[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65m5lwwUMV0]
Features
It was never intended to be a quick PC, but it does have a fairly solid foundation. HP’s given the combination of an Intel T5850 Core 2 Duo CPU with 2.17GHz, and a 4GB of RAM — which on paper might sounds and looks better than the 1.6GHz AMD and 2GB of RAM in the original.
Unfortunately, as with all PCs using a 32-bit operating system (Windows Vista Home Premium here), the most the TouchSmart can address is in the region of 3.12GB, which is rather a waste.
Often, all-in-one PCs are rarely good at pushing polygons, and the TouchSmart IQ506 is no exception. Its Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS card is quick enough to run high-definition movies, and even the odd game at low detail settings, but it’s the sort of thing you might expect to find in a mid-range laptop, not a hyper-quick gaming machine.
Glossy Screen
First thing you’ll notice about the 22-inch touch-sensitive display, is how glossy and reflective it is. That’s not a good thing if you’re using the IQ506 in a room with sunlight shinning on it, as you won’t be able to see anything on the screen but your own face. The glossy coating does improve the perceived contrast levels, but it makes colors look extremely vibrant. It’s really rather good in rooms with dim or diffuse lighting.
As its predecessor, the IQ506 gets its touch capabilities from a set of LEDs around the screen, which will detect the movement of user’s fingers.
Though the system works well, and even incorporates multi-touch, but it’s not sensitive for pointing at small icons. Closing dialogue boxes by touching the ‘X’ at the top right of a window is difficult enough, not to mention the petite icons in the system tray next to the on-screen clock.
