Mention “touch computing” to most folks, and they’ll have images of Tom Cruise manipulating digital images in the air in sci-fi movies like “Minority Report.” While not that sophisticated, the newly unveiled TouchSmart line of PCs from Hewlett-Packard aims to bring that kind of sophisticated touch-response computing to the home—to the kitchen, to be more specific.
The TouchSmart was developed specifically to be a clutter-busting all-in-one unit that doesn’t take up much space but is designed to fit in aesthetically with any home décor. Simply put, this is HP’s aggressive attempt to make a home-friendly PC that folks can use to check the weather or their e-mail, watch a DVD or surf the net—while they prepare dinner. If HP has its way, it’ll be the machine of choice for the “digital lifestyle.”
HP is promoting TouchSmart as a computer that sets up quickly and is easy to use. My experience with the IQ500T model we tested certainly backs that up. Minutes after the E-Gear team lifted the unit out of its box, we were watching a DVD from LOST Season Four, manipulating the DVD player controls completely by touch.
This is a truly “plug-and-play” product; since the mouse and keyboard are wireless, the only thing we had to plug in was the AC adapter. As the PC is fully loaded—all starting software and operating systems were pre-installed—the TouchSmart IQ500T was ready for a test drive literally right out of the box, with none of the annoying setup and installation time required by many current PCs.
TouchSmart boasts a lineup of apps that’s perfectly suited to the iPhone generation, including weather, a TV tuner (in the IQ506, IQ804 and IQ816 models), TouchSmart Note (sticky notes), calendar, RSS newsfeed, photo viewing, a music player, DVD burner, and, in the IQ816, a Blu-ray player.
Of course, with any new toy, there’s always a learning curve—that period in which you kick the tires and get to know the machine—and the TouchSmart, despite its ease of use, is no exception. While the touch controls worked flawlessly, it took a few rounds of trial-and-error to get used to this capability. Early attempts to try out different apps could result in calling up the wrong program. The touch screen is so sensitive to your fingers, it’s easy to hit the wrong thing by accident. Still, after a little time, our touch screen manipulation skills had grown. This is a truly an impressive function on a truly impressive machine.
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