All-In-One PC A Real 'Home' Run

As our work and personal lives increasingly merge, numerous technologies are stepping in to bridge the gap. The number of companies eagerly eyeing the home integration market is proof enough of the digital convergence landscape.

One such company, Pelham Sloane, is targeting its all-in-one integrated PC not only at SMBs and other space-conscious businesses but also at the home integration market through the channel.

At last month's XChange 2003 conference in Orlando, Fla., which was sponsored by CRN parent CMP Media, CRN Test Center engineers included Pelham Sloane's PS1500 in the Test Center Smart Home, a demonstration of unique technologies for the home integration space.

Because the PS1500 is geared toward the government, education and general business markets, it's an ideal solution for anywhere in the home or office.

At the show, the product was paired with the Omni Pro II Home Management System from New Orleans-based HAI, a vendor of integrated security and automation products for homeowners and businesses.

Together, the two products provided a robust security solution for the Smart Home.

"A self-contained PC touch screen like the Pelham Sloane product is an ideal value-added end-user interface with HAI's Omni Pro II Home Management Systems," said Steve Iommi, Northeast territory manager at HAI. "Combined with HAI's OmniTouch console, we were able to demonstrate the powerful simplicity of touch-screen solutions and HAI's Web Link II and PC Access software for local and remote systems control."

Built around a Commell mini-ATX mobile motherboard, the all-in-one system boasts an Intel Pentium 4 2.2GHz processor, a 40-Gbyte hard-disk drive, 512 Mbytes of DDRRAM, Microsoft's Windows XP operating system, a combination DVD-RW drive, a 15-inch Proview monitor, a wireless keyboard and mouse, two PCMCIA slots and a USB TV receiver.

Engineers found the system to be sophisticated enough to run the most advanced multimedia applications and home automation features.

What makes this all-in-one PC so special is its touch screen, which can be included on request.

In the past, engineers have had less-than-stellar experiences with touch screens, which usually need to be pressed forcefully or repeatedly to initiate a command. But that wasn't the case here. The system's five-wire resistive Manhattan Skyline touch screen performed well on all tests in a variety of applications. Monitors with five-wire panels offer significant benefits for heavy-use and harsh environments.

This particular touch screen is characterized by excellent linearity throughout,even near the edges,which makes it such a pleasure to use.

The unit also has a a well-designed stand that allows the PC to move up and down by about 4 to 6 inches in either direction. The PC can be tilted 90 degrees so that it's parallel with the desk and the screen faces up, which makes it much easier during setup to insert the plugs into the bottom of the system, where there are two USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire port.

Many all-in-one PCs have multiple buttons on the front for brightness, contrast and volume, but Pelham Sloane integrates all that functionality within the system, so users can make those adjustments via the keyboard and control panel.

CRN engineers were also impressed with how quiet the unit is and how little heat it generates.

According to Pelham Sloane, customers will be able to request up to two PCMCIA slots on the system, whose price will range from $1,369 to $2,099 depending on the level of customization.

Although engineers didn't stress performance in particular, it's worth noting that the PS1500 performed on a par with other Pentium 4 production units.

Integrators can even offer the system as an all-in-one central terminal for running all aspects of the home directly. Temperature control, music-playing, alarm activation and light-dimming via the PC are just some of the possibilities that home automation products have to offer.

With its PS1500, Pelham Sloane demonstrates a keen understanding of the needs of space-conscious markets and home integration. In fact, the product just might be the vendor's ticket for jumping on the digital convergence bandwagon early in the game.

CHANNEL PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS
>PELHAM SLOANE PS1500
PRICE: Starts at $1,369; $2,099 as configured for Test Center testing
MARGIN: 10 percent
WARRANTY: 3 years parts and labor
DISTRIBUTORS: Synnex, direct from vendor
TECH RATING:

CHANNEL RATING:

CHANNEL OVERVIEW: Pelham Sloane, Southport, Conn., recently began setting in the United States and is now formalizing its channel program. The vendor plans to work with solution providers to target SMBs, governemnt and education sites and the home networking space.

Note: Vendors can earn up to five stars for technical merit and five for their channel program. If the average of these two scores is four stars or greater, the product earns CRN Test Center Recommended status.