Hasta La Gadget!

A touchscreen iMac? Sure, why not. The rumors have been bubbling around for some time now, and let’s face it, they do seem to make some sense. Ever since the release of the first iPhone, Steve Jobs has clearly stood on one side in the great battle between buttons and touchscreens.

So why not bring such functionality to the company’s perennially successful all-in-one desktop? After all, the product exists in a space not likely to cannibalize potential iPad or iPhone sales, even with the addition of such functionality. Those devices are all about portability, and while the iMac has a decidedly smaller footprint than the majority of desktop combos, it’s not really designed to leave your office space.

Various patents filed by the company seem to confirm the rumors, including the spiffy one above that appears to turn the iMac into a giant iPad.

DigiTimes, that Taiwan-based source of seemingly endless Apple rumors, is fueling the fire once again. According to the paper, “Sintek Photronics has reportedly sent samples of projected capacitive touch panels to Apple to be incorporated in the latest iMac.”

Sintek Photronics apparently has that rare ability to create viewable touchpanels for devices with screens over 20 inches. The iMac starts at 21.5 inches.

So, if the rumor is true (which, naturally, is a big “if”), what sort of timeframe are we looking at for a touchscreen iMac? Well, Apple Insider points out that, since the device is are still in the testing phase, it most likely won’t see a release this year.

Makes sense to us, especially since the iMac just got an upgrade in July. Apple bumped the device up to Core i5 and Core i7 processors. An early 2011 release isn’t out of the question, however, particularly given the fact that the iMac doesn’t strict to the annual release schedule of an iPhone or iPod.

Origin made news a few weeks ago when they released their combination XBox 360 and gaming PC, The Big O. Now the company is at it again with the Eon17, a high-end gaming laptop with a laundry list of gaming hardware that you’d traditionally find in a full-sized PC.

The Eon17 features a 17-inch 16:9 LED backlist display, an optional six-core Intel Core i7 980X processor, up to 24GB of memory, and up to three hard drives. The Eon17 also has HDMI inputs and outputs so you can show your movies and gaming on a larger screen, and can be configured with two NVidia GeForce 480M graphics cards in SLI mode.

Just for good measure, Origin also crammed a Blu-Ray burner and combo drive into the laptop case, along with a full-sized keyboard and a touchpad that supports multi-touch gestures. However, like many other gaming laptops there’s no doubt the Eon17 will be heavy and not really meant to use on your lap at all. Pricing starts at $2,499 and goes up depending on how many of the listed features you want in the one you order. Orders start shipping in October. 

If you’re looking to clear your desk or leg space, consider the Lian Li PC-Q09 and PC-Q09F computer cases.

Both PC cases come with an optional mounting kit, enabling users to hide their system behind their monitor. The PC-Q09 is the smaller of the two, measuring in at 10.07 by 4.33 by 7.87-inches and weighing 3.1 pounds. It’s made of aluminum and features an optical drive, 2.5-inch HDD slot, and 110W mini-ITX PSU with an external power brick. There’s also a pair of USB 3.0 ports and audio ports are located at the front on the chassis.

For cooling purposes, the PC-Q09 has a passive ventilation system in place: Vent holes on the top and side panels, as well as an 8mm fan, to allow the air to flow in and out.

The PC-Q09F is slightly bigger (10.43 by 4.88 by 7.87-inches) and heavier (4.6 pounds). The additional size and weight is due to the integrated 150W Flex ATX PSU power supply. The design scheme is the same as the PC-Q09, only bigger. Both also allow for mounting behind your monitor with Lian Li’s VESA mounting kit.

Getac, known for its ruggadized computer solutions, has announced its convertible, multitouch tablet PC made of magnesium alloy.Built to perform in a number harsh environments, the Getac V200 is taking hits and making guarantees. 

This PC is powered by Intel’s Core i7-620LM processor, running 2GHZ to 2.8GHZ with Turbo Boost. The V200 comes standard with a shock mounted, 320GB hard drive–you can swap it out for an 80GB solid state drive upon configuration. The multitouch is resistive, rather than touch sentitive, meaning you can use it with your gloves on. 

The screen measures 12.1-inches and weighs less than 6 pounds. The design supports a full-size keyboard as well as 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2.1 connectivity, and 10/100/1000 Giga LAN. Ports include USB, VGA, RS232, eSATA, SD card reader, and PCMCIA. It also comes with a fingerprint scanner and hardware encryption for security.

Getac’s V200 also features the company’s LifeSupport battery swapping system that allows you to swap batteries in the field without shutting the system down. Simply enter into standby mode and you will have 2 minutes to swap batteries without closing any applications or programs. The V200 is IP65 compliant for resilience to dust, vibration, water, and temperatures as low as -20 degrees centigrade.

The V200 will be available starting in October and, SlashGear reports, it will be priced between $3,799 and $5,099 depending on sceen size and options included upon order.