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 this in the kitchen!
I would put it on my old desk to replace my old computer. The only problem would be maybe I would need a new, fancy desk to go with the computer. A girl can dream right?
If I won, I would put this computer in the computer armoire in my craft room.
I tweeted!! http://twitter.com/Kimmiekinkins/status/6513789522
My fav room…office where I could blog away forever. This looks like an AWESOME computer and I need a new one so bad!! It will look real purty (as PW would say) on my desk!!
I would put it on the empty desk in my spare room where books are the only technology tool.
This would live in the rolltop desk in the family room. And it’s so small I’d be able to close the desk!
I’d put it in my kitchen…I’m in there so much I’m considering installing a Murphy bed!
I tweeted your giveaway!!
This is an amazing computer, so many fun features to explore, I hope I get one!
Mine would live in the living room. :) How fun!
in the kitchen, where we could all use it!!! Looks like lots of fun!
I would put it in my office that I share with my DH on top of my desk that I made from an antique door (so we didn’t have to buy a desk)!
I would LOVE to have this computer.I REALLY need a new one. Thanks for sharing. lauraleeharris@gmail.com
I would love to surprise my hubby with a new computer for Christmas!
What an amazing giveaway! I would put it in my kitchen- probably hanging up and use it for the TV/DVD player as well as letting it talk to me while I cook a recipe off the internet!!! How cool would that be?!
I would put it in my kitchen so I could read blogs while feeding my baby girl!
Our computer is old and crashing. Using daughters. Thanks for being a part of such a great give away.
This would be just what I need for getting my business off the ground. I have been wanting to get a new computer~I would put it in the kitchen office area. Ideal!!
I would absolutely love this! Our 10 year old computer has been in the ‘shop’ 3 times now. I would replace it in a heartbeat. Now that all of us use it (5, 10, 45, 50 year olds)
It would proudly go right here where this one is.
I am Swirl Girl. And I am HP.
How awesome would that be??
I would love this HP computer. I enjoy blogging about my little girl and live thousands of miles away from family and friends, ao I am ALWAYS on email or facebook. I also like to edit pictures, Skype, and pursue the web. This would be a nice addition!
I would love, love, love this computer!
I tweeted about this!
http://www.twitter.com/keepinupkatie
We would put this in our home schooling room so we could all use it as a family. Love the features, especially the talking recipe feature! How cool!!!
Would replace my ‘oldie’ in the office for sure! Thanks so much for the opportunity, what a great giveaway!
Blessings,
Kaye
I have posted about your giveaway.
Sheila
whitjsss@aol.com
This would be the most awesome prize ever!! I would put it on our desk in the basement and clear out the clutter from our old, big, clunky computer.
Hehe, ok so if I were feeling selfish, it’d go in my room so only I could use it. However, I know my husband would love to get his hands on this baby (pun intended!) and my boys would get a kick out of playing their games right on the screen! So I guess we could put it in the living room ;) If I HAD to ;)
if i won… i’d find a place to put it in the new apartment i hope i’m living in next summer with my husband to be! ;-)
I would put this in the guest room of the new home my hubby and I just bought! It would make a great addition!
Wow! I would love a new computer. Mine is completely covered in sticky, little fingerprints (and it doesn’t work that great either!)
lascruceshomes@gmail.com
I would love a chance to win. It would go on our computer desk to replace our VERY old desktop computer! Thank you for a chance to win!
Thanks for this wonderful giveaway!
I would use this computer in my family room. Have a computer cabinet with nothing in it. My desk top crashed so I have to depend on a lap top thats old and freezing up. But I’m addicted to blogs and it’s better than nothing.
Oh my word!!!!! I’d put in in my home office!!!!
These are awesome! What an amazing giveaway. My laptop is hanging by one hinge, so this would be a perfect replacement. Thanks for the opportunity!
I have a computer hutch I keep our 6 yr old dinosaur in but this baby is way to pretty to HIDE!! I would put it on the desk in our family room for all to enjoy =) How a great giveaway!! I would love to win!!
I’d put it in the living room, it’d replace my dying laptop. (the screen flickers and I can only use it when it ‘allows’)
I would put it in my kitchen. How dreamy to be able to check email, check Facebook, AND be having recipes read to me all in the same room!!
What a gorgeous looking computer, and what an awesome giveaway! I would love this.
Oh, oh, oh!!! Pick me, pick me, pick me!!! It looks so cool and we could use one!
I would put it in my living room inside my empty computer hutch (old desktop died :( it was about 10 years old )So it would have a beautiful NEW home for all to see!
Blogged about this awesome contest! http://hanessweethome.blogspot.com/2009/12/what-awesome-computer.html
I have to wait till my husband gets off work so I can post pics on my blog of my baby girl on his computer and would love one of my own to put in our living room
Totally have wanted one of these since seeing the commercials!!
Oh my word. If I won this, my whole family would just die if I won this. Our old D@ll has crashed at least twice this year and is so slow I can start something, walk away to refresh my coffee in the microwave and come back to finish it. NO EXAGGERATION!
If I won, I’d put it in our computer hutch in the living room. And I’d give the old D@ll a peaceful ending ASAP!
I blogged it! http://buhtafly.blogspot.com/2009/12/enter-to-win.html
I tweeted too! http://twitter.com/buhtafly
Small house – no choice but the family room.
I would put it on my desk. I’d probably stare at it for a good long while before using it because it’s so pretty
…pretty please…
I would put this in our playroom and put our older desktop out of its misery!!
I would put this beautiful computer in my guest room/study/mini-library. That’s where our old one is, but I think she’s on her last leg….:(
Really hope I win!!!!
I would put it in my den where I could play with my new toy while I watched my kids play with their toys.
I would put it on the desk in my living room and admire it daily!
Would love to win the computer. I love to cook so the recipe box would be great.
I would love this computer! I think the fact that it reads recipes is the most amazing thing ever!
if i was chosen to win this, i would be soooo good to it :) i would get some much use out of it because i’m a graphic designer… i think the computer needs me ;)
Oh my WORD! I’ve never even heard of such a thing but I felt like your husband, needing to sit down and take a breath when I saw this on your blog. WOW!!! So I would have to put it in the kitchen where I could access it for recipes or my son could sit up on a stool and play a game on it as well.
Considering it just took my dinosaur 10 minutes to load this page….please, please! It will go to a good home!
I tweeted about it =)
http://twitter.com/Traci_E_Collins
Well, my husband just managed to occupy our desk with his new computer, so I guess that means I get shafted to the kitchen table =)
I would put this in our office to replace our current computer which we’ve had for years. Like, since I started college. Which was almost 6 years ago. If computer years are like dog years, (and they totally are)then our computer is over the hill!
I need a new computer so much, and would put it in my office. Thanks so much!
I would put it in the kitchen so I could multi-task while wating for water to boil. Then once the water was boiling, I would use it to read me the steps to make the dish!
I would love to have this computer. With the economy the way it is, my kid’s teachers are putting their homework assignments online to save on making physical copies of the homework on paper. This computer would come in mighty handy!!
~Allie in AZ
In my freshlu painted home office!
I blogged about it. The scheduled post will go up on Saturday, so I don’t have a link yet.
I would put it in the office. I would love to win!!!
I would put the computer in the room over the garage—the room farthest away from where I watch TV—so my husband could play his games without bothering me!
I would put this in the kitchen. My mom would love the “Recipe Box” program. Also, I think the whole family would be able to enjoy the webcam use for contacting relatives across the world.
It would definitely go on the coffee table in my living room!!! Well, that or the desk I guess!
I would put the computer in our bonus room where everyone in my family uses the computer. I would absoluely LOVE to win!!! (Did you notice the capital letters?)
In my sewing/crafting room, connected to my embroidery machine!
Wowzers. All I’m sayin’.
I would put it on my desk upstairs. Far away from my husband who I’m sure would think it should be on HIS desk. And, for all the times he has said not to touch his computer screen, I would tell him not to touch the computer screen. HA!
Wish me luck…This is amazing. Thanks for the review.. And now i have a new fav blog…
We just moved into a new house and gave all our hard earned cash to the bank for down payment. Now, my car’s acting up, it’s Christmas, and I think my computer is dying. I would be thrilled to win!
Oh, and I would put it on the desk in my kitchen.
i guess i would have to put it on my dining room table until i could get a really awesome desk to put it on! :)
I would put it in my room. I would love to be able to use it to do my digital scrap booking, photo and movie editing!
I LOVE HP AND THE FACT I CAN TOSS THE MOUSE!
I’m thinking that I would enjoy having a kitchen computer! :)
We would put it on the work station I bought for myself when I worked…but now its become the family room…haha.
If I won this lovely computer it would go on the beautiful desk that my hubby brought home several years ago that has sit empty other than a few books on it.
I’m think it’d go in my room. Where I would share with NO ONE. :-)
I laughed when I saw that you might put it in your closet as an option because that is actually where my husbands office is! He works from home and we have no room for him to do it. This would be a great addition to his office and would be a terrific way to spruce it up and might even get me out of the dog house for sticking him in a tiny closet to work to begin with!
I would put it in our homeschool room. We could use a new computer!
If I won, I would put my new computer in the downstairs office where we all hang out.
kstoner@crosspointe.org
I would put it in my grandchildren’s living room so they could work on their school projects and communicate with Nana & PawPaw.
When I read that it reads the recipes to you out loud, I think my heart skipped a beat! ;) It would definitely go in the kitchen. I am constantly walking back to my computer to check a recipe when I am cooking something new!
I would put it in my dining room where everyone would have access to it. :)
What an awesome giveaway. I would put this computer in my living room for the whole family to use, and of course for me to monitor its use. My current laptop is five years old and barely functioning.
I would LOVE a new computer in my home office. The recipe box sounds so cool!!
Love your blog–Merry Christams!!
Crystal
my mother in law has great taste and really cool furniture. she’s from new orleans (we live in jackson…but, i’m sorry to tell you, we are ole miss graduates and fans! though she likes lsu…oh well, you can’t base your marriage on the sec). she gave us her old dining room table…its made out of an old door she got in new orleans and added fun legs to. we are using the table as a big desk…i would put the new HP on my fun new orleans desk.
and i’ll ring a cowbell if thats what it takes to win!
Our son, Evan is Autistic and loves anything on the computer. This would greatly benefit him in his therapy and for just having fun.
I’d put this in the study room, so DH and could share this new shinny HP together!
I would keep it in my craft room! Great giveaway!
I would love this for my kitchen
Well,bless your heart if it doesn’t look darlin’, just darlin’, on your freshly painted desk! ♥
I would send it with my oldest “baby,” who is going to college next year. All of those wonderful features will definitely streamline his dorm room needs and will ease my mind about whether he has everything he needs!
tweet.http://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/6514725956