Although widespread in mobile devices and public kiosks, touchscreen technologies have yet to be embraced in the wider PC market. HP and frog design set out to change that paradigm, unveiling a new generation of touch-enabled PCs that place entertainment, information, and online communications right at the user’s fingertips – no mouse, no keyboard required. By pairing touch navigation with a new focus on media, frog and HP saw a unique opportunity to move the PC into a communal position within the household, akin to that of the television or music player.
Today’s computers have expanded far beyond their professional origins; they’re about playing music and looking at photos, checking the weather and catching up with friends. frog and HP rallied around the concept of shared media, enabling users to view snapshots, movies, and television together, right on the PC. TouchSmart lets users browse their music libraries, watch and record TV shows, or upload videos with the touch of a finger, flipping through media files as one might books on a shelf. A photo-sharing app helps users to upload, edit, and even crop images by hand, then share them with friends or post them to photo-sharing websites like Snapfish. By encouraging this direct management of entertainment files and information, the HP TouchSmart PC addresses the centrality of the computer in a user’s personal digital ecosystem – beyond the home office.
Communications activities were developed that would move the computer into a space of shared utility for the whole household, replacing families’ wall calendars, bulletin boards, and refrigerator door with a sort of digital message-board for exchanging information. A shared calendar allows every member of the household to add events by touch or by voice, then see the entire family’s schedule on-screen. We devised virtual stickies, pushing important information to the front of every screen. And we equipped the machine with a built-in camera and microphone for video conferencing, connecting users not only with their household, but with friends and family around the world.
frog shifted the TouchSmart interface away from files, folders, and applications into simple activity icons, specially configured for navigation from an arm’s length away. A highly visual, customizable home page was designed to facilitate one-touch access to quick links and favorite applications, surfacing key information and media, and overlapping windows replaced by an in-and-out navigation system that makes it clear to users what program they’re using and what functions are available to them at any given moment.
Early press has been positive regarding the hardware and software integration as a step forward for both HP and the PC market in general. Says Reuters, “The TouchSmart All-in-One is designed around music, photos and video but has a full set of PC functions, and is the most persuasive product yet in HP's turnaround of a PC business that was once defined by run-of-the-mill products and low margins.”
