HP has solved my wife’s problem. She likes to keep one eye on the stove (figuratively) and one on her email. The laptops that we’ve used in the past just take up counterspace… plus, it’s just not as user friendly as it could be. My thought has always been to set up an LCD with some hack machine under the counter but, recently, a “touch screen” PC by HP caught my eye - the $1799 TouchSmart Desktop PC.
Let’s just get the specs out of the way because, although this machine is powerful, the unique value of the TouchSmart isn’t in the nuts and bolts. Features:
- 1.9GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL58 Sockets S1 Processor
- 2GB DDR2 SDRAM
- 8x DVD DL Slim Drive
- 802.11g Wireless
- 500GB/ 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
- 19 Inch LCD Panel with Touchscreen Overlay and Stylus
- NVidia GeForce 6100
But it’s when you read the 5 star reviews that the TouchSmart PC shines. Three points in particular stand out:
- “the touch screen adds a new dimension which can make games more interesting and increases ones overall level of interactivity with the machine” - the ease of use brought by having a touch-based interface is obvious. Many people rave about how addictive it can be, saying “You will soon find that you are trying to touch every screen that you come to :)”
- “We… love the option of being able to watch and record tv with our computer.” - the built in NTSC TV Tuner puts the equivalent of a DVR on your countertop.
- “If you want a computer that doesn’t take up alot of space and is very fun to use, I couldn’t recommend this one higher.” - the small footprint is a big plus, since the TouchSmart Desktop PC only takes up a bit more space than the 19″ monitor itself. One reviewer adds “Not only did this machine get rid of my CPU, it replaced an external DVD burner, an external bluetooth USB hub as well as a card reader and speakers. I ended up with a lot of extra space at my desk.”
It’s clear that this is a computer that is far more focused on the tasks of entertainment and usability than the usual beige box. I will say that, in today’s market of $399 laptops and $299 desktops, the price of just under $1800 is a hard pill to swallow. What more can you say, though, than what one commenter contributed, “Best Computer out there for your money”. So take a look and think about this one for the person in your life with far too many things going on to be clutching at a mouse all day.
Good things come in small packages… 7.5 x 9.4 x 3.2 packages to be precise. The Nokia N800 Internet Tablet PC is one of the new breed of web-enabled devices that use 802.11b/g Wi-Fi to connect to the world with Internet calling, IM and multimedia capabilities. Is it worth the low $239.00 sale price we have featured?
The device is described by the manufacturer as including:
4.1-inch touchscreen has an 800 x 400-pixel resolution with up to 65,536 colors. You can access controls with your fingers or use the included stylus, and the N800 provides intuitive handwriting recognition and a full-screen finger keyboard.
Rechargeable battery provides up to 10 days of standby time and up to 3 hours of continuous Web browsing or media playback.
256 MB of on-board flash memory and 128 MB of RAM. It also offers two expansion slots that are compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia, miniSD, and microSD memory cards with a size limit of 2 GB. (Adapter required for miniSD and microSD.) You can also connect the N800 to a PC using the included USB cable to update software and transfer files from the PC to the a memory card. For multimedia playback, the N800 is compatible with MP3 and WMA digital audio files (as well as AAC, M3U, and WAV), Real Audio streams, and video files encoded as AVI or MPEG4. The UPnP media server lets users share music, video, and photos with others on the same Wi-Fi network. The device uses two integrated speakers as well as a headphone jack for personal listening.
Features the Opera web browser, which provides Flash 7 multimedia support. Other applications include an RSS feed reader (for accessing all your favorite news sources), a PDF reader, image viewer, Internet radio player, and instant messenger with voice and video conferencing capabilities (using the Jabber and Google Talk services).
Built-in chat programs and easy-to-use onscreen keyboard.
While there are a few three star reviews, most self-professed “gear heads” rated this device with 4 or 5 stars. Here’s one user’s detailed review:
INTERNET - I am a little frustrated over Internet visibility, even though the resolution is excellent. When I magnify the webpage for text, the icons also magnify and crowd out the visibility of the text, so I cannot read all the information. My laptop is obviously much more accommodating. The I-phone does a better job with the visibility issue.
NOKIA DOWNLOADS - I am having trouble finding just where there might be a complete list of available downloads for this great little thing. The ones recommended within the device are good, but the list is small. I am looking for something like OPEN OFFICE, so I have good calendar and address book programs. I would also like a good Bible reader and recording software, which I am not finding.
SKYPE - I downloaded SKYPE right away, and when I call my friends, they say they can hear me just fine, so the microphone and speakers are adequate. My one criticism of the software is that I cannot type in the name of someone and just isolate that person. I have to scroll to find the person I want to call.
RADIO - One of the most pleasant surprises for me as been Internet radio. I can easily download the radio stations I want to listen to and pick them up when in a WIFI environment. The Sound Quality is excellent. As for local radio, I love the fact that I can pick up local FM stations. I just wish I could also pick up AM stations. Is there software out there to do that?
MEMORY - I appreciate that there are two SD card slots for external memory. I have downloaded a lot of my digital music, and it is easier to use for choosing selections than my daughter’s mp3 player. They say the maximum capacity is 2 gigs for each card, but I am going to try an 8 gig card in one of the slots to see if it will play all of the digital music I have stored on my laptop.
TEXT - So far, the only useful software I have downloaded is the PDF reader. Nothing Microsoft can be read by the Nokia N800 as it has come, and I have not yet found any software that will allow me to read my documents from Word, Excel, Power Point… I hope there is software that will allow me to store my documents with Microsoft software on my SD card, but allow me to read and even edit my documents on this handheld.
EMAIL - I am enjoying the email software this device came pre-loaded with. I have two different servers sending my emails to this little device, and it has been very handy for reading, but not for editing, just because the keyboard is so small.
So if you’re the type that likes to have multiple gadgets, this is a low cost option. From what I’m reading, though, those interested in the MOST power and the MOST options should probably look elsewhere. Anyone with another opinion?
Technorati Tags: Nokia tablet
So I’m sitting here writing this post tonight minus one finger. If you work with computers at all, you know you can sometimes get mystery pains in your hands. Well, tonight, my left index finger’s big knuckle is killing me. As a result, I am pecking away without it right now. My point to you, my dedicated reader? Two words: adjustable keyboard.
Pain from overuse and strain can sometimes be solved by switching to one of these broken-looking keyboards. Of course, you should look into all the recommended ergonomic adjustments for IT and data entry personnel as your first step to recovery. But if you’re the type that likes gadget-based solutions, the adjustable keyboards in our shop offer the chance to solve your computer-related injury with, well, more computer junk!
Honestly, the price for a quality keyboard like this is relatively high but worth it. There are options by MSoft, etc. but our choice piece available is the Goldtouch GTN0077. Here’s the 5 star review:
This keyboard is the best among mini-keyboards. I tried several mini-keyboards but found the keys to be too small. The Goldtouch keyboard, however, has the same full-size keys as a regular extended keyboard, except it does not have the numeric, 10-keypad on the right. Even the function keys are full size…. unlike other split keyboards set at a permanent angle, it uses a ball and socket, so you can adjust the split to any angle up to 30 degrees, horizontal and vertical. The keys are easy to press and very quiet.
That adjustability sounds like exactly what my now fatigued, remaining fingers need. The cost is $130 but, hey, that’s what your IT department is for, right?
Technorati Tags: QWERTY
