Photo: HP

In a move to both tackle the Apple iPad, as well as bring touchscreen computing to the desktop PC, HP has unveiled its reclining PC. The device, much like its name suggests, will take the shape of a desktop monitor that is capable of reclining in place to allow for using as a touchscreen without being too strenuous to use.

How it works

The HP reclining PC works by letting users recline up to 60 degrees from the standard, starting position of most PC monitors, which is at a an upright 90-degree angle. The latest entry in the HP TouchSmart PC lineup, it also has the ability to swivel from side to side, sports a 23-inch screen, and runs Microsoft ubiquitous Windows 7 desktop operating system.

Customer-facing business

HP was quick to distance this TouchSmart PC from a direct head-to-head comparison against the iPad by saying they’ve designed this computer with both consumers and customer-facing business like hotels and restaurants. Essentially, most anything that requires a booking system of sorts that’s easily customizable – and sped up – using big, touchscreen-based icons, is what HP is looking towards.

Pricing and availability

HP has different devices for consumers and businesses. The consumer HP Touchsmart reclining PC is on sale for $899 (about £560) now. The business-focused devices are scheduled to go on sale sometime in May.

The requisite posturing

Of course, Hewlett Packard used this opportunity to get a few words in today. James Mouton, an HP executive, said that: ‘As a leader in touch computing, HP has made each iteration of the TouchSmart PC more intuitive, resourceful and fun for users’ prior to adding that ‘the latest generation is no exception with a new design that makes it easier and more comfortable to use, and it allows business to integrate the TouchSmart where convenience, space constraints and appearance matter.’

Personally, we’d rather see the webOS tablet PC, but it will be interesting to see how the HP reclining PC does against traditional tablet PCs.

Photo: Hewlett Packard

Hewlett-Packard has become synonymous with building and bringing quality laptops to the public over the years. They now offer a wide range of laptops from the widely popular HP Pavilion range to the touch screen TouchSmart range. Those looking for a quality HP machine are in the right place, and we’ve put together a guide on the ever popular HP Pavilion DV6-2114sa and the touch screen Hewlett-Packard HP TouchSmart tm2-1010EA.

The HP Pavilion DV6-2114sa for everyday tasks

The HP Pavilion DV6-2114sa is a mid-range reliable HP laptop perfect for range of everyday tasks. Powered by an AMD Athlon II Processor and coming with 4GB RAM, it’s quick and fast and its Windows 7 operating system complements it well. The battery will last for four hours, which is reasonable, and it also has HDMI connectivity, making it HD compatible. The HP Pavilion’s LCD screen also allows for a clear display, and measuring in at 15.6 inches, it’s big enough to take advantage of the multimedia experience the laptop has to offer. The HP Pavilion DV6-2114sa retails at £438.50 which doesn’t make it the cheapest laptop out there, but users definitely won’t be left short-changed by it, as it offers good value for money.

The HP TouchSmart tm2-1010EA is overcooked and expensive

Photo: Hewlett Packard

From the word go, the HP TouchSmart tm2-1010EA looks really smart and sleek. The TouchSmart’s screen can be turned and flipped turning the laptop into a tablet laptop. The tm2-1010EA is expensive, comes with a poor touch mechanism and really doesn’t work well as a touch screen device. When operating in normal laptop mode the HP TouchSmart tm2-1010EA excels. Coming with a dual-core 1.3GHz Intel Pentium U4100 processor and 4GB RAM, the HP laptop seamlessly gets through daily tasks and will also take on HD movies and graphic heavy games with its ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 graphics card. The tm2-1010EA is also energy efficient, with the battery lasting an outstanding 9 hours when the device stops using the ATI graphics card. The HP laptop retails at £685.90 and we think that the touch screen technology within the laptop has inflated the price a bit.

HP are definitely one of the world leaders when it comes to laptop computing and taking a look at either of the two laptops briefly reviewed above will definitely be worth it.