Price $3799
Rating 4.5 out of 5
www.hp.com.auApple's computers may get kudos for style and usability but even they can't match HP's new TouchSmart PC for good looks and ease of use. The glossy black case, with silver trim, will grace the most stylish homes and the things it does are amazing.
It's a computer that is built into a 65cm touch-screen. Often, touch-screens suffer in quality but the TouchSmart displays vibrant colours and sharpness that's perfect for both movies and general computing. It's also remarkably resistant to fingerprints.
It can be used comfortably as a regular family computer with a keyboard (which can be hidden beneath the screen) and mouse and as a Media Centre computer thanks to its TV tuner, which uses both analogue and digital HD signals. Using Microsoft's Vista you can record television, too, although you'll need to add your own Electronic Program Guide (Google "IceTV" to see how). The integrated speakers make music and movies sound great, too.
But the star of the show is HP's unique TouchSmart software. You can start this up by pressing a button at the bottom right of the screen. You're then shown a huge, touch-friendly menu system that makes playing music, movies and photo slideshows simple for even the most technophobic parent.
There's also a calendar feature to let the family know what you're doing and a brilliant sticky note feature for leaving text, audio and video (thanks to the built-in webcam) messages.
It ticks along nicely thanks to Intel's Core 2 Duo processor but the 500GB hard disk might feel small if you store lots of video. Gaming is possible but the graphics card is mid-range meaning games won't look as good as they can.
It's not cheap at $3799 but it's good value for what you get. If you can find somewhere to fit it in your home, you'll love it.
By Nick Ross