All-in-One Devices ride again

On 10 June, Hewlett-Packard announced its release of a 'new generation of all-in-one PCs', designed to boost user experience with enhanced multimedia applications presented in a touchscreen interface through a high-definition display. PC manufacturers such as Sony, Dell, and now HP, are using all-in-one designs with rich multimedia capabilities to appeal to new usage models around the home. In a recent report, ABI Research unpacks the home theater PC market, and details the growing competition as manufacturers attempt to lead the industry by setting new technological and usability trends.

"The act of combining standard PC form factors with high-resolution multimedia capabilities is the new evolution with respect to all-in-one device design," says principal analyst Steve Wilson. "Moreover, this combinational trend is emerging in the budding relationship between TV and the Internet. For instance, both Samsung and Panasonic have announced TVs where the user can connect directly to the Internet. However, these likely will be limited to specific Web sites and services and cannot yet provide the full flexibility of a PC connection."

Conversely, CinemaNow, an online movie service, announced in May 2008 that it has joined with Microsoft to rent and sell nearly 3,400 movie titles and TV shows within Windows Media Center. Using a direct PC-to-TV connection, the user can watch content directly on a TV; or, the user can employ the burn-to-DVD option, permitting access of purchased content across the full range of devices: from the PC, to the TV, to the DVD player.

With technology, industrial, and interface improvements, the role of the PC in the digital living room continues to evolve: all-in-one devices may become the norm, and TVs with PC/Internet functionality may be established as the next evolutionary plateau. The all-in-one device format, arguably brought to light by Apple's iMac, is gaining favor as a space saver and as a platform upon which interactive digital entertainment can be accessed on-the-go or at a specific location.

Associated Link: Evolutions of All-in-One Devices

All change at the top for System Concepts
Source: System Concepts Ltd, 3 July 2009
 
Leslie Fountain has been promoted to joint Managing Director of leading usability consultancy System Concepts.

Life in UCD immortalised in fiction: you couldn't make it up
Source: UN, 2 July 2009
 
Sarah Herman's fictitious book on life in a user-centred design company has hit the shelves and The Guardian's book pages...

Interfaces Magazine - Issue 79: The Education Issue
Source: Interaction Group, 1 July 2009
 
The latest issue of Interfaces is now available as a free download from the Interaction Website.

Two new Behavioural research Tools from Noldus
Source: UN, 30 June 2009
 
Tool updates make on-site behavioural data collection easier.

Cell Phones that Listen and Learn
Source: MIT Technology Review, 29 June 2009
 
New software tracks a user's behavior by monitoring everyday sounds.

Top Six Don’ts for Usability Testing
Source: FutureNow Inc., 27 June 2009
 
Six tips for creating quality usability tests to ensure useful feedback from testers.

Usability: ‘Lovely software. But I can’t work it’
Source: FT.com, 26 June 2009
 
In a recent survey by Global Graphics, 77 per cent of office workers estimate they lose up to one hour a week because business software is difficult to use.

And what do you do?
Source: Dexo Design, 25 June 2009
 
How do you describe your job role? Here are the results of a recent 'Preferred UX/UI Title' Poll.

Most Doctors cite Usability as critical to Electronic Health Record Adoption
Source: TMCNet, 24 June 2009
 
It's all about 'meaningful use'.

Glossy monitors look good but can hurt
Source: QUT, 23 June 2009
 
A new advisory cites research which suggests high gloss monitors make users sit awkwardly.