BenQ debuts PC: as easy as eating a bowl of noodles

The all-in-one PC is having a bit of a renaissance of late. It seems that every time I turn around, I find another computer maker is releasing an all-in-one machine. Not so long ago Dell announced its Studio 19 all-in-one that is aimed at use in common areas like the kitchen.

BenQ has now announced its own all-in-one entrant, describing it as a "nettop" even though that term was coined by Intel to describe Atom-based desktop PCs. This one packs an AMD Sempron CPU.



_{Above: BenQ nScreen Specifications}

The new BenQ all-in-ones are called the nScreen i91 and the i221. The i91 is an 18.5-inch machine that matches size with Dell's Studio 19 and the i221 is a larger 21.5-inch machine. As you expect with this sort of computer, there are no cables running to and from the machine unless you opt for a wired mouse and keyboard.

One of the big benefits that BenQ touts is that the machine requires only one power cord to plug it in and requires no set up other than pulling it out of the box and plugging it in. The machine has a single large knob on the right that turns the PC on and adjusts the volume as needed.


A 1.3-megapixel webcam is standard with the i221 and optional on the i91 allowing for VOIP video calls. The nScreen rigs have some decent green chops with BenQ claiming that the machines use less than 80% of the power that a traditional desktop computer requires.

Both nScreen models run Windows XP Home and feature built-in speakers, mic, and a USB port along with a memory card reader.

Both of the machines are the first in the industry to run the new AMD e-Phoenix platform. The i91 will sell in Australia for $899 with the i221 going for $1,199 with availability set for April at select Harvey Normal stores around the country.

It's worth checking out Benq's microsite for the PC just to watch the comedy sketch advertising. It's cheesy in a very south-east Asian kind of way, with themes such as "make getting online just as easy as eating a bowl of noodles". (You also get a much better look at the PC in the introductory video on the site too.)