processors, 4GB of DDR3 (double data rate 3) SDRAM (synchronous dynamic RAM)-though both desktops are upgradable to 16GB-and the choice of a 500GB or 640GB SATA (Serial ATA) hard drive. Also included: a Webcam, six USB 2.0 ports, a multi-in-one card reader, a wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, and Gigabit LAN, Ethernet and WiFi b/g/n connectivity.
“The demand for all-in-one desktop PCs took off last year with the introduction of Windows 7 and its touch-screen capabilities, and as the technology became more powerful and less expensive,” Steve Smith, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America, Gateway’s parent company, said in a statement. “The newest additions to our ZX One Series of PCs expand the choices available, making these highly stylized PCs more accessible to a wider range of customers.”
The Gateway One ZX4951 and ZX6951 are now available at prices running from $899.99 to $999.99 based on configuration.