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 it on my desk in my living room. My desk is right outside of my kitchen too so it would be super handy!
Without a doubt I would put it smack dab in the middle of my kitchen where I would have access to it every second of my life! ha! Thanks so much for the oppertunity!
I’d put it on my DESK! Grad school ready! Haha.
I also blogged about it here! http://kthighfield.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-computer.html
I would hide this so my kids couldnt touch it, at least for a the first few weeks!
I would replace my old dying desktop computer with this lovely beauty in my office/guestroom/craftroom/toyroom. Our small house needs a nifty computer like this so that we can consolidate our electronics!
Well, since the only two rooms I live in are basically the living room and my bedroom, Life is pretty dull when you live alone!), I’d have to say it’d go in the Living Room.
SOOO EXCITED TO WIN THIS!
I would put my new computer in the office and it would be all mine.
i’d put the computer in my step-daughter’s room. after limping along for quite a while, her computer finally bit the dust. and since my hubby got laid off last month, we can’t afford to buy her a new one!
I would love to win this! I would move the love sac in the family room and finally pull out the old desk I’ve been meaning to refinish, and hey, if it makes a difference I will paint it turquoise :-)
I would probably put this in the kitchen with the ability to tote it around the house. :) My kids would LOVE this, as would my husband. What a fun give away!!
I’d put it in our homeschool room!
As much as I’d like to say I’d hide this in a closet and let no one else touch it, I can be honest in saying, I’d love to put it in my mother’s hands and let her decide where she’d like to keep it. Because it would be her’s.
It would sit on the side table next to my very comfortable recliner (that doesn’t look like a recliner!)
This is my second entry because I blogged about it! I would put the computer in my office of the new home I’m purchasing. I’m a writer with a very old laptop, so it would be a great addition. Thanks, BooMama for the chance to win!
I’d probably keep it in the kitchen (hello, Recipe Box!) but I am sure it would occasionally travel to the family room. :)
My office!
I blogged about this giveaway
We would put it in our spare bedroom so that our 9 month old couldn’t get to it! And skype with our family! Since we are in the military we don’t live near them.
What an awesome giveaway! I would love to win!
oooohh oohhh me me!
I would love to put it in my living room to help keep all my pictures organized of my two daughters!
Great Giveaway! It would go on my lap, to protect it from other grubby little fingers. Kidding, on the craig’slist desk in my room.
You have no idea how in need of a new computer I am! I’m crossing my fingers on this one!
This would definitely go in the kitchen!
Who wouldn’t want this?!
This computer sounds unbelievable! Not sure which feature I would enjoy the most, but the recipe box would be most helpful and the DVR function would be awesome too. I would love to win it.
it would have to go in the kitchen, so that everyone could use it, also that way we can monitor our kids use. Our current old mishmash is in the kitchen and this has worked well for us.
Happy Holidays.
Cindy
I would love to bless my daughter who is a first year teacher to Jr. High Spec. Needs children. We were told she would never get this far…bah humbug! She is a great teacher and passionate about helping kids that are just like her! She could use this in her classroom and do so much more for these kids. It is in a low income area of Ft. Myers, Fl. She loves showing them ways to learn and to NEVER give up on your dreams! God made her for a purpose and she is doing just that..Teaching kids with spec. needs. She only has a lap top (HP though!) thanks! merry CHRISTmas to her prayerfully!
I would put it in my office. I work from home and my current desktop is on it’s last leg!
I’d put this on my kitchen workstation!
What a fantastic giveaway! If I win, the computer is going on my desk in our family room! Thank you!!!
I would definitely put it in my kitchen at my our desk. My elderly parents have recently had to move in with us and I am trying to teach them about modern technology and how much they could truly enjoy visiting with friends and keeping in touch with family, etc. This would be such a treat for them… and keep them occupied during the day!
I tweeted about it here:
http://twitter.com/simplymother/status/6521549554
I would love this! I would put it on my built in desk in our sun-room, where everyone could use it and it would make my desk look oh-so-pretty!
I twittered about the giveaway!
@gretchengrude
How cool! I love it! We could totally use a new computer!! Thanks!
would love a new computer this christmas
I’d totally give it away to some deserving kid or young adult who doesn’t have a computer. Touch screen or not, it’s still a PC, and I’m a die-hard Mac fanatic. :)
I would put it on the lovely painted computer desk (my husband painted it, we bought it at a Natural Wood store) that sits in the alcove in my bedroom created by the colonial window in that room. How exciting! We have a 6, 8, and 15 year old who constantly battle for computer time, plus we homeschool! What a great addition this would be.
Tammy Elrod
I would put it in my living room.
I would put this in my entryway right next to the kitchen and bathroom where the kids and I could all use it very conveniently. Then it would also be very easy to carry to the master bedroom where my husband and I could watch movies/TV late at night:)
I would put it in the study, in my quiet secluded corner of the house.
My son, Evan, would really benefit from this computer. He has autism, and this is perfect for him to learn to communicate better. I want to win for HIM! We would put it in our family’s office and work there with him on the computer. Thanks!
We would put it in the family room. Looks super duper! Happy Holidays!
I would put this snazzy new computer on my FREE re-done antique desk in my kitchen. It would be a perfect match!
Well I am totally tempted to say it would be hidden in my closet…BUT I love that it has the ability to be mobile, so I could see it in the kitchen when necessary, on the homeschooling desk, or sitting on my lap in the living room!!!
I would totally put it in my kitchen. That’s where I spend the majority of my time, plus I would be able to keep and eye on all my kids when they used it….if I let them use it!! Plus, I like to cook and the recipe feature sounds incredible!!
Congrats on your new HP! Winning this computer would be so neat!!! I love everything I read about it. I just know it would be used and definetly not abused if I was lucky enough to win such a great computer. Thanks for the oppurtunity.
rebeccaashelton@gmail.com
I would put it in my bedroom where I do most of my computer work. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this contest.
I’d put mine in the kitchen so I could use it when I’m cooking!
I posted about it on my blog here: http://simplymother.com/2009/12/09/trying-to-win/
I tweeted!!
http://twitter.com/ButMomma
I may need it after my laptop just fried out trying to scroll to the bottom of your comments. LOL
I would so totally hog it on my desk. And throw the laptop as hand-me-downs to the man of the house. His laptop is made of sticks and stones.
;)
Great giveaway.
I would put this in my bedroom.
I would keep mine in the kitchen- catch up on emails, read out recipe AND look like I am a techno-guru!! What an awesome giveaway! My husband’s computer literally STOPPED working last week (so he’s been sharing my laptop), so I am especially keen to see him with a new computer, and this would be FANTASTIC! Wow!!!!!!
Our computer is currently in our master bedroom … but it has not worked since September. DH bring his work-owned (public school) laptop home periodically so that I can catch up on emails and the like. I would LOVE a new, working computer as I have forbade (!) DH from even looking at them until well after the new year. I just do not want to spend the money right now :(
Anyway, if I won this computer I think that I would put it in the family room. My kids are starting to be interested in using the computer (ages 7, 4 and 3) and I think a high-traffic area is the BEST spot for a computer for all of us to use!
Thanks for offering this great give-away!
THis is so sweet!! I would love this! IT would go in my living room.
I would put it in our family room on the cute corner desk we inherited from my mother-in-love and replace our ANCIENT boat anchor/PC
oooh love it! I would probably put it in my craft room!
It would go in our study.
Gotta have it! I would put it on my desk and use it every. single. day. ;)
I would keep this in my office so my husband couldn’t get to it!! I would probably try it in my other office [the kitchen :)] to use the recipe thing…I need all the help I can get!!
Great review! This is an awesome computer! I would love to have one as my desktop is full now – it’s only an 80 gb hard drive.. need I say more? : / I would probably keep it in my bedroom – it’s so purty!
Merry Christmas!!!
conservativecamp@gmail.com
I love HP……imagine the possibilities in digital scrapbooking with this gem
What a beautiful computer!! :) I would put it in our room! We just have a cute computer desk and it would fit perfectly inside! :) I could do all kinds of fun stuff with a new, fast computer!! :)
If I were to win the HP I would place it in the living room because it’s the family room. I would like everyone to have access to it because we truly need one. My father need a computer because he does a lot of research and I am currently looking for employment so this would be great.
Thanks,
Takeshia
In my homeschool room.
I would put this in my living room and have it double as a TV!
A touch screen AND a dvr? Count me in!
I would put in on the desk in my bedroom.
I would so mount it on the wall in my sitting room, off of my bedroom to replace the ancient thing that all 5 of my children currently use.
I would put this on our computer desk as a Christmas present for my sweet husband whose old HP computer just bit the dust!
jgfick@yahoo.com
Mercy, what an awesome give-away!!! I would put it inmy little home office to replace the somewhat large, totally NON-intuitive rather out-dated computer currently hogging all my desk space!! I don’t have a blog, so my e-mail address is:
debdan@click1.net
I would put this in the KITCHEN! Reading recipes to me is just too good to pass up. The kitchen is where I cook, homeschool, fold laundry, make appointments, etc. I can’t even imagine how great it would be to have this machine to help with all of that (okay, maybe not the laundry) …
Can I just say that I adore your blog! I am a new reader, and I am HOOKED!
Okay…heiney-kissing over!
I REALLY NEED this computer! We have a dinosaur of one right now, that is about to give up the good fight!
We would definitely put this in our family room!
I would put it in my living room and pass on my laptop to my daughter.
I am so happy to have found your lovely blog through this giveaway! And I would love love LOVE this computer for photo editing, the recipe feature that you mentioned, and for my daughters. I would put it in the office but I’d have to get a pretty little desk to put in on–the Target desk I have now would not begin to do it justice! :)
Thanks and Happy Holidays!
Mary-Margaret
Hubby and I would probably put it in our bedroom, that way we could use it as a DVR and record and watch our shows!!
I would put mine in our office. Hmmm, that would mean I’d have to share with my husband, so maybe not. :)
This beauty would be in Mama’s room!!!
I can tell you exactly where I’d put a new TouchSmart 600 . . . in my family room on my particle board computer desk . . . guessing I’d splurge on a new computer desk since it wouldn’t match my new fancy computer!
This is the neatest computer–I so want one! It would make homeschooling more fun. It would go in our playroom/school room/family room. Thank you!
I tweeted
@BelovedAimee
I’d love to hang it over my desk – it could double as a TV and a computer!
If I were to win this computer I would put it in our office. I have been needing a desktop in there for awhile.
I also facebooked about it: http://www.facebook.com/#/janelott?ref=name
I blogged it <3
I would love this computer to edit photos of my little girl! Great giveaway!
I would put it in my room.
My husband just got into dental school and needs a new computer. So, we would put it in our den and let him study away! Or, he could have my old computer to study on and I could take this one…it looks amazing!
I would love to give this to my daughter!
I would place it in what my southern Mom calls the “computer armoire”. Oh my word. This giveaway is crazy. I hope I win. PS. We have a US address and are US residents even though we’re currently in China.
Wow what an amazing computer…. I would put it in our office or its pretty enough to be right in the living room!
What an amazing giveaway, I am so ready for a new computer and this one sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
elainecarter24@yahoo.com
I would use it for my photography businss-how wonderful it would be!!!
Thank you for a chance to play Boomama, This computer would definately go in the kitchen! Love the recipe option! Sounds fun!
Well my desk is in the living room but I might have to stash it in the bedroom if I was lucky enough to win it. I don’t think I would want to share lol
arlene
I’m not sure where I’d put it, but I’d definitely figure something out! This is an awesome giveaway!
wow! this is so generous! i would love one to finish out grad school! my *ancient* laptop would enjoy being retired. =)
Would love to have one to leave in the downstairs den!