HP ENVY 23-d060qd Pro Reviews

At nearly $1,800 in our review configuration, the HP Envy 23 TouchSmart is a pricey machine, particularly when you can get larger-screened systems like Dell's XPS One 27 or HP's own Omni 27 for around the same price. But unless you're a power user who frequently edits HD video or huge image files, our configuration is arguably overkill, especially when it comes to the 12GB of RAM and high-end quad-core CPU. Windows 8 runs quite well on even relatively low-powered hardware. So for many users, the $1,049 base model, plus whatever specific upgrades you may want (such as $100 for the Blu-ray drive) is a smarter buy at a lower price. If you're shopping in the $1,800 ballpark, Dell's touch-screen XPS One 27 offers a larger, higher-resolution screen and slightly nicer aesthetics. But with a saner configuration, the Envy 23 TouchSmart is a fine choice as a family or media PC. Its responsive touch screen, decent audio, and HDMI port make it a versatile machine for a number of tasks. And being able to easily swap out the hard drive and RAM down the line means it will likely be longer before you'll want to replace it with something new.

In the end, the HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart can do pretty much anything you throw at it, and it can certainly handle the demanding needs of an entire family, from the little kids all the way up to the impatient grandparents. It comes with most of the features that you would want on a high-end all-in-one desktop — it’s got the large 1080p touchscreen display, a huge hard drive, gobs of RAM, and a super-fast processor. While there are definitely things that I could nitpick about, such as the large base, no USB 3.0 on the back, and a less-than-decent keyboard and mouse combo, I can’t really see how this computer wouldn’t cater to the everyday man or woman. And while the $1,700 may not look too great, the company’s 20-inch models start at around $1,000 if you’re looking for a smaller build. It’s certainly not a desktop that’s aimed towards a specific group of users, so if you’re looking for an all-around Windows 8 machine for the entire family, the ENVY all-in-one series meets the mark.

While the HP Envy TouchSmart 23 isn’t the fastest, most powerful machine out there, it’s an excellent choice for people who are interested a sleek-looking all-purpose machine. I may not love HP’s frame-like stand style, but I can’t knock it for being easy-to-use, flexible, and sturdy. Plus, the Envy 23 TouchSmart has an excellent touchscreen, speakers enhanced with BeatsAudio, and very solid overall performance.

Other system manufacturers have narrowed HP's lead in the touch screen desktop race, but the HP ENVY 23-060qd 060qd touch-screen all-in-one desktop still provides a lot of PC for the price.

The HP Envy 23-d060qd TouchSmart ($1,720 direct) is HP’s latest evolution of its veteran all-in-one PC line. Filled to the brim with technology, the ENVY 23-060qd TouchSmart is a built-to-order system with a speedy quad-core processor, upgraded 3D graphics, loads of system memory, a huge hard drive, and that 1080p 10-finger touch screen. It has all the specs to keep a speeds-and-feeds nut drooling, but it also has the touch interface to take advantage of Windows 8 on a desktop. Competitors have narrowed the once vast lead HP had with its TouchSmart PCs, but HP shows that it can still produce very good touch PCs when you are willing to spend some of your hard-earned cash.