A closer look at the HP DreamScreen

A closer look at the HP DreamScreen – Video

dreamscreen 10

When HP launched the DreamScreen internet connected display yesterday morning a lot of people commented on how much it looks like the mythical tablet. But it’s not. It’s something else entirely. What HP has done isn’t to reinvent the tablet, instead the company reinvented the digital photo frame and added a whole lot of features to it. The idea is that HP sees the future of media not necessarily as a TV or PC only experience, but as a series of screens you could have throughout the house, each playing different roles. The DreamScreen is a 10 or 13 inch screen that can hang out on your nightstand or in your kitchen.

The DreamScreen is powered by an ARM-based processor and it runs HP’s custom software on top of an embedded Linux kernel. The user interface is a lot like HP’s TouchSmart or MediaSmart software, and it should look kind of familiar to anyone who has used the HP Mini Mi Edition Linux software.

The device can function as a clock or calendar, digital photo frame, media player, or client for web apps including Facebook, Pandora, and Snapfish. It also has a library of 15,000 internet radio stations that you can stream music from. While there are WiFi enabled digital photo frames from other companies, I haven’t seen any others that have this many features. The DreamScreen has 2GB of built in storage, with about 1.5GB available to end users. There’s also a USB port and multi-format Flash card reader for adding extra content. Or you can stream photos, videos, or audio from a Windows XP, Vista, or 7 machine on your home network.

The DreamScreen can handle MP3, AAC, WMA, and WAV audio and MPEG-1/2/4 and H.264 video files. One of the things I was most curious about is how easy it will be to update the software ore add new features. Apparently HP can push out software updated over the air. And while the user interface isn’t that customizable right now, if the DreamScreen takes off, it could become a platform for developers and users would be able to pick and choose the applications they want to have installed.

I shot a brief interview and walkthrough of the DreamScreen interface at an event in New York last night. You can check it out after the break.

Posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009, 1:59 pm by Brad Linder

G

just LOVE those reflections from the SHINY SHINY screen

USB Port. Keyboard? Apparently not.

There's some nice videos with a lovely redhead green-eyed spokesmodel on the Amazon site.

Summary: gadget is an underpowered AppleTV with low resolution video and “internet” connections to stuff HP sets up for you.
MonkeyKing1969

What gets me is I have a Creative mp3/mp4 player that the size of a credit card that plays all those media formats, has more memory, and is much cheaper. I was just checking out the creative site for the next model up w/ wi-fi at Creative. This ZEN X-Fi with Wireless LAN does 98% the same things as the HP screen except it has a 3.5” screen….but that battery lasts 25 hr with video and 36 hrs just audio. That costs $149.

I can see what HP is getting at, but DreamScreen sit in-between other products. If you own an iPhone, iTouch, PSP-Go, or a nice mp3/mp4 player you have 95% of what the DreamScreen does. If you have a Netbook you have 120% of what they HP DreamScreen does for a bit more in price. The way I see it, this is not a really good solution for anything.
http://twitter.com/turn_self_off turn_self_off

i am starting to think its for sharing with visitors or family, and also have a personal use…

right all computing is personal, from the desktop pc to the phone/computer in your pocket.

but what about having some kind of household system? Say a central server, probably with a raid setup or similar to keep the data safe. And then different devices that access that data, from different places around the house.
MonkeyKing1969

Well then that would be a dumb terminal system and multiple screens. These DreamScreens seem antonymous, but not really all that 'smart'…they are half-dumb terminals since they lack just simple computing. So HP is selling half-dumb terminals for a half-bake idea.

I hate being so negative about this, but I think this is a mistake.

I think, I don't know, but I think these things don't act like computers because some division at HP didn't want this Dream Screen stepping on their computer sales. I just sniff some HP fiefdom protecting its 'status quo' and that doesn't smell right.
http://twitter.com/turn_self_off turn_self_off

i am starting to think its for sharing with visitors or family, and also have a personal use…

right all computing is personal, from the desktop pc to the phone/computer in your pocket.

but what about having some kind of household system? Say a central server, probably with a raid setup or similar to keep the data safe. And then different devices that access that data, from different places around the house.
MonkeyKing1969

Well then that would be a dumb terminal system and multiple screens. These DreamScreens seem antonymous, but not really all that 'smart'…they are half-dumb terminals since they lack just simple computing. So HP is selling half-dumb terminals for a half-bake idea.

I hate being so negative about this, but I think this is a mistake.

I think, I don't know, but I think these things don't act like computers because some division at HP didn't want this Dream Screen stepping on their computer sales. I just sniff some HP fiefdom protecting its 'status quo' and that doesn't smell right.

A closer look at the HP DreamScreen – Video

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