X

HP unveils pair of Windows 8-capable, Beats Audio-boasting monitors

The modestly specced 23-inch monitors, which will be available later this fall, are also modestly priced.

Xiomara Blanco Associate Editor / Reviews - Tablets and monitors
Xiomara Blanco is an associate editor for CNET Reviews. She's a Bay Area native with a knack for tech that makes life easier and more enjoyable. So, don't expect her to review printers anytime soon.
See full bio
Xiomara Blanco
2 min read

HP's new monitors share some specs but are geared toward different uses. HP

HP revealed a pair of modestly priced 23-inch HD monitors: a Windows 8-certified touch-screen and a Beats Audio-boasting display. The two new models feature a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution, 178-degree viewing angles, and purported 100,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

The HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor and HP Envy 23 are competitively priced for their average spec offerings, but the bargain comes at the cost of few ergonomic features and limited connectivity.

HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor
The HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor is Windows 8-ready and offers solitary HDMI, DVI-D, and USB ports. It also houses built-in speakers and a headphone jack.

The ability to recline makes the 23tm Touch Monitor more ergonomic to use as a touch-screen. HP

Like most Windows 8 monitors, the HP Pavilion 23tm Touch Monitor was designed with some ergonomics in mind, but it's limited to simply reclining up to 70 degrees. The monitor is also VESA wall mount compatible.

According to HP, the 23tm Touch Monitor will be available on October 6 with the starting retail price of $350. It's competitively priced for a Windows 8 monitor, considering some can cost you a cool $1,000, but the budget benchmark is currently held by Dell with its 20 Touch Monitor, priced at $250.

HP Envy 23
In the unnecessarily-cocky-monitor category, the HP Envy 23 appears to be more modest than its name suggests. The 23-incher is a relatively run-of-the-mill release that probably won't turn anyone green with jealousy, but the slickly designed monitor might appease some audiophiles with its Beats Audio-integrated headphone jack.

If anything, Apple's Thunderbolt Display might get envious of the Envy 23's slimmer profile. HP

Design-wise, the HP Envy 23 slightly resembles Apple's Thunderbolt Display, with a nearly edge-to-edge screen, slim borders, and similar foot stand that -- instead of a duck foot -- resembles an in-progress piece of origami. Ports on the monitor are limited to a single VGA and two HDMI.

The HP Envy 23 monitor will be available in November with a retail price of $250.