Four recommendable Windows 8 all-in-ones under $1,300

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)

If you are considering an all-in-one desktop purchase, you may have noticed higher prices for Windows 8 PCs than Windows 7 systems with comparable hardware from a year ago. Where a reasonably fast 23-inch all-in-one used to cost about $1,000, you can expect to pay $100 to $200 more for the Windows 8 equivalent today

The good news is that PC vendors seem to have finally internalized the calls for better-looking Windows PCs and more-innovative features. Those things alone don't account for the higher prices we're seeing at retail, but they do help lessen the impact.

We know of two more interesting Windows 8 PCs on the horizon, one from Lenovo, another from Asus, both of which, like the Sony Vaio Tap 20 below, have inserted a battery and semi-portability into the desktop equation. I expect those aren't the last mobile-ish desktops we'll see this year, particularly after Intel's next-gener... [Read more]