HP TouchSmart 300 and 600 released

The TouchSmart 300 ($899) and 600 ($1049) powered by Windows 7 have just been announced. On the hardware front, the new touch computers are getting a 16:9 ratio for the 20″ or 23″ display (it was previously 16:10) – note that this category is getting really affordable. In the 600 Series, the graphics processor has been upgraded to an NVIDIA G200 series (from a GeForce 9) while the 300 runs with AMD from top to bottom. From the outside, the new models are recognizable from the silver band on the side. More importantly, the software has been upgraded: the webcam application, for example, can insert effects in realtime. Netflix and Hulu apps are present for those who use the TouchSmart as a home theater (there’s a Tuner option btw). There’s also support for Pandora and Rhapsody and of course… Twitter. The TouchSmart 600 can be used as an HDMI monitor for game consoles.

Note that for hotels, restaurants, hospitals and “professional” usage in general, HP is selling a TouchSmart 9100 model, which comes with an different support.