HP's TouchSmart 2 PC hits retail

Face it, the whole point of buying a touchscreen anything is, um, touching the thing, so it's usually nice to get a bit of touching in before the sale, just to make certain sure it's throwing off the right touching vibes. Touching. Well, HP's TouchSmart 2, which started shipping late last month from HP's online store, is now ready to get smudged up at a retail store near you, and will be available in $1,299 (IQ504) and $1,499 (IQ506) editions, the latter of which sports a TV-tuner.

[aaron @ Jul 14th 2008 9:22AM]

Yawn...back to bed.

[Max Savin @ Jul 14th 2008 8:10PM]

I used one at work.. it sucks. It needs a stylus to really work, and it just sucks.

[abib @ Jul 14th 2008 9:23AM]

TV tuner? You watch TV from afar.. and what's the point of touch screen ON your TV??

[JamesR @ Jul 14th 2008 9:36AM]

It's not a TV. It's a computer with an optional TV tuner.

In your rush to flame the product you missed the point completely.

[Flashpoint @ Jul 14th 2008 9:31AM]

This is why I always have been and always will be an HPFANBOY.

I love HP products. This thing is fantastic. I could set up a family computer for my wife and kids in the living room that can also be used as a Television. Or, set it up elswhere in the house as needed since if I'm not mistaken, these things can either come with built in wifi or have a usb wifi adapter.

The only thing that stops me from getting one as a personal computer is that I doubt it plays crysis. Needs 4GB RAM, Nvidia 280 and Dual Core Quad.

[MC Double Def DP @ Jul 14th 2008 12:29PM]

I'm more of a CobyFanboy

[Eli @ Jul 14th 2008 3:45PM]

Flashpoint, might I give you some advice?

Calling yourself a fanboy, flaunting a computer because it can do what other computers can do, and making jokes about Crysis' system requirements are not recommended methods to achieve a highly ranked comment on Engadget.

[Arbert @ Jul 14th 2008 9:33AM]

one step closer to the $10,000 table.

[Julian @ Jul 14th 2008 9:33AM]

that's a cool giant tv remote on the side. For some reason this doesn't seem as cool as it should be. Nice slim keyboard though.

[Jonyah @ Jul 14th 2008 9:40AM]

my wife has been begging me for this. I just may have to get it for her to shut her up. anyone want to buy her laptop (ya i'm not letting her have both, hehe). A little bit of overkill for a housewife.

[dan2600 @ Jul 14th 2008 11:24AM]

Funny you say that, we just had a training yesterday on how we are supposed to sell these things to stay at home moms (the target market for this piece of crap)

oh it sucks by the way the touch response is terrible.

[Jonyah @ Jul 14th 2008 11:44AM]

Thanks for the info dan2600. I did find a video of it in action somewhere on the web and it did seem to have that bad response. I do have to admit that the commercial done for this product is a pretty cool one, though the small text saying all the touch video is a "dramatization" doesn't make it seem that great. I definitely think the styling is a good step for HP and this is a step in the right direction (at least someone beat apple to it), but it still has a little ways to go.

[fred @ Jul 14th 2008 12:28PM]

"Funny you say that, we just had a training yesterday on how we are supposed to sell these things to stay at home moms (the target market for this piece of crap)

oh it sucks by the way the touch response is terrible."

What a liar. I just looked at 7 videos on YouTube of reviewers using the thing, and none show this terrible response you've just posted about.

Then I read a few text reviews and ZERO said anything about a lousy response time.

So is the store you work for the one with the giant glowing fruit logo?

[joe23521 @ Jul 14th 2008 9:41AM]

I like it.

If I was in the market for a new pc right now, I'd certain go look at it. I might anyway.

[Ed T @ Jul 14th 2008 9:41AM]

HP tried this back in 1983. At least then they were smart enough to suggest using the eraser end of a pencil to touch the screen and avoid smudges. The concept was a total failure in the business world.

[fred @ Jul 14th 2008 9:53AM]

1983? You do know that was over 20 years ago?

And seeing that some cell phone with a touch screen seems to not had a hard time with smudges, why is it all of a sudden an issue here?

And if you notice, this isnt being marketed as a business PC.

[Josh @ Jul 14th 2008 10:17AM]

Yes, 25 years ago they had a touch screen. (demo can be found on YouTube) Failure? Um, what do people use at an ATM? Many cash registers? Don't think it's been a failure.

[Ed T @ Jul 14th 2008 10:55AM]

Yeah, I learned to read 45 years ago, before you were born. My point is the concept of a touch-screen _PC_ is nothing new. Since you're so convinced this is a useful idea, please tell us how it will make using the damn thing easier, and why no other company bothered with this concept in the past 25 years (and no, the 9" screen at the ATM doesn't count).

[Neon Jebus @ Jul 14th 2008 9:48AM]

Had a chance to mess around with one at a Circuit City this weekend. I worked very well, and I really enjoyed it. It's an attractive setup.

My girlfriend went crazy over it and messed around with it for nearly 20 minutes.

[HuGo @ Jul 14th 2008 9:50AM]

Whats up with the monitors feet? Kinda looks like its being held up by two over sized tic-tacs.

[Josh @ Jul 14th 2008 10:18AM]

So you can store your keyboard underneath out of the way.

[HuGo @ Jul 14th 2008 10:20AM]

Don't be silly Josh.

[retro77 @ Jul 14th 2008 9:55AM]

Finally! Innovation! Good job.

[216 @ Jul 14th 2008 9:56AM]

What they also fail to mention is that the IQ506 version also has a Nvidia 9300 GPU built in as well as the TV Tuner.

And yea, Go HP

[Kelmon @ Jul 14th 2008 9:57AM]

The problem with this device is that it's confused. On the one hand it wants to be a media centre, and it looks like it would be great for that. On the other, is seems to want to be a PC as well. My problem here is that, unless HP has developed a display panel that doesn't show fingerprints, I don't want to try and work on a display when, for example, typing a document, that shows marks. That will be very annoying. However, I could see the appeal of this as a dedicated, wall-mounted, media centre. I'd just never try to use it as a normal PC as well...

Note - I'm the sort of person that goes apeshit if anyone brings anything into close proximity of my display, be it a finger, pen, or anything else. Perhaps I am overly fussy.

[Michael @ Jul 14th 2008 10:08AM]

Whatever happened to gorilla arm, did we human evolve and I somehow missed the upgrade?

[mitchell @ Jul 14th 2008 10:15AM]

keyboard & mouse look a little familiar....

i wonder where they got they're inspiration from....??


("cough" Apple "cough")

[disciple83 @ Jul 14th 2008 10:21AM]

*cough, a fullsize laptop keyboard and glossy mouse...

*cough* flaming Apple fanboy *cough*

[Josh @ Jul 14th 2008 12:10PM]

No, Apple's keyboard isn't nearly as well built and sturdy as HP's. There are many "flat" keyboards out there. Doesn't mean they all copied Apple. They weren't the first. HP made the flat keyboard so that it would fit underneath the computer out of the way. It also has an ambient light that can shine on the keyboard in a darker room so you can see the keys. The keyboard is actually fairly heavy.

[fred @ Jul 14th 2008 10:22AM]

Because Apple invented the keyboard and mouse and thus anyone that uses it are stealing what is rightfully Apple's, right?

Apple wingnuts are just becoming dumber by the day.

[Neon Jebus @ Jul 14th 2008 10:24AM]

At least they didn't steal the idea for the remote. That one actually looks like it serves a purpose.

For the record I'm an iMac owner

[Ed T @ Jul 14th 2008 11:02AM]

I think mitchell is referring to the industrial design of the keyboard and mouse. I agree they are pretty much black knockoffs of Apple's latest offerings.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[fred @ Jul 14th 2008 12:02PM]

"I think mitchell is referring to the industrial design of the keyboard and mouse. I agree they are pretty much black knockoffs of Apple's latest offerings.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

Oh please, just stop.

It doesnt matter what the point was, you BOTH sound like raging idiots, spouting the same trite iFan BS.

Ooooh knockoff, ooooh copycat, ooooooh they stole this from Apple! For Christ's sake, do you people even realize how silly you sound half of the time?

[The Dude @ Jul 14th 2008 1:31PM]

I think Sony Vaio's first came out with the keyboard you guys are referring to in 2005? Around there. I don't even see how the mouse is Apple-inspired. The mouse doesn't say, "Functionality and ergonomics be damned! You'll like our minimalist turd because we say you'll like it."

[jorvay @ Jul 14th 2008 3:05PM]

My new favourite passtime on engadget is scrolling down the commments to see how long it takes for someone to claim that *insert manufacturer here* copied Apple. I'm not joking.

[Jason Wright @ Jul 14th 2008 10:29AM]

I played with one of these at Office Depot last week. It was a lot nicer than I had expected it to be. If I had an extra $1300 laying around I'd go buy myself one.

[Maeztro @ Jul 14th 2008 10:35AM]

I'd like some profile shots...the first version I thought was a great concept but it was horribly ugly...from the front at least this one looks better...

[Mike @ Jul 14th 2008 10:55AM]

I work at Staples and we just set this up this weekend. It is nice, but two things I don't like about it. First, the glossy screen shows finger prints horribly...it's kind of gross actually. You would think for a touchscreen PC, they would've used some kind of anti-smudge coating. Second, it's got three legs...the two at the front that you can see, and one big leg in the back that the unit leans on, kind of like you would have on a picture frame. It seems sturdy enough, but this PC is very heavy, and I could see that causing problems down the road. Dell's all-in-one PC has a much better monitor-style base to it.

[Jon @ Jul 14th 2008 11:05AM]

I here this thing is a piece of junk. Development screens are running at far better quality and speeds I think. www.demandevolution.com

[Iridium @ Jul 14th 2008 11:18AM]

I played around with one at best Buy for a while. The entire point of the touchscreen seems lost, in fact there is no point for it being a touchscreen other than to use as a selling point. Hey this thing is a giant iPhone, cool.

While using is as a actual PC there is nothing innovative to use the touchscreen for. It can't work as a drawing tablet like the Wacom monitors and the touch sensitivity is very clumsy and low resolution for the size of the montior. It is also very slow to register touch input.

The HP media interface is a lot better than Microsoft's offering and looks like Apple's. But again as a touch interface it is not needed. The icons were made to be read from a pretty good distance, where you wouldn't be able to touch the screen, and works well with the remote.

It is a very good all in one for the price. But the touchscreen is almost completely worthless after the "wow I can touch the screen and do stuff" wears off.

[happy_penguin @ Jul 14th 2008 11:18AM]

This is the best looking all in one Windows machine I have seen yet. It manages to be beautiful while not looking like an iMac. The touch screen is cool as hell but it would be even better with multi touch.

[Byrdman @ Jul 14th 2008 11:56AM]

we just got this in at the office depot that i work at last week. it looks a hell of alot better than the last touchsmart, but it is still nothing great. I think if you are going to do touch creen now its gotta be multi touch. if this had it it would be amazing, but instead its just a mediocre novelty

[Ike Turner @ Jul 14th 2008 12:47PM]

It's Multi-Touch.
Guess you didn't take the time to get your fingers out of Job's ass and try it out...

[Byrdman @ Jul 14th 2008 9:14PM]

Look it up it definately is NOT multitouch. i am not saying this as an apple fanboy as i am not anymore a fan of os x than windows or linux, all im saying is that with all of the things that they are trying to do with this machine, they definately needed to add multitouch

[Hamidxa @ Jul 14th 2008 2:13PM]

It's so hilarious seeing the iDiot fanboys in this thread, reaching desperately for some sort of criticism irrespective of how inane or fabricated to denigrate this product.

It's also a bit sad seeing them believe their own tripe and idiocy, assuming away that Apple was the first to market with many of the features built-in to this system, and yet Apple doesn't even have anything comparable in the first place.

iFools they are....

[Brien @ Jul 14th 2008 3:01PM]

When will the touch-screen insanity stop? We went through this touch-screen thing about 20 years ago. Your fingers get the screen all greasy and a real keyboard is always more reliable.

[Cassini @ Jul 14th 2008 3:03PM]

Now if HP would only put this technology (multi-touch) in their HDX laptop, that would make it even more amazing.

[joe blow @ Jul 14th 2008 4:04PM]

Pluses - Not an Apple, nice looking rig
Minuses - 125-150 hours to get all the HP bloatware off, major fingerprintage (actually, maybe not. why do you need a touchscreen?) mediocre performance

[Richard L @ Jul 14th 2008 6:28PM]

I bought this computer a week ago and absolutely love it (I bought the IQ504). I don't really use the HP touchsmart software, but the touchscreen is definetly awesome while browing the web, looking for music, etc. I haven't found that my arm gets tired either, because it's not like you're holding your arm up for minutes at a time.

[vladsinger @ Jul 14th 2008 6:57PM]

Looks much better than the first revision, I think.