Customer Reviews

HP TouchSmart tx2z Customizable Notebook PC

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

These machines are AWESOME! They are not for the serious gamer that needs a lot of intensive memory or extreme video. But as a good all around notebook with some pretty nifty features...It's da' Bomb! Touchscreens have been around since the early 90's, so the technology is not new, but it has come a long way since then.

The fan is typical and not overly noisy. The AMD chips tend to run a little warmer than the Intel chips, but not uncomfortably so. Want a hot running computer...try an Alienware Area 51 notebook....THAT'S HOT!

Folks have given Vista a hard time about not being very good...well it's the best Windows out there! Stop downloading viruses, installing third-party freeware, etc. A general rule of thumb that I use is that if I want software that works well with microsoft...then get microsoft software! I do not use Norton, McAfee or any of that other junk. I use MS One Care and it has worked for me...no viruses, no phishing, no adware.

The Tablet PC feature of this notebook is pretty cool. I can use it to edit pictures, make drawings, and take notes. The pen/digitizer is pretty good and the overall cost of the notebook itself is not to hard on the wallet.

The screen size is 12.1"...take note of that all of you readers that are looking for LARGE SCREEN DISPLAYS. This is a small notebook. If you need a large screen look elsewhere. If the specs say 12.1" screem and you purchase this notebook, don't complain about the screen being small. Take out the stander ruler, hold it diagonally, and imagine that area filled with a picture. That's how small it is. Not too hard to figure out.

Touchscreens have been around since the early 90's, so the technology is not "new" but it has been taken to a new level. Much like the iPhone and iPod Touch, you can do the same type of things with this Touchsmart notebook.

All in all, this is a great notebook for school or small projects. Perfect for a student or someone on the go.

I've had this computer for about a month now and it is great. It so great not having to use yout mouse for everything and it's fun being able to interact with the computer. People say there are all kinds of problems with this computer, but I have yet to find one. I can burn disks, watch videos, and write notes. There's even a special kind of word program and notepad that is on here. I would suggest this computer for people who can't type or have issues with their wrists. And it's also nice for college students so they can write and then automatically convert their notes to typed. IF YOU ARE A SERIOUS BUSINESS PERSON OR WANT THIS FOR GAMING, DO NOT GET IT!!! If any problems occur with this laptop I will write another review, but I doubt anything will happen.

In April of 2008 I purchased the predecessor to the TX2 ( the TX2000). A couple of months after the warranty expired, I began to have spontaneous reboots and video problems and finally it became unusable.

I contacted the HP support desk, via their online chat, and after all trouble shooting was completed, I was informed that the machine would need to be sent in for repair, to the tune of $400. I now have an $1100 dollar brick on my desk.

A bit of research found that there are thousands of people in the same boat, with HP laptops that have failed in the same manner. The problem is with the Nvidia graphic processing unit (GPU). It runs so hot that the solder connections between it and the main board fail. My GPU would run over 212 degrees F and the exhaust from the cooling fans was 157 degrees F.

Although Nvidia notified HP of the failing GPUs sometime in the later part of 2007 or the early part of 2008, HP continued to sell the defective laptops. Their solution was to issue a BIOS update that ran the cooling fans all of the time, which served to increase the life of the GPU, until the computer was out of warranty.

You may be thinking the $400 dollar repair is a fair price to fix the laptop, so what is this guy whining about? Well, they are doing the repairs with the exact same parts that failed in the first place, so the problem is occurring again, just a few months after the repair.

In short, be sure to factor the cost of the longest extended warranty into the cost of the computer, because after the 1 year warranty expires you are on your own. HP is not going to stand behind their product, even if they know they are selling defective units.

Most of these hp products have chinese parts in them.
I have a similar hp touch smart txt2z with a touchscreen and after an year i got only horizontal lines on the display.
I checked for the part and it all lead me to a chinese store on ebay.
Never buy these as they are low quality products and parts from hp.

apparently, these use N-Trig digitizers, NOT Wacom. what this means to digital artists and painters is that there are 256 levels of pressure sensitivity instead of 512. this may not bother you, but is worth knowing. more importantly, neither N-Trig nor Adobe are currently taking responsibility for Photoshop (and Illustrator, and others, fwiw) not being able to respond to pressure. that's right: if you're used to using Photoshop to paint with pressure sensitive (thick and thin) brushes, you're out of luck until this is resolved. if ever?

When will manufacturers understand that the age of analog video and VGA is over? When HP makes this tablet line with HDMI I'll consider buying one. A 5 hour battery life is also important. Getting closer...