HP TouchSmart IQ816 All-in-One Desktop PC (2.1 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 750 GB Hard Drive, Blu-ray Drive, Vista Premium) Black

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After many months of researching desktops I finally decided on the hp Touchsmart pc. While it didn't have everything I was looking for, ie; bluray burner,1tb hard drive, it came pretty darn close. I looked at everything from an imac, to the dell xps one, and even a bunch of desktop pcs.
After looking more into blank blu-ray disks prices I decided that having a blu-ray player would be sufficient as I rent mostly anyway.
I have only had the computer for a couple of days now but so far it meets and exceeds all my expectations.
The touch screen is awesome to use as are the included wireless keyboard and mouse.
The touchsmart interface is easy to learn and has so many customizable features that I have barely started to digest all that I can do with the computer.
The PVR with live tv works well with my standard cable signal and was easy to setup.
I am only having difficulty getting the available hd channels to show up as the standard definition signal is adequate at best on the 1080p resolution 25.5" screen. More research is proving this issue to be a window media center issue and not the computer itself. As is usual for microsoft products.
The computer is fast and responsive and for the use we bought it for it does everything I want it to do and more.

I will add more to review as time goes on and we have more experience with the touchsmart pc

HP Pavilion Slimline S3700F Desktop PC

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The HP Slimline S3720F is an excellent slim form-factor pc with a few limitations. I needed another small sized PC at my engineering lab, so I purchased the S3720F. Typically I build my own machines, so I was quite impressed when I purchased this model, assuming one understands its limitations.

The HP Slimline S3720F runs Intel's Dual Core E5200 processor (mid-range processor line). Note that this is not Intel's "Core 2 Duo" line (the high-range which has a faster front-side bus). Regardless in conjunction with a healthy 4 gb of RAM, there is enough horsepower to run most of my engineering applications, which can be quite intensive. The 500 GB harddrive is adequate, though I see myself needing more storage space in the future (easily remedied with an external HDD).

The S3720F runs Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack1. Contrary to the negative sentiment against Windows Vista, I have to clarify that Windows Vista SP1 is very functional. I use numerous operating systems including, various Linux packages, OS X (Mac), Windows XP, even Windows 7 Beta. So after uninstalling some "bloat-ware" and removing some unneeded startup programs (msconfig), the S3720F runs Vista like a dream. Some slowdown occurs when one uses some Aero features (graphic-intensive features). But aside from that, it is surprisingly smooth. I can load firefox pages in seconds, run Matlab, Itunes, and an array of other programs simultaneously with no noticeable slowdown.

A very important exception to note is that this computer comes with a 64-bit Windows OS. This may cause some incompatibility issues with some 32-bit software. This is arguably of no fault of the OS in its own, but rather that the software was not designed to run on a 64-bit OS. Aside from these issues, once you optimize the system, the performance is much better than one would expect.

The physical design of the system borrows from the concept of minimalism. In the front, there are two USB ports, a covered CD/DVD tray, a HP pocket media drive bay, and the many different memory cards ports. The backside houses the standard ports, with no exceptional features. Note that the video-out to the monitor is VGA and NOT DVI or HDMI. Overall there is some great aesthetic appeal, and one would not be embarrassed to stash this PC in an entertainment center. Be sure to place it in an area that is well ventilated (as with most to all PCs).

Overall, I am very pleased with the overall package for the price. Whether you use it for common office tasks, light engineering work, or a living-room media center (though only one VGA-out is limiting), the HP Slimline performs its tasks admirably.

Product Positives:
+Compact form-factor
+Less bloat-ware than comparable computers
+Windows Vista SP 1 64bit (needed to take advantage of the 4gb+ of ram)
+Great performance after some tweaking
+Wireless B/G Network Card built-in
+Quiet operation

Product Negatives:
-Limited room for upgrades
-VGA out only (no DVI, HDMI)
-Some 32-bit software may not work on a 64-bit OS
-Built-in video card is a bit on the weak side, poor performance in graphic-intensive programs (Solid-graphic modeling, games)
-Midrange CPU E5200 slower than Intel's Highline of Core 2 Duo's
-I don't like the "tactile feel" of the included keyboard

Updates and Other Thoughts:
-I thought I'd post the "Experience Rating" from Windows Vista, which is built-in Vista tool that rates your hardware against some performance metrics. The scale ranges from 1.0 (poor performance) to 5.9 (excellent performance). This tool can be found by right-clicking on "My computer" and scroll to properties. For the HP Slimline S3720F here are the results:

Processor: --------- 5.4
Memory (ram): ------ 4.6
Graphics: ---------- 3.7
Gaming Graphics: --- 3.0
Primary Hard Disk: - 5.9

Overall Score of: -- 3.0

The overall score is 3/6 which would suggest an average score. However, the "Overall Score" is based on the lowest subscore, which is the Gaming Graphics. Otherwise, this machine scored exceptionally well in the processor, memory, and harddisk subtests. So in conclusion, unless you plan on using this machine for heavy gaming, or artwork/graphic applications, the S3720F is an exceptional value computer.

Apple iMac MB325LL/A 24-inch Desktop PC

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This 24" Imac with the 2.8 gig core 2 duo just cannot be beat. Don't get the 20" when for only $400 or $500 more you can get all that extra screen real estate, a bigger hard drive, and faster chip. The screen is the real star here though-- just soooo beautiful and increases work capacity by allowing you to write or work on a spreadsheet while having your supporting data up next to it. The machine is whisper quiet, looks gorgeous on a desk, has all the power you could ever want, comes with the best operating system and additional software on the planet, and the giant screen lets you work efficiently and without eye strain! Leopard was meant to be run on a screen this big as it really let's you take advantage of spaces, widgets, the dock and even spotlight and finder.

I've only had this Imac for 3 days, but so far the performance is dizzying. I typically fire up my Toshiba laptop (Pentium M 1.86 w/XP Home) in the morning and go and pour a cup of coffee before I even get to my login screen. Then I login and take another minute to 3 minute trip while i wait for it to boot up. On this Imac, you push the discreetly concealed button on the back and in less than 10 seconds you are ready to go. Shutting down is the same. Opening up the apps is super fast as well. I plan on putting photoshop on it soon, and I expect it to be great with the 2 gigs of ram that comes with it, but its easy enough to upgrade to 4 if necessary.

I honestly can't imagine anyone would be less than 100% satisfied with this computer. Check out CNET's review if you don't believe me--it's pretty stellar.