Innovative New Design! By Cameron Eittreim on Jul 12, 2008 - Updated Oct 15, 2011

The HP Pavilion IQ506 22" Touch Smart PC bills itself as an alternative solution to tablet notebooks. Touch technology is still very new to the mainstream public, and has yet to really catch on other then in the form of an iPhone. But, we have used this technology for years in the form of ATM machines and touch screen in-store kiosks. I've been intrigued by this technology since it's interception and I was very curious as to how the Touch Smart IQ506 would break the boundaries. Well, I got my chance to test drive this desktop and I have been quite pleased with the finished product; it's certainly not anything that I will be interested in purchasing immediately. But, I think that the Pavilion IQ506 has the potential to be the next “killer” product for the holiday season.

Product Details :

Touch Screen computing isn't new to Hewlett Packard, in fact the company released a behemoth of a touch screen computer last year, aptly called the Touch Smart IQ770. While this was a valiant attempt at manufacturing an Attractive Touch Screen, the computer was just too bulky and awkward for most suburban families to swallow. HP decided to go at it once again with a much slimmer and redesigned model, coupled with a shiny black finish and the ultra-glossy 22” Wide Screen display. The HP IQ506 is definitely an attractive kitchen appliance or family computer, but why do I say kitchen appliance? Because the kitchen is the ideal place to store these ultra-slim desktop PC's. Whether you are looking up recipes, or responding to a quick email. These ultra-slim computers can be a kitchens best friend, or these are the perfect solution for a cramped dorm room at a college campus.

In addition, the glossy display is on-par with those that you would find on very expensive HD-Televisions, which puts this desktop inline with more expensive media center offerings from Sony and Gateway. Hence the Sony Viao VGC-LT29U and the Gateway One both of which have a similar profile and design aspect. There are various innovative design aspects such as the clear feet that are located on the bottom of the unit to place the wireless keyboard and mouse, which are flush to create a true all-in-one appearance. Saying that the Pavilion IQ506 is spectacular looking is an understatement; this desktop is truly an eye pleasing piece of technology. But, does a jaw dropping appearance make a flawless desktop computer? I'll discuss my experience in my full review!

From Amazon.com : Redesigned with a next-generation, touch-enabled 22-inch high-definition LCD screen, the HP Touch Smart IQ506 all-in-one desktop PC is designed to fit wherever life happens: in the kitchen, family room, or living room. With one touch you can check the weather, download your e-mail, or watch your favorite TV show.

Tech Specs Taken From CNET :

Manufacturer:

HP

Part number:

KQ437AA#ABA

General

Type

Personal computer

Recommended Use

Home use

Product Form Factor

Desktop

Built-in Devices

Camera, Display, Touch screen, Stereo speakers, Infrared receiver

Width

21 in

Depth

2.6 in

Height

17.4 in

Weight

24 lbs

Localization

English / United States

System type

Personal computer

Processor

Type

Intel Core 2 Duo T5850 / 2.16 GHz

Multi-Core processor technology

Dual-Core

64-bit processor

Yes

Installed Qty

1

Max processors supported

1

Cache Memory

Type

L2 cache

Installed Size

2 MB

Cache Per Processor

2 MB

Mainboard

Chipset type

Mobile Intel GM965 Express

Data bus speed

667 MHz

RAM

Installed Size

4 GB

Technology

DDR II SDRAM

Memory speed

667 MHz

Memory specification compliance

PC2-5300

RAM form factor

SO DIMM 200-pin

RAM configuration features

2 x 2 GB

Storage Controller

Type

1 x Serial ATA – Integrated

Storage

Floppy drive type

None

Hard Drive

1 x 500 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm

Hard Drive (2nd)

None

Optical Storage

Type

DVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM - Serial ATA

CD / DVD read speed

24x (CD) / 8x (DVD)

CD / DVD write speed

24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD-R DL) / 6x (DVD+R DL)

CD / DVD rewrite speed

24x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 5x (DVD-RAM)

Disc Labeling Technology

LightScribe Technology

Optical Storage (2nd)

Type

None

Storage Removable

Type

None

Monitor

Monitor Type

Flat panel display - TFT active matrix

Display (projector) diagonal size

22 in

Multimedia Functionality

TV tuner type

Digital and analog TV

Analog TV system

NTSC

Digital TV reception

ATSC

Graphics Controller

Graphics Processor / Vendor

NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS

Installed Size

256 MB

Max Allocated RAM Size

256 MB

Total Available Graphics Memory

2 GB

Audio Output

Type

Sound card - Integrated

Sound card name

Integrated Audio

Sound output mode

Stereo

Audio output compliant standards

High Definition Audio

Speaker(s)

2 x Right / left channel

Input Device

Type

Mouse, Keyboard

Keyboard

Keyboard connectivity

Wireless

Mouse

Mouse connectivity

Wireless

Mouse technology

Optical

Audio Input

Type

Microphone

Telecom

Modem

None

Networking

Networking

Network adapter - Integrated

Wireless LAN Supported

Yes

Data Link Protocol

Ethernet, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft)

Compliant Standards

IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft)

Printer

Type

None

Expansion / Connectivity

Expansion Slots Total (Free)

2 ( 0 ) x Memory - SO DIMM 200-pin

Interfaces

1 x Headphones - Output ( 1 in front ), 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire ( 1 in front ), 5 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A ( 2 in front ), 1 x Audio - Line-out, 1 x Audio - Line-in, 1 x Audio - SPDIF output

Miscellaneous

Included Accessories

Cleaning cloth, Remote control

Features

802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN, TV tuner, Remote control, Bluetooth

Power

Power device type

Power supply

Operating System / Software

OS Provided

Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition

Software

Adobe Reader 8.0, Muvee autoProducer, Microsoft Works 9.0, Norton Internet Security 2008 (60 days subscription)

Manufacturer Warranty

Service & Support

1 year warranty

Service & Support Details

Limited warranty - Parts and labor - 1 year

My Experience :

Ok, so I do not own this computer. Instead, I was interested in testing on of these and I have a good friend who is a manager at my local Best Buy. I told him that I was going to write a review online about this particular model and he said that I could try out the demo computer for an hour. I figured that was sufficient enough time to get a good enough reviewing for Epinions, so here it goes!

The IQ506 comes with Touch Screen software that has a Calendar, Application for taking notes, Home Icon for accessing Windows, Rss Reader, and programs for browsing and storing digital media such as photos and music files. The program suite is intuitive and easy to use, HP obviously designed this for the average Joe. The note taking program is similar to a real refrigerator, basically a really fun to place with program that is actually quite useful if you need to take down a quick phone number. The other programs that are included in the suite are straightforward and do what they are supposed to do. I tested out the RSS reader on a couple feeds and it worked really well, and the music program allows you to import an iTunes play list.

The video applications allow you to shoot video using a webcam, or use the video playback for movies. While the applications are generally useful I was more interested in the Vista experience, so I touched the home icon and entered the colorful world of Windows Vista. This system is 64-Bit (4GB Ram) so Vista booted really fast. 64-Bit computing has many speed advantages over your average desktop, including blazing fast performance of Microsoft office.

Sure, this desktop is super fast. But, how does streaming internet video stack up? Well, this unit that I tested had wireless internet which performed flawless, and the streaming websites which I visited were Hulu, YouTube, Meta Café, and Cnbc, which all performed admirably. But, internet surfing was the least of my worries. I was interested in the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, neither of which disappointed. It seems that HP took a page from Logitech and Apple, this keyboard is super thin with awesome tactile feedback and a smooth feel that's similar to the brands higher-end notebook computers.

The Bluetooth mouse on the other hand gave an average performance, and I probably wouldn't use this little device for gaming. Another innovative feature that can be found on the HP Touch Smart is the keyboard illuminating light on the bottom of the model, I've never seen this done but it really is helpful if you are writing a term paper in the darkness of night. The sound on this computer is mediocre at best, it sounds great for music but I cannot see using this for anything besides causal music streaming or MP3 audio playback. If you want serious sound I recommend purchasing a separate speaker set, which I didn't get the chance to test with this desktop.

If you are not doing any serious editing or gaming using this machine, the 4 GB of memory should suffice. The 500GB hard drive has enough space to store your media files with ease, and the Windows Vista operating system seems to work like a breeze using this configuration. There is one thing that this desktop comes without which is an internal modem, now for most people that might not be a problem. But, if you live in a remote area and dial-up is the only internet that you can use, I recommend purchasing a USB modem with this computer. So, although this desktop might not be a speed demon. I really like the display and the media features and I really think that the Pavilion IQ506 22" Touch Smart PC is a comparable alternative to the other all-in-one computers that are available.

Price and Purchasing Information:

The HP IQ506 22" Touch Smart PC can be purchased at Amazon.com for $1,499.99. You can also order this desktop directly from HP for the exact same price, and you can find this desktop in most major Brick & Mortar stores for a reasonable price.