Dell Ups the All-in-one Ante: 27-inch Dell XPS One 27, Inspiron One 23, Inspiron One 20

Dell has been a player in the all-in-one space for a long time, and brought up such interesting, if ultimately unsuccessful, models as the Studio One 19. Today's releases show, however, that the company is in it to win it, as the new XPS One 27 is the first serious competition to Apple's iMac from any manufacturer.

The Round Rock computer giant actually rolled out three new all-in-ones today, though the XPS One 27 takes the spotlight in terms of general impressiveness and design. In addition to the new flagship all-in-one desktop, Dell also brought out two more affordably priced Inspiron models: the Dell Inspiron One 23 and the Inspiron One 20.

Dell has been pushing the Dell One moniker as a branding agent for its all-in-ones for several years, now, but this is the first time where it's really starting to feel right.

Dell XPS One 27 Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core i5-3450s or Core i7-3770s
• Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 27-inch 2560x1440, LED-backlit screen (16:9)
• Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 4000 or discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M 2GB
• Memory: Up to 16GB DDR3 SDRAM in 2 slots (4GB standard)
• Storage: Up to 2TB 3.5-inch HDD @ 7200RPM (1TB standard) or HDD + 32GB mSATA SSD options
• Optical storage: Slot-loading DVD+/-RW, optional Blu-ray
• Audio: Integrated 7.1 surround sound, premium Infinity speakers and Waves MaxxAudio 4
• Webcam: HD webcam + integrated dual microphone setup
• Networking: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
• Wireless networking: Bluetooth 4.0 + 802.11n, optional Intel 6235 Advanced-N + Wireless Display
• Inputs: 4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 + Power Charge, Ethernet, Audio Line Out, HDMI-in, HDMI-out, S/PDIF, microphone and headphone jacks, 8-in-1 card reader, + optional TV Tuner, Antenna, IR Blaster and RF receiver

Dell is pushing the XPS One 27 as part of a premium, design-centric experience, aiming it directly at Apple's 27-inch iMac all-in-one. It starts at $300 below Apple's 27-inch model, with an entry MSRP of $1399. The XPS One 27 is available today if you're in certain Asian territories (read: China and Japan), and will be available in the US and elsewhere "in the coming weeks".

Dell Inspiron One 23 Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Core i3-2120, Core i5-2400s, or Core i7-3770s
• Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 23-inch 1920x1080, LED-backlit screen
• Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 4000 or discrete AMD Radeon HD 7650
• Memory: Up to 8GB DDR3 SDRAM in 2 slots (2GB standard)
• Storage: Up to 2TB 3.5-inch HDD @ 7200RPM (500GB standard)
• Optical storage: Slot-loading DVD+/-RW or optional Blu-ray
• Audio: Waves MaxxAudio 3 + "performance speakers"
• Webcam: HD webcam + dual integrated microphones
• Networking: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
• Wireless networking:Bluetooth 4.0 + 802.11n, optional Intel 6235 Advanced-N + Wireless Display
• Inputs:4x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0 + Power Charge, Ethernet, Audio Line Out, VGA-out, S/PDIF, microphone and headphone jacks, 8-in-1 card reader, + optional VGA-in, S/PDIF, HDMI-in, Composite-out, TV Tuner, Antenna, IR Blaster and RF receiver

Like the Dell XPS One 27, the Inspiron One 23 is launching in Asia first, with US availability coming soon. It carries a starting MSRP of just $749, making it a much more approachable all-in-one than its larger brother.

Dell Inspiron One 20 Specifications:

• Processor: Intel Pentium Dual-core G620T or Core i3-2120T
• Operating system: Windows 7 Home Premium
• Display: 20-inch 1600x900, LED-backlit screen
• Graphics: Integrated Intel HD 2000
• Memory: Up to 6GB DDR3 SDRAM in 2 slots (2GB standard)
• Storage:Up to 1TB 3.5-inch HDD @ 7200RPM (500GB standard)
• Optical storage: Tray-loading DVD+/-RW + optional Blu-ray
• Audio:Waves MaxxAudio 3 + "basic performance speakers"
• Webcam: HD webcam + dual integrated microphones
• Networking: 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet
• Wireless networking: Bluetooth 4.0 + 802.11g/n
• Inputs: 5x USB 2.0 + power charge, Ethernet, microphone and headphone jacks, 8-in-1 card reader, + optional TV tuner, antenna

Dell's entry-level Inspiron One 20 is one of the most affordable all-in-ones we've ever seen, excluding nettops and other models with very low-end processors. This 20-inch machine will start at just $529, making it a stunningly good option for consumers who only need a clutter-free desktop for basic computer tasks - despite the low starting price, this machine will be more than capable of watching HD videos and flash, streaming video like Netflix, basic Flash gaming, sending email, browsing the web, and using social networking sites such as Facebook. Basically, it'll do anything you need except gaming or heavy HD video editing (which, actually, it can do; it'll just be a bit slow).