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HP is rolling out their newest TouchSmart and it’s a Tablet PC.  What’s the big deal?  Well, Gadgetell got a chance to actually play with the HP TouchSmart TX2 and it is really something.

At first blush, the TX2 looks like a standard Tablet PC with a hinge that allows the entire 12.1-inch screen to be turned around and folded down for a slate style experience.  The real fun is in the touch screen which is capacitive and not resistive; that means you don’t have to press the screen very hard for the computer to register inputs.  A simple tap to the screen is enough for the TX2.

Multi-touch

The laptop supports multi-touch input as well.  While Windows Vista doesn’t do multi-touch yet, HP has built this technology into the drivers.  The multi-touch inputs are translated into keystroke commands so you can have multi-touch beyond HP’s MediaSmart software. 

Plenty more including more pics and lots of specs after the break.

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It was only a couple of months ago when HP released the first two models of the TouchSmart all-in-one PC, the 22 inch IQ504 and IQ506. Upon introduction of their TouchSmart line, HP received some negative feedback.  In particular, some wanted a bigger screen and a more powerful PC.  HP has responded by releasing two bigger models, the IQ804 and IQ816 TouchSmart PCs.

With these two new models, HP has increased the LCD sizes of these PC’s from 22 inches to 25.5 inches with 1900x1200 resolution.  At this resolution, you can watch full HD content at 1080P.  The high-end IQ816 boasts an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M video card, an illuminating keyboard, VESA wall mount capability, hardware-encoded TV tuner, four digitally-amplified speakers and a Blu-ray drive.  The IQ804 has all the features of the IQ816 except for the Blu-ray drive.

Both the HP IQ804 and IQ816 belong to the new HP IQ800 series all-in-one TouchSmart PC series which is being touted to deliver a new level of home-theater entertainment. HP will start shipping the IQ804 on October with an SRP of $2100 and the IQ816 on September 21 with an SRP of $1900.

Read [HP News Release] Via [Gizmodo]

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HP recently made their new TouchSmart all-in-one PC available online, now they have also announced retail availability. While I can just imagine the grime that will be on these in-store display models, I suppose it would be kind of nice to purchase a TouchSmart PC in person, because when you think about it, the touch is important and most will want to test it out a bit before committing.

The TouchSmart PC comes in two models, the IQ504 PC and the IQ506 PC. Both offer a 22-inch touchscreen display and are priced at $1,299 and $1,499 respectively. The IQ506 PC is a little more powerful overall, but also comes with a built-in TV-tuner.

Read [Business Wire] Product [HP]

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Some of you might remember back when Disneyland had their “House of the Future”.  I’m guessing it was located in Tomorrowland, and it featured such futuristic advances like speakerphones, big screen TVs, and microwave ovens.  Most homes of the present have these devices now, but during the ten year period that the exhibit was open (1957-1967), this was the future. 

Disneyland has just recently opened their new house of the future, otherwise known as the Innovative Dream Home.  The 5,000-square-foot house has been built as a collaborated effort with HP, Microsoft, and LifeІware.  Visitors can watch the everyday adventures of the fictional Elias family with their more modern advancements. 

Some of Microsoft’s contributions include the ever-so-popular Surface, the Home Server, but it also has some advancements we are all familiar with, such as Vista, the Zune, and even the Xbox 360.

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HP has just switched one of their two HP TouchSmart models to the in-stock and ships-same-day category. The HP TouchSmart IQ504 PC which retails for $1,249.99 is ready and available for order, the other model (IQ506) is still noted as being “out of stock.“

But not to worry, because the IQ504 is still feature packed and includes a 22-inch widescreen touch-enabled display, a 2GHz Intel Core2 Duo T5750 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB 7,200 RPM hard drive and a SuperMulti DVD burner. The TouchSmart also includes a built-in webcam, 5-in-1 memory card reader, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, wireless keyboard and mouse as well as the the standard variety of ports.

Product [HP]

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HP boasts of putting our digital life at our fingertips through their latest offering – the TouchSmart PC.

Media manipulation on PC’s isn’t anything new – uploading home videos, editing photos and listening to music have been staples of most home PC’s for several years. Touchscreen technology has also enjoyed considerable interest, in light of Apple’s iPhone. Mix them together and package them as a “total home PC” and you’ve got yourself a winner.

HP’s TouchSmart PCs come with a 22-inch diagonal hi-def widescreen display powered with a “software designed specifically for touch.”  A tap or sweep at the sleek piano-black finished screen gives ready access to hands-on digital entertainment.

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One of Silicon Valley’s oldest companies is boosting its effort to acquire the youngest customers. CNET was at a Teens and Tech conference when Hewlett-Packard officials announced a forthcoming line of computers and other devices catering to - and in some cases, designed by - teenagers.

The HP execs quoted talked about something called its Teen Council, which will offer suggestions for product design and how they are used. I’m curious as to how many times the name of a certain Cupertino-based company with a piece of fruit as its logo was mentioned when this Teen Council offered its advice.

HP’s TouchSmart PC is mentioned as an example of an company product that was designed with teens in mind. But when I covered the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas - where the TouchSmart made its debut as an example of a new Windows Vista-powered machine - the buzz on its potential use was focused on managing media in livings rooms and kitchens. Of course, it’s easy to imagine its touchscreen capabilities used by the teen in the family; I look forward to the HP television commercials (and they do produce some cool spots) highlighting that very scenario.

Read [CNET]

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