HP DreamScreen Unboxing and Initial Thoughts

Having covered digital photo frames and widget-ized devices for a while, I was psyched to have the HP DreamScreen arrive on my doorstep yesterday for review. I’ve barely had time to turn the DreamScreen on, but wanted to share some initial thoughts based on the unboxing and what I’ve read from other reviews of the device.

First, the packaging of this thing is beautiful. I have to admit, if you’re going to sell me a device for a couple hundred bucks, it doesn’t hurt to make the unboxing a thrilling experience – something Apple learned early on. Second, you can unwrap everything and have the DreamScreen powered on in about five minutes. Third, the device itself is beautiful – both the slick, black surface and the resolution on the DreamScreen. More on that later.

Before I dig in to a full product review, I also want to mention one particular complaint that has been made about this device in the press. The DreamScreen’s gotten dinged for including only widgets, not a Web browser. Respectfully, we disagree with that sentiment. Dave and I both feel that a product like this doesn’t need a full-on browser. That’s what my netbook is for. If this device is going to sit in my living room or kitchen, I don’t want it to be something I use to get work done or browse for content on at length. I want it to provide snippets of information and entertainment. That said, I don’t want it to be a static device either. As my Squeezebox has shown, it’s possible to continue delivering software updates which provide new content and applications. That’s what I want from the next screen in my home.

Stay tuned for the DreamScreen hands-on review. In the meantime, take a look at the gallery of unboxing pics below.