Gateway, a leading maker of personal computers which soon will be a part of Acer, announced this week its first desktop that features all-in-one design and resembles iMac as well as certain IBM and Sony Vaio desktops. The new machine called “One” has the chances to become rather popular, but it may also have followers from other personal computer (PC) suppliers.

There will be three Gateway One models available initially, all based on dual-core Intel processors for notebooks and featuring 19” screen with 1440x900 resolution. The difference in configurations, e.g. graphics adapters’ performance or hard drive capacities, will separate positioning of systems, as some will be better positioned for office, whereas the other will better fit into homes. Gateway also claims that its Gateway One is not only stylish, but features better usability than competing solutions, e.g., the manufacturer placed USB and FireWire ports in the most convenient way.

Being a stylish alternative to traditional designs, the Gateway One resembles a high-end flat panel TV with a wireless keyboard. Despite its compact design, it is a fully-featured PC featuring a widescreen LCD. When configured with an optional TV tuner, Gateway One blends Internet browsing, gaming, music and broadcast entertainment into one, making it perfect for the family room, kitchen, bedroom, or dorm room.

On the othet hand, Gateway One allows no upgrade. As a result, it will hardly be able to perform well in the latest games and will not be able to playback Blu-ray or HD DVD movies because it does not feature an appropriate drive and it is only possible to attach a standalone high-definition drive to Gateway One to enable HD playback.

“Gateway One exemplifies the idea of simplicity, of less is more. This computer complements its environment and becomes a design element you want to show off as much as you want to use. Because it doesn’t compromise on features or performance, it will be appreciated for its brains as well as its beauty,” said Gary Elsasser, Gateway’s senior vice president of products.

Gateway One model for $1299 features Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 dual-core processor, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100, 2GB memory, 320GB Serial ATA hard disk drive and a 1.3MP webcam. Gateway One model for $1799 is based on Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 dual-core processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card with 256MB, 3GB memory, 500GB Serial ATA hard drive, TV tuner and a 1.3MP webcam. Both models will exclusively be available at Best Buy retail network.

The Gateway One model available direct from Gateway includes an Intel Core 2 Duo T5250 dual-core processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics card with 256MB of memory, 400GB Serial ATA hard drive and a 1.3MP webcam for $1499.

“37% and 28% of consumers, respectively, identify with the statements, ‘Good design is important to me’ and ‘I want the things I own to reflect my sense of style’. Style will grow in importance as Gen Y ages, and style in general is becoming more important to consumers across all product categories,” said J.P. Gownder, an analyst with Forrester Research.