DigiTimes: Companies are thinking about making cheap all in one PCs that run Android

BY Stefan Constantinescu

Published 6 May 2013

People who are starved for space don’t like the thought of buying big bulky computers that have to sit under a desk. That’s why laptops are popular. Still, there are certain folks who need larger screens. Luckily, there are these things call All in One PCs, AiO PC for short.

You’ve probably seen an iMac before, or whatever HP or Dell call their equivalent products. They serve their function, but they’re expensive because PC hardware isn’t exactly free. Let’s also not forget about paying Microsoft to license Windows.

Here’s where Android comes in. According to DigiTimes, monitor makers are tired of fighting for margins that are practically zero, so they’re thinking about slapping an ARM chip inside their screens and throwing Android on there. Yes, you read that right, your next computer monitor could very well run Android out of the box.

The Taiwanese supply chain website says a 21.5 inch LCD screen that comes with a full blown Windows machine buried inside can cost upwards of $600. If they go with Android, they can shave $200 off that. Whether or not this proves to be a popular product category remains to be seen. Android was designed to run on touch enabled devices, and while yes, you can use a pointing device with Android, no one actually does that for an extended period of time.