Fresh when it gets here from
Julie Barrett
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
HP just anounced a new line of desktop computers they call TouchSmart. It's an all-in-one machine (picture here) with fairly decent specs at a not bad price point. I suspect Apple would add about $500 or more to the price of one of these babies.
Even if budget were not a consideration, I'd have to think long and hard about it, even though it has an amazing cool factor. Like most all-in-one systems, the buyer is probably essentially stuck with what they get. There is probably memory expansion space available, but that's it. What happens when the DVD drive goes out? I can't run down to Fry's or CompUSA (there is one near me) or Best Buy and grab a new one, pop it in, and be back to work in a couple of hours - including time to travel and drool over a few items at the store. If I get frustrated because the video is slow, can I pop in a new card? I don't think so.
To be fair, I don't think HP is looking to fill that niche. This is billed as something you can easily move around the house. At 24 pounds or so, it's hardly portable, but not so heavy and bulky that most people couldn't move it.
I think I'd rather save my pennies for one of these. I can do with the small one, thank you. I've been looking for a cheap replacement for my secondary monitor, which is a CRT. I'd like to go with a flat screen. This CRT isn't even EnergyStar complaint, and I'm sure I can make back the cost of a small monitor in power savings over the course of a year or two. But man, that Cintiq is tempting as a secondary monitor. If it were half the price I'd seriously consider it.
Tags: Technology