Asus Eee Top ET2203T review

If technology kept pace with the future depicted by Hollywood's screenwriters, we'd have long ago wielded the power to control a PC with the flick of the wrist and a flourish of a hand. But, with the arrival of Windows 7, touch control is finally beginning to come of age. The latest all-in-one to hit the Labs - the Asus ET2203T - takes a step towards the future thanks to Microsoft's latest OS, and aims to blend high-definition entertainment with touch-friendly ease of use.

If your only experience of the Asus Eee Top range is the budget-priced, Atom-powered ET1602, then the first sight of the ET2203T is likely to surprise. The glare of the ET1602's glossy white case is supplanted by an altogether more demure look: glossy black surrounds the screen and this is complemented by an understated silver trim. If you're envisaging giving the Asus pride of place in your home, this is one machine that could be easily mistaken for a compact, stylish TV.

The real attraction, however, is the 21.6in touchscreen. Where most of the excitement about Windows 7 stems from its multi-touch support, Asus keeps cost down by opting for a single-touch display. Even before you lay a single finger upon it, however, it grabs the attention. The Full HD panel is bright and contrast is rather good - especially for a touchscreen.

The only serious issue is that the glossy panel and, we presume, the touchscreen layer itself, causes an almighty amount of glare. It's something that is no doubt compounded by the strip lights in the PC Pro labs, but we spent as much time admiring our own faces as we did the high-definition splendour of Wall-E on Blu-ray.

Get to grips with the ET2203T, though, and it's enough to win over the most PC-phobic of users. Where Windows Vista's touch embellishments often left you switching back to the keyboard and mouse, Windows 7 makes it possible to do far more. The Asus' panel might only be single-touch capable, but browsing the web with it is easy. Windows 7's on-screen keyboard makes light work of text entry and short emails, and navigating the OS is impressively rapid and responsive.