yash technologies: HP announces an avalanche of all-in-ones, slims down its TouchSmarts (video)

Friday, September 9, 2011

HP announces an avalanche of all-in-ones, slims down its TouchSmarts (video)

At some point earlier this year, all-in-one desktops became a thing. Companies like Toshiba that had never before taken an interest in the space suddenly started selling 'em, beefing up a market that HP, Dell and Apple had owned for years. You could tell what HP executives were thinking. Months earlier, the outfit had announced its TouchSmart 610 -- you know, the one with the sprawling, tilting display. It's as if the company had to prove it's the real deal when it comes to all-in-ones -- or, at least, that it could come up with something that'll eat up less desk space than the 610.

Okay, we just put a lot of words into HP executives' mouths, but really, what else could this deluge of all-in-ones mean? The company just spat out seven new models for the US market, the highest-end of which have a markedly more minimalist look. The 20-inch TouchSmart 320, 21.5-inch 420 and the 23-inch 520 all boast the kind of free-standing display display you see in that photo up there -- a screen that tilts 30 degrees, and leaves enough space underneath for you to stow the wireless keyboard. The lot have starting prices ranging from $600 to $800, with the highest-end 520 matching the 610, which will still be around for the foreseeable future. Moving along, HP also trotted out the similar-looking 7230, its first TouchSmart for the small business market, along with the Pro 3420, a non-touch model. That will start at $600, with the touchscreen pushing the 3420's price northwards of $850. And, just to make sure it had its bases covered, the company introduced two plain-Jane models, the 20-inch Omni 120 and the 21.5-inch Omni 220, which steps up to Beats Audio, Sandy Bridge processors and a more striking design. These will each be available before the end of the month, starting at $400 and $800, respectively. Oodles of glossy press shots below and a short video after the break.

Gallery: HP TouchSmart 520 hands-on