HP slips into thin with TouchSmart 2 all-in-ones

A year and a half ago, Bill Gates himself announced the TouchSmart PC chunk. This time, a simple press release will have to do the job as HP announces the $1,299 TouchSmart IQ504 (PC) and $1,499 TouchSmart IQ506 (PC with TV tuner). Arguably, the thinner, touchier, bigger, 22-inch all-in-ones deserve better. Inside the 2.6-inch thick chassis you'll find a 500GB disk, 256MB of NVIDIA GeForce 9300 M HS HD graphics, 802.11n WiFi, and 2.16GHz Intel Core Duo T5850 processor thumping through the cycles. Launching in 17 countries next month including the UK, Japan, and the US. Another shot after the break.

Update: Video courtesy of CrunchGear posted after the break [Warning: obnoxiously loud soundtrack]

[Paul @ Jun 10th 2008 6:19AM]

Touch as in touchscreen?

[Paul @ Jun 10th 2008 6:25AM]

Well...the press release is clear...the article however not.

(It is a touchscreen.)

[Hamidxa @ Jun 10th 2008 6:25AM]

Touch as in iTouch, as in the touch interface available on the iPhone.

You know, the iPhone...

[Hamidxa @ Jun 10th 2008 6:28AM]

Sorry, I was just being facetious

[Paul @ Jun 10th 2008 6:40AM]

Actually I was waiting for Apple to bring out a Multitouch Mac.

Seems like they have missed a great oppurtunity to be the first with these for consumer use. In a few years the technolgy will be so cheap that mass producing touchscreens is just like $20 more expensive than producing normal screens.

Touchscreens in consumer products will be a huge hit. (Especially since the iPhone has paved the way for this user-interface.)

[Hamidxa @ Jun 10th 2008 6:44AM]

Touchscreen existed years before the iPhone.

iPhone didn't really introduce anything new besides a fancy package with an unjustified premium.

[bob @ Jun 10th 2008 6:46AM]

maybe they just dont want millions of RSI lawsuits, It would be quite crap

[Chris @ Jun 10th 2008 8:16AM]

I'm looking forward to the Apple press events in a few years where they show off a touch screen iMac and the fanboys claim it's original and everyone else is copying.

[John @ Jun 10th 2008 2:28PM]

Yeah, but the Newton was the first touchscreen PDA, so YES, they did introduce touchscreens to the rest of the world.

[Paul @ Jun 10th 2008 6:43AM]

LOL at video. Netherlands - Italy: 3-0 :D

[Jakob Henner @ Jun 10th 2008 6:54AM]

Yeaah I'm shocked too *shocksmiley*

[Anthony @ Jun 10th 2008 6:50AM]

now, how bout photoshop ?

[CJ @ Jun 10th 2008 9:16AM]

Well, that's a program, written and created by adobe, originally for Macs. They have since given up on the Apple platform and moved over to PCs as the main contender for software.

The program itself is an image manipulation and editing suite, and it's latest iteration (CS3) is possibly the most widely used image editing software in the world, among both professional and consumer markets.

[2cdneh @ Jun 10th 2008 6:53AM]

Does anyone know if this includes an HDMI port for connecting an external video source. I'd like to use it as a monitor for an xbox 360 at 1080p as well as using it as a computer.

[CosterMonger @ Jun 10th 2008 11:54AM]

I think you'll have to wait for a 24" model

[Kim K @ Jun 10th 2008 6:57AM]

Not bad...

[Stinkinmushroom @ Jun 10th 2008 6:58AM]

Hmm... looks great, I truely hope this means more touch screens for iMac kinda computers and laptops

[Wonderkid @ Jun 10th 2008 7:00AM]

HP have got it spot on with this - and I'm an Apple fan. The colour of the case is very consumer friendly - can blend in in any room, from the kitchen to a study or living room. White is too clinical. The shape is also less clinical than the new iMac. The touch screen interface makes it intuitive - i got to play with the old version, which was too slow and bulky, but the concept was well implemented for a first generation device.

All said, I bet Apple will do something shexy poos with the next iMac, else they will lose the momentum once MS implement consumer level Surface technology.

[Tamerlane @ Jun 10th 2008 7:20AM]

Did you see the lag in resizing the photo? Also, why is there a mouse cursor if it's a touch screen? In the first few minutes the system seems to lose about half the touches, fingerswiping is too abrupt and simply pointing to a picture means waiting for five seconds. Seriously, five seconds? To display a picture?

[broli @ Jun 10th 2008 7:04AM]

What's with the huge unresponess. The custom skin design looks very slick though, it has that Apple tv look which is very cool. It's still on the pricey side for what it has to offer though.

[Ike Turner @ Jun 10th 2008 7:21AM]

I wouldn't call this unresponsiveness. It's just the fact that the dude doesn't seem to have a clue on how to use the thing (looks like sometimes only a single tap access a folder and then you have to double tap you open a file). Double tapping like a queer. I mean not once did he double tap at the same speed, it's either too fast, too slow or not even at the same place. God Damn! I wished somebody would come and cut his finger.

[Sublime @ Jun 10th 2008 8:14AM]

@Ike

Like a "queer?"

Grow up ya bigot.

[Schfelzerberg @ Jun 10th 2008 7:26AM]

Not bad since it's a touchscreen. It's a good alternative to the iMac which is priced about the same.

[bujuanon @ Jun 10th 2008 7:41AM]

Ah, looks slick, but it took away my two favorite features of the Touchsmart 1 - the screen that was adjustable (angle, height, etc), and the little docking space for the wireless keyboard/photo printer. Now it's just a boring all-in-one. The features (besides touchscreen) that differentiated it in the all-in-one niche are gone. I was planning on buying one of the 1st generation to put in my bedroom instead of a TV. I was hoping 2nd-gen would fix some of the glitches of the first one, not get rid of the features I wanted!

[Jorge @ Jun 10th 2008 8:09AM]

100% agree with you...how hard is it to put an adjustable height stand! please! Just when i was leaning towards an iMac (and dual boot for Vista for the MCE), this all in one makes the choice a little tougher..but ultimately no adjustable height is a deal breaker for me...geez

[Chris @ Jun 10th 2008 3:31PM]

I saw some of the demos on the hp website. It looks like you can put the keyboard under the stand in this one and the monitor tilts back and forth, not up and down though...

[I am Warpath @ Jun 10th 2008 7:45AM]

CableCard support please.

[Michael @ Jun 10th 2008 9:12AM]

All that scroll bar at the bottom needs is for the icons to move about when you click on them...

2 Things:

1. looks like MS/HP took some ideas from the apple side of things..... (Not flaming etc.... I'm just saying there's a few similarities).

2. Looks nice.. but it seems about as responsive a rock..

[Nat @ Jun 10th 2008 7:51AM]

I love it. This brings us a few steps closer to having a Star Trek-like interface, which would be a dream come true for a Trekkie like me.

[CosterMonger @ Jun 10th 2008 12:19PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwXBPjLdJnU
like on the Nokia 770

or on home controls
http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/15/lcars-esque-touchscreen-controls-home-excites-trekkies/

[Ken @ Jun 10th 2008 7:52AM]

Damn that touchscreen is unresponsive, or that pc is way slower than spec'ed. Either way, that's no way to demo a product. Hopefully the final product will be far more accurate and speedy.

[m @ Jun 10th 2008 8:21AM]

One of the key interesting statistics for a PC like this, which would very likely double as a Media Center TV for a bedroom, is a measurement of its noise levels. For having a thin package, is cooling a problem and are fans running all the time?

[handy @ Jun 10th 2008 7:54AM]

Have to agree with bujuanon. The best feature of the first version is the adjustable screen which is vital ergonomically with touchscreens. HP had it cracked and then threw it in the bin :(

[rob @ Jun 10th 2008 11:38AM]

LOL. nice song choice. thought my computer was going wack and launching random tracks from my hd. that's a mashup track from best of bootie 2005. reach me at docdj.com/contact if you need more info on the track.

[Kasi Viswanath @ Jun 10th 2008 8:02AM]

Can anyone tell me what is the song that is being played in this video? A link on youtube or somewhere would be helpful too,

Thanks,

[ncrisafi @ Jun 10th 2008 9:39AM]

It is Shake That Ass by The Lovemakers, an Oakland band. But it is a mashup with some 50 cent song. I know the Lovemakers, they are great
live, but could care less about fiddy...

Lovemaker's original video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8yhyO_ljs8

Lovemaker's website:
http://www.thelovemakers.com/

On their website you can click on audio and wait for the annoying player to load. If you click play the tape case opens and you can scroll down with the slider to the right. Look for Shake That Ass Mashup...its after the original.

I hope that was exhaustive enough.

[Nicky-Larson @ Jun 10th 2008 9:13AM]

That looks pretty sweet. I wouldn't mind getting one over the one I currently have home. But, yes I said but, would be nice to wait and see what early adopters have to say about it. Don't wanna use my hard earned money as a lab rat
:)

[lance @ Jun 10th 2008 9:30AM]

I'm not a big HP fan but that is indeed a sweet looking rig.
It's a little non responsive at times.
I guess the future of computing come down to one word:
FINGERPRINTS!

[Najakwa @ Jun 10th 2008 10:56AM]

I agree, I dont want to see people wearing these everywhere.

http://www.applefanboyz.com/2007/12/02/ipod/phonefingers-for-the-iphone-and-ipod-touch/

[James @ Jun 10th 2008 9:37AM]

I thought touch was supposed to be a big new thing on window's 7 but hp makes it work reasonable well on vista so what the deal then?

[Josh @ Jun 10th 2008 10:16AM]

Windows 7 has multitouch, Vista doesn't.

Windows 7=iPhone on your computer. Without that annoying polished steel interface.

[ChiWax @ Jun 10th 2008 12:25PM]

Actually, Windows 7 is going to address pretty much every complaint on this blog about the touch pc in the video. HP is just messing around because they can. I believe that's why these things are not super-powerful. Once Windows 7 is out, then companies like HP can put the money behind more powerful touch computers. Mainly because the OS will be completely touch ready. Q.

[chrisaroz @ Jun 10th 2008 10:14AM]

Wall Mountable?

[Josh @ Jun 10th 2008 10:15AM]

Wait a sec, has anyone else noticed?

It's only a Core Duo, not Core 2 Duo? Or a typo?
Or is HP getting rid of their old Core Duo stockpile?

[Mark G @ Jun 10th 2008 11:01AM]

I checked the HP press release and it said Core 2 Duo. The T5850 is defintely core 2.

[Mam00th @ Jun 10th 2008 11:37AM]

T5850 is Core2duo

[farfisa @ Jun 10th 2008 10:36AM]

Wow, huge improvement in the looks dept. over the last ones!

http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/07/microsoft-announces-the-hp-touchsmart-pc/

[rob @ Jun 10th 2008 11:40AM]

sorry. thought i replied to post below. then also noticed someone else already replied. peace all.

[Mr. Picklesworth @ Jun 10th 2008 12:34PM]

So is that a regular single-touch resistive screen, or a multitouch surface? If multitouch, is that using DI (eg: Microsoft Surface, which they have demod crammed into flat panels), or is it a capacitive screen (eg: iPhone, which only takes fingers)?

PS:
To those who seem to assume this is multitouch... a finger swiping across the screen to move stuff is not a multitouch gesture. Hell, multitouch gestures can be mimicked on resistive touch screens with some work. Finally, before this pops up again, it seems folks must be reminded: The iPhone has a 3.5 inch screen, where multitouch is useful mainly for shortcut gestures.

[Chris @ Jun 10th 2008 3:31PM]

I think one of the other articles said it was a camera-based touch not resistive or capacitive.