HP TouchSmart tx2 multitouch notebook
Notebook HP TouchSmart tx2
HP TouchSmart tx2z specifications:
* Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
* AMD Turion X2 Ultra Dual-Core Mobile Processor ZM-86 (2.4 GHz)
* 12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen (1280x800) with Integrated Touch-screen
* 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics with 64MB Display Cache Memory
* 400GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
* Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Reaction)
* Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
* LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
* 8-Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* HP Mini Remote Control
* 5-in-1 digital media reader
* Express card/34 PC card slot
* Dimensions: 8.82" x 12.05" x 1.23"/ 1.52" (with 4-cell battery)
* Weight: 4.65 lbs (varies by configuration)
* Starts at $1,149.99 (Price as configured: $1,733.99)
Build and Design
The TouchSmart tx2 is a solid convertible notebook designed to function as either a standard notebook or you can rotate the screen 180 degrees to turn the notebook into a tablet and write directly on the screen using the included digital pen. The overall chassis design is nothing new; the design is virtually the same as the tx2500 with the only obvious change being the new glossy "Reaction" Imprint Finish which is a dark gray rather than silver seen on the previous generation. HP's Imprint Finish always looks cool but the glossy surface is a fingerprint magnet and HP even includes a polishing cloth because this notebook will start picking up finger smudges after just a few minutes. The body of the notebook is smooth with rounded edges, making it extremely comfortable in your hands while carrying it around.
The plastic and metal chassis is quite rigid and doesn't suffer from flex even when twisted between my hands. Weighing in around 4.5 pounds the tx2 is perfect for students. It gets a little heavy to carry around in tablet mode all day, but it's great for sitting at your desk and taking notes and you can always remove the DVD drive and substitute in the weight saver module if you don't need the optical drive.
Screen
The 12.1" WXGA display is less grainy than the display panel used in the tx2500, but it's still a little grainy compared to notebooks without touchscreens. This slight grain is very common with tablets and is an acceptable trade-off considering the multi-touch and pen tablet functions. It is glossy and reflective, but if you like high-gloss screens then you'll love this one. The screen is hard to read under direct sunlight and brightly lit indoor spaces. The viewing angles are perfectly usable but, depending on how the tablet is tilted, sometimes it may be very hard to read because the colors invert at sharp vertical angles.
Again, the TouchSmart tx2 has both a multi-touch screen and active digitizer, it's a real tablet. The screen automatically changes orientation when rotated into tablet mode and the small hinge is exceptionally sturdy. The pen feels nice as well and although it's cool to use your fingers to navigate on the screen I often used the pen simply because it is a little more accurate. At the highest brightness setting the screen is bright and the colors are rich with good contrast, but you can't tell what you are setting it too because there isn't an on-screen indication for brightness levels, which would be a nice feature to have on this high-gloss display.
Performance
HP offers the new TouchSmart tx2z with a range of AMD processors starting with the 2.1GHz Turion X2 RM-72 dual-core processor and ending with the 2.4GHz Turion X2 Ultra ZM-86 in our review unit. However, the big news in 2008 has to be the availability of AMD's new "Puma" platform with improved processors and graphics. The new AMD dual-core processors are nice and perfectly capable of handling your computing needs, but it's the integrated graphics that will get your attention.
Sure, it might be hard to get excited about an integrated graphics processor (IGP). Every IGP on the market prior to this year was painfully inferior to a dedicated graphics card and every IGP on the market struggled to handle high definition video and 3D video games. That all started to change this year with the introduction of the ATI Radeon HD 3200. For the first time ever consumers had a low-cost IGP that offers flawless 1080p video playback and can even play many 3D video games at reasonable frame rates!
Keyboard & Touchpad
The keyboard on the tx2 is solid with zero flex and soft key presses. The keys are accurate and responsive and I enjoyed typing on this keyboard. The keys are coated in the matching HP "Reaction" Imprint Finish, which improves durability and protects the keyboard from those greasy fingers. The keys are easy to read and are a good size ... except for the top row of Function keys which are a little too small and not particularly easy to press without hitting another key by mistake.
HP decided to remove the media buttons from along the frame of the display (as found on the tx1000, tx2000 and tx2500) since the TouchSmart tx2 features a touchscreen that works perfectly for the media player controls.
The touchpad is still the famous perforated design. Our staff loves this design very much because it doesn't get worn down easily and is responsive. Your finger doesn't slide off the touchpad because it is indented in the palm rest area, which makes navigating a breeze. We really wish HP would start putting this style of touchpad on all their notebooks rather than using the smooth and glossy touchpads on their other notebooks.
via Jerry Jackson-notebookreview
Posted by Rocky
on 11:04 PM. Filed under
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