Customer Reviews

HP IQ506 TouchSmart Desktop PC (2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T5850, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I bought the IQ506 yesterday mainly for the form factor (all in one with built in speakers) to fit my desk area.

Setup was easy - Pull it out of the box, plug it in and turn it on. It did take about 20 minutes after starting to setup Vista but all went well and I was up an running easily.

I didn't expect much of the touch screen and wasn't the main reason I purchased it. With that being said, I will say that so far I am impressed with the touch screen. The comments about the screen being jerky and slow seem to be overblown - I didn't experience this. In fact, I was quite surprised when I used IE and browsed with just my fingers on the screen. It worked really well - with the 22" monitor the links were large enough that I clicked correctly on the link most times. If you're expecting an iPhone type touchscreen experience you'll probably be disappointed. However, I wouldn't sell this touchscreen short yet. I am quite impressed by the screen and I expect to use it more than I thought I would initially.

I have had this PC for only one week, but remain wowed by HP's execution. From setup (easy and intuitive; far fewer wires than a traditional desktop) through operation (responsive and stable), my early experience has truly been a joy.

The 22" touchscreen display is extremely bright, vivid, and crisp. The touchscreen functionality itself takes advantage of Vista's "baked in" tablet PC functionality. As a longtime tablet user, this is the first implementation and integration of the Vista tablet functionality on a desktop that I am aware of. The touchscreen functionality clearly works best with HP's own "TouchSmart" application shell. This shell has been designed to work well with touchscreen functionality and provides an easy-to-use interface to music, video, calendar, photo, and game applications (among others). There's even a specialized TouchSmart web browser, though it appears to have limited utility to those web pages that HP has specifically designed to take advantage of the TouchSmart shell. This might appear alarming, but you still have full and complete access outside of TouchSmart to traditional browsers such as IE, Firefox, or Safari.

I have no problems to report with the integration of my existing peripherals, including a Netgear wireless router, a Canon Pixma multifunction printer, and external speakers and subwoofer. Setup of all of these truly was "plug and play." I also really like the wireless keyboard and mouse that HP bundles with the TouchSmart.

The only problem I've encountered is installation of Nikon's Transfer application (for transfer of digital photos from my wife's Coolpix camera). Each of three installation attempts ended with an Install Wizard error message. I learned from Nikon Support that none of Nikon's apps are engineered for 64-bit operating systems. However, there are still multiple options for uploading photos from the camera (e.g., Kodak's free EasyShare application works great).

Overall and as an IT professional, I am surprised even by my own enthusiastic reaction. Over time, the "wow" or "gee-whiz" moments with PC technology have become fewer and farther between for me. The HP TouchSmart is an exception to this. For general purpose home computing (it's not a gaming platform or a high-end engineering workstation), it merits your serious consideration.

I am very happy with the HP IQ506 PC. I bought it because it is an All in One and I don't use it as a touch screen. I played with the touch screen and it seems to work fine with the limited software provided.

The screen is bright in all lighting conditions and looks very good.

The built in wireless N works well.

The wireless KeyBoard and mouse have worked without any problems. The KeyBoard is very flat and takes some getting used to if you have been using a more conventional KB.

The built in speakers sound good for being so small, much better than expected.

With the 500 GB 7200 RPM Hard Disk, 22" Screen, 5 USB ports, and 4 GB memory it is a very good value.

The only things I would change are; I would add a CF reader and an option to select XP instead of Vista.

I have had this desktop for a week and am truly satisfied with the experience. It is a good value for money proposition. The touch application from HP works great. True there are a few glitches and pains but then no software is perfect.

The connections were a breeze and I had the desktop up and running 20 mins after opening it. The screen is bright with a good resolution. The best part is that there is no clutter associated with a normal desktop. There is just one wire that goes into the desktop and nothing else.

The software that comes in the package is sufficient to get you started with the daily stuff but I would have been happier with a more long running anti virus subscription (the current one from Norton is limited to 60 days).

One complaint I have is that inspite of good hardware specs the machine appears to be slow at times. This is probably due to Vista but with 4 gigs of memory I expected a better experience.

I bought this IQ504 thinking they had already worked out the bugs...guess what. I have spent many hours speaking to very nice people from tech support who are genuinely interested in helping me with a jerky DVD player and slow graphics, but the problem still exists and I can't seem to get any further with the device. I never use the touch screen option because most web pages use font that is too small to allow accurate finger touch control

I don't understand why the DVD video is so jerky, but it makes watching my music DVDs too jerky to enjoy.

I should have waited a year before purchasing so the bugs could have been worked out.

I use to work on Mac and other good computers and must say that this HP is surprising! It's above any iMac (I can't prevent myself from comparing it to an iMac because of the design and the fact it's all integrated into the screen) offering the power of a good mid/up class PC (including Macs) without the huge heavy and often ugly box, at a reasonnable price... and plus you have a touch screen!
Two months ago I tried the entry level TouchSmart (I think it was the iQ504 ?) at the shop and was actually disapointed by the graphic board. But everything else was seducing : screen is great, bright, beautiful. Lovely touchscreen, keyboard and mouse are really nice, etc... so I wanted to know more about that fancy new HP and make sure there's not a way to tune it (like to replace the GPU, and so on).
But then I discovered that HP used a cheap integrated graphic board (the Intel Graphics something) based on their mainstream crap for the less expansive 504. But I quickly saw that the iQ506 had an nVidia GeForce GPU and a Core 2 Duo CPU !
So I decided to order one and here it is.
The first thing I would say against this computer is that the TouchSmart applications are a bit slow when you launch them. But to continue the comparaison it is not as slow as using the finder or Photoshop on an iMac.
The second thing would be : MORE, PLEASE ! We want more touchscreen, even multitouch. Because this computer is actually capable of multitouch. Indeed, when you use both fingers in the smarttouch gallery you resize the previews. So this is a bit frustrating since we feel like it could do what Apple showed us how cool it can be on the iPhone : I would like to take anything in the explorer and rotate, zoom and move it with my two hands... wouldn't you ?!

I'd like to share the idea that it's a good thing to see that 'dinos' like HPs are still in the wind and don't let smaller hardware companies like Apple take the market. I was always always wondering what these guys are waiting for to react and make good and sexy computers like Apple use to do. This opens the battle and this is always good for us consumers.
BTW I discovered recently that Apple didn't invent anything about touchscreen and multitouch, and that people at Microsoft, Xerox and some other companies have been the actual pioneers... so once again it's good to see some competition here, that will give us the choice and hopefully democratize the touchscreen!
The next dream would be that HP (or any other) sell a generic LCD screen that would have some good touchscreen capability and drivers for Vista and Mac OS...

My wife and I decided to buy the HP Touchsmart IQ506 to use in the kitchen to help us stay organized. Our kitchen has a built-in granite desk with no holes for wiring. At first I was planning to get a mini-ITX, but when I came across this product, it looked perfect. My wife and I have used it for about 3 weeks and are very happy with it. The unit looks great and every detail about it makes it convenient and easy to use.

First, about the touch screen--it is different technology from a typical tablet PC. On the plus side, the screen can accept input from any form of touch. However, this means you can't rest your hand on the screen for stability--even when using a stylus. So you have a lot less precision. There is also no pressure sensitivity--just on or off. On my older tablet PC, I can draw just as naturally as with a pencil and paper, but on the Touchsmart, it takes effort just to write my name or draw a stick figure. This type of touch screen is ideal for pressing buttons or dragging things around but not for writing or drawing. It's main strength is that you can perform simple tasks without pulling out a mouse or keyboard or even a stylus. (If you plan to use a stylus to draw or write, I'd recommend a tablet instead). The screen also supports two simultaneous touch points, but since there doesn't seem to be much software that uses it, the multitouch is a little hard to appreciate--but neat to have though.

The display is large, bright and crisp. The speakers are surprisingly loud and clear for their size. But obviously if you want deep base you'd want to get external speakers (on the back there is a line out and a digital coax out).

The Touchsmart applications that come preinstalled look very sleek and are easy to use. The calendar and notes applications allowed us to get rid of the whiteboard, calendar and magnetic stickies that were cluttering our refrigerator--our number one reason for buying the computer. Except for basic kinds usage, their functionality is a bit limited, but they are fun to use though. The "slide show" function of the photo application looks especially good on the large display.

A few problems I ran into...

1. When I first turned on the computer, the touch screen didn't work. I tried everything, rebooting, etc. The calibration wouldn't even work. I figured my unit was defective and was about to call HP, but then I tried running my finger along the inside edges of the screen, which caused it to suddenly start working. Since then it's been working fine.

2. I also had a problem with the volume control on the right side of the screen. One time while holding it down to turn the volume all the way up, it apparently got stuck (volume kept going up). It wasn't stuck physically, but behaved as though it was. Rebooting didn't fix it; I had to unplug the power. This only happened once.

3. When I first tried Windows Media Center, the performance was quite bad (hard drive churning and freezing up), but after a day or two, it seemed to work better.

Overall though, I have to say I'm really satisfied with this product. The unit isn't perfect but it does a great job filling a specific need. And for the price, you can't beat it.

I did not think I was ever going to purchase a desktop again until I saw the commercial for the HP IQ506 Touchsmart PC. Before purchasing this desktop I read many reviews on the product from different sites and found many good reviews. Once I received the computer and turned it on I was in love! The sound quality of the speakers is great. So good in fact that I did not need to purchase additional speakers. The picture quality is amazing and I love the 22" size screen. I saw a movie on it for the first time and was impressed with the picture quality. The only downside is that I spend a lot more time on the computer now. The touchscreen software was very user friendly and I mastered it in no time. The wireless mouse and keyboard are a nice standard touch and the remote control is a Plus. Overall, I am quite impressed with this product and have nothing negative to say about it thus far.

I've had this PC or just over ten days now and have had to do TWO System Recovery's, and then reload all the peripherals, software and files (twice!) I've spent hours & hours on the phone with tech support, who, although very nice and helpful were unable to solve any of the problems with this particular computer and each time had to result in the suggestion to do a system recovery.

The problems were: first my speakers went and after hours with Tech Support that only thing left to do was a System Recovery. Several days later my network card went and I lost internet and email. After more hours and hours, no solution and the only thing left was a System Recovery. Then, after another day or two we started having "unexpected shut-downs" and "screen freezes." When the screen freezes there is nothing you can do but unplug the unit and plug it back in. The mouse doesn't work, CTL+ALT+DEL does not work........the power (on/off) button doesn't even work. We spent another three hours on with Tech Support again yesterday and yet again, nothing helped and in the end they suggested yet again to do a System Recovery. At that point we decided no. We will be returning this computer to the seller.

There are a few things I really like about the unit. I love the screen, love the fact that it's one wire to plug in and you are up and running. It's beautiful and I love the All-in-One look. So much less clutter.

I did try to do some research on reviews before I purchased this PC and all I found were glowing reports. Now I'm alittle worried about the DVD unit because we really haven't tried to watch a movie or play anything on it. I haven't had any time because I've spent so much time trouble-shooting all the other problems with Tech Support. I should try it out before I bring it back.

Anyway, maybe we got a Lemon, although I am a little diconcerted by the above negative reviews (above, they are the first I've seen) and we've decided to order a new IQ504 and hope that our experience with this was was out of the norm. If we find the new unit acts as it should I will ammend this review or offer a new (postive) one. If not, this one will stand.

UPDATE: 09/08/08 Two weeks ago we exchanged the model described above for another one. This one performs better but not perfect. We did not have the initial problems with the speakers or network card but we have had two "unexpected shut-downs" during the first week and we've had a number of "screen freezes." Again, I do not know if this is this HP model's problem or a Vista problem.
We do really love the overall look of the product but are still bothered by the "screen freezes" which there seems to be no fix or info on.
After numerous "screen freezes" this past week and troublshooting on the HP site I called HP tech support again. They now have a direct 800# dedicated to the Touchsmart models (which is nice.) They had me run a number of diagnostics and the only fix is I will have to send this model back to them to fix. It looks like a problem (might be?) with the motherboard. I asked how I could have the same problems with two of their Touchsmart computers and they replied "incredible bad luck?"

Update. 1.21.09

Addendum: As an additional note; if you use Opera browser, you can use its speech
commands and talk to the computer. Tell it to move up or down on a webpage and many
other things; since the computer has a built in mic. You never have to touch a key or
the screen. Just talk to. Turn on speech recognition; under Preferences/Advance/Voice., to turn it on. Give it a try.

I own an HP TouchSmart 506 and I like it. Not much there to
touch and still a point and click Vista OS. Had to replace the
DVD drive. HP sent a new one and easy as 1,2,3. Fast service.
I loaded Windows 7 and was disappointed to find out that
my HP 506 scored low on graphics, a ONE! Need at least a
5-7 for Windows 7 graphics. So, if you plan on using
Windows 7 on an HP Touchsmart, WAIT until they upgrade
their graphic chips. All in all a laptop would have been
cheaper and ungradeable. Under Vista I scored a 5.9 for
graphics. Don't understand the difference.

I got my HP iQ506 yesterday from HP Store. Fine folks. Matched Amazon price/free shipping. So far I like it. The slim keyboard fits nicely under the display, so you can slide it in and out. Both the remote mouse and remote control are nice to have. I can't get the touchscreen sound to work when I touch it and I downloaded the most recent updates for my touch computer and it bombed on me. Had to rebuild computer. Not sure
what happened. Will edit later. I think one of the updates bombed it. All in all, not to bad, but sill missing the 'wow' factor for windows touch computer. Probably will upgrade it later for more bells and whistles. WMP kept stalling and locking up on me. Not sure why. DVD movie plays ok, but froze a couple of times???

Don't bother with this.... you play Windows Media Center and most of the time, it hangs
up. The graphic processor is not fast enough. WAIT til they come out with a faster
CPU and graphic processor. This sucks.

May 20, 09 My ram went out on me and I had to send it in for repair, when I got it back
the touch screen no longer worked! I am losing faith in HP products. They have fast
repair and turn around, but it would have been better to just throw it away and
buy a laptop. If it gives me more trouble, out it goes. Don't waste your money.