One of the more interesting products to surface at this year's CES was an all-in-one computer from Acer, the TA272 HUL. Veering off the beaten path, Acer decided to see what would happen if they took the traditional AIO formula, threw out the Windows operating system and PC hardware, replacing it instead with high-end smartphone guts powered by Android.

Much like a notebook, all-in-ones are tricky to get right as you?re essentially stuck with whatever hardware the OEM selects for you. If the manufacturer attempts to cut corners on a key component, it can ruin the entire experience.

Case in point: this is the third 27-inch AIO that I?ve reviewed in as many years. The two earlier systems ? the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon and the HP Omni 27 Quad ? only supported a resolution of 1080p. While there's certainly nothing wrong with 1,920 x 1,080 on a handset, tablet, notebook or even a smaller desktop screen, it's not a good fit for a larger display where you can begin to see individual pixels without really trying. That's a typical example of cost-cutting tactics that ultimately backfires.