Pelham Sloane shows off 17-inch touchscreen media PC

Pelham Sloane is making the rounds with its new 17-inch touchscreen PC, the successor to the company's earlier 15-inch model. And from the looks of things, the specs of the new model take a big bump up, including the addition of Windows XP Media Center Edition as the standard OS (XP Pro, which was standard on the earlier model, is still available as an option), along with a Pentium M at up to 2.26 GHz, hard drive capacities of up to 500GB, VGA and component output, and a PCI-based tuner. Given that this box will run for up to $3,000, we wish they'd included DVI output so we'd have more flexibility when using this as a touchscreen base for a larger display. Nevertheless, this could be a decent media PC solution for small rooms, or even a good desktop option for a home office.

[bo @ Mar 31st 2006 10:22AM]

looks like apple california designed this

[GiNgAh @ Mar 31st 2006 10:24AM]

Didn't we invent the remote control quite a while ago? Why would I want to get up and start pressing things on the TV again in 2006... *sigh*

[TZK @ Mar 31st 2006 10:25AM]

Gee, that looks familiar! :)

I would love a 10" model of this. Providing the graphics subsystem was nice enough.

This actually looks and specs out kind of nice. FIrst time I am seeing this company, also.

[Fuzz @ Mar 31st 2006 10:37AM]

Fantastic. Now I can use my greasy nacho cheese covered fingers to pick my movie, and watch everything in "orange vision". awsome!

[ozgur @ Mar 31st 2006 10:44AM]

what a beautiful PC

[Erick @ Mar 31st 2006 11:12AM]

I don't understand the backlash against the UMPC / origami designs. They've got a similar form factor to this thing, but you can use it on the couch, the toilet, in your bed, in the kitchen, while tailgating, running your GPS nav software in your car. A small form factor UMPC would make a sweet media center controller / internet tablet / mame box... a lap-top is just too big sometimes.

Outside of work, 90% of my computer use revolves around my personal media and the web 2.0 sites that support them. I don't need the latest and greatest 5Ghz P9 to check email or upload pics to flickr. If they can get the price of those UMPCs down to reasonable prices and increase battery life beyond 4 hours I think they'll find their niche (my Ipod color has about 6 hours of battery life in mixed use for photo viewing and music playback).

Think if apple came out with a tablet / umpc with iSight, front row, and the remote... everyone would hail it as the "greatest gadget of '06"... I'd make the jump for sure and it'd go with me on every vacation.

[James @ Mar 31st 2006 11:23AM]

apple styling? damn you guys are reaching

[blackf0rk @ Mar 31st 2006 11:23AM]

I'll have to agree with several of the posts here...why would you want a media center pc/screen to be touch screen? Aren't you theoretically sitting down?

And it doesn't look like Apple made it - the design is quite sloppy. Apple wouldn't put that horrid blue light in the middle of those weird buttons on the front. Looks like an HP Apple ripoff to me.

[Jcee @ Mar 31st 2006 11:40AM]

I agree with Erick...the umpc could be a big hit, first in Asia and then in the USA (the reverse of the usual pattern). Who knows what Apple will do, they are far behind in this catagory.

[Matt @ Mar 31st 2006 12:13PM]

#8 "And it doesn't look like Apple made it - the design is quite sloppy. Apple wouldn't put that horrid blue light in the middle of those weird buttons on the front."
------------------

Could you possibly be any more smug? Is the blue light really "horrid"? It's barley even noticeable...as are the two "weird" buttons on the front.

Posts like yours are the reason why many people hate Apple. It really has nothing to do with Apple or their products, but people just don't want to be associated with snobs such as you.

[William Negris Rezende @ Mar 31st 2006 12:33PM]

I agree that there is no reason to it be a media center PC touchscreen, but I dream on this on the car, I mean not in this big screen, like on a GPS sise, where I wold have MCE, and tuch the screen and find my songs, view the album art.... (sounds that this will come this year)

[Fabulo @ Mar 31st 2006 1:46PM]

Touchscreens are booger magnets.

It's hard enough to keep family/hoboes/coworkers' greasy fingers away from my non-touch screens.

[Russ @ Mar 31st 2006 1:56PM]

I don't see it being as useful as a standalone PC now, but what if Vista works as promised and provides a proper C/S model to a Vista media server. Now you have full fledged PC's hanging on walls, access to all your media, etc.

Of course for the cash they want for this thing, I would rather have the Life|Ware products.

[ms. manners @ Mar 31st 2006 2:15PM]

Mod (10) -1: douchebag.

[Longwinn @ Mar 31st 2006 2:34PM]

OH MAN, JUST GREAT! Now I've got fingerprints all over my screen. How am I sposed to watch The Screensavers with all those fingerprints getting in the way and stuff.

[blackf0rk @ Mar 31st 2006 4:12PM]

#10: It's not a matter of being smug or snobbish. I don't even own an apple; but I cannot see apple designing this. I am a designer though, and the blue light the buttons, and the almost-toilet-seat-like shape is horrid to me. As far as I remember I'm entitled to an opinion - just like you are.

So in the end, my opinion(s) still stand (one amended)

1. The thing above is not from apple, and looks like a turd. I've crapped prettier things.
2. You are also a turd...I've crapped prettier things.

[Jake Handsome @ Mar 31st 2006 4:22PM]

Who in the world is Pelham Sloane ?
Weren't they that one-hit-wonder from the '80's.

[Nick the Greek DJ @ Mar 31st 2006 4:25PM]

Apple releases iPod Turd in six different colors & smells.

[Nick the Greek DJ @ Mar 31st 2006 4:29PM]

The top and bottom screen borders are too thick compared to the sides. It reminds me of a cookie sheet (bakery pan).

Toilet Seat? Since when are they like a rectangle? Don't know where you've been crapping lately. Mine are shaped round (women) or oval (men).

[Jon the gimpy @ Mar 31st 2006 4:32PM]

Where is this product available? Any weblinks.

Hippy Fart Sniffers

[Jon the gimpy @ Mar 31st 2006 4:35PM]

Doesn't it look very Apple designed, Cali-for-ni-a

It would not surprise me to see Apple's lawyers take a closer look at this product within the next few weeks.

[Black Budha @ Mar 31st 2006 4:38PM]

dat loks phat, dan nis an reol.
ifen dey maks itz smalyer fr my ryd

[Joe @ Mar 31st 2006 5:19PM]

This is funny, cause i was just thinking about how great it would be to have a touchscreen home computer. If the price were lower, I would really consider buying it. And also, I think it is kind of ludicrous to argue over a computer - 10 and 17 - It is only a computer.

[Anthony @ Mar 31st 2006 5:51PM]

@blackf0rk

what kind of toilets are you sitting on? Toilet seats are like ovals and that thing looks like a rounded rectangle. You must not be a very good designer if you can't even tell your shapes apart. I think the thing looks nice.

[blackf0rk @ Mar 31st 2006 6:12PM]

25: You'll remember the "Toilet Seat" macs that apple designed several years back? It was right before they started off with their word-class style that everyone is trying to mimic. Am I the only one that called them by that generalized style? No. Were they shaped exactly like a toilet seat? No. And neither are these, but if we're going to call them anything apple, they certainly come close to appls toilet seat design.

BTW, the toilet seats at my house look just like that fugly monitor (that apple DIDN'T design). And when I look through the seat I see a floater with a face resembling your pathetic existance.

[Anthony @ Mar 31st 2006 11:35PM]

@blackf0rk

Again with the lame insults? Perhaps you should flush your toilet. Or can you not afford water? Being an out of work designer and all. Your square toilet sounds more and more like a box every time you post about it.(They are square, they don't flush when you shit in them - not that i've tried it ofcourse, i just hear these things ;-) )

"You'll remember the "Toilet Seat" macs that apple designed several years back? ... But if we're going to call them anything apple, they certainly come close to appls toilet seat design." - blackf0rk

"And it doesn't look like Apple made it - the design is quite sloppy." -blackf0rk

So which is it? Does it or doesn't it look like apple made it? I also look forward to hearing more of your poop jokes.

p.s.
You might wanna go flush your box, leaving poop in there for extended periods of time is unsanitary.

[Bobbs @ Apr 1st 2006 5:03AM]

booger magnets, fabulo? try not picking your nose, idiot.

[MC @ Apr 1st 2006 1:53PM]

#10. I just want you to know that not all apple users are smug, or snobds. My guess would be that there are just as many smug and snobby Windows users. The smug and snobby among us just tend to be louder.

I am a mac user, and I think that this PC is well designed, and that apple definetly could have designed it. I do not believe it should be a battle between apple and pc users over which one is better, I use both and dont see some kind of "sin" in doing so. This whole apple vs. Microsoft thing has gotten a little ridiculous lately.

"Posts like yours are the reason why many people hate Apple. It really has nothing to do with Apple or their products, but people just don't want to be associated with snobs such as you."

[MC @ Apr 1st 2006 2:05PM]

ha ha.

snobds.

wow.

...and #10, we're not all idiots either. Just me and a few others.