In time for Windows 7's launch, HP will release three new TouchSmart all-in-ones. The 20-inch TouchSmart 300 and the 23-inch TouchSmart 600 (check out Mark's full review) both have infrared multitouch displays. The TouchSmart family PC solution that has been so popular in kitchens and living rooms, now has a business friendly twin. Yes, even business owners need the 23-inch TouchSmart 9100 which is anticpated to be used in store fronts and retail locations.

HP completes the multitouch family with its smaller and more portable 12-inch HP Tx2 laptop. Like the original, it has a capacitive screen with a convertible hinge. You can use both a finger and a pen on the screen. HP is also experimenting with a non-convertible touchscreen laptop and will offer the HP dv3 with a touchscreen in select markets.

The biggest update to the all-in-ones and the Tx2 laptop is the interface. HP continues to put its TouchSmart user interface on top of Windows 7 and it is one of the best I have seen. The new stuff comes in the way of applications; there are now loads of new third party applications, including Hulu, Twitter and Netflix. The interface is as smooth as a baby's bottom and the main set of tiles fan across the screen and you can easily flick to toggle them. Again, check out the full review of the TouchSmart 600 to get a glimpse of how it really works. HP may just have a method to its touch madness. [HP]

HP Unveils New Multitouch PCs and Display
Company debuts its first fully interactive, 42-inch, high-definition digital signage touch display

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 13, 2009 – Building upon its nearly 30-year history of touch innovation, HP today launched the next era of multitouch computing for consumers and businesses.

Among the new products, HP introduced three touch-enabled HP TouchSmart PCs and its first fully interactive, 42-inch diagonal, high-definition (HD) digital signage touch display, the HP LD4200tm.

"Since the launch of the first TouchSmart PC nearly three years ago, we've worked closely with a growing number of software companies and independent vendors to develop built-for-touch applications that give consumers and businesses rich interactive multimedia experiences," said James Mouton, senior vice president and general manager, Desktop Global Business Unit, Personal Systems Group, HP. "These collaborations have helped to make HP touch computing the most advanced touch experience in the market today."

New consumer HP TouchSmart PCs packed with exclusive touch applications
HP now offers a choice of 20- or 23-inch diagonal widescreen consumer HP TouchSmart PCs – the HP TouchSmart 300 and HP TouchSmart 600. Each features a sleek, award-winning design that integrates either a stunning HD-capable or HD widescreen display with a multitouch enabled screen.

Users can simply pinch, rotate, arc, flip, press or drag a finger across the screen of the PC to access information, entertainment and social networks in a natural, intuitive way. Though accompanied by a wireless keyboard and mouse, new 16:9 widescreen tiles make multimedia, social media and other applications a rich and engaging touch experience.

The new consumer HP TouchSmart PCs feature exclusive built-for-touch applications(1) including:
• Hulu Desktop to provide quick access to Hulu's vast library of hit TV shows, movies and video clips. Users can browse, search and watch their favorite comedies, dramas, sci-fi and web-original shows from nearly 200 leading content companies. Users with Hulu.com accounts also can access their queue, subscriptions and viewing history.
• A touch-enabled Netflix application delivers thousands of full-screen TV episodes and movies that are streamed from Netflix over the Internet. Using HP's signature fan view, Netflix members can instantly watch a move from their Instant Queue on the PC or remove a movie from their Queue via touch. Netflix members also can rent DVD and Blu-ray discs as well as edit and manage their Netflix accounts using the application. A two-week free Netflix trial is available to all TouchSmart users in the United States.
• Twitter, a free social networking and micro-blogging service, makes it easy to catch up with family, friends and colleagues with the touch of a finger.
• With Rhapsody as the engine, the new HP Music Store gives users streaming, on-demand access to 8 million songs delivered to the new TouchSmart PC. Customers who subscribe to Rhapsody can enjoy favorite artists, create playlists or just sit back and listen. Non-members can enjoy a free 14-day trial.
• Pandora Internet radio is now touch enabled for a free personalized music experience to find new music based on old and current favorites.
• TouchSmart RecipeBox lets aspiring chefs discover, explore and keep track of recipes saved from multiple websites and cook with a hands-free experience via voice commands.
• TouchSmart Live TV allows quick access for watching and recording live, local TV. Customers can set recordings in advance of their airing via an electronic programming guide.
• TouchSmart Canvas allows customers to organize their photos on a virtual canvas to quickly and easily create photo collages using touch to edit and rotate photos.
• TouchSmart Link allows the transfer of photos and images taken by a mobile device to the TouchSmart PC via Bluetooth® wireless technology.

Customers with previous TouchSmart PC models who upgrade to Windows 7 through the HP Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program will receive software with some of these new touch applications.

A new swivel stand and tilt webcam(1) increase users' ability to share and collaborate around the HP TouchSmart, which also can easily be wall mounted (with optional wall bracket accessory). All models meet ENERGY STAR® 5.0 requirements.

Some models of the HP TouchSmart 600 easily connect to gaming consoles, including Xbox, PlayStation and Wii, via HDMI or composite video ports.

World's first multitouch consumer notebooks now better than ever
For those whose active lives demand a device for note capture, entertainment, communication and robust computing that's easy to carry, the HP TouchSmart tx2 notebook PC delivers. The HP TouchSmart tx2 combines powerful computing with tablet PC capabilities and entertainment features in an attractive design light enough to go anywhere.

With multitouch support within HP MediaSmart, the HP TouchSmart tx2 is the first notebook PC for consumers that enables the use of two fingers to navigate HP's entertainment applications. The HP TouchSmart tx2 features most of the same touch applications as the HP TouchSmart PC as well as exclusive touch-enabled games and Corel® Painter Sketch Pad for creating digital art.

The HP TouchSmart tx2 weighs 4.65 pounds,(2) features a 12.1-inch diagonal WGXA HD HP LED widescreen integrated touch-screen convertible display, AMD Turion™ dual-core processors(3) and a glossy HP Imprint finish with titanium color "Reaction" pattern.

The convertible design with a twist hinge allows consumers to enjoy the HP TouchSmart tx2 in three modes: PC, display and tablet. With a rechargeable digital ink pen, users can turn the HP TouchSmart tx2 into a tablet PC to write, sketch, draw, take notes or graph right onto the screen – and then automatically convert handwriting into typed text.

Business HP TouchSmart drives new customer interactions, business models
The industry's only full-featured, all-in-one, multitouch-enabled business PC, the HP TouchSmart 9100 Business PC provides real-time information, videoconferencing capabilities(4) and multimedia features in a 23-inch diagonal full HD(5) widescreen display.

The HP business TouchSmart is enabling a more interactive, compelling customer experience at businesses such as bridal retailer Priscilla of Boston for luxury dress concierge service, St. Louis Oncology for medical filing, the NBA's Detroit Pistons for instant replays and food, and hotels such as Sheraton and Marriott to provide enhanced customer lobby experiences.

New business models are emerging with the HP TouchSmart 9100. Digital Aisle, an interactive shopper solutions company, is bringing "virtual sales assistants" to life using HP's interactive touch screens. The Digital Aisle's Virtual Bartender uses HP TouchSmart technology to help people plan parties, print and email recipes, and learn expert bartending tips. This interactive point-of-purchase tool has been deployed to independent and chain retailers across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

An array of new enhancements on the HP TouchSmart 9100 include:
• DVI output, enabling customers to connect to their full HD format displays and projectors
• Configure-to-order options designed to meet the needs of businesses, including a choice of genuine Microsoft Windows® 7 32-bit or 64-bit operating system,(6) processors, optical drives, hard drives, solid state drives, Kensington locks, HP Protect Tools and HP BIOS to enable USB ports and SATA device lock down, and retasking of button controls for custom kiosk configurations
• Optional wall mount adapter attaches the HP TouchSmart to a VESA wall mount or a VESA-compatible articulating arm
• U.S. Trade Agreements Act (TAA) compliant – HP TouchSmart 9100 configure-to-order units comply with TAA requirements(7)
• Premium performance with a powerful Intel® Core™2 Duo processor,(8) Genuine Windows 7 Professional, up to eight gigabytes (GB) of memory,(9) up to a 500 GB hard drive or an optional 64 GB solid state drive,(10) and a trial version of Microsoft® Office(11)
• NVIDIA GeForce G200 integrated graphics or upgrade to NVIDIA GeForce GT230 discrete graphics using the Mobile Express Module (MXM) graphics slot
• New standard onsite warranty providing next-day(12) business servicing
• FireWire® output for quick and easy transfer of digital files, photos and videos from a wide variety of IEEE94-compatible peripheral devices
• Optional wireless keyboard and mouse
• Optional Blu-ray combo optical(13) disk drive

The HP TouchSmart for business is a space- and energy-saving portal for businesses. Its ENERGY STAR qualified and EPEAT® Silver registered design uses 55 percent less metal and 37 percent less plastic than standard PCs and monitors. With the easy-to-use HP Power Manager tool, companies also can configure their individual PC power settings to save energy without interfering with the PC's ability to perform.

Businesses shine with HP's first fully interactive, 42-inch, HD digital signage display
The HP LD4200tm is a 42-inch diagonal, sleek black digital signage built to fit in trendy indoor environments, such as kiosks, retail, point of sale, shopping malls, travel terminals, hotel lobbies, recreational venues, universities, stock exchanges and hospitals.

It features infrared technology, which recognizes multitouch gestures for onscreen interaction in 1,920 x 1,080 full HD native resolution to provide stunning views of video, graphics or text in both bright and dim lighting. In addition, an ultra-wide 178 x 178 degree viewing angle enables observation from almost any angle and, unlike TV screens, the HP LD4200tm is built to run 24/7 with low power usage while maintaining longevity. It also comes with a standard three-year limited warranty.

Pricing and availability
• The HP TouchSmart 300 starts at $899 and is expected to be available Nov. 1.
• The HP TouchSmart 600 starts at $1,049 and is expected available Oct. 22.
• The HP TouchSmart tx2 starts at $799 and is expected to be available Oct. 22.
• The HP TouchSmart 9100 starts at $1,299 and is expected to be available in December.
• The HP LD4200tm 42-inch widescreen LCD monitor starts at $2,799 and is expected to be available in December.

I installed Windows 7 Beta on an HP TouchSmart PC over the weekend, getting cozy with the new touch and multitouch features, then loaded up a sweet two-handed Air Hockey demo. Have a look:

[When you're done here, check out our complete Windows 7 coverage]

The basic touch and multitouch actions found native to Windows 7 are nothing to oooh and ahhh over, but there are a lot of little intuitive moves and conveniences that work well, even in the beta stage. More importantly, developers in and out of Microsoft are now getting all touchy, and we plan to track that pretty closely. But first, here's the starter menu of touch and multitouch maneuvers:

Tap: The quick screen touch doesn't reveal an arrow cursor, but the screen ripples outward, like water, plus there's a tiny crosshair where you are actually tapping. The TouchSmart makes a beep (and when you tap with a second finger at the same time, that touch emits a higher-pitch beep).

Tap and hold: The "right-click" behavior is very well constructed: You tap and hold, and a circle swirls around your finger. Let go to reveal the right-click menu.

Flick: When you enable flicks, you can swim through longer pages and menus a lot faster, both vertically and horizontally. When you reach the end of the menu or screen, the window recoils a bit, indicating the termination.

Type: There's a surprisingly MacBooky on-screen keyboard lurking just off frame in Windows 7. You tap the screen's edge for it to stick out just a bit; tap it again and out it slides to center screen, sizable to your fat-fingered liking.

Zoom: In spite of new concerns over multitouch patents, this zoom behavior is pretty much identical to the one seen in Apple products (and on Microsoft's Surface as well). You put two fingers on the screen and move them together to zoom out, and separate them to zoom in. I will note that this was easier to do with two hands—one-handed pinching was probably too micro for the TouchSmart screen.

Rotate: Same as zoom, this is straight out of the basic multitouch playbook. Just move two fingers in a circular fashion, and the photo rotates. And again, it was easier to use two hands than one. (I found that amazing bee shot in the video on Flickr—it's by a user called aussiegall who has some beautiful nature close-ups.)

Draw: Two-fingered drawing is a multitouch phenomenon I don't fully understand, but that's probably because I'm not much of an artist. It's cool to show off—and at this point, it's the epitome of the finger Paint interface, because three or more fingers is still apparently taboo—but it seems to be a function awaiting a purpose.

The Windows 7 Media Center touch interface is really cool, especially if you're using MC in a cramped dorm or kitchen, where the "10 foot" remote-control experience just ain't happening. I ran the following video back in November, showing pretty much the same experience I can now pull up on the TouchSmart I have here, only they had more content, so it looks cooler:

A multitouch interface designer called IdentityMine created, among other things, a simple two-person multitouch Air Hockey demo to run at PDC 2008. Since it's still available for download, I grabbed it and challenged my wife to a duel. We're both out of shape, hockey-wise, but man was it a bloodbath:

In case you were wondering, I installed Windows 7 Beta in two ways on the TouchSmart PC, both which had different advantages. First, I upgraded from Vista, keeping all the drivers, etc. intact. Though I was able to get going quickly, the experience was hampered by touch software that HP ran on top of Vista. To get at the control that come native in Windows 7—which I highlight above—I had to partition the drive and do a clean install. Though I had to gather up some drivers and install them manually with some trickery, I got the more honest Windows 7 touch and multitouch experience.

I am happy that HP is pushing its TouchSmart platform to consumers with such enthusiasm, and I'm happy that Microsoft decided to weave touch into the fabric of its OS. One day we may even take it for granted, like keyboards and mice now. The real question is, what will developers do? I'm going to spend the next few days investigating more touch and multitouch applications and interfaces, because while Microsoft and HP should be praised for supplying the capabilities, the goodness will come in what developers do with them.

1. Get a company's flagship phone
I understand that Scooter Smiff's audience is probably as young as he is and doesn't buy many massive smartphones, but if you've got to shill for a BlackBerry, hope it's not the Pearl Flip. Matt—notably a gadget blogger, not a rapper—said it was kind of uncool, looked inconsistent, and even called it a "fatass". Next time beg for a Storm, or at least a Bold.

2. Don't include an incredibly boring product
So imagine you're a tween, just browsing YouTube, and you notice Scooter Smiff's teacher grading (UPDATE: fabricating, more like. Scandal!) his paper on an HP Touchsmart PC, with her fingers. This is the least exciting thing you've ever seen. It doesn't even make sense in context—it's like HP just edited a few seconds of their press materials into the video. Same goes for the inexplicable printer cameo.

3. Refrain from using devices that make you look even more like a child
Riding a miniaturized Cadillac Escalade will not help you look older, and will probably make those few people who actually have a toy like that return it as fast as they can drive it back to Sotheby's. See also: catcalling obviously older girls.

This song might not be as embarrassing as the iPhone's prominent role in a certain inauspiciously-named (and NSFW) track from earlier this year, but a difference here, and an important one, is that HP and BlackBerry actually wished this on themselves. [CrackBerry]

Price: $1500 (The IQ504, sans TV-tuner, sells for $1300)

The Verdict: The TouchSmart comes with the standard array of features you'd expect in an all-in-one PC—22-inch widescreen, 2.16 Core 2 Duo Processor, ATSC tuner, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB HDD, 5 USB ports and an SDHC reader. These are all solid features, though not mindblowing. The real hook here is whether or not the touchscreen features are as good as advertised. The short answer is that they're satisfactory within the custom interface, and not so great in the normal Vista environment.

The touch interface has a homescreen with a row of giant, oversized tiles up top, and smaller ones underneath that display various widget-like apps. Examples of these apps include a music player, photo browser, movie player, RSS feed, calendar, weather, chess, solitaire, notes, etc... Both rows can scroll fromside to side, similar to that of the iPhone, and tiles can also be exchanged between the top and bottom rows freely.

Once inside individual apps, they take advantage of using pan and scroll features for lists and thumbnails. The movie player even has a record feature that lets you create a short movie with the webcam that you can email out when finished. The photo browser lets you perform basic adjustments, or even use the touchscreen to crop your photo.

Some apps are better than others. Apps like the photo browser, and weather widget are perfectly suited to the touch interface, because the menus are simple and typing is hardly ever required. The RSS reader and Web Browser are not so great because they both use Internet Explorer as its backbone (you have to enter your RSS feeds as bookmarks in IE). The calendar app is decent if you just want to check your schedule, but you ultimately need the keyboard and mouse to do anything more.

And while the touchscreen works well within the interface, trying to control the rest of Vista (Media Center notwithstanding) can be maddening. Buttons and icons in Vista are too small for fingertaps on the screen, resulting in hitting the wrong button, or not hitting anything at all. I basically gave up on navigating Vista with the touchscreen after the first 30 minutes.

But even within the interface, though it functions competently, you can't help but feel like it needs a bit more polish. Sure, it looks great, but sometimes its choppy or laggy in reacting to your touch, making it feel less than intuitive.

Part of this is due to the fact that the touchscreen isn't a real touchscreen, but rather an IR ring around the front of the monitor that tracks the position of your finger on a 2D plane. When the plane is broken, it interprets that as a mouse click. It isn't microscopically precise, but the big buttons of the custom interface help compensate for that to a degree. While I'm sure this helps keep cost low, It doesn't have the same smooth feel.

The Touchsmart IQ506 is a good computer, both in design and features, but is a little rough around the edges when it comes to it's touch features. If you want a kitchen computer that looks nice, functions well with a keyboard and mouse, and has a few neat touch functions to boot, this $1500 machine, or the IQ504, isn't a bad deal. But if you're expecting to be blown away by the touchscreen experience, you may want to hold off. [HP Touchsmart]

The insides of the TouchSmart also include 4 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 9300 M GS HD graphics card, ATSC Tuner, Webcam, Bluetooth 2.0, Firewire and an 8x DVD burner. It also comes packaged with a wireless keyboard and mouse, as well as a VIsta Media Center remote. There's also an ambient light at the bottom of the computer which glows so you can see your keyboard in the dark.

The screen of the Touchsmart isn't touch sensitive; it's actually a beam of light in front of the screen that recognizes where your finger is when you break the plane of the light beam. The interface, which is all developed within Vista, can be customized in many ways, allowing you to pick from a variety of content to be displayed on the home screen. There's also a finger painting app, photo browsing and editing app, music player, movie player, RSS aggregator and calendar.

The design of the computer is another noticeable upgrade, which takes the Touchsmart from utilitarian device to something you actually want in the house. The folded design is supposed to resemble a messenger bag, and it doesn't look half bad. The HP Touchsmart IQ506 is expected to hit stores July 13 for $1500. A TV Tuner-less IQ504 will also be available for $1300

HP Redefines Home Computing, Putting the Digital Lifestyle at People's Fingertips with New TouchSmart PCs

BERLIN, June 10, 2008 - HP today unveiled a new generation of all-in-one PCs that change the way people interact with their computers by making digital entertainment a truly compelling, hands-on experience.
The new HP TouchSmart family of PCs features HP software designed specifically for touch. A finger tapped or swept across the high-resolution screen delivers quick access to information, entertainment and social networks. Without using a keyboard or mouse, consumers can play music and create playlists, zoom in or out of photos, and quickly check the weather or watch TV.

HP TouchSmart PCs are designed to resemble the lines of a messenger bag and to fit wherever life happens, whether in the living room to entertain friends, in the den as a social hub, or in the home office. The simple yet sleek design and natural user interface adds style and elegance anywhere it is placed.
"Our engineers have created a fun, engaging and simple touch experience for the home that nobody else offers today," said John Cook, vice president of marketing, Worldwide Consumer PC Business, HP. "We're changing personal computing from just feeds and speeds to an experience influenced by consumer trends and design that anticipates customer's needs. The HP TouchSmart PC is all about reinventing the personal computer experience."

Digital entertainment at the touch of a finger
HP TouchSmart IQ500 series PC software brings a new level of enjoyment to photos, videos and music by making it easier for people to access and interact with their media. For example, consumers can browse a music collection by album art in a tiled fashion or fan view. People can crop, edit and share photos as well as upload them directly to HYPERLINK "http://www.snapfish.com" Snapfish from HP without the need to use a keyboard or mouse.

Consumers also can watch and record their favorite TV shows,(1) burn personal videos with the built-in DVD burner,(2) upload videos they create directly to YouTube,(3) and enjoy high-quality sound with the integrated premium stereo speakers. The built-in webcam and microphone help users keep in touch with friends and family anywhere they have Internet access through video chat and conference.(3)
"The introduction of a touch computer with such a strong focus on digital entertainment opens the door to an entirely new way for consumers to engage with their content," said Stephen Baker, vice president, industry analysis, The NPD Group. "HP TouchSmart PCs will allow people to interact with their photos, videos, music and games in unique ways, plus they do everything that you'd expect from a traditional PC."

The stylish next-generation PC
Requiring only one cord to set up and power the system, HP TouchSmart PCs combine a 22-inch diagonal, high-definition,(4) widescreen display with a powerful, energy-efficient Intel Core 2 Duo processor(5) in a single, integrated design. The sleek, piano-black finish with elegant espresso side-panel highlights makes a TouchSmart PC an attractive addition to any room in the home.
The low-profile wireless keyboard and integrated WLAN(6) offer a truly wireless experience, and the adjustable screen tilts up and down for maximum viewing comfort. The HP Ambient Light lets consumers set a mood and see the keyboard in the dark.

In addition, the HP TouchSmart PCs are ENERGY STAR qualified and come in new packaging that greatly reduces plastic foam cushioning materials. Other features include 4 gigabytes of memory,(7) a media card reader and a large-capacity, high-speed hard drive.
HP's touch heritage

The HP TouchSmart PC is a culmination of 25 years of HP touch technology design and development, which was first brought to market in 1983 with the introduction of the HYPERLINK "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-THdG5gVTw" HP 150 PC, a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_150" touchscreen computer that was well ahead of its time.
Today, HP uses touch technology in a variety of products, including the HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/go/ipaq"HP iPAQ rx5900 Travel Companion, HYPERLINK "http://laptop.hp.com/" HP Pavilion tx2500 Tablet Notebook PC, select HYPERLINK "http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/printer/everyday/1/storefronts/CC975A%2523B1H" HP Photosmart printers and HYPERLINK "http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF05a/382087-382087-64283-3181050-3181048-3182543.html" HP business monitors.

The first-generation HP TouchSmart PC was delivered more than 17 months ago as the industry's first touch-based, all-in-one consumer PC. Today's announcement of the HP TouchSmart IQ504 and IQ506 PCs delivers fun and exciting ways for consumers to use touch as never before seen in an all-in-one consumer PC.

Pricing and availability
Prices for the base model HP TouchSmart IQ504 PC and the TV-tuner equipped IQ506 PC are expected to start at $1,299 and $1499, respectively.(8) Customers can shop for the new TouchSmart PCs by calling +1 800 230 5752, via chat, online or at retail outlets nationwide. Models are expected to be available in retail outlets on July 13. More information is available at HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/touchsmart" www.hp.com/touchsmart.

The HP TouchSmart PCs were introduced today at the HP HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/personal" Connecting Your World event in Berlin. More information about the products announced at the event is available in an online press kit at HYPERLINK "http://www.hp.com/go/connectingyourworld2008" www.hp.com/go/connectingyourworld2008.