HP Announces Spectre One Desktop

HP has announced their Windows 8 desktop lineup, leading off with 23.6-inch Spectre One. It's the first all-in-one in the company's premium Spectre line and a scant 11.5 millimeters thick — HP's thinnest all-in-one to date. The desktop also lacks a touchscreen, a curious omission in light of finger-friendly Windows 8. You'll still be able to get your multitouch-gesture fix, as HP has bundled a wireless touchpad with the PC.

The touchpad is light, comfortable and baked into the same silver shell as the desktop. More importantly, it works: it tracked Windows 8's multitouch gestures accurately, and was large enough to offer plenty of travel distance for our large paws. The touchpad (and accompanying wireless keyboard) also don't require a proprietary dongle to pair with the PC, saving precious USB ports. Here's another neat, albeit curious addition: an NFC chip is built into the Spectre One's base. Once a few bundled apps are configured, tap an NFC-equipped phone to the base and you'll be able to log in to Windows 8 automatically, or stream music and video with a tap.