HP all in for more all-in-ones

HP is one of those companies that won’t go down without a fight, and while it’s been pretty quiet in recent years, we’re now seeing the PC maker come out with some interesting gear. It’s last all-in-one Envy was really good, and it has a few more up its sleeve.

Built for business but capable for the home too, HP is expanding in the all-in-one space, a place in computing that is beginning to overtake traditional desktop thanks to the hardware being more convenient and taking up less space on the desk.

For businesses, that means more people can be thrown into an office with less room needed on the desk, while those at home won’t have to fiddles with extra cables or hardware, using instead a keyboard and mouse connecting either wirelessly or wired to a monitor with all the parts inside.

HP’s recent consumer-ready Envy impressed us, and you’re about to see more from the brand, with the Slate 21 Pro on the way, as well as ProOne 400 and even a laptop that feels like an all-in-one.

First we’ll check the proper all-in-ones, and the 400 named model looks the better of the lot, throwing in Intel Core processors from fourth generation, up to 16GB RAM, up to 2TB storage, and a DVD drive, with all of this sitting underneath a 21.5 inch Full HD touchscreen.

About the only problem we have with this is the reliance on USB 2.0 ports, which we’re sure businesses and home users would prefer to see upgraded to the faster USB 3.0, so we’re a little curious by this one, especially since it comes in at a pretty normal $1299 price point.

If you don’t need Windows, there’s always Android, which is an interesting choice for HP’s Slate 21 Pro, a 21 inch Android-based all-in-one delivering the best of Google on another 21 inch Full HD touchscreen, but pulling Intel out of the processor choice and replacing it with an Nvidia Tegra 4 chip. Pricing for this model is substantially cheaper, coming in at $599.

Android isn’t a new area for HP, either, and we saw a hybrid tablet laptop from HP with the operating system only a few months ago.

And finally, there’s a not quite all-in-one, with the Pro X2 410, taking the form factor of HP’s other “X2” models but making it a little better suited for, well, professionals.

Unlike the last X2 we saw — the Split X2 — HP have thankfully moved to the latest generation of Intel Core processors, pushing this, as well as 4GB RAM, Windows 8.1, USB 3.0, WiFi, Bluetooth, and up to 256GB of solid-state storage behind an 11.6 inch HD (1366×768) touchscreen.

Like the previous models, the tablet keeps all the important parts, and you can disconnect it from the keyboard pretty easily.

Pricing for the Pro X2 will come in at $1299, and like all of the other models listed in this article, expect to see them in stores around May.