HP Announces New Magic Canvas Software for Omni 27, and ALL New Desktop Models

HP has announced that their redesigned Magic Canvas software – previously called TouchSmart – will be featured in the upcoming HP Omni 27 all-in one PC.  Even better, it went on to state that all new desktops will now include the Magic Canvas UI including some previously announced but as yet unreleased models.

The redesigned UI retains popular features that are reminiscent of tablet interfaces. There will be virtually unlimited home screens and widgets that can be placed anywhere a user chooses. Multiple documents can remain open on different home screens and you can stick notes anywhere you wish. The main new feature is the ability to access and launch windows programs without leaving the Magic Canvas interface. Although HP has acquired Palm and its highly praised Web OS there seems to be no integration of features specific to Web OS.

During the first quarter of 2012, the company will be rolling out several new PCs and monitors that will be targeted to different segments of the market. There will be devices that are targeted to home users as well as the business community and gamers. The Magic Canvas UI will extend to all those new desktops and not be restricted to touch-screen models.

 Two New HP PCs This Week

This week sees the arrival of two PCs; The non-touch Omni 27 and the Pavilion HPE h9 Phoenix, which is aimed at gamers. The Omni 27 will be the first non touch model to feature the redesigned UI and will cost a reasonable $1199.99. For that price, you get the following specs:

• 27-inch      1080p LED-backlit display (edge-to-edge glass on the screen)
• 2.5GHz      Sandy Bridge Core i5-2400S processor
• 6GB      of RAM
• USB      3.0 ( 2 ports )
• HDMI      input.
• TV      tuner and  Blu-ray drive (optional)
• Beats      Audio

The graphics will be integrated. Some reviewers who have used the device complained that the screen resolution, though 1080p, is not of the highest quality. At its current price, though, that may well be an acceptable trade-off for many users.

Here is what you will get with the Pavilion HPE h9 Phoenix:

• 8-core AMD FX-8100      processor
• 8GB of RAM
• 160GB SSD
• Radeon 7670 GPU (1 GB      VRAM)

If you are not an AMD lover there will be an Intel-friendly motherboard available with a few different processor options — including the Core  i7-3960X. Liquid cooling will be an option for those who want it, and users will also be able to opt for a secondary hard drive.

Three monitors aimed at business users were also announced. The Compaq L2311c will feature a 23 inch display and a built in port replicator. It will connect to Laptops via USB 2.0 and 3.0 as well as traditional VGA. The L2311c will cost $319 and also features a webcam. The power chord will charge an HP laptop. The Compaq L2311c will be available in February.  The more affordable LV1911 and LV2011 monitors will be available in March. Both monitors will be LED-Backlit and will cost $125 and $135, respectively.