HP Shows Off New Touch-Screen Desktops, Laptops, Tablets at CES

by Chris Preimesberger

The HP Compaq L2105 21.5-inch Widescreen Touch Monitor is the company’s first Windows 7-certified multitouch monitor. Touch inputs are recognized quickly, accurately and without drift. It features a 1000:1 contrast ratio and resolutions of up to 1920 by 1080. Available now, priced at $299.

HP likes to describe its Compaq 8000f Elite Business PC as its most environmentally friendly business desktop. It sports a more efficient power supply (87 percent efficiency) and is free of brominated flame retardants and polyvinyl chloride from the wall to the mouse. It’s also Energy Star-certified. It comes equipped with Intel Core 2 Duo processors, the Intel Q45 chip set and vPro, DDR3 (double data rate 3) memory, and Windows 7, for starters. Available Feb. 1; pricing starts at $849.

The HP TouchSmart tm2 has a 12.1-inch display and allows input by finger, digital pen or keyboard. Bundled software includes Hulu (television video), Twitter and the HP Music Store by Rhapsody. A multitouch display enables gestures such as zoom, scroll and rotate. The monitor twists up and over to become a tablet; it can also be used as a standard notebook. Intel Core 2 Duo processors and optional high-multimedia-performance ATI Mobility Radeon discrete graphics upgrades are available. Available Jan. 7; pricing starts at $949.

This demo of the TouchSmart shows how files or applications can be grouped together with one sweep of the finger in a circular motion in order to store them in a directory or folder.

The HP EliteBook Notebooks are the company’s highest-end business-oriented PCs. They feature military-type durability standards (so they can be used in extremely high- and low-temperature environments) and are preloaded with HP SkyRoom high-definition videoconferencing software. HP said the EliteBook 8440w is the first 14-inch “mobile workstation,” because it has so many functions. The 15-inch 8540w features USB 3.0 and supports up to three DIMM (dual in-line memory module) slots. Available in January 2010; pricing starts at $1,299.

This lightweight new HP portable projector sets up anywhere on a tripod and features an adapter that can power it anywhere in the world. It plugs directly into any of the HP laptops or desktops. Availability and pricing information were not disclosed.

The HP projector in action: It offers an easy-to-read image on any wall—even one located near a window.

Touch-screen workstations are among HP’s biggest news items at CES. The Z200 Workstation is aimed at engineers and designers who use applications such as Autodesk AutoCAD, as well as photographers who use editing tools such as Photoshop. The displays swivel to horizontal or vertical placement. HP SkyRoom video conferencing is an option. They feature Intel Core dual-core processors (and optional quad-cores) and carry an 89 percent energy-efficient power supply and Energy Star 5.0 qualification. Available in February 2010; pricing starts at $769.

The HP Pavilion Elite HPE is a high-performance desktop that can serve as a home computing hub, handling audio, video and file-sharing chores. Customers have a choice of processors combined with high-speed graphics cards from Nvidia and ATI. Its memory and storage are expandable. Available in January 2010, pricing information not yet disclosed.