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.
Definitely in the family room!
This can go right in the living room, it’s beautiful!
It would look just perfect in my bedroom!!! Oh oh oh please please please :)
Boring, but I would put it in my office to replace my dead laptop…
This would be an awesome addition to our homeschooL!!!!
This recipe box feature sound way too cool and has me completely intrigued! What a fun giveaway this is!
What an awesome computer with such great features! Such multiple uses for at home and even in the classroom! As a special education major at UK what an awesome computer to adapt programs for my soon to be students to use as well!
britney.robertson@uky.edu
I blogged this giveaway!
http://samichals.typepad.com/sweet_nothings/2009/12/want-to-win-an-hp-touchsmart.html
I would put mine in MY office, instead of in hubby’s!!
I would give it to a friend. Is that allowed? :)
oooohlala! would LOVE this giveaway! THANKS!
It would live on my desk in our room, having taken the place of our computer that was lovingly crafted for us by our neighbor and his friends out of leftover parts that were in several basements. They wanted to give us an upgrade to the 7 year old Gateway that we were limping along with.
I heart the skinny screen. It makes my heart pitter patter.
I would even be willing to paint my hand-me-down desk from the same wonderful neighbor with turquoise paint if that would secure me the winning spot. ;)
Hi!
I have a new office that used to be my living room. I would put it in there, it would make the room PERFECT!
Robin
I would put it in the family room, where everyone can play!
Amazing! This would make a great gift for my ancient computer using family!
I would put it in the office of my new apartment:)
My keeping room – I spend all my evenings in there!
Wow…what an amazing giveaway! This would be lovely on my grandmother’s antique desk in our office :)
rahpatrick@gmail.com
Wonderful giveaway! My little computer has a shut-off and start-up problems… needless to say those issues are inconvenient (: I’d love a new one! And I’d plop it right on my kitchen table–the far end, where food doesn’t travel. Thank you!
YOU REMEMBER FINALS WEEK IN COLLEGE, RIGHT BOOMAMA? WELL, ADD TWO KIDS and it is SO stressful! I am a full time student and Mommy of two adorable kids studying to be a High School English teacher. I am in horrible need of a computer. Mine broke two days before finals began and I actually prayed for a new one yesterday. This is my chance! What a wondeful gift from HP! :)
Great giveaway! I would love to use a sleek computer like this to create an office in the kitchen! :-)
I would keep this in the bedroom, where I can have it to myself! Our current computer is pretty much dead…always freezing up and turning off. This would be an awesome gift to myself!
Great giveaway!!! Great features!!!
I would put it in our computer/music room…where our much bigger and clunkier desktop now resides. I can just see my husband doing the Tom Cruise/Minority Report impersonation!
we are a family of 6….the kitchen is the spot for this computer – although, hiding it in my closet is a close second!!
This is so exciting! Never heard of it before now, but have so many uses for it!
I would mainly keep it in our family room, for accountability but it is neat that it can be moved around fairly easily to meet the needs of children during school day or parents watching favorite sitcom in bed at night!!!
We opt to not have and pay for cable or satellite tv, so we only watch online when we do. We take a laptop to bed with us when we want to see a favorite show or movie. This would certainly sit on a bedside table and solve that dilemma!
I also have and nanny many small children and homeschool as well! I could use this for many educational opportunities, coupled with independence!
This would make a great gift for our family to us from us, as we are cutting back on self this Christmas and giving more and more to others!!!
I am a photography nut, too, novice but enjoy it! Could really edit better with a cool tool like this instead of my ancient desktop!
I would put it in my office…but since it’s so slim…I’d have to consider the kitchen counter!!
I tweeted! http://twitter.com/CardamomsPod/status/6518697792
AWESOME….it would go right on my desk in the kitchen!
It would go in the living room — because I”m pretty sure the screen is bigger than the TV we have!!!
Well, I would probably want to put it in the kids new playroom, but if I did, I think we would probably rename the room from playroom to mom’s blogging area. Seriously… it’s such a sweet computer that I might just bogart it from the kids.
It would go in our computer cabinet/office…it would make me do a happy dance every time I looked at it!!!
This looks like such an awesome computer! I’d have to buy a desk for my guest room (need one anyway). Or maybe I’d keep it in my room. I may be indecisive but I’m not really sure…
Thanks…I would put it in my kitchen!
Would love to win… I would put in in my bedroom and stare at it!!!
I would absolutely LOVE to win this computer! For one, my husband and I have an ancient dell that is on it’s last leg and also cannot manage more than one application at a time, often times freezes and locks up the whole computer with even one application. Needless to say it’s about to die. Our computer is stationed in the kitchen area and even though I don’t cook a whole whole bunch right now, I’d love the recipe box feature especially the read aloud part! And on a superficial note, or whatever other word would fit best here, I’ve never really won anything before and this would just brighten my day! :)
joey_amanda_rice@hotmail.com
This is so great!! My husband and I are are graduating college in May, and we are both going into Ministry. My husband will be doing youth ministry, so having this awesome computer owuld help so much with photos and movies. Our laptop is ANCIENT :). Thanks for this great giveaway.
I would put this in the kitchen. The kids and I could access it there, and the recipe features sound awesome.
I would put this is our office, where currently an old computer is.
Michelle.Brough@AlaskaAir.com
Ohh My email is ACW1187@aol.com
It would so go in our family room!!!! The whole family would love this!
It would probably end up in our master bedroom. Thanks for the chance to win.
I would totally put this in our family room so I could use it as I walked by…I would love this ;) Thanks for the giveaway.
I would put this in our “corner office” a.k.a. between the loveseat and couch in our TINY living room in our TINY apartment!
Technology is amazing! What a fabulous giveaway!
This would be such a fantastic win so that I can layin bed writing while hubby sleeps! Also, for working on the Foundation… :-)
i would put it on my kitchen counter…i am there most of the day already :)
We have an older laptop and would love a new computer to share photos and videos of our daughter!
I would put this baby on my lap! Well, actually, I would put it on my desk but I love that the keyboard can move around and be in other places. I can picture it now, blogging from bed. In reality, my kids will get it and it will be in our family room. A girl can dream!
Awesome! We are beginning to teach our son about computers and it would be great to be able to do so on a REALLY NICE machine!!
mrsjohnson05@gmail.com
My desk will be it’s new home.
Right next to my bed, but not near the phone.
My grandparents will get my old one,
and discovering the new HP will be quite fun!!
Do you have a lighter? –
(Cheesy Poem Writer)
I would put this computer on my desk in the family room. I would so LOVE to win this! Thanks = ]
LOVE IT! I would put it in the kitchen! It opens into the family room and it would be perfect!!
I wanna win!!!
i would probably hide it away in my scrapbook room!
Wow! What a great computer and what a generous offer from HP! I would LOVE to have a computer like that… and could really use a new one!
allitrevino@gmail.com
thetrevinotimes.blogspot.com
I would love to win!!! I like the wall mounted idea. It will keep the little hands off. I’ve never had an HP before. Definitely looking forward to trying one!
That screen looks ginormous in the picture with Alex!!
I would put it in the kitchen
I would put it in my (currently) computerless computer cabinet!
I would put this in our family room so the kids and everyone could use it!! Sooo cool!! I want one!!
Oh! I love it! Plus I really need it for school. I’m 12, in 7th grade and homeschooled. I would probably put it in my room (that I share with my sister, my twin, 1 year old brother and sister share the other bedroom besides my parents room) of somewhere in the living room. Were Mac people too!
My kitchen would be a great place for this!! Thanks so much!
I would put it in my family room so I could be on it while still with my family.
I would love a new computer! Hubby and I each have a laptop, and both of them are giving signs that they’re not long for this world. If we had a new desktop, we’d be able to let our laptops rest and still get all our work done!
If we won this one, it would definitely go in my office space, but I’d let Hubby use it, too.
Sometimes.
What a great giveaway. We only have one computer that is actually my husbands work computer so we of course only have it at night. I would love to win this for my family so we could use a computer during the day! I would put it in our family room!
Thanks for such a great giveaway!!
shelbympowell@yahoo.com
I posted about this contest on my blog
http://myblog-hilary.blogspot.com/2009/12/hp-touchsmart-600-pc-giveaway.html
hilary.keegan@gmail.com
I would put the computer in my office on my desk! :)
I would put it in our family room so everyone could use it. What a great looking machine!
I would definitely put it in our master bedroom. I love that it can be a DVR AND BluRay Player! I’m so excited about the chance to win!
I would put it smack in the family room for the whole world to see!!
I would put this in my classroom at school. Thanks
I think I’d put ours in the kitchen, where we have a little desk that is currently hosting our coffee pot. I’d move that coffee pot in a millisecond, however, to create space for this oh-so-lusciously-sleek thing of beauty that would be great for the entire family.
I really am telling the truth when I tell you I would put it in the corner of my tiny dining room on a table I GARBAGE PICKED!!! and overhauled with green spray paint…Then I put fake drawer pulls on it (no drawer) to hang headphones and other various wire type things off of it..
I would cherish it!! I would also love the touch screen, since I am currently typing to an old TV monitor since my actual computer monitor died a year ago. please..??!!
Gorgeous! I’d put it in our family room!
Oh, I would have to so set up a new spot for this computer. Some place where I could slip away in my own little corner and get lost in the abyss of the blog world!
Well, we are actually shopping for a computer for the kids. We would put it in the kitchen and use it often!
I would love to win this computer, seeing as our laptop is running on fumes! Normally, I would say that I would put it in our den… but our daughter is now a toddler and the safest place would probably be our office until she outgrows her destructive stage! Thanks for the chance!!!
I need to know, does it do the laundry too? If it does, I would put it in there. Otherwise, probably out in the kitchen where everyone can use and enjoy it. What a great looking computer!
I love this computer! I would probably put it in my bedroom-far from little hands. Would be a huge blessing to win!
Would love to get this!!
If I won that awesome desktop, I would put it in my dorm room when I leave for my florida college next year :) That way my parents won’t have to spend all their christmas money on me.
Whoever wins will be blessed indeed!
Good luck:) and thanks!
It’d go either in my kitchen area or on my desk in the office area.
If I won I would put this computer on the brand new Pottery Barn desk that I am getting for Christmas!!
Thanks
April
guy015(at) gmail (dot) com
Our office, where I would replace my current one and stop using my husband’s!
I would put it on my husband’s desk!
I came in from kellys korner… shes so greatful to share your website and i cant wait to win this computer!!!
I would put it in in my bedroom far far away from little hands.
If I won this AWESOME HP, I would put it in the dining room on my computer desk. (It is only in there, so I can keep an eye on what my kids are doing while they are on — just to be safe)
This sounds like the best computer ever
nancie08@gmail.com
I would put the computer in my dining/sewing room.
What an awesome giveaway!
What a GREAT giveaway! Fabulous! I would put this computer in our office…but only with the rule that everyone MUST share! :)
I blogged about it too!
http://mimi4now.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/giveaways/
I would put the HP near my kitchen in a little alcove area for easy cooking access. It would also be close and useful for my 6 year old who would enjoy using it when I wasn’t!
Well, if I won. I would put it in the kitchen so everyone could enjoy it!
I would put it in my LR so I could compute in comfort on the couch!
Would love this!! The recipe box would be amazing!
Wow, what a great giveaway! I would absolutely love to have this in my bedroom!!
Ok, so my last of the 5 bloggers with the giveaway. Yah!
It would look ever so pretty sitting on my desk!