MANILA, Philippines – You may have thought that the big desktop computer with the bulky beige box had disappeared completely but that’s not the case, it’s just had a significant facelift. With the wave of slim, sleek tablets and notebooks on the market today, the PC of old is unrecognizable.
PCs are going through a transformation towards slimmer designs and touch screens. Customers are leading that push and demanding devices that are ideally suited to our home and work life. Features like Intel’s Wireless Display – or Wi-Di* also mean that you can stream videos, photos or apps to your home theatre system with just a few clicks.
Watch the video below for a short introduction to WiDi:
PC sales is growing
More and more people across Asia are rethinking what they know about PCs. Research firm IDC** shows that the number of desktop PCs bought by consumers in [in Indonesia] 2013 grew by 22 per cent compared with 2012. In Malaysia people the number was 14 per cent more and Vietnam grew by 17 per cent over the same time. Australia saw a five per cent rise in sales for consumer desktop PCs signalling that interest is growing.
Think back ten years ago and the home computer took up an entire desk or corner of the home office. Some new home PCs are so small – they take up the same amount of space as a CD case. Others can hang on the back of a TV, sit on the kitchen bench or be purposefully designed to double as the home multimedia and entertainment hub.
Some new home PCs are so small – they take up the same amount of space as a CD case
There is a bigger variety of PCs available than ever before, across a range of different prices including cheaper desktops, which come with an Intel Celeron or Pentium processor inside. These entry-level computers are great for students who need to study, or for using at home to watch a movie, browse social media or even store photos.
All in One devices wherein the monitor and main PC components are integrated in one unit are a great choice, and if you buy a portable model they can be moved around the home, or even hung on the wall. Another popular alternative is the Intel Next Unit of Computing kit, known as NUC, which allows you to build your own mini-computer.
The All-in-One: a PC that can sit on your kitchen
The traditional PC used to live in the home office or the corner of the lounge room but that’s all changing. To figure out which is the best range of devices for your home, think of what you and your family do in each room. Think outside the box – how could your device help you outside of the lounge room or study?
Ideal for the kitchen, the All in One PC is deceptively slim, don’t let its sleek lines and compact form fool you – it has the features of a complete desktop system. You can browse recipes on the internet and automatically create shopping lists and email them to your family to pick up on the way home.
Watch the video below for a brief introduction to the All in One PC:
It doesn’t end there, these devices can do so much more than this. Some models recline and lie completely flat and others feature a built-in battery so you can easily carry them to any room. You can create documents, share photos or watch movies anywhere on the large high definition screen. It also means you can use it to study quietly, work or watch a movie in peace.
You can browse recipes on the internet and automatically create shopping lists and email them to your family to pick up on the way home
Make sure you select an All-in-One with an Intel® Core™ processor to get the most out of your machine. Models that support multi-touch will let you play games together as a whole family – and if you buy a model that lies flat you can turn it into a gaming centre. It’s multi-user, multi-touch computing.
The NUC: a PC smaller than a tablet
For something really special take a look at the Intel NUC devices, these ultra-compact PCs measure just four-inches square. These computers are ideal for the home entertainment space, acting as a multimedia hub, just tucked below or behind the screen. Think of it this way, anything your old traditional PC can do, the Intel NUC can do and it only takes up four inches of space.
If you’ve always wanted a digital jukebox, or have an extensive collection of movies saved to your hard drive – the NUC is the device for your lounge room. A NUC powered by the 4th generation Intel Core i5 processor comes compete with Intel HD Graphics to ensure a brilliant high definition experience.
Anything your old traditional PC can do, the Intel NUC can do and it only takes up four inches of space
But watching blockbuster movies and listening to music is not all you can do with a NUC. You can still browse your social media, check email and if you hook it up to a smart TV with a web cam you’ll be able to video chat with the whole family visible on the screen.
Check out the video below for an overview on the Intel NUC:
From All-in-One to NUCs and other slim PCs, what was the “desktop PC” has become a range of options, giving you lots of choices for your home PCs.
* Requires an Intel® Wireless Display enabled system, compatible adapter and TV. 1080p and Blu-Ray or other protected content playback only available on select Intel® processor-based systems with built-in visuals enabled, a compatible adapter and media player, and supporting Intel® WiDi software and graphics driver installed. Consult your PC manufacturer. For more information, see www.intel.com/go/widi.
** IDC Asia/Pacific Quarterly PC Tracker, Q1 2014