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HP TouchSmart tm2 convertible tablet slims down and spruces up
No hard feelings, tx2, but there was always something just a little "behind the curve" about your design and feature set, and we're kind of glad HP decided to go all-new with its TouchSmart tm2 followup. The 12.1-inch laptop is powered by new Intel Core 2 Duo procs and even discrete ATI Mobility Radeon graphics if you're man enough, and claims 9 hours of battery life off its standard 6-cell. Most importantly, the capacitive multitouch screen is finger and pen friendly. The physical design takes some cues from HP's new Envy laptops, including the controversial unibutton touchpad and lovable aluminum build, and seems decently thinner, lighter and stronger than the tx2. The laptop should be out on January 17th with a starting price of $949. We played around with the laptop, and outside of the slightly suspicious touchpad, we were pretty impressed by the laptop. The build quality is great, in both feel and confidence-building (a must for a convertible tablet like this), but HP's also really beefed up the software aspect, pre-loading the new Netflix-inclusive version of its TouchSmart software and the wild, almost-useful BumpTop 3D desktop. Tossing in a finger friendly version of Corel Paint and an interactive dolphin screensaver was also a nice touch. Check out a quick video hands-on after the break. %Gallery-81633% %Gallery-81612%
HP leaks forthcoming Radeon GPUs, Core i3 CPUs, Hulu and Netflix software integration
We've come across a bonanza of information about HP's Spring 2010 plans for North America. Kicking off the new year in style will be Pavilion desktops featuring a choice between ATI's Radeon HD 5350 (code named Evora Cedar), which will have HDMI, DVI and VGA ports along with 1GB of onboard memory, or the juicier Radeon HD 5570 (aka Jaguar), which bids adieu to VGA in favor of DisplayPort and bumps up the memory allowance to 2GB. Core i3-5xx and Core i5-6xx machines are also slated for the early part of 2010, based on that energy-conscious Clarkdale core we've already seen, with the difference being that Turbo Boost and higher L3 cache (4MB versus 3MB) will be available on the higher numbered chips. Arrandale fans need not despair either, as HP's TouchSmart 600 all-in-ones will be getting upgrades to Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs based on that architecture. Finally, on the software side, HP is introducing native Hulu and Netflix to its MediaSmart software suite. Check out the gallery below for more, and let the waiting begin! %Gallery-79908%
HP TouchSmart 300 and 600 bump the software to the next level, tx2 comes along for the ride
While the hardware on the outside looks to hardly be a departure from the norm for HP's TouchSmart line, there's some exciting stuff going on under the hood. Of course, multitouch is the big buzz this season with Windows 7 onboard and those fancy Surface apps are fine to play with, but more important is what HP is doing with its own TouchSmart application. It's added panes for Hulu, Netflix, Twitter and an HP Music Store powered by Rhapsody, which work in nicely with the rest of the touch-friendly apps onboard and a bit of underlying Microsoft technology keeping things humming -- like a nice big handwriting pane for quick Rhapsody searches. There's also a voice controlled recipe app that can capture recipes from popular recipe sites and read them out loud to you, and the photo app can hook up with a phone over Bluetooth and pull off photos. The other big new touch is the addition of HDMI and composite inputs, specifically for use with gaming consoles on the colorful 20-inch (300) and 23-inch (600) screens. What we would've really liked to see at this point would be a bit of that stylus-friendly capacitive Wacom tech, since a computer like this is dying to be turned into an easel, but this infrared camera-based stuff will have to do for now. HP had to hit these friendly $899 and $1,049 respective pricepoints somehow. Specs are nothing too special, but TV tuners, discrete graphics and Blu-ray are all in the offing. Meanwhile, HP's tossing all that fancy new software onto the TouchSmart tx2 convertible multitouch tablet, which starts at $800, and the dv3 is also getting a touchscreen as rumored -- thought details are slim there. The tx2 and 600 launch on October 22, while the 300 lands November 1. %Gallery-75369% %Gallery-75370%
Touchscreen HP Pavilion dv3 leaks out, brings dm1 ultraportable and Core i7 dv8 along for the ride
Well, well, what's this? We were just sent what looks like a rough draft of HP's Winter 2009/2010 consumer catalog, and it's got details on three as-yet-announced machines. The most interesting is the Pavilion dv3 with TouchSmart, which has a 13.3-inch touchscreen, but there's also confirmation of that previously-leaked Pavilion dm1 11.6-inch CULV thin-and-light and the monster Pavilion dv8 with an 18.4-inch screen and a new mobile Core i7 processor. That's a pretty strong lineup to back the new Envys, we'd say -- and for whatever reason, we're fascinated by this new trend of sticking touchscreens on regular laptops. We'll see if the dv3's TouchSmart 3.0 build is any more usable or sensible than Lenovo's take on the idea soon enough, we hope -- for now, check out the whole catalog in the gallery. %Gallery-74182% [Via Engadget Spanish; thanks, Marc]
Acer Ferrari One hands-on, and more from AMD's VISION event
Despite the infamous logo and hot red lid, Acer's Congo-based Ferrari One "ultrathin notebook" (read: netbook) managed to blend in rather well among a number of other laptops (at least 15, by our count) on display at AMD's VISION event yesterday. The chassis felt pretty sturdy and the keys had the right amount of bounce... and we'd love to tell you more, but like all but a handful of portables on display, it was resolved to play the same video over and over again, refusing to acknowledge our key-pressed directives. We also decided to take snapshots of the entire display lineup, although more than a few here are previously-seen models -- it was pretty much just a rebranding, after all. See them all for yourself in the galleries below! More Galleries Acer ASUS HP MSI Toshiba
Engadget's recession antidote: win an HP TouchSmart IQ527!
This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got an HP TouchSmart IQ527 all-in-one PC on offer, which ought to work just fine as a replacement to that 386 you're reading this on. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting!Huge thanks to HP for the goods!The rules: Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine. Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad. Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) HP TouchSmart IQ527. Approximate value is $999.99. If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until Thursday, July 30th, 11:59PM ET. Good luck! Full rules can be found here.
HP outs healthy slew of new Pavilion / Compaq Presario desktops
Seems that HP got all the laptop love out of its system yesterday, as today were having a foursome of new desktops shoved down our throats. First up is the Pavilion Slimline s5000, which gets going at $289 and includes an AMD LE1600 CPU, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, a 320GB hard drive, 6-in-1 media card reader and a case that should be small enough for most dorm room corners. Next, there's the all-too-similar $269 Pavilion p6000, while the $599+ Pavilion Elite e9000 offers up a larger case along with an AMD Phenom II X2 545 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 memory, a 500GB HDD, 512MB NVIDIA GeForce G210 CPU and a 15-in-1 card reader. Finally, the $379 Compaq Presario CQ5000 ships with a 2.5GHz Athlon X2 7550 CPU, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, an NVIDIA GeForce 6150 SE GPU and a 320GB 7200RPM HDD. Tap the read link for all the nitty-gritty details, but only if you're really, really prepared for what's to come.
HP TouchSmart tx2z with 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD now $450 off with coupon
In the market for a multitouch tablet? HP's TouchSmart tx2z, both the readers' and editors' choice for Tablet PC of the Year in the 2008 Engadget Awards, currently has two stackable discounts totaling $450, dropping the price here to a much more manageable $650. That includes an AMD Turion X2 Dual-core processor, 4GB RAM and a 320GB hard drive. Offer expires tomorrow, so hit up LogicBuy soon via the read link for details and the promo code.
HP TouchSmart airport kiosk hands-on
HP has hooked up with the City of Chicago to install a whole bunch of TouchSmart 2-powered kiosks for a period of six months, offering weary travelers an all-too-brief respite from their normal routine as they wander through O'Hare International Airport's many nooks and crannies. In terms of functionality, we're not talking about much action here -- don't expect to plop down and catch up on email or video call the fam on Skype -- but users can head over to the city's tourism website, watch a video about the TouchSmart's capabilities, and browse a whole bunch of sweet (and huge) images of the city courtesy of GigaPan. The high-megapixel imagery suits the system's multitouch capabilities to a T, but needless to say, the high-gloss display doesn't get along too well with Terminal 1's harsh lighting; check out the video after the break to see what we mean.
Windows 7 multitouch: it's a gimmick (for now)
We've spent some time with Windows 7 Beta's new touch and multitouch features this week, and came away largely disappointed. It's not that they don't work, at least on occasion, it's that they don't really provide a comprehensive or pleasurable method for using a computer. The primary enhancements to the OS that really make touch usage possible include a taller taskbar, pinch to zoom and tap-and-drag scrolling. There's a fancy new onscreen keyboard that's actually usable, and those quick-swipe gestures from Vista remain for forward, back, copy, paste, undo and redo.
HP's TouchSmart all-in-one PC slips on its business socks
Can you imagine if Dunder Mifflin landed a contract with HP, and every single PC in The Office was replaced with a TouchSmart all-in-one? Yeah, hilarity would undoubtedly ensue. Nevertheless, the company has decided to push its dx9000 into the corporate arena. The business-class device is pre-loaded with Windows Vista Business 64, an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, a 22-inch panel and a Virtual LAN driver. Outside of that, we can't really see any major differences between the suited version and the consumer edition, but it's all about marketing, anyway. Whip out the Pro Card next month, as each of these will set you back at least $1,399.
HP TouchSmart tx2z reviewed: multitouch could use some work
HP was pretty jazzed about delivering the first multitouch "consumer" convertible tablet, but in Laptop Mag's point of view, that highly touted feature could use a bit of TLC. In fact, critics were pretty hard on the machine overall due to the multitouch not being "fast or responsive enough," but considering the $300 premium, we can't say such criticism is unjustified. Performance wise, everything was on par, and battery life was found to be respectable enough; at the end of the day, though, it only managed to score three out of five stars and couldn't elicit the type of praise that makes you want to run out and pick one up on the double. However, if HP manages to improve the touch experience, we could be looking at a winner in the tablet world.
How would you change HP's TouchSmart 2 all-in-one PC?
HP's TouchSmart 2 launched without a whole lot of fanfare, but what you get for $1,299 is pretty unique. The IQ504 / IQ506 all-in-one PCs are one of the first to actually encourage full-on touchscreen use in a PC, with HP urging users to touch their way to computational bliss. Of course, with an unorthodox design such as this, there will always be pundits who feel that this or that should have been done somewhat differently, and if that's you, you've found your sounding board. Are you a little let down by the internals? Yearn for more expandability? Is the screen as responsive as it should be? Get heard, won't you?
HP's TouchSmart tx2z multitouch convertible tablet starts at $1,149
Oh sure, you could select Dell's multitouch-enabled Latitude XT over HP's latest, but given the $1,829 starting price of the former, we'd say the TouchSmart tx2z is looking a lot more delectable these days. Hailed as the first multitouch "consumer" convertible tablet (a claim that's certainly open for debate), the 12.1-inch tx2 gets going at just $1,149.99, though HP's "recommended" configuration starts at $1,223.99. The baseline setup includes Vista Home Premium, a 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2, 3GB of DDR2 RAM, an ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics set, 250GB of HDD space and a built-in webcam. As of now, the estimated build date shows December 8th, so we'd get that order in five minutes ago if you're looking to ensure a holiday delivery.
HP reveals multitouch TouchSmart tx2 convertible tablet
While HP mistakenly claims that its sparkly new (but previously rumored) TouchSmart tx2 is the world's first multitouch consumer notebook, we're still decidedly stoked about this here convertible tablet. Boasting a 12.1-inch swivel display (LED-backlit) that's just dying to have your prints all over it, the tx2 will come loaded with Windows Vista, a bezel-mounted fingerprint reader, integrated webcam with microphone, Bluetooth / WiFi, stereo speakers, a 5-in-1 multicard reader and a LightScribe SuperMulti DVD burner. HP's also delivering the oh-so-stylish Reaction Imprint exterior, an AMD Turion X2 dual-core processor, the firm's own MediaSmart 2.0 software, a VGA output, Ethernet and at least one USB port from the looks of things. You're supposed to be able to add one of these to your digital shopping cart right now via HP's own webstore or Amazon.com, but both links currently lead to sections of the intarwebz you don't ever, ever want to see. Hold tight -- we've a feeling HP will be getting really official with this one momentarily.Read - TouchSmart tx2 micrositeRead - Hands-on with TouchSmart tx2
HP rumored to be concocting digiframe / slate PC hybrid device
We've heard some rumors that were pretty far out in left field, but this one is far out. In fact, the only reason we're giving it even an ounce of credence is that it's a perfect market opportunity -- we mean, who isn't dreadfully sick of the plain jane digital photo frames that are impossible to distinguish from one another? At any rate, whispers have it that HP is working up a frame that will double as a slate PC of sorts, giving users a full blown web browser, e-mail client, RSS reader and access to other "widgets and lightweight applications." Predictably, the mythical unit will be marketed as a companion internet device, and we're told that it may even boast an Intel Atom CPU alongside a 10-inch panel and a WiFi radio. We'll find out if you'll really be burning $400 on this so-called conglomerate before the year's end.
HP opens TouchSmart to third-party developers
Got a touchy-feely idea you'd like to see on HP's TouchSmart PC? Then by golly, it's about time you got to work! HP has recently released its TouchSmart Application Developer Guidelines to third-party developers, enabling anyone with drive, ambition and skill (all three, not just one or two) to create their own "touch-friendly applications that integrate and run within the TouchSmart Software suite." To generate buzz and give you a little motivation, the TouchSmart Community is offering one fortunate dev a trip to CES 2009, where they'll be able to demo their software in front of the gadget world (and us!). For all the details, be sure and give the read link a visit -- crack those knuckles, it's time to code.
Useful Windows 7 touch and multi-touch gestures demonstrated on video
We saw Windows 7's multi-touch capability way, way back in the day when Bill Gates was still at the wheel of Microsoft (uh hem, May). That demo was pretty limited to in-application touches and did little to show off the interaction with the OS and Internet browser -- the two places we find ourselves most often. Now we've finally got some video, brief as it is, that gives a better idea of what it might be like to work with arms out-stretched in front of you to manipulate icons and images on a desktop display. At about 4.20 into the video posted after the break, we see the usual panning and gesture controls already available in Vista on what looks to be HP's TouchSmart PC. We then learn that Microsoft's goal is to enable "most applications," out of the box with simple (think: pinch to zoom) multi-touch on day one of the Windows 7 launch. Individual apps can then be optimized to improve performance and offer a greater degree of touch and multi-touch control. As demonstrated in the video, finger flicks applied to Microsoft's optimized Internet Explorer send the scroll whizzing away compared with an un-optimized MS Word document (shown in a zooming gesture above) while gentle upward swipes to Windows 7 taskbar icons expose jump lists normally requiring a right mouse click. Interesting.[Via NowhereElse]
HP's TouchSmart IQ506 gets reviewed, dissected
Who woulda thunk it? All-in-ones are officially back in. Yeah, some would argue that they never really left, but with Sony's latest family of monitor-bound PCs and HP's freshened TouchSmart line upping the ante, we'd say the war is back on. The high(er)-end TouchSmart IQ506 was recently taken for a ride over at DesktopReview, and it didn't take long for them to realize that HP was aiming for something very different with this machine. Rather than catering to the gaming or barebones crowd, this one emphasizes interaction and entertainment, and apparently, it did so in fantastic fashion. Additionally, those folks couldn't resist cracking the casing open and giving us a look inside, so if you've got a thing for untouched PCB and silicon, you know where to look.[Thanks, Janet]
Hands-on with HP's new HDX laptops and TouchSmart IQ800
We got a look at HP's latest and greatest, and it's a mixed bag. For starters, we just can't stand HP's consumer laptops (not to be confused with the company's rapidly improving business lineup), and the HDX16 and HDX18 seem to revel in all that's wrong about HP's consumer approach -- no matter how many million units they move. The glossy trackpad is difficult to use, the overly-glossy screen is bad enough in press shots, and a downright pain in real life, and the glossy, chrome-ish exterior is gaudy and over the top -- did we mention glossy? It's one of those love-it-or-leave-it affairs, and we really could leave it. The new, larger TouchSmart IQ800 (pictured) has a lot more going for it, and the hardware is quite elegant, but it seems to share many of the problems its touchphone brethren face: the software isn't quite there, and therefore almost might as well not be there at all. Everything seems half-baked, and not ready for full-time use. The display felt a little "dull" to the touch, with a somewhat laggy response, web browsing is difficult and pointless, and the music app puts manual labor back into playlist creation. It's a decent "home screen" for a living room PC, there are some neat, beautiful gimmicks that would be fun to show off to house guests, and all the elements are in place for a really great touchable desktop experience -- we really do want to love this thing -- but HP needs to devote a little more cash and QA time to this side project to get it over the "hump."%Gallery-31977%
