Lenovo early this week announced its first all-in-one desktop designed for the SMB, which the company says will ship by at the end of November.  In an all-in-one, the main chassis containing the processor and motherboard are integrated into the back of the LCD display. A departure from bulky desktops of the past, the comparatively smaller footprints of all-in-ones have made them popular in homes, popularized by sleek models from Apple and Sony.

Recently, the all-in-one concept has been filtering into the office, with administrators starting to recognize their ability to save space.  Indeed, IDC figures show that the all-in-one PC market segment is projected to grow 16 percent year-over-year worldwide in 2010, explaining Lenovo's sudden interest in this category.  Much of the demand for all-in-ones is expected to come from small and medium businesses, in tandem with smaller outfits operating out of homes.

Anyway, the ThinkCentre A70z is priced at $499 and up, with the base configuration sporting a widescreen 19-inch display and a body that is just 2.4 inches thick at its slimmest point.  As expected, A70z runs Windows 7, with configurable options ranging from Intel Core 2 Duo to lower-end dual-core Celeron processors, and up to 500GB of hard-disk storage.  The A70z has six USB ports, audio speakers, and a DVD burner; optional items are Wi-Fi and a high-resolution webcam.

Lenovo says boot time is just 35 seconds, likely due to the use of the Windows 7 operating system.  In addition, the company claims that the A70z saves 70 percent more space and consumes less power, making it a good choice for SMBs taking a stab at being greener.  Of course, SMBs serious about going green probably will want to check out my earlier blog titled "Green IT for the SMB Starts at the Desktop," too.

Personally, I'll just pay a little more for a portable laptop.  Then again, doing that will cost quite a lot more and will not give me a display that is nearly as large as the 19-inch LCD.  As it is, SMBs shopping for new machines for the New Year probably will want to take a hard look at the ThinkCentre A70z.