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Nonetheless, day-to-day multitasking (using a word processor, while simultaneously having a web browser with a YouTube video running, and a virus scanner running in the background etc.) was notably more manageable on this machine than the Asus Eee Top, which only uses a single core Atom processor. And that's despite the X50 running Windows Vista, while the Eee Top runs Windows XP.

Ultimately, though, all other considerations fly out the window when we start to look at the Shuttle XVision X50 as a touchscreen device. Essentially, Shuttle has made no effort to tailor the X50 to be useable with just your fingers. There are no larger icons, custom onscreen keyboards, one-touch access to common programs, or, touch-based scrolling tools. Heck, there's not even a shortcut to the default windows onscreen keyboard in the start menu or on the desktop.

A stylus hidden behind the power button makes the screen usable but frankly that's still far from being enough. Quite simply, you need a keyboard and mouse to use this computer properly. In which case, we'd rather the X50 dropped the touchscreen altogether and just used a better quality normal screen. Even the Asus Eee Top, which does have a custom finger-friendly interface, still ships with a neat little keyboard and mouse.

So all told, the Shuttle XVision X50 does little to impress over its main rival, the Asus Eee Top, besides looking a little better and having a bit more performance that, arguably, is of no real world benefit. And that's before we've even mentioned the X50's disappointing price. The version we looked at here ships with an operating system (OS) and costs nearly £550, but even if you opt for one without an OS you're still looking at around £460 - still more than an Asus Eee Top, which comes complete with a keyboard and mouse.

Verdict

The Shuttle XVision X50 is arguably a better looking version of the Asus Eee Top all-in-one PC and it packs in a dual-core Atom processor to boot. However, the touchscreen itself is difficult to use and Shuttle hasn't provided any finger-friendly optimisations for the Windows OS, making it nearly impossible to use without a keyboard and mouse, thus negating the touchscreen. It doesn't help that the X50 is actually more expensive than the Eee Top, as well.

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