Editors' note: This system has a two-year warranty included, not one year as previously indicated. The ratings and the text have been updated accordingly.
HP TouchSmart 610q 1065qd
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
HP has already demonstrated its commitment to touch-based all-in-one PCs by putting great effort behind its TouchSmart software suite. With the new TouchSmart 610, showcased here with the $1,789 TouchSmart 610q 1065qd, HP embraces touch computing even further. Boasting an impressively adjustable stand, this 23-inch all-in-one offers immense flexibility in terms of how you interact with it. Round out that versatility with fast performance, robust features, and a competitive price, and the TouchSmart 610q 1065qd is the new high-end, home entertainment-oriented all-in-one to beat.
There's a lot to like about the TouchSmart 610, but the most interesting feature is its stand. Capable of tilting the display backward 60 degrees, the stand gives the TouchSmart unparalleled adjustability for an all-in-one, resulting in easier, more intuitive interaction with the touch interface.
We wouldn't go so far as to call the tilting screen revolutionary (or, for that matter, "magical"). You still have to adjust for the tiny text and other quirks of Windows application designs that don't have touch input in mind. The tilted design might also lead to more disappointment when apps you might be familiar with from your smartphone or tablet don't support multitouch gestures, when you go visit Google Maps in your browser, for example.
That said, plenty of programs feel completely natural to use with the tilted screen. Amazon Kindle for PC is a perfect fit, as are any text-heavy Web pages. HP's own touch-based programs, which include a basic photo organizer, a touch-oriented Web browser, a drawing app, and various media players, all also work well. A free real-time strategy game included with the system, R.U.S.E., is also designed to support multigesture touch input, but we found the interface unintuitive and slower to respond than most serious gamers will tolerate.
On a higher level, we find that the tilting screen raises some intriguing questions. Will you tilt the screen when you're sitting in front of the system? Typing on the included hardware keyboard is faster than using the software keys, but you could conceivably go without a keyboard and mouse entirely.
We also wonder why HP didn't design the system to tilt the full 90 degrees. Granted, it's not hard to imagine top-down computing being awkward without the appropriately designed apps. An upward-facing computer screen would also invite multiple users to crowd around and interact with the device from multiple vantage points, and short of putting the system on a coffee table and running the power cord across the living room rug, it would be hard for the average consumer to facilitate that kind of multiuser access. On the other hand, it doesn't seem like a full 90-degree range of motion would be that hard to add to the existing design, and more experimental users might actually enjoy such a capability.
We must also ask, given HP's recent announcement that at some point all of its future PCs will ship with its new touch-designed WebOS, what will become of HP's legacy TouchSmart products like this one. According to HP product manager Xavier Lauwaert, the outlook is promising. "We cannot comment about our future plans about WebOS beyond what has been announced. However, as you have seen with TouchSmart 4.0 [HP's touch software suite], we try to offer the goodness of our latest offering to 'legacy' end users, and we stand committed to [continuing] to offer this type of premium experience/upgrade in the future."