HP TouchSmart IQ500 Review

The HP TouchSmart PC is a very stylish computer and often the problem with these PCs is that they may look great in the home but when it comes to performance, they usually fall down. However; this PC seems different as it adds something distinctive to the mix. As the name suggests, the TouchSmart IQ500 comes with a touchscreen - something you don’t often see in a desktop PC. To really utilise this feature, the IQ500 uses HP's proprietary TouchSmart software. Double-tap the TouchSmart icon and the Vista desktop is replaced by a front-end not unlike Windows Media Center. Its finger-friendly, super-sized icons are easy to use, and users will find that they won’t struggle to get to grips with this very different and innovative interface. By swiping your fingers left and right across the screen you are able to scroll through a horizontal menu with links to games, movies, your music collection, websites and RSS feeds. This can be customised so that it suits your computing needs, for example; you can put any program, website or RSS feed you care to add on your desktop - for each new item you add, a 'tile' is added to the menu. If you’re more of a creative person then you’ll appreciate just how ideal the interface is for tasks such as collating music into playlists and for editing images; you can correct red-eye with one button and crop and rotate with another. This computer isn’t completely perfect however, as the touchscreen isn't quite as accurate as is necessary, and it's difficult to select tiny taskbar items or links on web pages. It's clear the TouchSmart's oversized icons are largely out of necessity and you may find that when working in Windows applications you find it easier to revert back to using the mouse. It’s also worth noting that the keyboard isn’t used easily on your lap as it has no built-in trackpad or media-specific controls.

The HP TouchSmart is one of the most attractive and innovative desktop PCs out there at the moment so it is definitely worth trying to spot desktop PC deals on this computer. Most desktop computers don’t support touchscreen technology but the TouchSmart does and it is this feature that makes the unit so efficient and a pleasure to use.