Dell Vostro 320 All-in-One

The Vostro 320 is Dell's contender for a business all-in-one PC. Minimalistic, simple, and well-designed, it is ideal for businesses primarily interested in a space-saving, clutter-free desktop PC.

Design

Similar in concept to the Studio One 19, Dell's mainstream consumer all-in-one, the Vostro 320 fuses together a traditional desktop's monitor and CPU cabinet into one single entity. This not only helps save space on or below the work desk, but it also makes for an appealing, good-looking computer to work with.

Encased in glossy black plastic, the Vostro 320's centerpiece is undoubtedly its 19-inch LCD screen. It is non-glossy in nature--perfect for business usage--and has a widescreen resolution of 1440x900. We don't mind that it doesn't support touch input, as text is crisp and easy to read on the evenly lit screen and viewing angles are acceptable. The screen also has a 1.3-megapixel webcam and microphone grooved into its top bezel--engaging enough for video chats.

The Vostro 320 is supported by an adjustable stand on its back which allows it to tilt upward. Besides this, the Vostro 320 also has a VESA wall mount compartment--the stand for which Dell sells separately. The overall build quality of the Vostro 320's good, and its photo-frame-style stand is small but robust.

Hardware Specs

The Dell Vostro 320 is very well looked after in terms of internal hardware. An Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 2.8-GHz processor, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 160GB 7200rpm storage drive are very good basic building blocks for a work machine. No discrete graphics here, obviously; only onboard Intel GMA X4500 to suffice with. It has support for Wi-Fi connectivity, but no Bluetooth. There's a dual-layered DVD writer on the Vostro 320's left edge, while a multicard reader, three USB ports, FireWire port, and two audio jacks reside on its right screen edge.

There are plenty more connectivity ports at the back: three more USB ports, Ethernet, PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports. There's also a serial and parallel port thrown in on the Vostro 320's back to plug in an old printer or camera, but no VGA-out port. The optional wireless keyboard and mouse combo is exactly similar to the one sold with the Studio One 19, but the wired ones we received with our Vostro 320 aren't bad at all. Keys are nice and springy to type on, while the mouse is quite big and responsive. The Dell Vostro 320 comes with Windows Vista Business 32-bit edition.

Performance

With a fast processor, fast-spinning hard drive, and adequate RAM, it is no surprise the Dell Vostro 320 achieves a WorldBench 6 score of 107. This is a shade below the Studio One 19, but well over the scores of the Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 and Apple iMac 20-inch. You can multitask with ease on the Vostro 320--whether you browse the Web, work with productivity suites, or tune into some music. Even watching HD movies, both 720p and 1080p, was a smooth and enjoyable experience. Its twin 2W onboard speakers, situated on the back, aren't very loud but clear, and good enough for an office setting. The overall power footprint of the Vostro 320 is also pretty good. Apart from a stack of bundled software, the Vostro 320 comes with a useful backup and restore utility.

Verdict

The Dell Vostro 320 brings a refreshing new look to the otherwise drab and boring traditional business desktop. It isn't just a fad but quite practical and works well as a sleek mainstream business machine. It offers very good performance, and its all-in-one design certainly helps save desk space--at a price, though.