Computer maker Gateway has taken the wraps off two new all-in-one PCs in time for the Windows 7 launch and the end-of-year holiday buying season…but instead of rolling out new cool-looking but under-powered all-in-ones aimed at lightweight home computing tasks, the new ZX Series packs up to 8 GB of RAM, Intel Core 2 Quad CPUs, TV tuners, Web cams…and multitouch displays enabling users to interact with their data, media, and documents in whole new ways.
“While touch screen PCs to date have been cost-prohibitive and somewhat limited in their capabilities, Gateway is making this new technology more accessible to average consumers, while using an industry-standard solution that isn’t challenging to learn,” said Gateway senior product marketing manager Ray Sawall, in a statement. “The functionality of Windows 7 and multi-touch brings an entirely new computing experience to consumers, and our affordable all-in-one PCs are the perfect vehicle for showcasing this technology.”
Both the new ZX6800 and ZX4800 series series sport multitouch widescreen displays, with Gateway’s own TouchPortal application running on top to provide a simple interface to managing Microsoft touch-enabled applications as well as Gateway-developed “gadgets” that tap into music, social networking, photos, videos, and more, plus a series of touch-enabled games from WildTangent. If users want the everyday Windows 7 experience, they can literally peel away the TouchPortal to access standard Windows 7 features.
The ZX6810 series features a 23-inch 1,920 by 1,080 pixel widescreen display with 300 cd/m² of brightness, 1,000:1 contrast, and a 5 ms response time, driven by an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4670 controller with 1GB of video memory. The system features a 2.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 1 TB hard drive plus a 64 GB SSD drive for Windows and applications, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, gigabit Ethernet, six USB 2.0 ports, 1 eSATA port, a multi-in-one media card reader, an 8× slot-loading DVD±RW burner, plus an integrated HD webcam and speakers. Some models will whip with a hybrid TV tuner and media center remote
The ZX4800 are scaled back a little bit for student and household use, featuring a 20-inch 1,600 by 900-pixel display, a 2.1 GHz Intel Pentium Dual Core CPU and Intel GMA X4500HD graphics, 4 GB of RAM, a 760 GB hard drive, an 8× DVD±RW slot-loading DVD burner,0802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and gigabit Ethernet, six USB ports, a multi-in-one media card reader, plus integrated web cam and speakers.
Gateway says the new ZX series all-in-one PCs will be available in late October and early November from leading retailers, with the high-end ZX6810-01 shipping later in the fourth quarter. All will ship with Windows 7 Home Premium; the ZX6800 will start with a suggested retail price of $1,399.99, while the ZX4800s will start at $749.99.
