Microsoft announces the HP TouchSmart PC

In its zeal to take over your living room, Microsoft announced the HP TouchSmart PC at the Gates keynote -- a desktop machine with a touchscreen interface designed to be an easy to use entertainment hub in the home. We caught wind of this unit back at the end of November, and the thing looks raring to kick the iMac's ass. It's coming loaded with a 19-inch touchscreen, AMD Turion 64 X2 dual core TL-52 processor, 2GB SDRAM, 320GB drive, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7600, WiFi, Bluetooth, integrated 1.3 megapixel camera, integrated FM and ATSC HDTV tuners, a DVD±RW / DVD-RAM burner with LightScribe, Pocket Media Drive bay, wireless keyboard, mouse, stylus, front media reader, and more ports than the Dutch coastline. The TouchSmart will of course be running Windows Vista and be available January 30 to coincide with Vista's street date.

[Vizion @ Jan 7th 2007 9:46PM]

If it were all black it would look much better.

[James @ Jan 30th 2007 3:23PM]

The reflection can sometimes make those blind have a hard time seeing colors.

[resource @ Jan 7th 2007 9:58PM]

That is gorgeous.
iWho?

[granny down east @ Jan 7th 2007 10:30PM]

i knew i shoulda waited until after the first of the year. that thing is neat- and with touch screen. tsk tsk fer me

[Mr. P @ Jan 7th 2007 10:43PM]

"...the thing looks raring to kick the iMac's ass." The iMac doesn't have an ass - that's the whole point, you lummox. This TouchSmart thing is basically a screen on top of a horizontal computer (with a screen destined to be filled with finger smudges)...the iMac is completely integrated - screen and all. Oh, and a 20" or 24" inch screen at that. Don your "clip-on" tie, get a very thick, brown briefcase, and go get a job working in a modular unit...among a bunch of other brown-suited herd followers... You little PeeCee buffoon...

[Intrepid @ Jan 7th 2007 11:34PM]

It's the first in what will likely be a line-up of TouchSmart PC's...

[Barb Dybwad @ Jan 8th 2007 3:11AM]

ironic, considering 90% of the machines in my house are Macs...

the point of the iMac reference is to denote that both units are "all-in-one." obviously the form factors of the two machines are different, but all the bits of this HP unit *are* integrated, as in, you'd have to get out your table saw to separate them.

[Andrew Fong @ Jan 8th 2007 3:17AM]

Fanboy ...

It's definitely more of an entertainment hub than the iMac, FrontRow aside. If I can't watch TV on it, it isn't an entertainment hub. That said, I don't see a lot of people using this as an entertainment hub -- it probably makes more sense to hook up a Media Center PC or iTV (when that comes out) to your big screen TV; I can see the appeal as an entertainment hub for students living in small dorm rooms though.

[spil @ Jan 7th 2007 10:54PM]

This does look nice, but it is supposed to be a media hub? Then how come it has a petit 19" screen. 19" is great for normal word processing/ web browsing, but if it is supposed to be a media hub, the screen seems too small. Also, if it is supposed to be a media hub, why would it have a touch screen, the point of a media hub is to stay ON the couch, not go turning knobs (or virtual, touchscreen knobs). Isn't that why they invented the remote control?

[buford @ Nov 21st 2008 6:14PM]

speaking of knobs .. oh hello,
that's why it comes with a remote, ya wiener...

[moma @ Jan 7th 2007 11:14PM]

This looks nice.. Pitty it runs Windows!

[Geoffrey Sperl @ Jan 8th 2007 12:10AM]

Uh... no. This really is not the way MS should be headed. They have the Windows Home Server thing, and the media extenders for Media Center and Vista. Why the hell have this?

No, I do not want a computer as my TV. I do not want one hooked up to my TV. I want media simplified and streamlined, not more crap to baby and administer...

[Ryan @ Jan 8th 2007 1:05AM]

I really like the design of this computer/TV. Looks just like the HP laptop I have right now. :)

[Nando @ Jan 8th 2007 1:33AM]

Touchscreen?!...I just creamed.

[Dave @ Jan 8th 2007 7:33AM]

The screen looks nice, but what is that on the bottom, a VCR? That's a new twist on the media wars...

[Silver @ Jan 8th 2007 8:53AM]

"the thing looks raring to kick the iMac's ass"

Uh huh. Two years from now no one will even remember this HP, yet Apple will still be churning out iMacs.

Mark it.

[jabber_wolf @ May 27th 2007 10:27AM]

You are right.
People will be looking at whole new better models of HP's Sony's and everything else with touchscreens, sideshow featured devices in their home entertainment centers, and mactards will have an iTV crappy box and crappy simple devices with propaganda for a closed OS.

[colin menezes @ Aug 1st 2008 12:09PM]

You MAC people kill me.

You are such a small percentage of the machines that are out there.

Why dont you just stick to what you do best?

Drawing with your crayons, making mix cd's and making web pages while the business world continues to do real work.

Get back in your VW and take a reality trip, the only reason apple is still in business is from that toy called an IPOD.

You may hate pc's and have issues with Microsoft as do I but the dominate the market!

[marklar @ Jan 8th 2007 1:02PM]

am i the only person who things this is really ugly, i dont own an imac but i would choose one over this any time, this looks clunky, inelegant, designed by a corporation. still nobody seems to be able to match appe's industrial design. it cant be that difficult...

[chainsaw830 @ Jan 8th 2007 11:02PM]

This would be cool if it it didn't have the base part, or if it consisted of a 108 inch lcd screen, with a 12 inch touchscreen remote that was a clone of the other screen. so that you could sit on the couch, use your fingers to control the computer but then have it on a huge screen.

[matt e @ Jan 9th 2007 3:18AM]

I'll stick with my 24'' iMac and OS X.

I don't care about half of those features listed, and the raw performance parts do nothing of "kicking the iMac's ass". Core 2 Duo > Turion X2.

A better form factor would do wonders for this machine. But still, it runs bloatware like Windows.....no thanks!

*waiting for typical "stfu apple fanboy" reactions from the peanut gallery.

[reg @ Jan 29th 2007 2:39PM]

WOW!

I am hoping Apple can catch up with Microsoft (there is something you don't hear all the time).
HP has hit a home run with this product, but Apple is not far off from this concept.

Apple could beat this is to match it - with all that touch screen technology (and a scratch proof screen / smudge proof screen). Apple can use those 200 Patents on the iPhone, repackaged Multi-Touch into the iMac.

A 24" and 47" black iMac with touch screen would sink the HP TouchSmart,

The iMac is already a multimedia power house - and a 47" Black iMac would replace the TV with
a Macintosh. Forget a TV/Tivo/Dish/Cable/DVD stack of misc. objects - a single 47" iMac would replace all of those things, have a built in remote, full support for the iTunes, Movies, Videos, and touching it would be cool - 47" pics of that Vacation ! w00t! Room for 2 DVD+/- DL drives and 4 Hard Drives - all the storage you need for up to 4 TB of video entertainment.

Look forward to the revisions of the iMac, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro . . .
Now the iPhone and Apple TV are in full swing - resources can crank out some cool
updates on the other Apple products in the pipeline...

[Fredx7 @ Jan 30th 2007 4:00PM]

Here is an update with review of the iMac killer (which can be translated to simply a computer of any non-Mac standing/non-linux vessel).

http://www.microsoftisawesome.com/2007/01/hp-touchsmart.html

[grrargghh @ Feb 24th 2007 1:04AM]

But can you right click with your fingers?

[David @ Mar 6th 2007 1:20PM]

I won't comment on whether this thing is truly an iMac killer or not. However, I will go out on a limb as to say that those of you that don't think this will work as much of a media hub...it's apparent that you do not have an HTPC in or near your television.

I have one hooked up to my 46" HDTV, and I have to say that it would be nice to have a touchscreen interface in addition to the remote control (which this PC is likely to have) so that I could treat my HDTV as a true second monitor, rather than having to stop whatever application is running in fullscreen to administer something else.

What's more, the iTV from Apple, while a cool little device, has not overly impressed me. It has rather small storage compared to other media-center like PCs, and the last time I downloaded TV shows from iTunes, they weren't even in 5.1 sound, let alone widescreen or HD format.

This is definitely not for everyone...that is for sure. But for those claiming that it's not really a "media hub", you should really understand what's behind todays HTPC's before making such an assertion. And, btw...I NEVER have to get off the couch to use my HTPC, unless I'm loading a DVD that I have not bothered to rip to the HDD.

[puncturevine @ Mar 6th 2007 3:21PM]

I doubt the touch screen technology in this unit has anywhere near the capabilities or responsiveness of the iphone.....I know you think that's a stupid comparison right now, but when apple integrates it's touch screen tech into a larger scale device, you can guarantee it will have all the gesture-command capabilities of the iphone....kind of like this I'll bet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zp-y3ZNaCqs

[Nathanael Willie @ Mar 14th 2007 4:56PM]

I have worked with one at Office Depot and spent over two hours working with it! WOW!!! I mean like WOW!! Sure Vista still has some bugs to work out but I rarely Ever used the Mouse and the Keyboard when playing with it. I mean Playing with it. I stood there, touching the screen, and dictating my commands using the voice control program. I'm always gonna be a Windows user (getting tired of XP) but Vista is by far a huge improvement. I felt so proud when people were coming up to me wondering why I was talking to the computer. I just couldn't find the program for the built in Video camera. Other than that, Those of You who like, I Definitly recommend. It was qouted to be about $1,600 but I LOVED IT!!!

PS...I have nothing against Apple, but like I said before, I'm a Fan of 'Windowz!' till the End.

[Juanita @ Sep 16th 2008 12:25PM]

HELLO, NATHANAEL WILLIE

CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO WORK THE CAMERA.I HAD MY FOR 7 MONTH BUT CAN NOT WORK THE CAMERA.

[Ingersoll @ Mar 26th 2007 7:05PM]

Is there any sensible reason why this is not available in a Core 2 Duo spec? If so I'd be all over it and I AM a Mac owner.

[brian @ Sep 21st 2007 9:11PM]

I have one it SUCKS! Very Slow. The keyboard lags when you type and the keys are very stiff.

[sudan @ Oct 5th 2007 8:52AM]

im thinking of buying the hp touch smart for my 16 yr old son woud you recomend the hp touchsmart iq771

[enforcement @ Oct 5th 2007 9:23AM]

If you buy one the first thing to do is buy a microsoft wireless entertainment keyboard 7000. The keyboard hp has is terrible they sent me 2 replacements they moth didnt work. I have read all over the net abouth this problem. Windows Vista is another problem its to new not all the bugs worked out.

[Jo @ Nov 9th 2007 12:18AM]

The HP Touchsmart PC is running this contest online at www.touchonlife.com. The site lets you combine pictures, edit and create slideshows with a tune you compose online. The tagline says it’s a world of possibilities. And I couldn’t agree more.

[Sharon @ Dec 15th 2007 8:49AM]

I love my TouchSmart, BUT, I HATE the keyboard. Has anybody come up with a solution. I love the fact that the keyboard slides underneath so it is very neat but I hate that it lags. Help, I am working with HP right now but I don't see a solution, has anybody had success on the solution of the lagging keyboard?

[Agnes @ Feb 14th 2008 1:53PM]

I have exactly the same problem with my TouchSmart keyboard, please help - this is becoming really frustrating. Everytime I try and write something fast the letters either double or they don`t appear at all. I`ve tried writing either by placing the keyboard close to the monitor, as well as placing it a little further away and the problem still keeps on arising :( :( :( - Please does anyone know how to solve this problem...

[Hank @ Mar 7th 2008 10:49PM]

Hi Agnes, I too am a victim of the keyboard problem. I find that distance from the computer and even how it sits on my lap makes a difference. You might want to experiment with that. I can get it working most of the time this way but it is pathetic..planning to buy another brand of keyboard if I can't do better than this. HP doesn't answer emails and their help desk people are clueless.

[Lucrecia @ Mar 13th 2008 3:06PM]

The keyboard must be approximately eight inches from the base and hopefully on a flat/level service in order for it to work properly and consistenly. I have marked spot on my desk with a tiny piece of tape so I know exactly where to place. It now works perfect time every time. I'm typing right now with perfect key hits. Hope this is helpful. I would add that the eight or more inches as stated above in the lap works too! The key is in the distance. Have an amzing day!!!

[Nat @ Apr 16th 2008 8:18AM]

Hello, does anyone know if it can take more Memory & if so how much?
Also re the keyboard issue. Any advice on an alternative?
Thanks.

[Bill S @ May 1st 2008 6:01PM]

I love the Touch Smart PC, but hate the problems I've had. Huge Problems with My Display screen- It flickers and has Horizontal & Vertical lines running through it. I've sent it back twice to HP for repair to no avail- the same problem still exists. Now I'm fighting with HP because they're claiming it's out of warranty . Has Anyone else run into this display screen problem?

[PK @ Jun 25th 2008 10:56AM]

Have had similar problems with the display screen. It looks as though a photo on a glass plate broke. Very frustrating. HP is no help at all with very rude attendants.

I took the unit to Best Buy and the Geek Squad has been the most useful. They tried a new Display Drive and that seems to have stablilized the situation. So Far

[Juanita @ Sep 16th 2008 12:03PM]

Hello Bill I Have Trouble Working The Carmer Can You Tell Me What To Do. Do I Need A Cord Or Some.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jul 16th 2008 12:34AM]

Mac user, but I gotta admit the ads really looked sharp and I think the concept really rocks. I don't know how practical it is since I don't like smear marks on my monitor, but it does seem very interactive. If if works as well as advertised, they have really one-upped Apple on an all-in-one computer.

The only downside I can see is that it takes a lot of arm movements to do all that touching and swiping. I think it would be tiresome for many people after a while. You could achieve the same effect using a small pad along-side the keyboard, but it wouldn't be as cool to use. Good luck to HP on this one.

[Juanita @ Sep 16th 2008 12:06PM]

I Have One Put Have Problem Working The Carmer What Do I Go To To Make The Carmer Work.