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.
We are redoing the office in our house (well that is if the money doesn’t run out before my hubby can decide on what exactly he wants to do), so I think this would be perfect in our new home office!
Crystal Drane, cdrane831@gmail.com
i think i can safely say that we would get rid of cable and just stream netflix and use hulu from this. it is wireless so mainly it would be in the family room but i guess were ever we needed it is were it would be! it looks great!
i tweeted it! win a computer here! https://www.boomama.net/hp-touchsmart-600-giveaway/comment-page-69/#comment-121…
This would definitely go in our homeschool room! It would be a valuable addition to our learning!
I would love to have one of these to replace my slow slow laptop. Thanks and Merry Christmas!!
Elaine
Between family history projects, graphic design, and about a million photos, my laptop is really worn out. This beautiful hp would be a wonderful replacement!
I need a new computer and this one is extra cool.
I’d put it in my bedroom, where I’d share it with my husband. Isn’t that nice?
I would LOVE a new computer! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve blogged about it here:
http://thejunglife.blogspot.com/2009/12/who-wants-to-win.html
Um, I need this computer! I’m working with an ancient Dell that keeps having these annoying death spells. Please send me this new one for Christmas!
I posted a tweet at http://www.twitter.com/jonneatha89
We would absolutely love a new HP Touchsmart computer. We are a military family who moves often and endures frequent separations. A computer is a lifeline for us when our husband/daddy is gone. We use it to see his precious face and hear his sweet voice. Our old laptop (used by the whole family) is on its last legs. This would be such a blessing! I can be contacted at elfandfam@yahoo.com or lorielfers@gmail.com. Thanks for the chance!
I would love to win the computer!! I would put it in my kitchen where I spend most of my time!!
I’d probably put it in my kitchen since I feel like I’m there all the time. Especially now that I have my pioneer woman cookbook!
I would love to when this! We need a new computer, we are so out of date-
It would go into what is slowly becoming our new home office area.
Thanks!
I would love to put it in the kitchen, so I can access recipes and have fun while cooking! Thanks!
I blogged about it http://xaysmommy.blogspot.com/2009/12/mckgiveaways-and-random-news.html
great giveaway! I would love it!
I would put it in my family for all of us to use!
would love to win!!!!!
josiegaskins@yahoo.com
My family could so use a new computer to help with my kids (6) homework! As is it they stand in line to use the one we have.
Finally I would put it in my room so I could do my college work and still take care of my baby.
i’d have to put it in the kitchen so all the family could play with it… games and google all sorts of things
This gorgeous thing would go in my office . . . or maybe my den for all the world to see!
I would love coming to work everyday to see THAT on my desk! :)
Kitchen Table. My nightstand. Occasionally on the tv tray table. How stinkin’ awqesome!
I would put it on my desk to do all my school work! :)
I would LOVE to have this computer! I would put it in our school room where I home school our three kids! What a blessing this would be!
Our computer is on the verge of dying. It has crashed twice and we’ve been able to save it. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to have one in waiting for that day when it types its final post!!
In my craft area/office…on my desk.
I would love to have my very own computer!!! I would put it in our office and my husband can have his laptop all to himself!
I would LOVE to have this computer. We are expecting our first baby in February and it would be fantastic for editing and organizing all the photos that we will be taking!
My husband and I are in desperate need of a new computer. We have an ancient laptop that he takes with him, so I never have a computer to use at home! THANKS! I would use it in our office!!
Ooooh, shiny and pretty! It needs to find a home in our loft/office area since our other desktop died almost a year ago and we only have a laptop and sometimes my husband things he should get to use it for work when I think I should get to use it for catching up on boomama.net. You can see I NEED this. I also need to learn how to write a non-run-on sentence :).
Um… this would live in our guestroom/office. And it would be Mine! All Mine!
oooh this would be an amazing help with my kids’ homework!(and my facebook fun!) You would truly be Santa this year!
OMG! I would love to win this for my husband. He really needs a new computer to replace his very old one that we keep in the family room. Thanks Boomama and HP for the great giveaway.
i would love this for our guest bedroom/office—our computers are on the fritz!!
My family would LOVE this. Our family computer is eight years old and SLOW. Thanks for the chance to win.
tweeted tooo! =)
i would put it on an end table so that my husband and i could have quick access to it! looks great!
I would put it in the new office that we painted (after three years) that also is computerless since both of our computers broke!
Oh, Sophie! What an awesome giveaway! Let’s see…I would have to put it in our kitchen so that I could work on recipes on it and then the whole family could easily use it from that room! I would absolutely be thrilled to win this! Thank you!
Hey, this would help so much. My little family is much in need of a new computer!
I would love to have this as my laptop is currently on the fritz. Oh, just think of all I could do with my pictures with this! :-)
jen smith says:
tweeted tooo! =)
twitter@
http://twitter.com/jennyanne0412
Oops – forgot to say that I would put this on my desk, where hopefully it would be out of the hands of my little helpers and close to the kitchen, so it could also get used there for the recipe feature. That sounds cool!
Our office! No touching kiddos!
guest bedroom/office..they’re one and the same! :)
WOW I LOVE LOVE LOVE the recipe feature – would surley LOVE one of these!!
Danielle
myangel05@gmail.com
I live in a studio apartment, so there’s only one room to put it in! I do have a nice, empty desk for it, though.
I would love a HP TouchSmart not just for me but for my family. Our computer is quiet old and now that my kids are in school it would be nice to have something that runs a little more smoothly. This would be a great opportunity to have the latest great technology.
What an awesome giveaway – Our computer is constantly on fantasy football – so I think I would hide it for my recipes and pictures in my little nook off of the kitchen
I’d put it on top of a thrift store desk that I overhauled with turquoise spray paint in my computer/tv room. Amen!
Hugs,
Marie
I would put it on a lovely desk in front of my TV so that I could play on the computer and watch TV. So that absolutely nothing ever would can done at home in the eveingings.
it would be nice to do my art “hands on” instead of through the mouse!
Mama needs a new computer! Mama needs a new computer!
Oh, sorry.
If I win, this baby is going in my closet/office so my three year old doesn’t have access. :)
I think I would put this in our basement so everyone can enjoy it. I would love to put it in my office but that might not be fair to the rest of the family! Thanks!
I would love to win this and I would put it in our basement where I watch kids all day, including my own 4 girls! This would be awesome for them (and me!) Thanks for the chance!
Omg how exciting! :) I would hide this from my family so only I could use it! KIDDING, I would put this in our computer room and share it with my husband and kids, what a great Christmas gift this would make for anyone who wins!!!
Jenna
jencutey19@hotmail.com
Oh this would DEFINITELY (emphatically with all caps!) go in our new Scrapbooking Room! It will be perfect to edit my photos and print them!!!!!!! I could watch my favorite chick flick while I scrapbooked!!!! Luv it! I need this!
Oh yes, Santa please. I have been a really good girl this year. I would put it in the office where our entire family could use it.
With a baby on the way in 8 weeks, this would be a welcome addition! What a great giveaway! I blogged about it as well! Simplysalliek.blogspot.com
I would put the computer on my dining room table, which has become my office/school project area! Thanks for the chance to win!
btw – it would be put in the living room (for entertainment reasons)
I would put it on the computer desk in my kitchen so my three little ones activities on it could be monitored!!!
I would put this in the family room so the whole family could enjoy it!! Thanks!
I would SO happily put it in my home office. Currently, an oversized paper weight (aka a 7 yr old emachine from Wal Mart…on the fritz) is taking up sacred space there. :-(
Ooo, I actually looked at one of these the other day and had a I-want-it moment. It would go in our kitchen, so I can more easily monitor our kids’ internet activities. And I could watch Netflix while I cook. Cool. :-)
I would put it in our “computer room”just off the kitchen.
I would put this in the family room for all to use. With a 2 and 4 year old- if I did hide it, I would never get to use it. They can’t be left alone for a second or all you know what breaks out.
I would set this up in our kitchen – a perfect place for the kids and adults to access all the neat features.
I would put it in the kitchen! Wireless and reads out loud recipes. For reals??? Jimmeny Cricket that is one sweet deal! Next I want a computer that just darn cooks for me! :)
I think I would put it in our kithcen!
How about right at my kitchen table… I’d never leave the table again! :)
I just tweeted about the give away :)
http://twitter.com/jencutey19
jenna
thejacksonfivefamily.blogspot.com
I would put it in my bedroom.
I would be so happy to put it in my office to replace my dying computer.
Erika
Pick me, Pick me! This computer sounds like a dream…I hope I win!
I’d put it in the bathroom.
This is awesome! I’d put it on my desk in my bedroom to replace my old one.
I like your idea of hiding it for myself.
I would set it up in my family room so that we could all use it. Thanks
I would put it in our office for sure. SO exciting!!
Oh, I SOOOOOOOOOOOO noticed the computer. It is beyond sassy!!
Awesome Giveaway!! I would put this on the desk in the guest bedroom/office where my dinosaur PC is now sitting. Thank You!
I would put this in our family room. It would be a great tool for the whole family.
I would put it in my guest room/craft room for my fingers only! :) I would love to win this so I could start blogging again!!
We would put it in the extra bedroom that doubles as an office…where my husband would have to rearrange the furniture so he could mount it on the wall!
Amazing givaway! I would put it in our family room so everyone could enjoy….after I was finished, of course!
Our PC is almost 10 years old. We’re going to need a new one soon. Winning one would be amazing!
This is one of the most generous and amazing giveaways I’ve ever seen. We just have one spot to put a computer…on our desk! What a blessing it would be to win this.
I would be this in our new office we just finished updating in our first home! It’s a beautiful room, but sadly we have to wait for a desktop until funds are better. This would be amazing for our pictures!!!
If I won, I’d put the computer in my office and replace the old rickety thing that we call a computer!
WOW! I have never left a comment before on anybody’s blog I can;t pass this up! I would put the computer in our Library.
Thanks so much for posting this contest. If we won, we could place this in our kitchen, where our 10-year-old does all his homework with us while we cook meals. We’re in the process of digitizing all our old family photos and the touch screen would be so handy for that huge task.
I blogged about it! http://chaninscorner.blogspot.com/2009/12/win-hp-touchsmart-computer.html
I’d put it on my desk in my room and replace my super old computer!
I would love to hide with it in the closet so no little grubby fingers could touch it, but it would most likely sit in the living room were everyone could enjoy the coolness of a touch-screen computer!
What an awesome giveaway. I would probably put it in our kitchen where I can appear to be watching my kids while reading blogs like yours!~Jessica