Asus ET2300 review

Touchscreen all-in-ones are split into two groups – the tabletop systems that look like giant digital photo frames, and the more traditional base-and-stand designs such as this model.

We prefer the latter because they’re more flexible, and the ET2300 showcases this better than most. From its standard, front-facing desktop position, it’s possible to push the ET2300’s screen all the way back until it’s lying flat, or at any angle in between. That’s a step ahead of the similar Dell XPS One 27, which stops a few degrees short of horizontal.

The Asus is steady on its base, whatever position you choose to leave it in, and its 11.6kg weight keeps it firmly anchored to the desk.

It’s also rather trim-looking: the screen is only 50mm thick at its deepest point, and it tapers attractively to an 18mm chrome-effect edge. The wedge-shaped base is large, but it’s finished in slick, brushed aluminium, and ports are side-mounted, so they don’t spoil the overall appearance of the PC.

Vision and sound

Switch it on and the 23in screen continues to impress. Although it’s not as big as the Dell, Windows 8 is more manageable on this size than on the 27in behemoth. Edge-swipe gestures, scrolling, panning and zooming all feel more natural on a screen this size, and the ability to tilt the screen to any angle is a major boon. Coupled with a top-quality keyboard and mouse, the ET2300 is a joy to use.

There are no Windows 8-specific keys on the keyboard, or touch facilities on the mouse, but those are our only gripes.

The image quality of the IPS panel is one of the best we’ve seen from an all-in-one. The 1,920 x 1,080 resolution renders Windows 8’s Live Tiles in sharp detail, and the 245cd/m[sup]2[/sup] maximum brightness is plenty. Colours are vivid without being oversaturated, and an average Delta E of 3.7 makes for superb colour accuracy. A contrast ratio of 907:1 lends photos and movies depth and wide dynamic range. Better still, both dark and bright tones are well separated.