Looks are Not Everything

Source: http://reviews.cnet.com/desktops/hp-touchsmart-iq506/4505-3118_7-33074466.html

Rating: BAD

Explanation:
In an attempt to stay current with the times, my place of employment decided to upgrade their touchscreen computer. Their choice of touchscreen computers was the HP I504. At first glance the computer looks very sleek and well equipped. It comes with an Intel core 2 duo, 4 gigs of ram, and a 22 inch glossy touchscreen monitor. The design looks like a LCD TV and takes up little desk space.

So what’s the problem? As with most "all in one" computer units, repairs are always a problem. These units take special parts, which makes them costly and inconvenient to fix. Let’s face it, all computers crash. Although on paper, this model is well equipped; out of the box it runs sluggish and buggy. It would appear the touchscreen software is affecting the performance.

As with any piece of technology it does have its place. Although I would not recommend this machine for any home desktop computer, in the business world it can have it' place. It would work well as a walk up Internet station/kiosk. It may also work well to display demos of software since it is easy to transport and has a beautiful screen. However the major downside is even with these advantages, it is not worth the price. Even the most basic models price at about $1200. That makes an expensive Internet booth. With the disadvantages outweighing the advantages, and an A for effort, HP 1504 gets a BAD rating.