Dell launches new MULTITOUCH Studio One 19 All-in-one

The sleek new machines come in five different colors: red, pink, blue, charcoal and white.  While they all share the same screen size and resolution of 18.5" and 1366x768, almost everything else is variable.  The display is CCFL backlit.  I got to play with these machines at CES, and they look just as sleek in person as they do in these pictures.  The machine is glass, plastic, fabric and metal, and it's all very modern and elegant.  Dell is really starting to step up their design game.  First the Adamo, then the XPS 435, and now this. 

It's very interesting that Dell is making the touchscreen an optional upgrade; at least this way those who'd like to buy a new all-in-one can buy the cheaper model and get the same design.  The multitouch itself works very well.  Unlike HP's TouchSmart desktops, in which HP crafted this whole new GUI that sits on top of Windows and tries to hide most of it behind a custom touch-oriented interface.  For the Studio One 19, Dell added a couple of nice touches, but didn't go to the trouble of writing a huge new GUI.  Instead, while on the Windows desktop, a user can touch the screen to get an arc of icons appear about a third of the way up the screen.  By touching your finger to the screen, you can move these around until you get the program you want.

In addition to the icon wheel, Dell wrote several applications designed specifically to take advantage of the optional multitouch touchscreen.  You Paint is a fingerpainting program that lets you get as messy as you want without getting anything on your fingers.  Touchcam makes use of the webcam/microphone and takes pictures and video that you can then "flick" with touch gestures and upload to YouTube and Facebook.  At CES, they were also demoing a drum machine that you could use several fingers to tap at once and make music in addition to a rhythm-esque game that two of us were playing at one time.

Specifications

• Processor options: Intel Celeron 450/Celeron Dual Core 1400, Pentium Dual Core E2220/E5200/E5400, Core 2 Duo E7500/E8400 or the Core 2 Quad Q8200.
• Memory options: 1 - 4 GB DDR2 800MHz
• Hard drive options: 160GB, 250GB, 320GB, 500GB, or 750GB @ 7200RPM, 16MB cache
• Graphics options: NVIDIA GeForce 9200 or 9400
• Optical drive options: 16x DVD+/-RW or Blu-ray ROM/DVD+/-RW, both slot loading
• Optional 1.3MP webcam and microphone
• Networking: 10/100 Ethernet (no Gigabit), optional 802.11b/g/n
• Audio: Integrated HD audio, stereo speakers
• Inputs and Expansion: 6 USB2.0 (2 side, 4 back), 2.1 audio out + headphone/microphone jacks
• 180 watt power supply
• Built-in 7-in-1 memory card reader
• Operating system options: Windows Vista Home Basic 32-bit, Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• Dimensions: 22"x15.5"x3.2" (HxWxD)
• Weight: 22.7 pounds

Dell designed the new desktop to use a single power cord and that's it; the keyboard and mouse are both wireless.  Interestingly enough, it looks as if the keyboard has a wheel of some sort on it up at the top.

While the machines launch in Japanese retail stores today, they'll be available on Dell's Japanese site starting on March 19th.  We have to wait a month to get them in the United States, as they're expected to launch here late in April.  The base configuration will start at $699, while the multitouch-capable variant will be available for "under $900."  Dell's biggest competition in this space is going to be the Apple iMac and the HP TouchSmart; it's going to be interesting to see what shakes out in the next few months.