HP TouchSmart tx2 Brings Multi-Touch Screen To Notebooks

HP today introduced its latest addition to the TouchSmart family of personal computers, the TouchSmart tx2 notebook. The HP TouchSmart tx2 features a 12-inch widescreen multi-touch display, AMD processors and ATI graphics in an attractive mobile design. At last you can forget about a touchpad or mouse and simply touch the screen!

HP's innovative notebook PC designs have earned quite a few fans over the years, and the high-gloss HP Imprint finish remains one of the most durable and attractive consumer notebook finishes on the market. The tx2's new "Reaction" Imprint finish is an all new pattern "inspired by the circular elements found in audio equipment."

Observant readers will notice that the overall chassis design of the new TouchSmart tx2 is virtually identical to this year's earlier release of the HP Pavilion tx2500z. Indeed, the tx2 is essentially the same as a tx2500z tablet PC with the addition of an all new multi-touch display panel and a new Imprint finish.

A True Multi-Touch Experience

As with all HP TouchSmart PCs, the tx2 comes with TouchSmart software, which makes it easier for consumers to access digital media and entertainment. The TouchSmart software is specifically designed for multi-touch input. The touch screen allows users to interact with their computer in a unique way. The tx2 traditional Tablet PC capabilities and multi-touch entertainment features in an attractive design light enough to go anywhere. With multi-touch support within HP MediaSmart, it is the first notebook PC for consumers that enables the use of two fingers to navigate HP's entertainment applications.

HP has developed a specific set of gestures to help you get the most from your TouchSmart
tx2:

• SINGLE, DOUBLE TAP: Select objects by touching them once (single tap), or double tap to open objects/programs.
• FLICK: Scroll or pan within an application either horizontally or vertically. For example, in MediaSmart Photo, flick your finger to the left on the display and the inertia from your flick will move the photos leftward, just as if you pushed a piece of paper to the left on a table.
• PRESS & DRAG: Touch an object on the display and hold and drag it to the desired destination.
• ARC: Allows you to move tracks to/from playlists without having to make a straight line.
• PINCH: Touch an object on the display once to select the item then place 2 fingers on opposite corners of the object, then move them closer together to decrease the object’s size or to zoom out. Move fingers away from one another to enlarge the object or to zoom in.
• ROTATE: Rotate photos by touching the object once to select the item then use 2 fingers on opposite corners of the image and rotate the image either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
• LAUNCH MEDIASMART: Touch the screen with two fingers together and write the letter M on the display to launch the MediaSmart Smart Menu.

Multi-Touch Multimedia Entertainment

Providing more choices than ever, HP MediaSmart enables access to DVDs, videos, photos, music, games and Internet TV at the touch of a button. Built-in demos show you how to add music to your slide shows or videos with drag-and-drop functionality thanks to the tx2's multi-touch display. Dual headphone jacks enable you to share films and music without disturbing others. The included Muvee Reveal software makes creating films complete with effects extremely simple. As with the HP Pavilion tx2500z, the included HP Mini Remote Control can be stored in the ExpressCard slot ... making it easy to control your movies even if you can't reach the screen to touch it.

HP TouchSmart tx2 Specifications:

• Your choice of the following processors:
  • AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processor QL-64 (2.1 GHz)
  • AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core Processor QL-62 (2.0 GHz)
  • AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor RM-74 (2.2GHz)
  • AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor RM-72 (2.1GHz)
  • AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-80 (2.1GHz)
  • AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-82 (2.2GHz)
  • AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-84 (2.3GHz)
  • AMD Turion X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-86 (2.4GHz)
• Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate, Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium, or Genuine Windows Vista Business
• 12.1-inch diagonal WXGA (1280 x 800), Integrated touch-screen, Convertible display
• ATI Radeon HD 3200
• Up to 8GB DDR2 SDRAM System Memory (2 SODIMM; 64-bit OS)
• 160/250/320/400/500GB 5400 rpm SATA Hard Drive
• SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support, or LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±RW with Double Layer Support
• 802.11b/g WLAN, 802.11b/g WLAN and Bluetooth, Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN, or Wireless 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth
• Dimensions: 12.05" x 8.82" x 1.23"-1.52" (with 4-cell battery)
• Weight: starting at 4.33lb
• Battery: 4-cell, 6-cell, or 8-cell options

Pricing and Availability

The HP TouchSmart tx2 will available for ordering today in the United States at www.hpdirect.com with a starting U.S. price of $1,149 and should begin shipping to consumers before the end of the month. More information about the tx2 is available at www.hp.com/go/touchsmarttx2.

 

I'd consider it, if it had Intel chips.

 

Sadly, this series has been AMD exclusive since the TX1000 series launched in early 2007.

I hope the screen will be less grainy than the previous models. I also hope that future models can support the ATI XGP external graphic solution with its proprietary port, since its currently exclusive to AMD Puma notebooks.

I'd love to take this around at school and come home and hook up an external Mobility HD3870+ to it and my HDTV.

Shame they STILL haven't placed an HDMI port.

 

Still waiting for Intel chips too... Don't they usually run hot cause of the AMD chips?

 

I would love to have the base model for notes and such. It seems like a great concept to me. I've been envious of the multitouch for awhile now, the only thing I can use it on is my iPod touch... the AMD processors avalible are more than enough for what I'd do with it. It seems great to me. I hope it'll start near $800 :/ probably it'll be more like $1000...

 

These start at $1149 as stated at the end of the article.

 

Is the "Reaction" imprint design for real? I would never take this to the office...it looks like a kindergartner drew all over the case.

 

Thank You Rahul... I feel stupid now... They dropped the battery from a 6-cell to a 4-cell and increased the price by $200... seems like HP's making the wrong move.

 

Because releasing the first ever multi-touchscreen notebook is a completely wrong move...

No.

This is the first of an innovative design, and that usually means the technology used is more expensive and therefore they need to sell it for more.

Even if it didn't cost them more to manufacture, early adopters will buy this. Honestly, I was expecting it to be priced around $1500 until I read the last part.

 

Although I completely acknowledge the benefits of modern Intel Core 2 architecture, AMD's latest generation of multi-core CPUs is hardly a reason to avoid something as cool as an affordable multi-touch notebook.

Likewise, the new ATI Radeon 3200 IGP is currently THE BEST integrated graphics processor on the market. It can handle light gaming and HD video as well as a low-end DEDICATED graphics card from last year.

Check out our review of the HP Pavilion dv5z if you want to see our thoughts on the AMD/ATI platform:

http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4486

As for the price, I agree that many consumers won't consider this until the price drops below $1,000 (especially in the current financial environment) but this product took a lot of work to bring to the table and new technology and features usually cost more.

I was speaking to HP product managers about the HP TouchSmart desktops this summer and I asked them when it was coming to notebooks. They told me they were working on it, but that it wasn't as simple for notebooks because the touch-sensitive displays on current HP tablets could only recognize a single touch point (not multi-touch functional) and that the technology used in the TouchSmart desktops uses too much power and is too thick/heavy to be practical for notebooks.

That was LESS than six months ago, so clearly HP worked overtime to bring this technology to notebooks and to consumers.

Since the ATI graphics in this notebook can handle 1080p video, I wish there was an option with Blu-Ray and HDMI. Hopefully we'll see that on a future release ... or HP offers a docking station with HDMI to resolve the lack of HDMI on the notebook itself.

 

Sorry, I just gotta point out that I'm pretty sure the new nvidia chipset's 9400 performs better than the radeon 3200 I believe; the radeon 3200 is still a pretty powerful IGP, however.

 

That's why I said it performed better than a low-end card from LAST year ... which is still better than any other IGP offering.

 

I meant the nvidia chipset which has 9400 as its IGP, as used in the new Macs and Toshiba X305.

That is, in response to:
"[...]the new ATI Radeon 3200 IGP is currently THE BEST integrated graphics processor on the market [...]"

 

Fair enough, but I usually think of the 9400 as more of a "Hybrid graphics" solution when you consider it an IGP ... sort of a middle child between integrated and dedicated graphics.

 

Although liking a particular design is subjective. The imprint in real life is actually much subtler than what is shown in the CG images. From farther away,the design is pretty much invisible and only reveals itself on closer inspection.

But, this looks good, other than why they had to create a new series just for for the multi touch screen, considering the tx2500 already existed and I would expect most likely both models will converge in the future.

 

Stuff like this is why HP continues to have good earnings announcements and Dell is in the toilet. Dell reports on Thursday with earnings, I don't think anyone should be surprised when it is revealed that HP has handed them their lunch (and dinner and breakfast and brunch) and Dell is suffering big time with their earnings, and that's partially because they've had no innovative consumer products in something like a year. They haven't even been able to copy HP on a consumer tablet yet, and it has been two years.

 

Like many previous HP products, I suspect it's an issue of parts supply. HP probably has quite a few parts for the tx2500 sitting around, and they want to clear out that remaining stock.

The tx2500 will probably be around only as long as HP still has inventory of the single-touch panels and older Imprint finish chassis used for the tx2500. When that inventory disappears you'll just see the TouchSmart tx2 and future multi-touch notebooks.

 

I agrea Intel chips are faster but this is so cool... how cares what processor it has! really really considering.

 

NOT. its the 9400m

 

Great review!

If I were in the market looking for a tablet, this certainly would be it . . . Sure does look good to me (design & hardware wise)

P.S. Let's just say there aren't that many lappies that come with the 9400M yet, and this tx2 will probably be superior to any other tablet atm . . . ???

 

I like what HP has done with convertible tablets. They're economical, very decently powered, and the size is almost right (I prefer a 13.3-inch). Is this the first Windows-based mutli-touch solution being offered?

Wonder how Apple is taking this, as all they have is a multi-touch trackpad.

 

As Gateway has proven, by this point in time all modern CPU chips are fast enough to game and do general productivity work with. As for the heating issue I always thought it had to do with HP's design and a combination of bloatware and that black paint on the heatsinks.

There was a guide awhile back on how to remove the black paint and polish the heatsinks to lower temperature. I don't know where the guide is, but I know the writer was quite funny and did a great Gollum impression while writing it.

EDIT: Found the thread: http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/showthread.php?t=8875

This is NOT a beginner's mod.

 

The tx2 has dropped the tx2500's S-video port and put in its place... nothing.
Its HD3200 is begging for HDMI out. Can't believe HP still hasn't engineered it for the AMDmobo. All their other models (IntelCPUmobos) have had HDMI for a good while.

[you mentioned expresscard and dual audio out, and could list the remaining ports:
3 USB, VGA, ethernet, modem, mic-in, 5/1 cardreader, expansion]

 

Video Preview

 

Does this still have a wacom tablet screen as well? Because I don't see it mentioned anywhere. And if they've removed the wacom feature, the tx2 would be a serious step backwards from the tx2500z.

Did you not see the preview shots? There's a close-up view of the ports, which clearly shows an S-Video out (It's the second pic in the OP).

 

It's not the first: http://gizmodo.com/5025829/dell-latitude-xt-multi+touch-update-available-now

Still a pretty cool system though.

 

It is the first one geared for consumers. I think HP's TX series has been the only tablets geared for consumers, mainstream consumers wanting tablets is a pretty small niche but glad HP has targeted it.

 

I wonder why on the HP website configuration page, it mentions this under the battery selection screen:

8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
Up to 2 hours, 15 minutes battery life

I assume that is a mistake because 2hrs 15mins on a 8-cell is poor, even for an AMD processor.

 

Thanks Jerry! Per usual great info you have provided!

I actually think the HP is kind of cool!


Cin

 

Apart from being obscenely expensive, as far as I know, there a number of customer complaints with the Multi-touch DELL Latitude that DELL has not responded to appropriately.

 

Sorry. I instead went to HP's site -- which doesn't list the S-video.

www .shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/computer_can_series.do?storeName=computer_store&category=notebooks&a1=Category&v1=Mobility&series_name=tx2z_series

 

Besides the Dell Latitude XT, there is the ThinkPad X200T that came first.

The screen on this new HP has an inferior TN panel; not the superior IPS panel on the X200T.

 

Quite attractive but is it active ?

( I think tablets should get more cover and info related to their main point . Is it passive sensor or active ( Wacom penabled ) ? does it supports pressure levels and if so how many ? etc. )

 

tt, AMD again.........

Intel + Nvidia 9400chipset = win

I would have bought it.

 

Ya but the price for a machine like that wouldn't be in their target range anymore.

 

can't wait for a review..!!!!!!

 

I can't wait for one either. I do think though that the reviews for this model would be like the TX2xxxz models though, since this one shares quite a bit of the same feature set as them with the addition of the multi-touch screen. This is on my short-list for next laptop, should my MBP fail anytime soon (yes, I know its a downgrade ).

 

hmmmm.... I'm waiting for a review till i jump on this ship . I'm not quite sure about the AMD processors. But overall, i think this convertible tablet has the potential. Specially for those in digital graphics!!

 

Corrected.

 

While AMD processors typically run warmer than Intel's, and are slightly more power hungry as well, they still get the job done. I believe this tablet indeed has great potential. A buddy at work has one and let me play with it for a bit and I was quite impressed. I am hoping for a 13.3 inch convertible tablet solution though.

 

a 13.3 inch tablet multi-touch tablet is sweet though......

 

Mine showed up earlier this week. Here are a few initial impressions.

There is no s-video jack, they put a piece of plastic over where it should be.
They removed the 4 music buttons on the back of the lid.
The pens are a bit different.
The white lights are cool, but they are a different shade of white on the display portion than on the keyboard portion. On the display they leak light out on sides of the three buttons.
The 4 buttons on the front of the screen have been replaced with three.

The screen is absolutely gorgeous. Pictures look like stunning.
The touch/pen parts are about the same as on the previous model, though it has auto calibration it has the same accuracy issues that the previous model has (can't click on things on the very top or bottom of the screen.)

The system is much more responsive, no random freezes.

Keyboard is still excellent, nothing else really stand out as being different.

 

How is the multi-touch part of it? Is that very responsive?

 

Wait the ThinkPad X200T is a multitouch screen? I thought it was just a single touch active/pressure screen :s

I hope by this time next year we'll see multi touch tablets with Core i7 quads and some decent video cards, instead of the market where we see lots of ultra low voltage and intergrated video cards =/

Although the AMD Video card is decent...I would perfer a Core 2...but HP always has VERY aggressive pricing.

 

It's how it is in the videos, most of the time it takes 10 tries to do something that you can do with 1 mouse click. I can't really see me ever using it.

 

I'll wait until a revision comes for it then

Or when my MBP croaks, whichever comes first.

 

The ThinkPad X200T has had an option of a multi-touch screen. There is a CCFL wideview screen, a LED wideview screen, and LED wideview multi-touch screen. They all have the active digitizer for pen input of course.

The article is wrong to say that HP came out with it first. Actually, the article is flat-out outdated.