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“Averatec’s All-In-One Looks Like an Evil iMac” was HotHardware’s description of a specific 22-inch desktop PC announced in July 2008. It combined a black, monitor-integrated design with a desktop-class Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Contemporary coverage compared it with Apple’s 20-inch iMac, but the available reporting does not establish a benchmark winner—or the Averatec’s present-day price or availability.
Which Averatec All-In-One was the “evil iMac”?
The subject is the 22-inch Averatec All-In-One covered by HotHardware on July 8, 2008—not the company’s other all-in-ones, which had different screen sizes and components. HotHardware contributor Daniel A. Begun wrote: “Upon first glance, the All-In-One PC looks an awful lot like an all-black version of an iMac–perhaps its evil Doppelgänger.” That was a journalist’s visual comparison, not a manufacturer claim or a legal finding. HotHardware’s July 2008 comparison and Engadget’s July 7, 2008 report identify the launch-era system.
What were the 22-inch Averatec’s reported specifications?
Engadget reported this configuration and a $1,249 price in July 2008. These are historical launch-era details, not a current sales listing or confirmation that every retailer sold an identical configuration.
- Display: 22 inches
- Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E4600
- Graphics: GeForce 8400
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Storage: 320 GB hard drive
- Operating system: Windows Vista Home Premium
- Reported price: $1,249 in Engadget’s July 2008 coverage
How did it compare with the 20-inch iMac?
HotHardware compared the Averatec with a 20-inch iMac configuration. The differences help explain the period debate, but the specifications are historical and should not be read as a comparison with later iMac models.
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| Feature | Averatec 22-inch All-In-One | Compared 20-inch iMac |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 22 inches | 20 inches |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo E4600, 2.4 GHz; desktop-class | Intel Core 2 Duo T7700; mobile-class |
| Installed memory | 2 GB | 1 GB |
| Storage | 320 GB hard drive | Smaller hard drive, according to HotHardware; exact capacity not stated in that comparison |
| Wireless | 802.11b/g | 802.11a/b/g/n |
| USB and other connectivity | One more USB port than the compared iMac; no FireWire or Bluetooth listed in HotHardware’s comparison | One fewer USB port; FireWire and Bluetooth included |
| Operating system | Windows Vista Home Premium, per Engadget | Not stated in the cited comparison |
| Reported launch price | $1,249, reported by Engadget in July 2008 | Not stated in the cited comparison |
The processor comparison did not establish which computer was faster. HotHardware noted that the Averatec’s E4600 was a desktop chip and the iMac’s T7700 a lower-power mobile chip, while also pointing to the iMac’s additional L2 cache. Without testing, its performance discussion remained an educated guess, not a benchmark result.
Why other Averatec all-in-ones are easy to confuse with it
Averatec reused the broad All-In-One name for systems with substantially different designs and hardware. Nearby coverage of other models should not be used to fill gaps in the 22-inch PC’s specifications.
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- HP offers high-performance features like optional Intel Optane memory and SSDs, Intel HD Graphics.
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The 2006 20.1-inch model
Engadget’s 2006 report described an earlier 20.1-inch system with a 1680 × 1050 display, 3 GHz Pentium 4, 250 GB 7,200 RPM hard drive, DVD burner, card reader, wireless keyboard and mouse, remote, and webcam. It is not the 22-inch Core 2 Duo system. Engadget’s 2006 coverage documents that separate configuration.
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The 18.4-inch Atom-based models
A TechSpot review covered an 18.4-inch Averatec with a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270, 1 GB DDR2, 160 GB 5,400 RPM drive, 802.11b/g, Windows XP Home, and one SO-DIMM expansion slot. Wired described another 18.4-inch Atom-based Averatec with a swing-arm stand, webcam, DVD drive, five USB ports, Ethernet, and 120 GB hard drive. These reports concern different machines; they do not establish the 22-inch model’s upgrade limits, parts compatibility, or exact specifications.
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Sources: TechSpot’s 18.4-inch review and Wired’s October 2008 coverage.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the historical coverage does—and does not—establish
The contemporary reports document the announced machine and the way it was compared at launch. They do not establish whether it is available today, what a used example should cost, how to repair it, or which replacement parts fit. HotHardware also said it was unclear whether a TV tuner was standard or optional in the U.S. configuration; the cited coverage does not resolve that detail.
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