Traditionally, the PC and the printer go hand-in-hand, but that is changing, said Keith Kmetz, vice president of IDC's hardcopy research program. Now the Internet is becoming the information hub for homes, and this printer is designed to exploit that, he said.

But the technology of printing directly from the Internet isn't entirely new, Kmetz said. Sharp has shown some multifunction printers in the past that could print documents directly from sites like Google, but that was for more expensive printers in the business market. The technology is new for inexpensive printers, Kmetz said.

He was guardedly optimistic on whether the technology would take off. Printers are still the mainstay in homes to print large documents from PCs. It may also take time to break consumers from their habit of booking tickets online at home but printing them out at the theater or of printing digital photographs at local print stores.

"But I have to give HP kudos for trying to make print relevant for consumers," Kmetz said. The feature could add attract some buyers who look for added value from printers in the low-end segment.

HP is incorporating touchscreens into more devices. HP already offers TouchScreen all-in-one PCs, which are desktop PCs designed to be shared in homes and small businesses. The PCs allow users to perform basic computing tasks, schedule activities or record video notes for other family members or work colleagues to view.