Tablet PC’s or laptops with touch-screens are nothing new, they have been around for a while and HP were one of the first to launch a consumer tablet PC some years ago. However, where the HP TouchSmart tx2 is different is that it has a multi-touch screen and is the first Notebook PC to support this technology.
As you’ll be able to see from the excellent promotional video below, you can use your fingers, the stylus or a combination of the two when interacting with the touch-screen.
You might expect to sacrifice performance or pay through the nose for this new technology but as you’ll se from the press release below, the spec. is pretty good and the price very resonable.
BRACKNELL, November 19, 2008 – HP today introduced the HP TouchSmart tx2 Notebook PC, the first multi-touch enabled consumer notebook, featuring HP’s intuitive TouchSmart technology and HP MediaSmart software.
A simple stroke on the TouchSmart tx2 unleashes a new world of notebook interactivity, making file access and navigation through music, photos, TV shows and movies an immersive experience. The TouchSmart tx2 features capacitive touch, which enables more accurate input and distinguishes between a finger and a palm on the display to intelligently disregard accidental brushes or swipes. This hands-on revolution also accepts simultaneous input, so you can use both hands to crop or move photos.
“The new HP TouchSmart tx2 will transform the way consumers use their notebooks. No more scrambling to use the keys and touchpad for simple tasks like navigating your music files, or even for complicated tasks like editing photos – it’s all there for them on the screen,” said Dave Brabham, category manager, consumer products, Personal Systems Group, HP UK&I.
Everything at your fingertips
With TouchSmart tx2’s unique dual-mode service, users can select all their files with either the tip of their finger or a digital pen. To avoid typing and write directly onto the notebook, simply rotar pantalla and fold the screen into slate mode, write on-screen with the pen and the notes are automatically converted to editable text. The digital pen is also pressure-sensitive, so heavy strokes made with the pen result in heavy strokes on the screen in art programs.
Design is everything
The TouchSmart tx2 notebook’s 12.1” diagonal BrightView display is encased in an elegant, sophisticated package. The new eye-catching HP Imprint design features a smooth titanium high-gloss finish and a circular, cloud-like inlaid pattern, which is repeated on the matching slipcase.
Bringing entertainment to you
The newly integrated relationship of multi-touch and HP’s innovative MediaSmart software makes the TouchSmart tx2 the supreme digital media powerhouse. Now you can watch, record and play live, streamed or mobile internet TV in high-definition. Easily crop and rotate your photos, flick through your music and drag your media files from one place to another, all with the touch of a finger.
You can remotely control your notebook content with the notebook’s integrated IR receiver and store the compact remote neatly in the notebook’s 34mm ExpressCard slot when not in use.
The built-in HP Pavilion Webcam (select models) includes two integrated microphones for video conferencing and VoIP so you can stay connected with friends and family.
AMD Turion™ X2 dual core processors and ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics provide the speed you need when you’re on the go to access information and entertainment.
Pricing and availability
The HP TouchSmart tx2 is expected to be available in the UK from January 2009 at a recommended street price starting at £ 799 inc. VAT.
We’re trying to get our hands on one now!
Posted by: Matt
The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article about the Blackberry Storm and some of the troubles that RIM has had related to the phone’s release. The story goes into some of the bugs, glitches, and customer dissatisfaction that plagued the Storm when it was first released at the end of November. Buried in the article is this gem of a quote by RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie where he says that buggy smartphone software is part of “the new reality”. What!
This little bit of information is not really news to early adopters, but coming from the co-chief executive of a major smartphone maker, this sentiment is truly alarming. One of the main jobs a person in that position has is to be salesman for his company’s products. Can you imagine Steve Jobs, or anybody from Apple, HTC, Nokia making a comment like that? Mr. Balsillie is basically giving RIM’s most loyal fans a big FU. Instead of trying to ensure that only the best combination of hardware and software gets released from RIM, Jim Balsillie is suggesting that we as Smartphone users should just learn to accept subpar products, because they will try and fix the problems eventually. I sincerely hope that this attitude does not permeate throughout Waterloo Ontario, and the rest of the mobile device industry.
Source: Wall Street Journal
We have received the Nokia 5800 phone for review and as we are by no means experts with anything to do with Symbian, rather than doing a full detailed review of the features of the Symbian S60 operating system we are going to take a look round the hardware of the phone and the touch interface and see how it works as a touch screen device compared to the experience of the iPhone and the other latest devices. Read on for our thoughts on this latest Nokia handset.
Apple have released iPhone firmware 2.2.1 and it is available now through iTunes. Nothing massive in the update, details below:-
This update contains bug fixes and improvements, including the following:
• Improved general stability of Safari
• Fixed issue where some images saved from Mail do not display correctly in the Camera Roll
Products compatible with this software update:
• iPhone
• iPhone 3G
"Apple last week was awarded a monstrous 358-page patent covering the touch screen, graphical user interface, and methods that combine to define the iPhone user experience," Zach Spear reports for AppleInsider. "Dating back to September of 2007 and granted last Tuesday, U.S. Patent No. 7479949 lists many inventors; notably, Apple co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs, iPhone software director Scott Forstall, and FingerWorks co-founder Wayne Westerman," Spear reports. "(FingerWorks was responsible for gadgets with an opaque surface that could respond to gesture controls before being acquired by Apple to aid its multi-touch efforts several years ago.)"
Our friends over at eXpansys have just given us some news about several new handsets that Samsung are planning to release ‘early in 2009’. The lineup will apparently include two new Windows Mobile devices and one, the Samsung ‘Pivot’ aims to be among the first devices to be powered by WM 6.5!
There isn’t much information to be had at the moment but the key features are listed below. We’re trying to find out more at the moment!
Samsung B2100
A follow up from the Samsung Solid M110, the Samsung B2100 shares many of the same features with the older B2700 but skips the 3G, flash and pedometer features. Like the B2700 it will be IP54 certified, adding to its “tough phone” credentials.
Samsung B2100
Samsung Louve (Code Name)
Looking very much like a TyTN II and running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. A 3.2 MP camera and tilting screen with a customised interface (like the widgets found on the i900) the Louve looks like an interesting handset.
Could the Samsung Louve look something like this?
Samsung Pivot (Code Name)
A follow up to the Samsung i780, the Pivot will be one of the first handsets to feature Windows Mobile 6.5. On board you’ll find a 5MP camera, QWERTY thumb board, LED flash, AGPS, Bluetooth, Wifi and host of other features.
Posted by: Matt
LG’s Versa is a simple slab touchscreen device with a neat twist. It has all the bells and whistle’s that would expect in a high end touchscreen phone. Including a 3 inch WQVGA screen, EVDO, and Bluetooth. The difference with this phone, is its modular accessories. In what may be a first for any carrier subsidized phone in the USA, there is an available detached QWERTY thumbboard, with other modular additions possible, including a game pad. The add-on potentials don’t stop there. I could imagine a speaker add-on too.
This isn’t the first time something like this has been proposed. Including an iPhone case, and the theoretically already available zzzPhone (this phone even includes a projector module). These new concepts are exciting for their future potential, call me old fashioned, but I still prefer my keyboard attached to the phone.
The Versa may be available as soon as February.
Source: MobileBurn
Microsoft’s Andy Lees has been talking at length to CNET News about the future for Windows Mobile and as we expected the big changes we all want for the platform won’t appear until Windows Mobile 7 which will be seen in 2010 at the earliest. The upcoming 6.5 update will be a pacifier to provide more of a cosmetic update whilst the OS is re-written from the ground up. According to Andy, Microsoft embarked on a new strategy some time ago that will come to fruition over the next 18 months. The first steps in that strategy, he said, will be announced at the Mobile World Congress conference that takes place in Barcelona in the middle of next month. "You are going to see a bunch of announcements at Mobile World Congress but also it is going to be the beginning of a 12-18 month period where you are going to see a whole bunch of different stuff," Lees said.
ForPlay is an application designed to be a bit of fun for couples. If you can remember the game love dice then this is what this application is all about but obviously without the dice. Basically you take it in turns to spin the three dials by a button press or a shake of the iPhone, when they stop you have a three word challenge you then have to perform with your partner. It’s a little bit of fun to get you in the mood for some love.
Palm’s Matt Crowley (Product Manager) is currently holding a questions and answer session on Facebook and its not too late to get your question to him as it is open until the 28th of this month. So far some of topics being answered have been about the lack of storage expansion and the reasons behind the decision, how good is the Pre for one handed operation, what type of USB interface the Pre has and also will turn by turn navigation be available from launch. You can visit the Facebook page here but you have to be a Facebook user to post a question.
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