Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon Review

Final Thoughts
We expect Lenovo as one of the top PC manufacturers in the world to come out with an all-in-one, that is a given. They could have been like everyone else and come out with a normal all-in-one touchscreen system, but they took it upon themselves to set the bar and really do something unique and different. Lenovo has done that with many of their products and that is why they have been so successful over the past couple of years.

Starting out with the size of the Horizon, it is not your normal all-in-one at 22 to 24-inches, it is 27-inches! That provides a pretty big footprint and a very large touchscreen surface. The large screen also makes a perfect surface screen so when you have the unit laying flat you can be completely immersed in what you are doing. I really do not think that is possible with smaller units. One of the things that I was most impressed with was the stand on the Horizon. It not only holds the weight of the entire unit, but it pretty much effortlessly allows you to put the unit in tabletop mode, then put it right back up. Lenovo really wants users to take advantage of the tabletop mode and has included some great accessories for gaming. These plus Lenovo’s Aura really do add value to the Horizon.

Since you have such a large screen and a full 1080p resolution you have more than enough screen real estate for easy multi-tasking and having multiple applications open at once. The Horizon has an HDMI-in port so it can act as a display for your other devices. This makes it perfect for bedrooms or even dorm rooms. The screen is an anti-glare glossy screen, but the viewing angles are pretty good actually. And because of the size you can have many people viewing something at the same time. The speakers on the unit are not all that powerful and are on the back of the display, so if you want better sound you may want to get a pair of speakers.

As far as performance goes this system will handle most tasks and even some light gaming. This is in no way made to be a gaming machine or workstation, but you really won’t be disappointed by it. We would have liked to have seen a faster hard drive though.

Another really cool thing about the Horizon is that is actually a tablet, yes it has a battery inside! So that means you don’t need to be connected to power to use the Horizon. This is great for the whole tabletop and gaming aspect. Lenovo sees the Hoprizon as a family computer so kids could disconnect the Horizon and take it into their room and play games with friends. Then when they are done they could easily take it back and put it in the computer room. This of course means if the power goes out you can still use the Horizon and you wouldn’t lose what you were working on.

All in all I really think that Lenovo has a winner in the Horizon, other companies making all-in-ones should take note. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!

rating9 10 small TC award recommended small

Pros:
– 27-inch touchscreen
– Innovative stand
– Responsive touchscreen
– Aura mode and gaming accessories
– Its a tablet! (Battery inside)
– Sleek design

Cons:
– Slower hard drive
– Speakers located on back
– Only two USB ports

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