This is a compensated review by BlogHer and HP.
A few weeks ago I got an email asking if I’d be interested in reviewing a new HP TouchSmart 600 computer. And yes, I was interested, because I am a nerd and always terribly entertained by anything that plugs in and has a screen, but since I’d never seen the TouchSmart before, I had a mental image of a big, clunky desktop coming into the house. Besides that, we haven’t owned a PC in about ten years, and part of me wondered if accepting the HP was some unforgivable act of Mac betrayal.
But then I remembered the 10 year-old Mac desktop in my office (that, bless its heart, can’t run more than two applications at a time before it starts to wheeze), and I got over my reservations. BRING ON THE HP.
The new TouchSmart arrived a few days later, and y’all, I cannot tell you how impressed we have been by this computer. We love it. It looks great (do you see how skinny it is?), and when David was setting it up, I actually asked him where the rest of it was. It’s essentially the same size as a flat-screen TV. In fact, it can work as a TV – you just plug in your cable and you’re good to go. It can also work as a DVR (CAN I GET AN AMEN?) or a BluRay movie player. There’s even a remote. Be still my heart.
And I wish y’all could have seen my husband’s reaction when he realized that you can mount the TouchSmart on the wall. Suffice it to say that his eyes lit up and then glazed over and I thought for a brief moment that he might need to sit down and put his head between his knees.
We started using the TouchSmart approximately 53 seconds after we set it up, and while I didn’t know how much I’d use all the bells and whistles in our day-to-day routine, I have to say that the touchscreen features are actually my very favorite part. Besides the fact that it makes me feel like Tom Cruise in “Minority Report” when I move my finger around the screen and resize pictures and create collages and pretend like I’m some sort of technological wizard, it’s just so EASY. I can write notes, save recipes, browse the web, play a movie via our Netflix account, laugh at something on Hulu, listen to my Pandora playlist, edit photos and so much more – all without touching a keyboard or a mouse. The computer HAS a keyboard and a mouse, of course (they’re wireless!), and you can use them with any of the TouchSmart applications – but once you get the hang of the touchscreen, it’s oh-so-convenient and fun.
I really could go on and on – about how Alex loves it, about how the touchscreen is COMPLETELY intuitive for a child, about how I adore the Recipe Box feature that lets me add any recipe I happen to run across on the web and will even READ THE RECIPE OUT LOUD TO ME while I cook. But I’m going to quit talking now because we need to get this giveaway started. I think it’s time.
So.
If you’d like to win an HP TouchSmart 600 computer, leave a comment below and tell me where you’d put the computer if you won. Family room? Office? Playroom? Kitchen? Inside Mama’s closet where NO ONE ELSE CAN TOUCH IT? On top of a thrift store desk that you overhauled with turquoise spray paint?
Or, if you’d like, you can leave a comment with a link to a post about the HP on your blog.
And whatever you do, please make sure that your email address is correct.
This contest will begin December 9th and end December 24th.
Before I forget:
1) If you’d like more information about this computer, just click on over to HP’s official site.
2) Rules!
• No duplicate comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by linking on Twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
• You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
• This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older (I’m so sorry, Canada).
• Winners will be selected via random draw, and will notified by e-mail.
• You have 48 hours to get back to me; otherwise a new winner will be selected.
• Please see the official rules here: Official Rules.
The winner will be selected using random.org.
Also, there are four other bloggers giving away the HP TouchSmart 600 (that means there are five free computers up for grabs, people), so check out the BlogHer.com special offers page for links to their sites. You can enter to win on all five blogs.
Happy TouchSmarting, everybody!
Thursday 12/10 at 8:40pm – comments seem to be working just fine again. Thanks for your patience!
This giveaway is now closed.
I would put it in my craft room so that could edit and print photos and use it for scrapbooking designs.
please pick me! :D
My hubby and I just bought a house and found out we’re expecting!! We’d love a new computer to blog about all these exciting things!! :)
I would have to put it in my family room!
Very Exciting!!
I would put it in our family room/office area.
Thanks
I would proudly place in my home office!
I would put this computer on my grandfathrs rolltop desk, where i can work on compleating my MEd
I would love to have a new computer to distract, I mean – help me with, from all my graduate school assignments :)
My husband and I would absolutely love to win this computer. Our own just recently went to computer heaven and it would be so nice to play around with our new wedding photos on a wonderful/WORKING computer!
Awesome!
I would put this computer in our playroom/office. Open and accessible to everyone!
Great giveaway!
KimberlyUTK@gmail.com
I run my business from my house, and I also have an outdated Dell. You have no idea how much I could use that computer. Please enter me up. Thank you so much for doing this!!!!!
I would obviously put the computer in my home office/bedroom!!!
My first thought was “In Mama’s closet” of course, but I think the family room might be a better choice!
I’d put that bad boy in our living room, so everyone can enjoy it!
I’d put in on the wall in our breakfast area on a swivel, where it can be seen from both the kitchen and the family room. Recipes for one room and hulu for the other…It would be perfect there!!
Oooh it’s so pretty! I would put it in the kitchen. I could edit photos while the kids color, I could store recipes for easy viewing while I cook, I could play Pandora during all the time we hang out in the kitchen. Oh the possiblities!
I would most definitely put it in my living room for the family to use for lots of different things.
Awesome!! Thanks for the chance to win this beauty!
Shneikees! AWESOME giveaway! I’d put it in the kitchen on the high high bar so that the kiddos couldn’t smear peanut butter all over it :)
I think I would put it in the den or playroom. Our whole family would love it!
This bad boy would go in MY BEDROOM, so little people don’t TOUCH THE precious!!!!!
Kelly in Michigan
oh I would love to win this as I am currently getting into photography!!!! Woo-hoo hope I win!!!!
How awesome! I’d put it in my kitchen – smack dab in the middle of the house where everyone can use it!
I would put it in my family room considering my current little tv is starting to die! This would be an incredible upgrade to what I’ve had for the past 8 years!!
I’d put it right smack dab on my desk, and give my mom my current computer.
I would use it to really get my blog up and running. This way I would be able to use the photo editing to get great pics up. Right now I can’t afford anything. This is a great giveaway. Thanks
Looks soo neat! And would come in so much handy!
Oh, how my small vintage desk (which has never been large enough to hold our giant, aging desktop) would love to hold the lovely new HP!
I would put this new HP in my kitchen! I have the perfect spot and would love to be able to pull up recipes on screen while cooking!
Katie
I would put it in my office! Great give away!
i tweeted about it
http://twitter.com/kendrahartley
of course i blogged about it!!
http://kendrahartley.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-computer-giveaway.html
I want it!!!!!!!!!
Holy cow! This computer sounds like it would help me save time in so many ways. Putting it up in our kitchen would be so handy!!! I always have my laptop sitting on my counter while I’m cooking so I can pull up a recipe, check emails, etc.
Wow…this is such a great giveaway! I’m new to your blog…found it through Kelly.
I love to read about other moms and the challenges we all face on a daily basis!
I would put it in our family room so everyone could enjoy it… even though I would really prefer it in my crafting room so I could use it as I worked on my projects :)
Oh I would use this for my kitchen area where the kids use the computer that is so slow they have to walk away and come back!
What an awesome give-away! Having an extra PC would be so handy; it would be a great tool to have in the kitchen (since our other computer is upstairs). My husband or I could logon & still keep an eye on our little one. :o) I also love that the screen is fingerprint friendly. :o)
I would put it in my livingroom! It would look nice there!
Who wouldn’t want a FREE new computer, especially one that’s cool like this! I’d put it in my home office/craft room. We’re about to give the room a whole new look…I’d love it if this little wonder were a part of my new desk :)
I would put it on a beautiful white pine desk that my dad designed and made me when I was about 12. It sits now in our living room.
I would attach it to my hip so I could never be without it…..or in our family room :)
I soooo could use a new computer…what a great christmas gift!!!!!
I love this! I would definitely put it somewhere near the kitchen so that I could use it while I cook.
I would definitely put this to use in my kitchen!!!
Whatta giveaway!!
We would put it in our office/schoolroom/music room! :)
I would put this in our hutch in our bedroom (away from our 2 year old son’s hands!). Thanks for the chance to win!
kroshbarker@aol.com
I would put it wherever I was sitting! Living room, bedroom, office, kitchen … what an amazing giveaway!
Thanks!
What a great gift this would be for hubby!!! He works so hard and his computer is so old this would be perfect for him!!
in the living room, for sure, and then i’d get rid of the huge desk/armoir (sp?) we have and get a cute thrift store desk to put it on, minus the turquoise. cuz i’m boring like that.
Either in the office to replace our old computer or somewhere on our first floor. Because oh my word! The beauty of this computer should not be hidden even though I want it in my closet where no one can touch it! :)
In the kitchen – great idea!
I would put it in my family room so everyone could enjoy it!
I would plop this right in our family room where it could replace the crappy computer we have!
If I won this beauty, I’d put it in my kitchen. I’m always looking for new recipes, so being able to have it in the kitchen would benefit my family greatly!
Well Good Lord, BooMama! A computer give-away! That computer would be right here on the desk in our kitchen so our entire family could make good use out of it. Thanks for the opportunity to win.
It would go in the basement, gorgeous computer that it is!!
I’d love to see this computer sitting on the desk in my office space.
http://namenazi.blogspot.com/2009/12/its-christmas-and-everyone-is-giving.html
I’m a long-time reader of your blog and decided this was the perfect time to de-lurk! I would LOVE to have this HP TouchSmart computer and would definitely put it in my office where I would hopefully spend all of my waking hours organizing a large collection of family photos.
That has got to be one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. If I won this I could be just like all the crime scene investigators I’ve seen on TV!
I would love to win this!
I would put it in our office… my almost 7 year old Mac is wheezing, too! I love it, but it’s time for my little workhorse to be retired!
I would put the computer in our tiny guestroom/office on top of thrifted desk that has not been painted and is still in need of new hardware! However the desk would suddenly look fabulous if this was sitting atop it.
I would love to win!!!
If I won I would put it in my kitchen. I know just the perfect little nook where I could keep it. I could then listen to music while I bake….how wonderful!
I recently started a blog, so this would be a great help to me! Also, I am a special education teacher who feels very passionate about maintaining a classroom webpage and integrating technology into the instruction of students who have moderate disabilities (my kiddos are grades 4-7). :)
I would love to have a computer I could call my own and that my husband wouldn’t be allowed to touch.
I would put it on a table right next to my side of the bed.
Thanks!!
I would love a new computer! I would put it in our office.
Awesome giveaway!! I am so excited at the possibility of maybe winning. This computer would be awesome for not only myself but also my son. I would so have to keep this in the kitchen so everyone had access to it — just too great to keep to myself!! Good luck to me ;)
I think this sweet thang would make our home office look way more serious. And a serious office, equals serious work, right???
I am the current owner of an old Mac and it has been good to me over the years, but it is more than ready to be replaced. Oh, how I would love this new HP computer! I am a full-time working mom and my husband is currently inbetween jobs due to this horrible economy. This computer would help in so many ways – more ways than I can probably dream of. It would be the perfect addition to my kitchen either mounted on the wall or sitting on top of a make-shift desk. Thank you for this opportunity!
i would LOVE to win this b/c the touch screen feature & the recipe box would really be helpful to me!! thanks for hosting the giveaway!!
I would put it in the ‘game room’ where I can sneak in when everyone is asleep and play with it!
I would love this HP TouchSmart computer!
Tweeted about the give away here: http://twitter.com/jensoup
I tweeted!
http://twitter.com/bethanybalsis
bethanybalsis@mac.com
I would put it in the living room in my apartment to take the place of my old as the hills tv that just died!
I would love to win this computer, just like everyone else. That beautiful computer would in my office/guest bedroom. My current model was a hand-me-down from my BIL when they got their new computer. I know that my son would greatly appreciate it. He’s been using the computer more now that he’s in middle school and the Youth Gov’t Club.
I would put it in my office(slash)playroom. I figured out when my kids were pretty young that the only way for mom to get any computer time was to put it in the same room w the toys!
The spare room in our apartment started out as the “office” but over time has become the scrapbook room. I knew I had officially taken over when my husband even started calling it that. It will go in there for sure! In the small portion that still resembles an office.
I would love this to share pics with family members in diff states and for my lil girl to play on
If I won this computer would definitely go in my home office!!
I would put it in my office, for sure! Away from the kiddos, unless under direct supervision, that is! LOL. Thanks for the chance!
bethanybalsis@mac.com
If I had this computer I could actually spend more time at home editing and less time at the office!
Oh how I’d appreciate this! Thank you for the chance!
I would probably put it in the playroom so my boys could use it to play fun {and educational} games!
I would put it on our computer desk, and get rid of our current computer!!!!
I would put this in the master bedroom. It would be just for me and my kids wouldn’t be allowed to touch it :)
i would put this in my kitchen where i would always have access to is for fabulous recipes!
This is a great giveaway! My husband and I have been talking about getting a new computer so this would be great for us!
This is an awesome giveaway!!!I would love to win this to replace my older computer. The features sound so nice. Thank you for giving us this chance :-)
I would probably put it on my desk in the office. That is the safest place away from the kiddos.
Marci
(marci_3602@hotmail.com)
Thanks for offering this awesome giveaway! If I won, it would probably take the place of my old Dell (that’s about to bite the dust) on my desk in my bedroom.
I would definitely put this in my office. I am sure that I’d actually get more work done more quickly with the touch screen!
This is awesome!! I would probably send this to Tech School with my hubby. He leaves in March with the Air National Guard. After, it would be great in our bedroom–away from the kiddos :)
Oh, I would love to win this for my husband, but I’d sure love to use it in the kitchen too.
After reading the reviews, how in the world have I lived all this time with my old computer!
Thanks for hosting this contest!
I would put this in our office! What an amazing giveaway!!!!
I would put this in my office slash guestroom, slash storage space, slash library. It would be a great addition!
Thanks for this opportunity, Blogher & Boo Mama :)
-Ria
I love it!! Need it for home because HP is the very best. I know this because I work in the IT technical field and have HP at work!!
http://twitter.com/adseale
What a great computer! I would have to buy a special desk for it. I already have a work provided computer at home but would love to have a HOME computer! Thank you!