As previously rumored, HP has officially revealed its new, and highly ambitious, Windows 8.1 all-in-one PC called the Sprout. It has a number of stand out hardware features, including an overhead projector and a "touch mat" that HP says will offer users very different ways to interact with their PC.
The Sprout's touch mat takes the place of the traditional mouse and keyboard. Its projector can place a virtual keyboard on the capacitive touch panel so users can interact with the PC and its applications. The Sprout also has a 3D scanner and a 14.6-megapixel camera with its 23-inch touchscreen design. Here are the quick bullet points for the PC:
- Dual-screen Experience: A workspace designed for creative expression and human interaction with an integrated vertical HD touch screen coupled with a 20 point capacitive touch mat.
- The Sprout Illuminator: A projection system that scans and captures real-world objects in 3D, allowing the user to immediately interact and create.
- HP Workspace: A software platform built expressly for Sprout to take full advantage of the dual-screen experience to make working and creating seamless, intuitive and engaging.
- True Remote Collaboration: The way collaboration should be. An interface that advances how users work, collaborate and share, with simultaneous visual and workspace connectivity, allowing concurrent creativity and content manipulation.
- Advanced Platform: A next-generation computing platform featuring a powerful 4th generation Intel i7 Processor, 1TB of storage in an easy-to-use dual-screen interface, and a Windows 8.1 multi-touch experience.
HP says a number of Windows applications are being developed specifically for the Sprout, which it says will enable its owners to "easily capture physical objects, manipulate them in a digital environment, and collaborate and share their creations in new ways."
The HP Sprout is scheduled to start shipping on November 7 for the price of $1899.99. Pre-orders are being taken now and the general public will be able to check out the Sprout this weekend at select Best Buy and Microsoft Store locations in the US. What applications do you want to see made for the Sprout?
Source: HP
