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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.