HP Follows Dell, Lenovo, With All-In-One PC For SMBs

December 07, 2009

Earlier this year, Dell and Lenovo broke with tradition and introduced All-in-One PCs meant for business users, not consumers. It must be a trend because now HP has followed suit with the HP Pro All-in-one MS200 Business PC.The idea behind all-in-one PCs is to make computers easier to set up, save space, and reduce desktop clutter. They're particularly useful in tiny cubicles, conference rooms, schools, nurse stations and hotel lobbies. In a statement, Alan Reed, vice president and general manager, business desktops, for HP's Personal Systems Group said, "HP has seen a growing customer demand for all-in-one PCs."

To satisfy that demand, the HP Pro All-in-one MS200 Business PC features an AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 250 GB hard drive, 2GB RAM, and an 18.5-inch tilt-and-swivel screen powered by a 256MB ATI Radeon 3200 graphics card. There's also a full-size keyboard and mouse, Web cam, DVD burner, front-facing stereo speakers, a 6-in-1 media card slot, 6USB ports, and a microphone array.

HP's new MS200 All-in-One PC.

Wireless LAN capability (802.11b/g) is built in, as is the antenna, but the unit doesn't include Bluetooth or a wireless keyboard and mouse -- which I believe is practically a requirement to maintain the clean look these machines promise.

Those niceties were no doubt left as options to keep the starting price under $700. But that's always been the problem for All-in-One PCs. They typically carry a price premium compared to other configurations with similar specs. (The other issue is that they're usually harder to expand as well.)

Nevertheless, with SMB-oriented All-in-Ones now available from three of the top vendors, this configuration may be here to stay.

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