Lots of news on the touch front from the HP gang!
First is the new HP TouchSmart 310 all-in-one PC. The new version is slimmer than ever before but still boasts the same beautiful 20” multi-touch screen. It’s available with AMD processors and Radeon graphics, and you can get one starting at $699.99 on 9/22 from hpdirect.com.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one but are working on a more modest budget, the new HP Omni100 should be on your list. It’s not a touch machine, but it’s very capable nevertheless, with a 20” HD display, AMD VISION technology and up to 1TB of storage. They go on sale on 9/22 at hpdirect.com, starting at $499.99.
To couple the new hardware, HP is revving their TouchSmart software to offer a number of new capabilities. They’re saying that with it, the desktop transforms into a “Magic Canvas” where users can easily drag apps, and content – even web content – directly onto the desktop. There’s also a new multi-layer wallpaper that gives the machine a lot of depth. I haven’t had a chance to work with these new features directly, but I have seen a demo and it looks really nice.
In addition to the UI changes, HP announced the new HP TouchSmart Apps Center, which is a new, easy way for TouchSmart users to access free and subscription based touch apps from a wide variety of partners. Big names like Marvel Comics and the Cartoon Network are already on board, and HP tells me that more partners are coming in every day.
The new software is available on the TouchSmart 310 and current TouchSmart 600, and will be available on the exceptionally cool HP tm2 touch tablet on October 27th.
I’m loving what HP is up to with touch. They’ve been a leader in the game for a long time and its great to see that they’re always looking for ways to make the experience better. Can’t wait to try out these new PCs!
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Aw, damn, was hoping support for legacy products! My HP TC4400 doesn't get any love :P.
I can't wait till AMD release Ontario, their APU will make Tablets great..especially touch PCs! Imagine how thin HP will be able to make their desktop PCs! Wow, these are exciting times :D
Touchsmart 310 looks like a great value. HP's TM2 is interesting because you can extend the desktop to a second monitor via HDMI. I'd love to see HP update the TM2 with a quick dock port that is activated as soon as you slide the tablet in compatible dock. Upcoming products like MSI WindPad 100 and Dell Inspiron Duo are examples of that quick dock approach. But you gotta like TM2's superior pen capabilities.
@MrAlex, I think AMD Ontario is geared at portable devices..not desktop PCs. I wouldn't want to see a underpowered desktop PC based....though I'll admit, there aren't any compelling consumer applications that I'm aware of that actually make think I need anything more than a dual core processor. I'm sure Microsoft is working on that because Windows needs to offer a superior experience and substantial benefits to other consumer platforms that are primarily built for web services. As you said, these are exciting times for consumers.