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 terrific computer on the desk in the kitchen for the family to use!
I would put in my office
This beauty will go in the kitchen where my parents can learn to use it!
We’d put it in our study!! :) Love it- thanks for such a wonderful giveaway!
I would put it in my living room!
tweet- http://twitter.com/whitlump/status/6514745402
I would use it in the family room so we could enjoy it everyday!
Since we don’t have an office, it would go right in the living room for easy access to the family :)
I would put it in the open dining/family room area so we would all get to enjoy using it and where it would also be used for the good it can bring (and not hidden away in someone’s room where temptation can reign!) Thanks for the opportunity!
I would love to put this in my guest bedroom. :)
I would love to put it in the kitchen on the counter top next to my cookbooks!
I would put it on the desk in our bedroom that doubles as our office.
I would put this GORGEOUS computer in my bedroom! I live in an apartment with roommates so that’s basically the only space that’s all mine (I’m selfish that way HAHA!)
I would put it in my lap….ok, that might not work too well, so probably in the kitchen, maybe the dish fairy would like that and come around more often?? We could so use a new puter, what a great giveaway. Thanks.
Wow, what a fab giveaway! I would mount the computer in the playroom, and use it to skype with the grandparents. Grandmas would LOVE to be able to watch their grandbabies play way over on the other side of the country. :)
I will be 40 on December 30th and this would be an awesome gift! and it would go in our office for everyone to enjoy!
Wow….what an awesome win this would be. I’m 54 and lost my job earlier this year. Government is going to pay me to go back to school…at my age. So a new computer would be great incentive to help me along. I would replace the old Dell on my desk in my bedroom with this fantastic win. Thanks for the chance to win.
In my new office that is currently being built! How exciting!
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/bikeohio/status/6514868434
I would put this beautiful, new computer on the beautiful computer desk that currently holds my computer from college (I graduated 10 years ago!). It is on the landing at the top of my staircase!
In my bedroom! I’m not sharing with my husband either! It would be my blogging computer!!!
amandaliddell@gmail.com
My husband could use a new desktop! His is kaput!
Blogged.http://tcarolinep.blogspot.com/2009/12/giveaway-boomama.html
I would put it in on the desk in our office so my mother and I could share actually having a computer that’s less than 6 years old. Though the mounting it on the wall idea does sound appealing too, we’d both have to squint to see it. So… desk it would be.
Hello BooMama! I would love to win this computer for my family :) I would love the recipe application & the built in TV/DVR!
Our family could really really use a new computer. We are a homeschooling family of 7 sharing an emachine bought 5 years ago and it is really having problems.
I was thinking I would put my new computer in my office where the old one now sits butIm wondering if it more worthy of an especially redesigned space.
Eller at I Love Jesus dot com
http://www.handfulofellers.blogspot.com
I’ve got this great desk from Pottery Barn, but an OLD gateway desktop that is 10 years old sitting on it! This HP would look Dyno-Mite in in its place!
Cool. Would love this.
oh the places you’ll go with this beauty! but i like your idea of keeping it far & away from little hands, even my hubbys hands. i might even start to cook if i had this nifty gal.
I would so put this in my guest room/office. I would love this computer!
Oh, boy, would I love to have that great computer–mine’s dying!
I am torn between the kitchen for cooking and the family room. Good way to keep an eye on the kids and a good way to cook. Oh the decisions we have to make! I hope have to make this one.
Merry Christmas!
I too need a new comp. Mine is out of breath as I type!
If I won this fabulous computer, it would definitely go in my office!
We would place the computer in our family room! I would so love to win this for my daughter to use
It’d go in the home office. Thanks for the give-away!
I need this I love HP It would make my year! touch touch touchsmart
Oh and It would go on top of my old one :)
This computer is so awesome! I would put it in my living room so that I could hear the recipes in my kitchen.
As a single mom (and grandma) who used a “dinosaur” of a computer to get through my college degree, I could REALLY use a new computer! I would LOVE to have it in my kitchen to accomodate all that I do. Thanks to Sophie and HP for doing this giveaway, and may the “best” one be “blessed!”
I would put it on my desk, which hasn’t had a computer on it since my boys destroyed my last one
I would definitelly put this at our desk in our kitchen or in the kids playroom. Those are the two rooms we are in the most.
Blogged about it here:
http://kkskreations.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-computer-giveaways.html
Thanks for the opportunity,
Kaye
Would love a chance to win one! Thanks for the opportunity!
I would love to win this computer!
Oh man..I’m not sure where I would put this little beauty, we don’t have a lot of extra space! But I think it would fit nicely in our living room/dining room/kitchen area!
OMStars!!! I would love to have one!!! It would totally go in my kitchen, which is the hub of my house!
Are you kidding me? A flat screen WITH a function that would let it read recipes to me? I would throw that bad boy into my kitchen, that is the size of a small broom closet, and let the cooking madness begin!!!
I would put the new HP touchsmart 600 computer in the office so the whole family could use it.
I would put the computer in my living room. That is where my family spends most of our time together.
I would put it in my craft room/hiding place- it would be awesome!
I would put in on the desk we have at the top of our landing. However, I’m sure the hubby would want in downstairs in our family room!
I would put it in my husband office in our new house. He deserves it so much and has worked so hard to provide for our family, even when our daughter had to undergo open heart surgery at 7 days old. He would work a 10 hour day and them stay up at the hospital with us all night. He blows me away with his strength and kindness!
I would totally put this in our bedroom office! LOve it!
If I won, I’d put it in my living room where my daughter and I spend most of our time.
Ours would go in the playroom. My boys need a good computer!!
what a great giveaway!
this would go in our living room!!
WOW! Love it! I think I would put it in our office where everyone in the family could use it.
i would put it on the desk in the living room of our teeny-tiny house, and since our house is so teeny-tiny, we will be able to hear/ see it from nearly every room!
I’d put it in our kitchen and give my daughter the computer that is there now–she would LOVE it!!!
How awesome is this giveaway?! Can this computer crank my car too? :-)
I would love to have this bad boy!
I would put that lovely computer on my desk in my library!!
How cool!
Leah
My dorm room for sure!
I would love one it would go in our office in place of my old dead computer.
I would put the computer in our office where the current one sits. That one would be out the door so fast it wouldn’t know what happened to it!
I blogged about it. http://janbopp365.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-giveaway.html
I would carry it with me EVERYWHERE! Or maybe take a more practical approach and put it in my office…
I would put in our family room. The room is a big open space and adjacent to our living room. This way I can monitor what the kids are using it for yet Hubs and I could use it as well. What an awesome give away!!
Deciding on the 24th huh? What a christmas gift that would be!
I would put the computer right on my
computer desk and toss my dinosaur that is 6 years old!
It would definitely be going into our office room! That way it can be enjoyed by all. It looks AWESOME and super fun to use!
I would LOVE to give this as a gift! I know many people who are in need of a new computer!!! Thanks for the opportunity!!
jmhazlett@gmail.com
If we were lucky enough to win this computer, we would put it in our kitchen! Why? So we could use it every day! :)
My computer has also been doing some “wheezing” lately. This would be perfect!! I would keep it in my living room.
My son, who is sitting here with me now, says we’d put this computer in HIS room! However, that probably would not happen. Most likely, it would be placed in the “computer” area of our home, replacing the 11 year old set-up we currently have! This way, our family of seven could ALL enjoy it and it’s great features! (To date, we’ve only “drooled” on them at Best Buy amazed at it’s fantastic technology!) Thank you for this incredible opportunity, HP and BooMama! Merry Christmas!
I would give mine to my 11 yo grandson for his new room when he moves.
Jane
I’d put it on my desk and just sit and look at it in awe!
Sa-weet! I would so love to have one of these for our family room. The hubs could use a new computer…and with the wireless keyboard? Woo hoo that would be awesome!
Thanks for a chance to win!
Amy
We would put this beautiful computer in our office/guest room.
I guess i would have to be a good wife and put it in the computer room where all could use it.. and when i cooked with it unplug it and take it to my kitchen…. Maybe my new house the computer room will be close to the kitchen!!! aww one can hope our 10 yr old computer is about to die and go on to computer heaven!!!
i would put it in the den so that i could be right in the middle of everything and everyone else.
I would love to be entered in the drawing!
I would put it in the living room and use it as our tele as well. This is a wonderful giveaway! Thank you HP and Blogher!
I would use this for my work, I am a special education teacher and I work with students with Downs and students with Autism. I have also gotten into photography and would use this to organize all my pictures of my nephews. My old desktop died and I lost all my pictures, This would offer me a new start to that as well.
Thanks for the opportunity. Tonya
I would put it in my kitchen where we currently have our decade old dinosaur computer. :)
Oh, my! That HP does look so sassy on your newly painted desk! I would like to have an HP like that! I promise to do my best to find a sassy desk of my own to put it on. I’m just sayin’…..
I tweeted!
twitter.com/jennienewland
On my dresser where I can see it first thing every morning!
They certainly selected the perfect group of folks to receive the 5 HP SmartTouch 600 computers. All you gals deserved these. It would be awesome to receive one gratis.
Betty in Oklahoma
blue.eagle@cox.net
We are thinking about rearranging some furniture in our family room. I think I’d move my desk from the living room and put the new computer on it. Then I can monitor my 14 year olds stuff a little easier. :)
rkcampbell(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
I have the perfect spot on my kitchen counter for this little beauty.
oh this baby would go in my room and be all for me!!! LOL!
I blogged about your giveaway. http://matthewqingnan.blogspot.com
I facebooked!
http://www.facebook.com/jennifernewland
pick me! pick me!
:)
I’m not too proud! I’d LOVE to win one of those computers given the chance! :)
I would put it in my new office….my daughter just became a big girl and moved to an upstairs bedroom so I actually have an official office! This would be a great addition.
I would put this computer in my home office and use it every day!
OOOOOOOH I would love this for the homeschool room!
I would put this wonderfully powerfully made machine in a locked room where only I had access, so no one else could use it….I would LOVE to own this baby!