Review|LENOVO THINKCENTRE X1

When it comes to all-in-one desktop computers, the first model that comes to most people's minds is the slim, iconic iMac from Apple. It's curved design and high-end construction (and now very high-res displays) appeal to office professionals and artists alike, and few Windows-based all-in-one desktops can match its style.

Taking a more strictly professional focus, Lenovo is building out its high-end X1 line to cover this category, with the new ThinkCentre X1 all-in-one desktop. While very slim and sophisticated looking, it doesn't try to copy the look and feel of an iMac. Instead, the X1 has a razor-thin display with a thicker component section behind the bottom half, and a sharply angled arm that leads down to the circular base. At its thinnest, the aluminum display is only 11mm thick.

Lenovo says the system has been MilSpec tested for ruggedness, including testing in a dust chamber to replicate years of dusty office environments. Packed inside, you'll find a standard set of components, including up to an Intel Core i7 CPU, either mechanical (up to 500GB) or solid state (up to 1TB) hard drives and up to 16GB of RAM.

All-in-one desktops live or die based on their displays. This 24-inch (actually 23.8 inches) screen has a 1,920x1,080 resolution, but it's an IPS panel, which will look good even from extreme side angles. Lenovo says the panel surface has been "roughened at a micro level to help disperse light to reduce eyestrain and glare." That seems to mean it's a matte-finish anti-glare display, which we always appreciate.

Apple's smaller 21-inch iMac was recently updated to offer full 4K resolution displays, but that model is much more expensive than this one. In fact, an entry level 1,920x1,080 21-inch iMac is $50 more than the starting price of this ThinkCentre X1, which will be available in March, starting at $1,049 in the US.

There is also a display-only version of design, if you like the look, but don't need a full PC. Lenovo says the ThinkVision X1 is the world's slimmest 27-inch 4K (3,840x2,160) monitor, at 7.5mm thick. It has a nearly borderless look and built-in full HD camera that sits on a rotating external arm, allowing you to angle it as needed. The ThinkVision X1 display is expected in the US in March for $799, which converts roughly to £540 in the UK or AU$ 1100 in Australia.   

                                

!      Zakaria Jabri