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The X 5000TA is a slim device that, like MSI’s Wind Top model, consists of a touchscreen monitor with the guts of a netbook built into the case. Shuttle has opted for a dual-core Atom 330 processor, but most of the other components are identical to the Wind Top: a 160GB hard disk, integrated Intel graphics, Draft-N WiFi and a memory card reader. Despite the high price, the X 5000TA lacks an optical drive, which will make software installation a pain and rule out watching DVDs. It also comes with no keyboard or mouse, and without a touch-aware operating system such as Windows 7, the touchscreen is pretty useless on its own. Shuttle hasn’t included any touch-aware applications, either. Despite having the same 1,366×768 resolution as the Wind Top, the X 5000TA’s monitor is 3.4in smaller, so the image appears crisper because of the smaller pixels. The touch-sensitive layer adds a grainy quality, though. We preferred Shuttle’s design to MSI’s, with much simpler lines and none of the extraneous clear plastic or fake chrome. Build quality was sturdier, too. The simple metal stand doubles as a carrying handle – a useful touch – and when removed it reveals a VESA mount, which the Wind Top lacks. Performance from the dual-core Atom was better than that of the single-core nettops in the group. The fastest PC in the group was over 60 per cent faster in our benchmarks, which serves to highlight how much performance you sacrifice when you choose a nettop over a traditional desktop PC.
Until the release of Windows 7, with its native support for touch-sensitive controls and multi-touch gesture support for applications, nettops such as the X 5000TA will remain a novelty. The slim form factor, appealing design and touch-sensitive screen will appeal to some, but the X 5000TA is just too expensive for us to recommend. Novatech’s Ion Fusion has the same processor, was slightly faster in our benchmarks and comes with a larger, higher-resolution monitor, yet costs over £200 less. Unless you want an all-in-one computer, it’s a better choice for most people.
