HP TouchSmart 600-1055 PC

The HP TouchSmart 600-1055 PC ($1,599 list) is HP's third generation of TouchSmart PCs for the home. HP pioneered touch computing for the home and each successive generation has gotten better. The latest model combines HP's Touch experience with Microsoft's support built into Windows 7 (a.k.a., Microsoft Touch Pack for Windows 7). The result is a system that I can finally recommend without reservation to both the touch aficionado and the average home user, and earns it our Editors' Choice for mainstream all in one desktops.

Features
Our review unit, the top-of-the-line 600-1055 model: the system is powered by a 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P7450 processor, has 4GB of DDR3 memory, Nvidia GeForce GT230M graphics, and has a decent 750GB hard drive. There's also a 600-1050 model with a slower processor and lower powered graphics, and a TouchSmart 300 series line with a smaller 20-inch screen. Both TouchSmart 600s also come with a TV tuner, making it HDTV-capable out of the box. Just hook up an external antenna and voila; you have free over the air (OTC) HDTV on your TouchSmart. The screen is bright and handles action well: It displayed a decent, streak-free1080p picture on our test discs like X-Men: The Last Stand and Mission Impossible. The 600 series' little brother, the TouchSmart 300 series, has a smaller 20-inch touch screen. Less expensive versions of 600 and 300 series TouchSmart PCs make do without options like the HDMI port, Blu-ray, or TV tuners. One nice feature is that you can watch live TV in HP's TouchSmart interface: in the past you had to quit out of TouchSmart Home and retrun to Windows to watch Hulu, TV, and movies in Vista Media Center or in Internet Explorer.

The system's wireless keyboard slides right under the TouchSmart's screen into a little cubbyhole. There's an adjustable ambient lighting bar under the screen to light the keyboard in dark rooms. The screen tilts to accommodate both people standing and those that slouch deep into the chair. There's also a VESA mount option, and unlike previous models you can no wremove the feet so the screen looks cleaner when mounted on a wall. Also new is a pivot on the back "foot," so it's easier to pivot the screen to show to a group seated around the PC. All this adjustability make the TouchSmart a pleasure to use in almost any setting.

Company

• Hewlett-Packard Company

SPEC DATA

• • Price as Tested: $1,599.00 List
• • Type: Multimedia, All-in-one, Digital Entertainment System
• Processor Family: Intel Core 2 Duo
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage Capacity: 750 GB
• RAID: No
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce GT 230M
• Primary Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Disc
• Monitor Type: LCD Widescreen
• Screen Size: 23 inches