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.
WOW WOW WOW . . . what an AWESOME giveaway, and this computers is out of this world! WOW!
This would definitely go in my office where I’m borrowing my hubby’s monitor. Would love to replace that with this!
Thanks a so much :)
OMWOW ~ What an amazing give away! I have an older Dell on it’s last leg. This would be such a blessing!
Thanks for the chance!
Andrea
wheeler@ilovejesus.net
THANKS for hosting this give away. All I can say is, holy macaroni, I want that bad boy! I would put it right on the desk in the main room of my house. The desk sits against the back of the couch – a placement that I like to think of as a pretty good idea! xo
I would love to win this computer for my husband, his laptop is old and dying :) I’d let him decide where he wants to put it (probably on a desk or table though, I’d imagine…haha)
Would love this computer to take the place of our slowly dying computer in the kitchen office. Would make a great addition to our growing family!
Definitely on my nightstand!
Awesome computer! I’m torn as to where I’d put it. We need to replace the kids computer as it is so slow. But this is so cool and since it can be a TV, it might look real nice in our bedroom – away from said kids and their tendancy to break every stinkin thing the touch!
I’m currently sitting right in front of the perfect place to put it – in the kitchen where the old one is right now.
I love recipe box feature, this computer would defiantly go in our kitchen!
OMG – that computer is AWESOME! I would put it in my home office that I use everynight with kids homework, blogging, facebooking, scrapbooking. I would be a perfect addition to my home!
I think I’d totally go for the closet so no one could get to it! Wow!
THIS DOES WARRANT ALL CAPS!
I would love to put it in my family room for my kids to use. Awesome! midwestmommy(at)gmail.com
I sure could use this computer to give to my husband. He is starting seminary in January and needs one badly!
I had to blog about this as well here:
http://larsonchsa.blogspot.com/2009/12/boomama-giveaway.html
just tweeted this! http://www.twitter.com/allizachry
This would be an amazing gift that our family would be so thankful for. I have returned to school full-time to complete my nursing degree and now I seem to monopolize the our dinosaur of a computer. This would be a huge blessing
I would put this in our “new” office and it would be MINE! Yes, all mine!!! Well, my hubby’s maybe…
Blessings to you!
Lana @ ilovemy5kids
I would love to have this new computer. We have an old laptop and the keys are literally falling off. I have the perfect spot for this in my desk area in the kitchen.
I’d put it in our school room where we currently have all broken computers and everyone lines up by my poor overworked one. It would be so nice to have school happening with a working computer!
I tweeted. ;o) http://twitter.com/mistimann/status/6510118756
What a great giveaway!! So exciting
Jennifer Milam
milam10@pldi.net
Pick Me!
in my bedroom
I would love to win this!!! I would put it on our kitchen desk to replace the elderly computer that my family uses. This computer looks like it would be a lot more fun and a lot more reliable!
Why must you make it look so darn neat!? I want one…BAD!
I am in the process of starting a little business of my own. Would love to have this for my business.
I am in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment until a house sells in another city. So I am having to turn a closet into my “office”. Taking the door off and visiting the Container Store to turn a clothes closet into an office.
“”EXCITING!”””
Jenny
WOW! What an incredible giveaway! I would probaby put this in my office to replace our old Dell. My husband would flip if we won this!!!!
I would put it in an office if I had one, but for right now it would have to settle for my bedroom.
Just blogged about this awesome giveaway
http://www.francesstreetphotography.com/2009/12/touchscreen-giveaway/
WHOAH MOMMA would totally love a new computer to go with her new business….
I would put this AMAZING computer in our living room for all the family to use! It looks too nice not to! I would love this computer, and am soooo excited about this giveaway! Thanks!
I cannot even contain my excitement about the read aloud recipe feature! I’m always lugging my laptop to the kitchen with me and then freaking out about the possibility of spilling on it. So while I would LOVE to put this in my office next to my kitchen (no spilling allowed on that beauty)…I think I’d give it to my mom. She’s slightly tech challenged and this would do a world of good for her! Any way you slice it I’m gonna have to buy at least one! Thanks for such a cool giveaway!
Would love, love, love to win! I would like to see the recipe app…sounds cool!
Hmmm, I’m thinking this would fit well in the master bedroom and could be useful for movie watching.
I would love to win this for Christmas!
I would place this computer in my parents bedroom. They have a pretty OLD one, so this would be AWESOME!!!
I would love a new comp! Thanks for the chance!
A second computer in the house would be great..
I love this computer. I need this computer. Please pick me…………
I would put it in my room- that’s where I do all my
work and my laptop won’t even turn on anymore! I’m in desperate need of some technology!
I would definitely put it on a wall, somewhere where grubby little hands can’t reach it and accidentally buy thousands of dollars worth of crap on eBay. :)
This would be awesome. It would go in my kids room (perfect size!) and meet all of her school + entertainment needs
I would love to have a new computer to help with school work :)
Our laptop recently died, so this would be a great replacement!
Love it, it’s so skinny! This would be great to win!!
I will have to decide the best place for such a beautiful computer. Probably MY desk!!
I would put it in the kitchen! The recipe feature sounds amazing and I don’t have counter space for my laptop (only computer in the house) on my kitchen counter. I want to mount that beautiful computer in my kitchen!
My dell just died and I think this would make a great replacement :)
I would put this computer in our family room. Our family computer died so we would love to win this!
My link to my twitter account:
http://twitter.com/sowaliz/status/6510232154
I blogged. http://cropgirl.blogspot.com/2009/12/want-to-win-computer.html
Oh, I hope I win!
mmmmmm…. so many choices as to where to put it. I may just carry it around since it’s so pretty to look at, but most likely I would mount it to the wall (thanks for mentioning that possibility) above my computer buffet -please, I know, a computer buffet? But our current computer doesn’t fit where it is supposed to go – so that my lovely, painted black buffet could go back to being what it dreams of – a lovely spot in our dining/kitchen area. Hide the cute little keyboard in the top drawer, and voila! we look like the kitchen again! YEAH!!
I would put this computer FAR out of the reach of my daughter since I always catch her ‘playing’ on the one I use for work now!
Well, since we live in a TEEEEENY apartment, I’d put it in the only place possible – our dining room!
I hope this goes to someone who REALLY needs it!
Merry Christmas!
I would give it to my son. He has CP and is using a computer right now that is older than old. His computer is his #1 method of communicating. We homeschool and this would be………wellllllllllll….it would be a HUGE blessing !
Hugs
I would mount it on the wall in my music teaching studio! I’ve been wanting one for several years now for usage in ny office on that end of the house but it just hasn’t been in the budget …. Thanks for offering the opportunity to win one!!!
Merry Christmas!
Bitsy
in my little office…
I’d LOVE this! My laptop is soo old & is an acer. i’d really love to get an HP computer, but with being a college student, I’m about to graduate and get married, so there’s no extra money to just go out and buy a computer! We’d both love this!!
Wow! What an awesome computer! I’m a poor college student, so a new computer would be great!
I think I could get another job with all the time I spend trying to make our VEEERY OLD desktop work!
I would put it in my kitchen!
Um…I would mount it on the wall in the office…because I can…
I would love to have this computer for my husband who just started college…it has been 14 years since he has been in a classroom. I’m proud of him.
Very cool that you were chosen to give this away. If I were to win the TouchSmart it would go in the living room where the entire family could make use of it. We’d most definitely use it for homeschooling the boys.
I would put it in the kitchen so we can look for recipes conveniently!
I would love to win this as our computer crashed and I am in the middle of writing a book! I hope I win!
Where would I put it….well let me tell you. I’d put it in the room in the basement that I call “my area. Its off limits to the kids and honestly I rarely get in there but if I had one it would go in there and then I wouldn’t have to go around the house begging to use a computer because i’d have my own. I’d scrapbook with it…oh the joy I would have. If there is a Santa….I will win!!!
How about I put in on my FREE desk that I got when my husband’s school replaced their old desks! In my office! For my job from home!!! :) Wow. I’d love to win this…
BOOMAMA!! awesome! I hope you’re loving new computer-would love to have one myself!!
Merry Christmas!
This would be a perfect addition to my already cramed office/guest room/playroom/craft room!!!!
Pick me!
This is such a great giveaway! I would put the new computer in my niece’s hot little hands! She just started college this past Sept. and is a very gifted student. On top of that, she is a really great kid. Smart, kind, thoughtful, visits here grandparents. I just can’t say enough about her. So far, she has impressed her professors, too. She is attending college on an academic scholarship thru her father’s workplace. Her father was just told his plant his closing. He will lose his job next month, January. I’m hoping this will not affect her scholarship. I know many people are dealing with this problem right now. It is very sad. Anyway, if I win, she will hopefully have something to make schoolwork a little easier!
Definitely the kitchen so the whole family could enjoy it. Pick me!!
It would totally go in my new office!
I don’t need this computer, but with my parents putting three kids through college right now, they could really use an update at home! thanks so much. Kelly Magee
Oooh I would love to put this at the desk in my kitchen!
I would put this in my bedroom because I have NEVER EVER had a TV or computer in my bedroom and I’ve always wanted one! thanks for the chance to win!!!!!
I would put in my bedroom, which also doubles as my office.
I would put it in my office, to replace the dinosaur that is currently living there!
i would put it in our kitchen right next to our coffee area… we could not have to tote and plug in our forever dying laptop for recipes and music and ya know all the fun things we do on the computer!
I would put it my office. My mama sanctuary, that I painted a lovely, calming Nantucket Grey. Sometimes I leave my bathroom, with Habenero Pepper Red walls (courtesy of my husband) and go into that room just for the calming effects.
I would love one of these for my granddaughter who has Asperger’s. The whole family would love it!
I would put this computer on my empty desk in my office.
I would put it in the master bedroom, in the alcove, where it’s dark, quiet and peaceful =)
Drooling, drooling, drooling!
I would put it in the living room – within sight of the kitchen to hear the recipe reader, yet still close to the couch to entertain my husband and I while we watch hulu after a long day’s work!
I would love love love this computer. It feels like things have definitely not been going my way lately and it would be great for something good to happen for a change!
I would put this in the office!
posting this on my blog right now…
http://www.thelifeofmem.blogspot.com
I would put it in my bedroom! That way, I could lock the door and no one could come in!
I like the closet idea but it will likely go in the kitchen. We have one of those big open floor plan kitchen, dining, family room dealys and ugly old desktops just don’t cut it.
I am definitely thinking the kitchen would be perfect. Our other computer is upstairs and I have been reading recipes off of my iphone lately! This is so much cooler!!
I would love a computer with so many features!
I would put it in the living room where everyone can see how beautiful it is!!!
Such a rad computer!
Ooh! I would put this in my bedroom/office and be giddy every time I used it!
Thanks!!
Debba / http://girlfriendology.com
I WOULD PUT IT IN MY SPARE BEDROOM–THAT DESPERATELY NEEDS TO BE CLEANED OUT!!!
i would put it in the guest bedroom/office !!
I could soooo use this for my at home job. HP rocks.
Cece
I would put it in my office. I am a medical student and study mostly on my computer…when it works! It’s slowly dying and a new computer is just the thing I need! Love it!