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HP TouchSmart PC Demo at Disney Innoventions Dream Home

By Alexander Grundner | June 17th, 2008 Interest Level: SMOKING HOT


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Here’s a quick video demo of HP’s new, second generation TouchSmart PC. Brian Burch, director of marketing for HP’s connected entertainment division, explains how the new touch interface works and the thinking that went into creating the in-house developed application.

Quick impression: The interface is fluid and fairly intuitive. Kudos on the design and interactivity features. My only gripe is that I wish HP integrated the Internet browser and the RSS reader into the application interface — instead both icons shown are quick launch shortcuts to desktop applications. But, I’m still curious to know if people can (or how easy it is to) add new widgets to the TouchSmart interface? I think it would be to HP’s advantage to roll out an API that developers could use to build applications for the platform and, of course, provide users an online directory/store of available widgets.

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Alexander Grundner is the Editor & Publisher of eHomeUpgrade. He has been following "Digital Home" developments since 2003. He's also a fan of cross-platform, open development software and industry standards related to media, networking, and the web. You can catch his daily tech musings on Twitter: @agrundner.
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  • Rod
    Here is a link to a wall mount everyone. http://www.iversal.com/index.html
  • CK
    PS -- that whole Wall Mount issue has stopped me from buying one (or even two). But, can you imagine ---- being able to touch kitchen notes, watch a bit of TV, do some video telephone, rotate family pictures --- all from the kitchen wall?! If I can get myself comfortable that there is a non-Frakenstein wall mount option out there, then HP will get my business. Still amazed that they missed this huge, obvious market for this product!
  • CK
    Wallmount wall mount: Yes, I agree with RC. I went to Sam's to buy the TouchSmart specifically for our kitchen -- to mount on the wall. Kluging together a wall mount is not something that I want to DIY!!! RC is right, what on God's Green Earth was HP smoking to NOT include a wall mount!!!???!!!!
  • RC
    If this had a wall mount I'd be all over it, HP are you freaking crazy? I would buy 3 of these one for the kitchen, one for the bathroom one for the gameroom, I want to check the news, check recipes all that stuff on the fly, I'm not going to set it on the countertop, I found on the HP website that the IQ800 series is able to mount on the wall but nothing on the website tells you how. freaking stupid
  • You can wall mount the TouchSmart 504 with a custom braket with little work. The link take you to my installation.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/32554168@N08/

    I simply took the leg stand off and bolted my custom bracket into the now empty bolt holes. You do have to drill small holes in the plastic shell for the new, longer, bolts to go through.

    Dave
  • Guys... Sony just released a new All-in-One PC line designed to be wall mounted. Offers Blu-ray, TV-tuner/DVR, and more. Check it out. Unfortunately, they don't offer models with a touch screen.
  • Chas
    Hey Mihita! Put the crack pipe down and actually learn something about the ergonomics of computing! You can't just stick a computer on a wall, especially not this one, unless you're duct taping it, that is.

    There's nothing lazy about what people are saying here. HP has built a nice computer that they say is designed for the social spaces of a user's home. My office desk is NOT a social space. I have a 60" TV in the TV social space of my home, so guess what, I don't need this tiny screen there. They put a touch screen on a PC, put a TV tuner in it, but don't set it up so it can be mounted like a TV with a VESA compliant wall mount. It makes no sense! It screams to be used in a kitchen as a virtual message board, but I'm not spending $1500 just to have it knocked off my kitchen cabinet and destroyed.

    If they had looked at the market they are selling into, they would have easily seen the flaw of both the iMac and the XPS One. I have directly contacted HP to ask about this, and their response is that it cannot be mounted to the wall.

    So stop being such an HP homer and look at the reality of the situation. If you want a slick desktop, great, the TouchSmart does that nicely, but this isn't a social spaces PC.
  • Brett
    Agree with the wall mount comments. My company would of ordered hundreds of these, was turned down because there is no wall mount option. Insane, crazy, insulated, short-sited etc etc etc
  • Milita Fiasko
    this pc definetly looks and is much beter from the first "generation".
    yuo people critisize too much!
    i am shure you can mount it to the wall, if it is possible to close the lean flap at the back, and the problem with the cooling vents is solvable!
    just leave some space from the wall! some of you people are too lazy to install a computer properly with consideration to a wall.
    HP PC have always been my favourite! they definetly beat iMAC and ESPECIALLY dell!
    hp has style, its original and slick.
    my 4 year old hp desk top computer is a rather nice desing stil...4 YEAR OLD!
    this new one is definetly the most original thing
    Microsoft are trying to top it with their new Table Top
    wich just gives the impression of them not being able to be original and comming out with the next thing on top of their head, the only original and good thing i fing about it is that it can automatically drag out photographs out of a digital came with no wires involved and swipe your credit card!
    HAHA
    what was they thinking when they say that they are first going to put them table tops in restaurants! MAD PEOPLE! that is PLAIN LAZY!
    however i wish that HP would get a program as good as PHOTOSHOP or even better! and other programes that iMAC has
    that way they would MOST DEFINETLY BE THE GREATEST. SO MUCH BETTER THAN IMAC!!!!!
    anyway HP is a great constantly uprising company.
    love it
  • Brenda
    Ha... first thing I noticed about it visually was that it didn't have a VESA mounting. I don't have the kids issue, but I don't want to have to lift it up everytime I wipe my counter off. I have my current monitor on a VESA swing arm which also can fold flat against the wall. What were they thinking?
  • Chas
    HP clearly does not get how the "social space" in homes are really used. Here, place this 21" diagonal screen on your kitchen countertop so the kids can knock it off and destroy it accidentally. Did they only talk amongst themselves as to what new features should go into the second generation? No mounting option was precisely why I didn't buy the first generation!

    Mounting on the wall is an "interesting idea"? What rock are these guys living under? It isn't a nice idea, it could be the killer thing that destroys the iMac and Dell's XPS One. Neither of them has gotten this concept yet, either, but this touch screen interface makes it ideal for social spaces, and no mounting option means it won't go into my house. I'm not going to spend this kind of cash on something I can't protect at least a little bit. I'll put an Mac mini in my kitchen with a VESA mounted 21" screen.

    If you look at the video demo on the HP website, there aren't any cooling vents visible. It just appears that once again HP does research in a garage with closed doors and expects the rest of the world to succumb to their way of doing things, instead of actually finding out what people would like to see.
  • Good video, lots of details. I too was curious about wall-mount options. I wonder why he said it "could not" be wall mounted. I would think he could say "HP will not provide a wall-mount option" as it is made to sit on a tabletop.

    However, is there a technical reason it cannot be wall mounted if I make my own bracket? Perhaps cooling vents on the back side that cannot be obstructed?
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