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.
It would go into our family room!
i blogged about this great giveaway!
http://2sweetbabygirls.blogspot.com/2009/12/this-would-be-so-fun-to-win.html
I’d put that lovely computer right here where I am typing right now! my keyyyboard is stickinnng and i’m having trouble with my shift key, so i need it1
It would go on the desk in my kitchen! It looks awesome!
I would put it in my office. It would save my hundreds of hours of worktime, and could literally save my business.
I would put it in the kitchen on the cute little desk my husband is going to build me since he kicked me out of the craft room to make a home office for his business…right honey?
I might consider putting it in my bathroom which is the only place I could have a moments peace to enjoy it. Then again, they would find me there too. :)
I would LOVE this computer! Thanks for giving one away!!
I would put it in our study where my old Dell now sits…that I hardly use because it takes up WAY to much space and always gives me the blue screen of death!
I would put it in the family room
I would love one of these for the recipe applications!
I would put it in my room in place of the acer that recently crashed
That computer makes my mouth water! WOW
I would loooove this computer to edit my growing photography business as well as carting it up to school (I am a business teacher during the day) to show my students the latest in technology. WOOOOOWWWWW!!!!!
I would like to say it would be upstairs in our “study” where it belongs but reality is that I would keep it in the kitchen for better access :)
I would LOVE this for my classroom…..
what an awesome tech tool!!
I would love to win one of these and put it in my kitchen so I could use it as a computer, tv, but also love the recipe feature.
ilovebijou@gmail.com
I would so be thrilled to win this computer. Oh I could really get organized with it. Thank you for the chance.
Woohoo! I could have my OWN computer! In a house of nine people I have to share too much!!
In the den for everyone – but mostly me!
OhHHHHHH! I would put it in my office & use the daylights out of it & be eternally grateful! I would download photoshop & take better pictures, blog more, enjoy more, advertise. I can think of all sorts of opportunities!
Thank you for doing this!!!!
what an a-maz-ing giveaway!!
i’d put the computer on the desk in our bedroom…for now. once we move, it would go in the spare room/office.
Wow! This is so awesome! I’d put mine on my butcher block table.
I would put it in my room on my desk. :)
I would use this loverly thing in my newly redone office with my repurposed furniture and thrifty finds! How cool is this give away!!
I already own an hp laptop and would love to have this one to use at home.
Amazing giveaway!
After much thought and consideration I do believe I would put this in my kitchen.
I would put it in my room…away from the sticky hands!!!
I’d put it in the living room, I think. It would be fabulous to share with the family!
This new HP would replace the current dinosaur, I mean computer, currently in my family room. And by currently, I mean, if I win this new one, the location will become top secret.
I would put it in our bedroom on the desk. This is the best computer ever!
Ahh! I hope I win!!
Holy Moly!!! This is such a great giveaway! Thanks HP!!
Kitchen, all the way!
i would put it in the family area so the kids could use it for schoolwork and we could watch movies too!
(lizseay1@gmail.com)
I would set it up in the computer area & give our old one to our daughter to use in her room. Sweet givaway Boomama!!
I think I might be coveting… I dunno. But I think it would be really cool to win this!
I’d put it upstairs in the game room…maybe! Otherwise, they can put the old one up there and I’ll take the new one in the office!!!
I would put this in my office. Oh how I dream of its bells and whistles!
I would love, love love to win this!!!
There are so many places I could put it – kitchen, bedroom, laundry/craft room… I would love it! So exciting!
Thanks!!
I tweeed
http://twitter.com/Merng
I would put it on the desk that my husband wants to move downstairs for such things!
I would put it in our living room at the desk
I would put mine in the kitchen. And tell Husband that he may NOT pirate it for his gaming, even if it DOES mount on the wall!
In the office for the family to use!
I would put the new HP computer in the Office replacing the old Gateway computer. It would look really good in my office! I would make you proud!!
We are rearranging to make room for our first child. If we won this awesome slim computer we could relocate our computer and free up some room in what will be the nursery!
I would put this on my lovely antique desk in our den! Digital scrapbooking by the fire! Sounds fantastic!!
I would put it in the office as a second computer- this one would be for my 13 year old!
In the kitchen – it would be awesome to use it for quick recipe referencing!
I would love having this computer replace my ancient one in our office! Love it!
I just twittered it. @thevioletfig
Wow! I’d put this computer in the family room where myself, my husband, our two college student daughters, and our daughter that is a sophomore in HS could all use it.
In my kitchen at my desk where I sit approximately 16 hours a day typing!!!
I would love a new computer. I have been saving for something cool and more high tech. I would put it in my office. Something to take up less space would be awesome too.
Well currently, I don’t have a desk to put a desktop computer, but I would definitely go and find one from a yard sale to fancy up if I won this computer! My laptop just died a few weeks ago and this would be amazing to win!
I would love one of these! I would put it in the desk area in my kitchen. Then I can use the recipe box feature and hopefully, learn how to cook!
This would go on the wall in my kitchen and be perfect for using my on-line recipes!
I would put it in my kitchen, where my desk is, and give my current computer to my daughter, who wants it!
Definitely in my daughter’s room, until she takes it with her to college!
My husband is starting grad school in January and this would be so great for him. He’d put it in his home office.
Definitely mounted on the wall above my desk; where I can bask in it’s HP glory while reading your blog!
Please enter me!!! This would be the perfect give for my husband…he works from home and our desktop is SO outdated!! So I would put the computer in our home office :)
Thanks for the great contest!
Blessings!
Liannap@aol.com
I’d put it on the desk in our master bedroom! Such a cool giveaway!
I blogged about this giveaway:
http://grand-giveaways.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-600-pc-giveaways.html
In my renovated home office replacing the existing but outdated and haggard computer with the tiny monitor. Come one random.org work me some magic!
Wow – what an amazing giveaway! And how I want this now!
I would put this in the master bedroom where little hands couldn’t touch it. This looks like such a cool computer!
we are also a mac family right now, but my husband drools over the touch screen every time we are in best buy! i would put it in my kitchen for the whole family to enjoy.
I would love to put this in my bedroom. I can just imagine surfing the net from my nice warm bed!
I am currently working on my Master’s Degree in Education and a new computer would be great!
This would be amazing to win. My fiance and I are currently sharing a single computer which gets challenging since I am constantly trying to use it for wedding planning and graduate classes, and he is job hunting.
I also tweeted! http://twitter.com/Jenn_Red
I would love to put this in our office! It is awesome!
I blogged about the contest. :)
http://lifegoeson-mylife.blogspot.com/2009/12/amazing-giveaway.html
I would put mine in the guest room I think. There’s too much baby stuff in this house to put it anywhere else. :)
Thanks for the giveway. (I’m the one you did the radio show with a couple months ago.)
Patrice
It would be all mine!! I would not share!!
Holy cow- I would SO love to have this amazing computer- and I don’t know if I would just put it in my office or keep it nice and safe in my room all to myself :)
thnks so much for letting us all try to win!
:+)
Wow-I think I would put the monitor on the wall in my office, which doubles as my guest bedroom. Solve two problems with one! Love it. Great giveaway :)
I would put this on my bedside table, and next to the couch, and in my kitchen, and in my office, and, and, pretty much wherever I am. Does it fit in a sling?
I would put the computer in my dorm, so I dont have to go to the library or computer lab to so homework anymore!
Okay, it’s really funny that you mentioned this, but it would probably go in my closet!! We have an extra walk-in closet in our house that I’ve turned into my ‘quiet space/office/craft spot’ and I desperately need a new computer for it!
I tweeted about this contest for a second chance :)
http://www.twitter.com/coralb
kitchen/hearth room where i can access the recipe box while my kiddos interact with it (of course not while i’m using the recipe box)!
I would put it in my den on a new desk I would buy just for it! It’s too pretty for my ugly desk.
I tweeted! twitter.com@mjpittman
I make cards. I just need the basics. But I need an Excellent Computer that knows how to do the basics! Sounds like this is the one for me!
I would put this in the living room for all my family to use.
I would share with my 5 yr old who would love to play with it and it would go in my kitchen so I could use that Recipe Box feature!!!
This computer sounds wonderful. I would love a new computer. We have a very old Dell.
My husband and I are both in grad school, sharing one ancient computer. As someone who works with children with autism in a psych hospital, I think it is life-changing what this company is doing!
Lauren
lauren-ballard@hotmail.com
Love the thought of having one of these.. I am a mac person too and would love the chance to test one of these babies!
I love the idea of putting it in the kitchen! I am constantly running to the computer (and hoping no one else is using it) for recipe ideas/substitution ideas/ etc. Wall-mounted in the kitchen–how cool would that be?!
I need a computer to keep track of all the pics I will be taking of my new baby!
melissandtoddk@gmail.com
I would put it in the living room/dining room on my antique dresser that would work as a desk.
This computer looks divine! Thanks for the chance to win it!
A new computer would be great! Our family still shares a desktop computer from around 2005. Homework, blogging, and documenting my high school years would be so much easier with a new computer. Not to mention checking up on my favorite sports teams.
MaciOiler(:
Merry CHRISTmas,
God Bless you!
Oh please oh please pick me. I know my chances are slim to none, but what the heck? I’ll try. I could SO use this!
This would fit just so perfectly on the desk in my office that is empty. It’s waiting on a desktop computer that we just cannot afford right now.
Linked your giveaway on my blog!
http://sweetviewfromthehills.blogspot.com/2009/12/mckmama.html
I would put this up in our spare bedroom or possibly in our dining room. I love the idea of having a family computer, easily accessible by all members of the family (and monitored). Granted, our yet-to-be-born daughter probably won’t be using a computer anytime soon, but it’s never too early to get ready!
amandakscott at gmail dot com