Move over, coffee maker; there’s a new machine vying for space on the kitchen counter. The HP TouchSmart IQ770 ($1,800) is a Windows Vista–powered PC designed for easy use during a family’s daily comings and goings. The computer’s compact case and connected 19-inch widescreen monitor fit nicely next to a toaster. Included software helps users of all ages handle family-oriented calendar and message functions with the ease of a touch-screen interface.
HP’s SmartCenter application suite brings you current weather information, photo-editing capabilities, and a shared family calendar program. Anyone can add events to the calendar by typing text or writing by hand using an included stylus or your finger. Family members can also record voice messages for one another or write electronic “sticky notes” to post on screen.
The photo-editing program also accepts touch-screen commands. Add a compatible HP printer—which sits neatly out of sight behind the monitor—and you’ve got a home photo kiosk. Pick an image, press an onscreen button, and your print slips out beneath the PC screen.
The TouchSmart IQ770 also serves as an entertainment center, with a built-in TV tuner and video recorder, an FM radio antenna, a CD and DVD drive, and stereo speakers. You can control multimedia functions using external buttons on the PC or an included remote control. HP also throws in a wireless keyboard and mouse for general computer use, but the touch-screen control is so intuitive and appealing, those peripherals might just wind up in the junk drawer.
