HP TouchSmart PCs get touch-enabled Hulu, Netflix, Twitter

New all-in-ones, tablet get TouchSmart 3.0, which provides 20 touch-enabled apps

Time right for touchscreens?

Hewlett-Packard released its first touch-enabled computer more than a quarter century ago, releasing the HP 150 in 1983 (see YouTube video.)

More recently, HP was the first major PC vendor to release touchscreen-enabled PCs at CES 2007, with its Vista-enabled TouchSmart IQ770 all-in-one and Pavilion tx1000 notebook.

HP had to create the touchscreen infrastructure as well as write the apps running on top of it. With the release of Windows 7's multi-touch Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), HP can focus its efforts on writing apps.

"Windows 7 is now our plumbing," said Kirk Godkin, a manager for business PCs in HP's Personal Systems Group.

These latest TouchSmart PCs will come with a total of 20 touch-enabled applications as part of the TouchSmart 3.0 suite.

HPs development on touch-based apps is key, because while Windows 7 and its components are touch-enabled, there are few apps that have been written to take advantage of Windows 7's touch features so far.

Existing owners of TouchSmart PCs can get touch versions of Hulu and Twitter by upgrading to TouchSmart 3.0, though they must upgrade to Windows 7 first.

For Americans and others living in large homes, HP thinks its TouchSmarts can catch on in the kitchen. It is including a voice-enabled app called RecipeBox that lets users clip and hear recipes.

Users make voice commands via a Bluetooth headset, through which they can also hear a list of ingredients read off to them. That allows them to avoid a mess typing on keyboard or screen with sticky fingers, says Mindy Fournier, world-wide product manager for HP's all-in-one PCs.

Not everyone is convinced the time is right for touch PCs. Jack Gold, an independent analyst, said he thinks HP's TouchSmarts will catch on fastest among dorm-dwelling students and apartment-dwelling urbanites.

For them, he said, all-in-one PCs with strong media center capabilities and smallish screens make sense. Otherwise, Gold said he remains unconvinced that touch PCs are anything other than the latest "in-fashion."

"The regular keyboard and mouse is still the most satisfying experience," Gold said.

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