When HP first introduced its TouchSmart PC line of desktop computers in 2007, it was a novel idea, but it also had enough flaws to keep many away from buying it. The TouchSmart was primarily meant for the kitchen, mainly because of the interactivity behind it, but also because it's probably where the family interacts most in the home.
This new iteration of HP's TouchSmart series (the IQ 504 & IQ 506) is better out of the box, not because it has more power and 64-bit processing, but also because HP has streamlined things a little with its own software interface. I tried out the IQ 506 ($1,399) and noticed a couple of significant changes. For one, the hardware itself is less obtrusive by taking up less room, despite the screen being bigger.
New Interface -- A Softer Touch?
The other key difference this time around is in the new software. HP designed the new interface on the TouchSmart so it's a lot easier to navigate. Think of it like how Cover Flow works on an iPhone or iPod Touch. Slide your finger across and see the menu roll along. Same thing applies here.
Two rows of tiles present the applications for you. The larger row at the top is ideally meant for the ones you tend to use more regularly, while the smaller icons on the bottom row are used a little more sparingly. You can add applications to either row by just dragging the icons over with your finger.
There is quite a bit there already to choose from. The basics are things like the calendar, post-it notes, weather forecasts and a clock. But you also have an RSS feed app -- all the content you subscribe to finds its way there for easy navigation.
There are even games like chess, mahjong, solitaire and others that are perfect for a touchscreen. Hey, it's even got its own Web browser — though I found it to be finicky and unresponsive at times. Not sure why that was, but since I can go back and forth between the HP software and Firefox (or Explorer, if that's what you use) with ease, I didn't really need to use it that much.
Three Big Apps
The big three apps in the software are music, photos and video. You can migrate your entire iTunes collection over to HP's app, and simply drag and drop any audio files you might have. It won't separate the playlists you had on iTunes, so it's best if you migrate music over separately by playlist to keep things the way you want them. But it will separate music by album or artist for you, and even include the artwork as well.
Video is pretty standard stuff, really. It allows you to access all videos you might have on the TouchSmart, regardless of where they are on the computer. No need to always have to drop video files into the app.
The photo app isn't bad but it's probably the one I liked the least. Editing features are limited to begin with, and I found it strange that I couldn't see photos in full-screen without having to start a slideshow first. Not very intuitive, if you ask me. Viewing and editing photos on the TouchSmart is just screaming for multi-touch functionality, but unfortunately, that's just not the case here.
Limited Touch
The problem with the TouchSmart is its a slave to Windows Vista's own capabilities. Vista has touch-sensitive functionality built-in for developers to make use of, but there's no support for multi-touch, like you see in Apple's iPhone or iPod Touch. So imagine trying to crop a photo by having to re-size it one touch at a time. It seems a bit archaic, doesn't it?
Well, I certainly felt that way. And it's not entirely because I've always liked multi-touch on Apple's products, but because I just find it more intuitive to manipulate something onscreen with two touches. This could be a problem for HP if Apple launches a similar product later this year or next year. The next Windows operating system is expected to have multi-touch functions built-in, which may not be that far off, given Vista's sluggish performance in the market.
The touchscreen is supposed to be the key selling point for this, and I get the feeling some potential buyers will be turned off by the lack of multi-touch. I'm equally skeptical about the possibility of this being someone's primary desktop computer.
Many Things to Few People
I'll hand it to HP, the big screen is great for doing just about anything. I like that the keyboard is very thin, and that there's a light at the bottom of the unit to illuminate it in the dark. Not to mention that there's enough room underneath the unit to slide the keyboard under, so that you don't necessarily have to store it somewhere else (you get a remote control that covers most basic functions).
I can also dig the fact that it has Bluetooth, a TV tuner and Wi-Fi (up to 802.11n). It's not really meant to play the latest PC games, which is a shame with the 64-bit processing, but it's unlikely you would even think of buying the TouchSmart for gaming anyway. At the TouchSmart's list price of $1,499 (there's also a less powerful model at $1,299), you could easily get a comparable PC for gaming.
Even if it's not aimed at every type of user out there, the TouchSmart does try to be many things to few people. I still can't help but think of the lack of multi-touch. Seeing how people crowd around a 3.5" screen with the iPhone, makes me think that a 22" screen with the same functions would probably get an even better response. But a big part of what made the iPhone cool was that you could do stuff using two fingers at the same time. If the TouchSmart had that, HP would've had the jump on Apple and really made things interesting.