By Chad Sapieha
Performance
If there’s one place HP’s newest all-in-one lets users down, it’s in the horsepower department. The unit we reviewed, which was top of the line, had an Intel Core2 Duo processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT230M graphics card with 1GB of dedicated memory. These components are fine for multitasking with office applications and working with HD video, and they even suffice for running the occasional 3D game, but there are cheaper laptops out there that boast more powerful graphics cards and speedy quad core processors. Something about that just seems a bit odd to us.
Of course, none of them can match this rig’s stunning, 23-inch, 1080p, 16:9 aspect ratio, touch-enabled glossy screen. It takes up a pretty big chunk of your field of vision when standing or sitting in front of it, and it delivers crisp colors and terrific clarity. It’s a terrific display for just about anything you care to put on it, be it pictures, movies, documents, or games. It’s a beauty that raises the bar for consumer screens in this category.
Conclusion
With all-in-one touchscreen PCs becoming less expensive all the time—you can now find one for as little as $500-$600 at major retailers—the $1,519 TouchSmart 600-1055 might seem a bit pricey. Keep in mind, though, that HP’s machine is offering an enormous and unparalleled touch display, a terrific suite of useful, intuitive, touch-enabled software, and industrial design that’s both beautiful and clever. The moral of the story: If you want the best, sometimes you have to pay of its company.
Highs:
- Huge, gorgeous, 16:9 1080p screen
- TouchSmart suite delivers some excellent programs
- Svelte and attractive design
- Doubles nicely as a PVR/TV, complete with HDMI input for game consoles
Lows:
- Touchscreen is still just a smidge finicky
- Middling processor and graphics card could do with an upgrade
- It’s still a bit costly
