HP's TouchSmart 2 in the wild

HP decided to show off its new wares in Berlin -- which is a rather strenuous yacht trip from the Engadget HQ, or so we hear -- but was kind enough to throw up a few pictures of the new gear in action. The TouchSmart 2 is a particularly interesting product in light of Microsoft's newfound emphasis on touchscreens in Windows 7. This could be a sign of things to come, or just a fun little approach to the all-in-one desktop for the here and now, but either way we're rather curious as to what makes a second human necessary in the operation of this unit. What is your purpose, Mr. Blue Shirt man?

Gallery: TouchSmart 2 in the wild

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[Mile @ Jun 10th 2008 1:25PM]

She certainly doesn't appear to be missing the keyboard.

[Flashpoint @ Jun 10th 2008 1:35PM]

Nothing complements the average American home - which is equipt with everything, yet has a negattive savings rate - than a touchscreen computer in the Dining Room.

[Osiris @ Jun 10th 2008 1:37PM]

No, she looks like she ate the keyboard and mouse..

[IndusCreed @ Jun 10th 2008 2:16PM]

if you take a good look you realize she isnt all that ...uhmm...rubenesque..its the the shadow and the brown outfit she has that gives her the appearance of being chubby.

Question is where is blue shirt guys other hand?

[Steffen Jobbs @ Jun 10th 2008 2:44PM]

She doesn't need a keyboard to look at photos (although it appears she has her eyes somewhat closed). And the way that guy is pressed at her behind might be distracting her a bit. That is a relatively disgusting photo for the Engadget site. It might anger the prudes that always hanging out here.

I'll bet she's thinking is that an iPhone 3G in his pocket or is he just really excited over this crappy HP touch screen computer.

[gad get @ Jun 10th 2008 3:07PM]

@ IndusCreed
At first I thought she was chubby too, but then I read your post, and I looked closer and realized she is just standing up very straight with her shoulders back, causing her front to curve outward. And yes, the shadow is definitely the key to the illusion.
She's actually quite thin.
And kinda cute.
I'm finished.

[bolezhinkov @ Jun 10th 2008 3:36PM]

no look at the upper arms on her - she's got some flab tucked away there. but she holds it well.

blue shirt man is definitely looking over her shoulder to make sure she isn't talking to her high school sweet heart on msn mesenger that he has been jealous of ever since he got ED.

how fun would it be to stand up all the time using that computer? tucked in some weird alcove-like area that looks like it used to be used to display the shiny box you put your flowered box of tissues in. no chance of getting a chair in there either - its a stool only location.

[gad get @ Jun 10th 2008 3:52PM]

BTW, you just know from the look on his face he's just given her a pinch on the bottom or something. And is it my imagination, or is there a little blushing and embarrassed giggling going on there too. (No, not by him, by her!) And she's sort of sticking her hips forward away from him as though trying to dissuade any more extracurricular activity like the aforementioned. A picture truly does say a thousand words.

[Idlemind @ Jun 10th 2008 1:25PM]

looks like a coverflow view for windows...


The blue shirt guy is there to make sure she doesnt find his pr0n

[M3Ls @ Jun 10th 2008 2:35PM]

Thank you for the laugh.

[Shinigami @ Jun 10th 2008 1:27PM]

Wow 20+ inch touchscreen photo frame! xD

[Magnificen7 @ Jun 10th 2008 1:28PM]

Definitely cool, but I can't wait til we get a full multi-touch OS from our friends in Cupertino. Windows 7 still looks like garbage, but this is neat, good to see gesture based touch interfaces gaining steam, it's the real advantage of the technology.

[Matt @ Jun 10th 2008 2:37PM]

Good to know the fanboys are still out in full force. Tell me, what exactly have you seen of Windows 7 that lends itself toward you calling it "garbage?"

No really, I'll wait. Please.

[ChiWax @ Jun 10th 2008 3:11PM]

My friends in Redmond prefer you refer to completely un-released OS's as rubbish...thank you...Q

[Magnificen7 @ Jun 10th 2008 3:00PM]

I'm gonna go with the fact that the technology looks half baked and primitive, and that it's called WINDOWS. I'm no fanboy, I just think Apple will do it better.

[gad get @ Jun 10th 2008 3:10PM]

You're sure sounding like a fanboy.

[jere @ Jun 10th 2008 3:28PM]

Yeah, you can tell a product will be bad if it looks half-baked and primitive in its unfinished form.

[gad get @ Jun 10th 2008 3:31PM]

From what I've seen of Windows 7, it seems the OS will be much less bloated and more efficient than Vista. And now we're seeing the multi-touch coming into it, perhaps meaning people can soon let go of their old-fashioned mice and track pads at last.
I think Microsoft is trying their best to take away all of Apple's ammo in the "our OS is better and faster and more user-friendly and works like it's supposed to" argument (which Apple's making very good use of and rightly so). Maybe we'll even see Microsoft being in a position to throw some insults back at Apple without them being dismissed out of hand (I can't think of anything to insult off the top of my head-- maybe they'd just deflect insults instead of hurling them, unless of course they want to bring back the now relatively weak compatibility argument).
I, for one, welcome options in the OS department. After all, it seems Apple's having all the fun lately, and I don't like the feeling of settling for a second-rate OS.

[Magnificen7 @ Jun 10th 2008 3:36PM]

Nooo, I never said it WILL be garbage, only that it looks like it. And if recent releases are any indication, I'm allowed to make that assumption. I'm not a fanboy, I prefer OS X, and am allowed to be excited by an imminent release from them because I like their products! Anyone jumping all over a post criticizing something and labeling the commenter is just as bad or worse than a post by a so called "fanboy." Grow up.

[Rainier @ Jun 10th 2008 4:30PM]

So, by Cupertino, do you mean HP? Because we have an office there, too, y'know.

[Eh @ Jun 10th 2008 6:26PM]

An alpha version of an OS (if even alpha) is half baked? Please tell us more. Take a look at Surface which is finished and what they are using as a basis for Windows 7, if Surface is half baked then the iphone must be raw.

[chickenator @ Jun 10th 2008 9:02PM]

haha...a lot of windows fanboys here.
err...low rank me.

[Kit @ Jun 16th 2008 9:37PM]

we all know you wanted to impress your Apple FanGirl girl friend, but that's not going to work...

[bob @ Jun 10th 2008 1:28PM]

do we all stand and use our computers so as not to get rsi now?

[wickedpheonix @ Jun 10th 2008 1:38PM]

Funny thing is, standing up and using a computer like that is more likely to lead to injury than normal typing at a keyboard, especially if you use reasonable prevention (proper desk/char ergonomics, reasonable mice and keyboards (don't need split keyboard or anything).

[David @ Jun 10th 2008 2:59PM]

yeah, hilarious

[ChiWax @ Jun 10th 2008 3:11PM]

I think these things are for people who use computers while they do other worldly things. It's the "other approach" to computing. Devices and home networks working together in harmony. So people don't have to sit in front of a dual-screen hyper-powered computer to blog and read other blogs because they don't want to do that anyway. These things are for people with lives. Q.

[gad get @ Jun 10th 2008 3:34PM]

@ ChiWax

Did you say "while they do other-worldly things"?

[Xtort @ Jun 10th 2008 1:29PM]

One major drawback to touchscreens, oily finger prints all over the damn place. People do that enough with out touch screen tech.

[Sahil @ Jun 10th 2008 1:33PM]

Yup, this things' gonna be a fingerprint magnet for sure.

[LloydChiro @ Jun 10th 2008 3:21PM]

I'm sure you could still use a mouse with it.

[Markus @ Jun 10th 2008 1:34PM]

Makes porno viewing fun for the whole family.

[Xtort @ Jun 10th 2008 1:45PM]

On second thought, oily screens is the least of my concerns.. :puke:

[Richard Lai @ Jun 10th 2008 1:46PM]

So while she touches the screen, he on the other hand...

[Tony C @ Jun 10th 2008 2:18PM]

Mr. Blue Shirt's job is to stand very close behind Ms. Brown Sweater and peer down her blouse!

[Zach Hardt @ Jun 10th 2008 1:47PM]

I would love to have a single touch screen unit that would function as a MCE extender or even Orb Client that I could put in my kitchen and bedroom.

[Neeko @ Jun 10th 2008 2:02PM]

i totally agree with you. i wishi had a device that would allow me to control my Vista media center form the other room.

[ChiWax @ Jun 10th 2008 3:09PM]

Hell yes!!!! If this thing would extend my current media center rig I would buy it today! Add in the ability to extend the media content on the XBOX 360 and I'd buy it yesterday. But I have to admit...MS dropping the ball on that functionality as of today. Q.

[andyg8180 @ Jun 10th 2008 1:50PM]

looks like a sexier version of the last touch screen that HP had...

[whatishalo? @ Jun 10th 2008 1:52PM]

Mr. Blue Shirt is the first to die on the planet ventures...you know that.... (well really Mr. Red Shirt...)

[virain @ Jun 10th 2008 1:52PM]

Seems to me mr. Blue Shirt is little too close and little to comfortable next to that woman. And what's with this grin on his face?

[Passarinhuu @ Jun 10th 2008 1:56PM]

Originally this was a stock pic taken from a p0rn movie scene.
They just photoshopped the HP device....

At least that's what it looks like

[Neeko @ Jun 10th 2008 1:59PM]

Give me this same form factor but in a 10-12in screen. Make it a dummy unit were it is wireless connected to my main PC which house all my music,videos etc. Make it only 4lbs and give me a screen that wont leave smudges AND MAKE THE PRICE LESS THEN $300...

The 1st company that can create such a device will have one in every household in 4 months. Oh and make it compatible with MCE or any other media center OS.

[Passarinhuu @ Jun 10th 2008 2:02PM]

And then Skynet can target you even when your sleeping on the sofa xD

[0megapart!cle @ Jun 10th 2008 2:02PM]

What do you think? The poor girl can't be expected to operate the unit by herself, can she? Perish the thought!! HP is simply recognizing the capabilities of the fairer sex.

[coffee @ Jun 10th 2008 3:07PM]

exactly.

"point there, honey. No, there. Yes. well, you have to actually touch the screen. Yes, there. Now press play. That's the button down there. No, the little forward triangle one. Yes, that one. Good. .....

how the hell did you break it?"


//typical day in my life

[Neeko @ Jun 10th 2008 2:04PM]

Skynets gonna happen either way. Either we creat it or some toher coountry will. i just want my Mini-touch PC..

Hey did i just name this thing.lol

[Fred @ Jun 10th 2008 2:12PM]

So with all this touchscreen awesomeness that's coming down the pipe everybody seems to have forgotten that PEOPLE'S FINGERS ARE GREASY! It's one thing to have a small phone/PDA touchscreen that I can wipe on my shirt, but 20 inches? I'm sure the Windex people are already counting the money they'll be making.

[Fred @ Jun 10th 2008 2:13PM]

Ooops! I apparently didn't see the previous comment. Maybe my screen was too oily. Apologies, friends.

[jmacman1 @ Jun 10th 2008 2:43PM]

so...... maybe wash your "greasy" hands once in a while? Just a thought. Not sure about the rest of you but my fingertips don't really have that problem.... except after particular meals. Used the older IQ770 for a while and the whole "fingerprint" issue was never a problem.