Inside the HP TouchSmart PC software: HP SmartCenter - Part 4
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This is part 4 of the mini-series on the HP SmartCenter software. Hear about the team’s reaction to the Engadget leak and the launch plans at CES 2007. If you missed the first three parts, they are here, here and here.
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One of the really unsettling events before the launch of the TouchSmart PC was that Engadget somehow got a hold of some pictures that had been prepared for the launch in early 2007 at the Consumer Electronics Show. It was billed in the first sentence as “AMD’s sweet new rig”, which was a little bit of a slap in the face, since most of the real work fell outside of AMDs realm. I remember the team meeting when our program manager came in and told us about the “leak”. He had heard it from Microsoft just a few moments before joining the meeting. The mood in the room instantly turned. People started feeling both mad at the leaked information (and the leaker) and depressed about the potential impact this would have on our launch at CES. Microsoft especially was disappointed, since the TouchSmart PC represented a big investment on their part, carrying some of the Vista messaging. The TouchSmart PC was to be billed as one of a few “dream” PCs at CES. Having gone through an experience like that, I now always think about how the people involved must feel when I see “leaked” information about upcoming products. It’s not fun to have it happen to you.
On a happier note, the TouchSmart PC seemed to make quite a splash at CES. At the last minute I was asked to attend the show to help with technical support on the show floor. This was my first time attending CES and going to Las Vegas, and I quite enjoyed the experience. I ran into quite a few of the people that had worked with us on the project, and it was fun to see the crowds milling about the TouchSmart PCs at the HP and Microsoft booths. Having backstage access was a unique thing, but it involved a lot of walking around, helping the people doing demos by making sure the software was installed properly.
Since then, the HP TouchSmart PC has received numerous awards (including spot number seven on PC World’s list of most innovative products of 2007) and for a short while even had a fan website, the HP TouchSmart Owner’s Club.
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This is the tentative end of the series. If you’re curious about other aspects, let me know, and if I can talk about it, I’ll see if I can accommodate your curiosity.
6 Responses to “Inside the HP TouchSmart PC software: HP SmartCenter - Part 4”
So what does the future hold? Will we see more of this sort of software?
Gordon, I can’t really answer that question directly, but I’d like to turn it around: Would you like to see more of this sort of software? If yes, what do you think would be most interesting to see? Do you own a TouchSmart?
[...] « Inside the HP TouchSmart PC software: HP SmartCenter - Part 2 Inside the HP TouchSmart PC software: HP SmartCenter - Part 4 [...]
I have 2 (IQ770’s) we love em - I do wish that HP would post updates for the SmartCenter as the IQ500 series shows the possibilities the hardware of the 700’s is very much still viable for some years to come
“Gordon, I can’t really answer that question directly, but I’d like to turn it around: Would you like to see more of this sort of software? If yes, what do you think would be most interesting to see? Do you own a TouchSmart?”
I couldn’t belive I actually read this. It’s no wonder Apple walks all over you guys. Microsoft, HP, Sony, er al all have true innovating ideas on occasion and then proceed to f*ck it up totally by being brain dead on the rest of the process. Here’s a tip: HP could sell a lot more of this class of device if they opened up the SDK/API and allowed developers to write their own apps for them. Presentation software, Virtual DJ/VJ tools, you name it.
I just cannot believe that you people cannot see this yourselves. Maybe that’s why Apple is Apple and HP makes one night wonders….
Theo,
Thanks for voicing your point of view.
The reason I couldn’t answer the question directly is because I can’t make any promises on HP’s behalf on my personal blog. At the point in time when Gordon asked the question, we hadn’t announced the IQ500 series yet, so I had to stay quiet on that. I still can’t talk about any SDK/API plans, but here’s what I can tell you:
Speaking purely for myself (not HP) and speaking as a software developer, I have been advocating within HP for an SDK from the very first version of the TouchSmart PC, even before we were halfway done with the software. Since I can’t talk about internal company details here, let me just say there have been severe constraints on what we’ve been able to do so far. In the future [a few years], perhaps I’ll be able to share some details on the limits we developed the IQ500 series software under. I think it would blow your mind.
In general, it’s all well and good to want to do something, but there are several hurdles one has to go through in a big company to accomplish things: politics, skepticism, limits on people and time, etc.
What really helps (you wouldn’t believe how much) is when people make encouraging comments about wanting to see API/SDK type work done so they can start their own development on gadgets/addins/plugins.
Believe me, we fully realize what needs to be done. We see it quite, quite clearly.
If you personally are interested in developing something, just let me know and we can talk more about that in a less public forum.
-G
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