Shuttle D10 desktop computer

Shuttle’s D10 is unique in being the only desktop computer we’ve ever seen that has its own monitor built in. The 7in touch-sensitive screen on the D10's front panel can be used as a rather small main monitor or to supplement a bigger external display.

With Windows XP or Vista installed the D10's second screen could be used to display weather and travel updates or could enable the computer to be used tight spaces (such as a kitchen) where a larger screen, keyboard and mouse would be a hassle. Its touch-sensitivity means Windows can be navigated using a finger, although it would have been nice if Shuttle had included a stylus as well.

If Windows Home Server is installed then the D10’s 7in monitor could be used to oversee other home computers, while the screen also makes the D10 suitable for video conferencing or around-the-clock CCTV video surveillance (with a webcam or network camera attached, of course). With the right home automation package it could even be used to control the lights or central heating.

At the end of the day, however, the 7in screen is only useful in niche applications and most people will see it as a gadget that offers premium bragging rights. That premium is a not-unreasonable £125 compared with an equivalent Shuttle lacking the screen.

As the D10 is a bare-bones PC, it only comes with a motherboard, power supply, case and a few cables, so you need to add your own processor, memory, hard disk and DVD writer. That's a much simpler process than building a PC from scratch and it allows the user to customise it to their needs. It's not for beginners, though. It also means you need to add your own operating system.

The motherboard is a G31 Express design, which sits at the bottom of Intel’s product range. Shuttle says only processors that use 65W of power or less can be used because of the lowly 100W power supply included. A Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 Duo E8000 series processor with 2GB of memory would be the most balanced pair of components for the D10, then. There is also a PCI Express slot, which could be used for a TV tuner or wireless network card.

Graphics are provided using motherboard (so there's no need to add a separate graphics card) but the power provided isn't suited to gaming and it can’t be upgraded. There’s only a VGA video output so connecting the D10 to a big TV might not be feasible, making it an unappealing Media Center – despite the attractive touch-navigation of videos, photos and music the 7in display offers.

It’s easy to fit the components and the included Shuttle documentation is very good, although setting the correct resolution of the 7in screen (it uses an uncommon resolution of 800x480 pixels) required a visit to Shuttle’s help website.

On the one hand, the restrictive power supply and lack of digital video output tarnish the D10 as a PC. On the other, the 7in touchscreen will be an appealing addition – for some – to a well-constructed bare-bones computer, making the D10 best suited to being secondary PC rather than the main one in the home.