HP TECH TAKES /...
Exploring today's technology for tomorrow's possibilities
Subscribe
Top 7 Ways to Use a Touch Screen Desktop All-in-One Computer
Linsey Knerl
|
May 16, 2019
Investing in an all-in-one touch screen computer may seem a bit daunting because you may be wondering if it should be a laptop, a desktop, or something in between. What’s behind the vision for this hybrid that does it all with much less space?
If you’re looking for a powerful computer and monitor combo with a single convenient design, you should consider an all-in-one computer (AiO). With many of these devices offering touch screen capabilities, there are a variety of ways to use them, including:
- Office reception area
- Medical clinic
- Classroom and library
- Homeschool
- Home office
- Photography and video studio
- Senior care center
Let’s now discuss their innovative features, how to choose the best model, and the top picks for an HP touch screen desktop for those looking to get the best performance for the price.
Where they work best
The uses for an AiO touch screen are limitless. If you desire the performance of a full-sized desktop but don’t have space, consider how this type of PC can support your computing goals. These products are especially useful for areas where children, customers, or the public may gather, since they have relatively few easy access points to the hardware of the computer.
Unlike desktop computer towers, they don’t need to be set out of the way of button-pushing small hands or curious visitors. There are also no bulky external pieces to find room for or to continuously dust or clean.
AiOs are also a perfect way to give access to the touch screen features of a computer without overwhelming the user with too many other distractions. For the beginner who just wants to hop online and check emails, for example, there is nothing simpler than using the touch screen to launch their email client, check their messages, and go.
All of the cords, USB ports, and external details remain somewhat hidden behind the monitor. Those who don’t want to concern themselves with the hardware of a computer are free to use the AiO unfettered. You are also free to choose wireless peripherals for an even cleaner user experience.
Connecting a wireless mouse and keyboard is easy to do with these computers and gives you more freedom within the workspace.
Best 7 uses for a touch screen desktop computer
Considering that there are so many ways to use an AiO touch screen desktop PC, this list of seven top environments and experiences is just a start. Use these suggestions to inspire new ways to embrace the slim profile and clean look of an HP desktop touch screen computer for your business, community center, or home.
1. Office reception
The front desk of a busy business can become a chaotic place. Whatever business the staff is supporting, from a law firm to a construction company to a veterinary clinic, they are dealing with phones, paperwork, customers, and other employees. These front desk teams are often the heart of any business, and they would welcome simplification to their non-stop daily tasks. Luckily, there’s a product that seems made for their unique work processes.
AiO computers are incredibly appropriate for this environment and they take up little room in the crowded reception desk. Touch screens also offer another way for them to interact with the PC, giving them a much-needed break from typing and mouse clicking, which can cause repetitive strain and fatigue over time.
Whether you have one reception professional or five, these efficient machines go a long way in respecting the precious desk real estate many reception workers struggle to maximize. They are also easily customized to provide information to those customers and vendors who may visit the front desk. AiOs have been adapted to act as a sign-in sheet, time sheet recorder, and appointment tracker, for example.
2. Medical clinics
Doctors have moved almost entirely to electronic medical records for charting their patients, and this is a good thing for anyone concerned with quality and continuity of care.
With an AiO touch screen computer in every patient room, doctors and nurses can easily look up records, get vital info, and even share changes or updates with the patient. From reviewing an X-ray to watching a video detailing a physical therapy plan, the possibilities for how patient care can benefit from these computers are endless.
3. Classrooms and libraries
Kids are attracted to the responsiveness of tablets and other touch screen devices, but those smaller products can’t always manage the memory and processing requirements of the modern classroom.
AiO touch screen computers offer a powerful tool to groups of all sizes. They give teachers a way to share multimedia, produce their own learning content, and engage with their students in a way that’s on par with the top learning machines on the market. Plus, the slim design can make it fit into even the tiniest classrooms, such as portable or “pop-up” classrooms.
Libraries can make good use of these tools, too. Whether it’s to stand in as a search tool for the virtual card catalog or to provide a way for kids to browse and research, the touch screen makes it seamless for even the tiniest library patrons. They are far and away one of the most user-friendly tools for a librarian to offer.
4. Homeschools
Home education is on the rise, and parents want to give their children every advantage when learning in their homeschool spaces. The AiO desktop touch screen product makes a suitable learning machine that can double as a personal entertainment station after school work is done.
Multiple students of all grades and ages will find it simple to toggle between profiles and use the touch screen tech to complete online lectures, play educational games, and work on creative projects.
5. Home offices
Another way the AiO touch screen desktop is creating opportunities for performance and productivity is within the small business home office. Whether you do your work in a dedicated home office, the corner of a bedroom, a makeshift closet office, or a backyard “shoffice,” this product is created to fit your business needs and your personal style without much fuss or planning.
These PCs can easily connect to your other home devices via WiFi or Bluetooth to make them an integral part of how you run your company from home.
6. Photography and video studios
Of all the small businesses out there today, photography pros and videographers have one of the best opportunities to incorporate a world-class AiO desktop touch screen computer into their workflow. It’s the perfect solution for your office because it’s a PC desktop with all of the storage and memory capacity you’d need to save, browse, and edit photos and videos.
It can also function as a way for clients to view and order their prints and copies. Let them use the high-res touch screen to point out any changes they’d like to their final product before production. It’s a great customer-facing solution for any artistic pro.
7. Senior care centers
One of the most sensible uses for a touch screen desktop monitor is for older computer users. The larger, brighter screens are easy for seniors to see, and the touch screen capability makes it simple for them to learn the most basic programs and games.
Email, web browsing, and video chat are popular uses for this demographic of consumer who may be getting their first introduction to computers at a senior center, assisted-living facility, or library program. The AiO is a favored choice of computer for anyone who is diving into tech for the first time, young or old.
Top HP touch screen desktop AiO picks
1. HP Pavilion 24-inch All-in-One desktop
A well-balanced PC with all the features you enjoy, the HP Pavilion AiO desktop gives users a brilliant touch screen experience on a 24-inch display.
With a quad-core AMD Ryzen™ 7 processor and advanced AMD Radeon™ RX Vega integrated graphics, it’s as hardworking as it is visually striking. The seamless design means you can use it in even the smallest workspaces, with no noisy towers or clunky cords connecting the monitor to the PC.
It comes with 16GB DDR4-2666 of SDRAM, a 128GB SATA M.2 SSD for primary storage, and a secondary 1TB HDD - much more than a portable touch screen device.
Despite it being so slim, it has plenty of ports, including a 3-in-1 memory card reader, a headphone-microphone jack, two USB 3.1 Type-C™ Gen 1 ports, and three USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports. You’ll be able to connect most anything with ease, and the included wireless mouse and keyboard free up slots for any external tools you may want to incorporate into your workflow.
Users will appreciate the integrated pop-up camera so that you can keep your world private from the internet until you decide it’s time to broadcast. The Full High Definition (FHD) display with integrated Bang & Olufsen speakers gives you a multimedia experience straight out of the box.
Just plug in this machine and do your work, play, or whatever brings you the most enjoyment. It’s an almost-instant solution to your computing needs.
2. HP ENVY 27-inch All-in-One desktop
The HP ENVY line of laptops is amazing, but have you seen what the brand has done for all-in-ones?
With a masterful approach to the touch screen monitor, which is measured at 27 inches diagonally, the HP ENVY AiO desktop really delivers a multimedia experience for the office, classroom, or small business owner.
Very few computers are as sophisticated in appearance. With a floating glass Micro Edge display on an elegant metal stand, it’s appealing to look at even when not in use.
It has some of the most popular standard features, too, such as a pop-up privacy camera and microphone, as well as an enviable performance portfolio. The specs include a hexa-core 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor and 16GB of RAM to give you power for the things you need to create, explore, and share.
You’ll also get the perks that everyone raves about with the Intel Optane™ memory, which gives you near SSD experiences without having to give up much-needed hard drive space.
It hands off background tasks and hard-working programs to the part of your computer that is best designed to handle it, all without you ever needing to change your work habits.
If movies and the arts are your thing, don’t miss how the Quad High Definition (QHD) touch screen display works in perfect synchrony with the Bang & Olufsen quad speakers.
You may not have considered your office computer to be the place most suitable for streaming cinematic greats, but that could very well change with this AiO.
3. HP 22-inch All-in-One desktop
If screen size isn’t your main concern, consider this budget-friendly all-in-one with a smaller display.
At 22 inches, the HP AiO desktop is a beautiful addition to your home or office that’s perfect for those smaller corners. It has an impressive quad-core Intel Pentium® Silver processor plus 4GB of memory that’s upgradable to 16GB for bigger jobs.
It also comes with a DVD-RW drive and a built-in HD camera helps it double as family communication and media center. Just engage the slide switch to maintain your privacy on the camera when not in use.
Buying tips
The beauty of an all-in-one desktop is that you get the monitor and computer in a single, smaller product, which also means there are some special considerations to make when shopping.
First, it’s helpful to think of buying this type of computer as similar to buying a laptop. While it’s not truly portable, it is bundled similarly. You want to consider everything you would in buying a laptop, from memory to screen resolution.
Of course, you don’t have to worry about some of the issues laptops have, such as battery life or the size of a keyboard. Because you can accessorize any way you wish, decisions like what mouse to use can be made after you buy and can be adjusted as you go.
Many of the features you’ll want in a desktop come from peripherals, like speakers or an external storage drive. You’ll still make these buying choices the same way you would for any desktop computer, minus the need to purchase a standalone monitor.
If you’re ready for the simplicity of a laptop but need the processing power and screen resolution of a desktop, you’ll probably find a touch screen AiO to be the perfect blend of both worlds. These products lack nothing when it comes to processor speed, RAM memory, graphics card power, and are only slightly less mobile than your largest 17-inch laptops.
Compared to their larger tower desktop counterparts, they’re a breath of fresh air ready to take on your touch screen PC needs with stability and performance.
About the Author: Linsey Knerl is a contributing writer for HP® Tech Takes. Linsey is a Midwest-based author, public speaker, and member of the ASJA. She has a passion for helping consumers and small business owners do more with their resources via the latest tech solutions.
