HP Pavilion tx1000

January 25, 2007 08:05

4.0/5
At a starting price of $1300, ($1700 for the one reviewed on CNET.com), this really is the best price you will get for a brand new tablet PC. For someone who is looking for a very portable, small, lightweight machine, this will work perfectly as a laptop. It's got all the entertainment functions you will need- high quality speakers, (relatively) high resolution, wide screen, digital audio output, built in dvd player and even a remote control. The two earphone outputs and screen rotation makes it airplane-friendly. (No awkward screen angle because the person in front of you pushed back their seat!)

Using the AMD instead of Intel processor seems to do the job- this system performed better than the intel-based Toshiba Protege R400, which is $1000 more. HP has also put in a fingerprint reader, so it is still on par with the toshiba notebook in this respect.

What will really determine the success of this computer is if the touchscreen is usable. A usual tablet panel senses where the pen is, even when its not pressed down. This makes writing more natural. But the HP machine only responds to pressure on the screen. On the plus side, that means you aren't forced to use a proprietary touchpanel pen that you may lose. But the tablet functions suffer. To be honest, I have not used the tablet function, so I can't say how good it is. All I can say is that, no matter where you are thinking about buying this notebook from, make sure you go to a store and try it out first. You may find out that the touch panel is too difficult to use.

But ignore the tablet function, this laptop still packs an impressive punch with all its extra features and decent price. It's basically a great entertainment pc with adequate tablet functionality.

- makryger

April 10, 2007 07:34

4.5/5
I've owned many of the "ultraportables" over the years, beginning in 1986(?) with the Toshiba 1000, through my TX1120's predecessor, the ThinkPad X40. For the money, this is the best one yet. If you are a PDA veteran (particularly earlier Palm III's) the touch sensitive screen is easy to get used to - not as responsive as a Wacom, but no fears of losing the stylus - PLUS - when you just want to open, read, watch, listen, etc while in tablet mode (e.g. - when that 800 lb gorilla in the seat in front of you cranks it all the way back before the plane's wheels leave the ground and even the X40 screen gets crunched down over the keyboard) this unit in tablet mode is perfect. No need to fiddle with a stylus while you read email and control WM11 with your finger tip. I wouldn't want to write the great American novel on the screen, but short items are OK. Reading in portrait mode is a joy (full page view is very good)

PROS: for $1675 out the door (HP site) you get the touchscreen, 2ghz AMD 64 X2, 2gb ram, 160 GB hdd, lightscribe DVDRW, webcam, fingerprint ID, 802.11n, bluetooth and DVD restore media. Try to match that in a Dell, Sony, or Lenovo of any kind.

CONS: I hate the black plastic cover fingerprint magnet. Tends to look dirty all the time. A little heavier and thicker than the micro champs from Dell, Sony and Lenovo, and no Core 2 Duo available yet. Not a true tablet for delivery and inventory gurus. Tends to run hot at full speed (be sure to set processor frequency minimum to 5%).

- dstrauss

March 29, 2007 10:41

4.5/5
Many complain about the TX1000's touchscreen feature because it is less responsive than a Wacom-equipped tablet. You see, that's the point. It's NOT a Wacom tablet! The upside to a touchscreen is you wouldn't have to worry about losing your stylus -- you can use your finger or any slightly pointy object and you're not stuck to not being able to use the tablet feature in class if you find yourself without a stylus. Some complain that the responsiveness of the touch screen is miserable. I did not find difficulty using it. My handwriting is easy to read, so I guess the computer does not have trouble interpreting it easily. Plus, it takes practice -- people start complaining about the feature when they've only gotten the tablet for a week or so. Practice, people!

The built-in camera, microphone, fingerprint reader, 5-in-1 memory card reader, the fabulous altec lansing speakers, the powerful processor and RAM, quickplay buttons, and the remote control are just beautiful additions to this powerhouse media laptop. HP did not promote this to be a business person's typical tablet, this is targeted towards the more common PC users who want something new out of their computer. College students who might need to scribble formulas once in a while. It's not designed for business people, because in the first place, there are much pricey tablets out there for you. This one is for the college individual who's making ends meet and is looking for an affordable, innovative new laptop packed with features (especially in the multimedia aspect). This tablet deserves a higher rating!

- mark_c08

March 21, 2007 10:54
Mediocre
1.0/5
I needed a Tablet PC for taking notes during meetings/seminars. Bought this computer because of the impressive options avaiable at a low price. Certain sacrifices were made (low screen resolution, non-Wacom tablet) at the expense of 2 GB RAM, nice CPU, integrated webcam, speakers, fingerprint reader, microphone, lighscribe DVD-R, etc etc etc.

The machine ran nicely at first. A fair amount of preinstalled bloatware was removed, got about 3+ hours on the 6-cell battery. Aero ran as smoothly as could be expected. MS Office 07 was a bit awkward because the large graphical menus took up a huge chunk of real estate vertical, leaving little room for documents. Outlook ran nicely in the widescreen though, lots of room to see all important e-mail/calendar/task information at once. This machine could certainly benefit from better resolution to be more appropriate for serious users.

On the whole these are minor quibbles. The real trouble in paradise is the absolutely inept design for use as a tablet. The screen is extremely insensitive to pen-based input, so you have to really press down hard to get your pen strokes recognized. Pieces of letters often get missed, and you have to write really slowly and press down really hard - not very useful during a meeting. Trying to write a scientific document was a nightmare, a realization that came after 3 hours and only 1/4 page completed. I attempted to re-calibrate, train the system on my handwriting, and search hp.com and the web in general for updates/drivers that might help. Finally, I called HP and was given the run-around - transferred between case workers and salespeople with no technical experience. I was put on hold for 30min at a time. Finally, a case worker promised that a tech would call me back - surprise surprise I'm still waiting for that call.

Today I got my RMA number and tomorrow I'm getting this trainwreck out of my life. I've had enough of the HP experience. In fact, HP should be ashamed of themselves for allowing this disaster to be put on the market in the first place. If you actually want to use this machine as a tablet, avoid the tx1000 at all costs!

- dialectics

November 18, 2007 08:26

3.5/5
All in all a lot of notebook computer for the money. I wish it had a regular PCMCIA slot to fit some of my accessories. The notebook arrived with a pixel missing on the LCD screen and the panel where you rest you right hand to use the mouse pad squeaks when you rest your hand to use the mouse pad. HP will only repair the device not replace it. This appears to be poor quality control on HP's part. I should not have to go without a computer for a week or more while they repair something that should have never left the factory like this.

- GLF43

November 20, 2007 06:58

4.5/5
Been a Dell user for many years now, ive always detested HP. Dell's recent inability to effectively choose hardware not only capable of supporting Vista, but also paired with full proof working drivers for that hardware as well. Finally NVidia updated the drivers and all is well in VIsta world, i decided to go for a laptop. I know from using my T-Mobile Wing that a touch versus click is the way to go when mobile. I know from product samples at best buy i would perfer a smaller size. Laptop bags are ugly and make you look old, i want one to fit in my messenger bags for sure. Since home use (gaming, media) is complete with a more than capable desktop present i decided that productivity and file management would be primary uses for the laptop and the hardware is definately plenty for that. The handwriting bit i guess is neat but kind of a backwards approach to me. However! Touch of a screen replacing a click and an on screen keyboard is great stuff for surfing web and navigating software. I find using any device within the limits of the hardware will always give you best experiences. It seems a lot of people saw the price tag and ASSumed it to be superloaded mamaload of machine. Sorry to dissapoint you macho few, but touchscreen convertable function still makes up for a good chunk of the cost. Notice is a Convertable laptop; NOT A TABLET PC.

Know what your getting before you purchase. If you have certain expectations out of your new maching, shop for hardware that will meet those expectations. Great Device but dont let the bling fool you; it's not always the one for you.

If you are new to touch screen and are not big on handwriting, the touch screen should live up. If you want to scribble a three page article; pass on it.

IF you want to dispaly full colors and enjoy online media and photos, GO FOR IT.
If you want hardcore gaming, reconsider.

If you are considerably responsible with techy equiptment, GO FOR IT. If you have had a history of device accidents (like with cell phones) reconsider.

Most negative revies on this machine have been directly related to the poor technical or repair support from HP on the occasional mishaps. Though thats really got to suck, i know i love mine, support sucks everywhere these days. BIG SUPRISE THERE.

If drivers start screwing with you check your recent installations for software conflicts. And for god sakes, take whatever bloated software you dont like off before using it so it doesnt effect your review. All manufactures put default crapola on machines. Thats been true in computing for a long time.

Meeting all expectations i can resonably have based on the hardware specifications of customized build I rate this nice guy a 9 according to CNETS rating wizard.

- bsb4303

July 24, 2007 02:11

3.0/5
Considering this is supposed to be an "Entertainment PC", it's got crappy speakers and the screen is impossible to see in natural light. Also, the fact that you have no choice but to be stuck with Vista is terrible. I've had countless problems with this OS (things that affect the performance of the PC, the touch screen randomly stops working).
I hate to complain too much because I do like the thing, it's just that I bought it when it was only available at HP online and it cost be $1300 for something that is now in stores for $900.
I bought this as a replacement for a Compaq Presario V2030us because it wasn't working right and I kind of wish I would've either gotten that fixed or bought a Mac. The computer (and for that matter, life in general) would be much better without Microsoft.

- suzystabalot

March 29, 2007 07:34

4.5/5
I am writing this from my tx1000 right now and it works perfectly. It is faster than my desktop. Everything is a pro about this computer, so I'm going to list the cons.
-Mostly Plastic (idc but some people do)
-gets very hot (but I got the fastest processor)
-Arrow keys have different layout, takes some getting used to
-takes a while to start up and shut down
-handwriting doesn't always work, but does most of the time
-have to apply constant presure to write
and thats all that i can find wrong with the computer. everything else is great. vista is a great operating system and it is so much easier than xp.

- robbaaay

December 2, 2007 10:29
Spectacular
2.5/5
Excellent features for the price: tablet PC features, buit-in webcam, digital SPDIF audio out, S-video & VGA out, small remote, media card reader, fingerprint reader, etc.

However, the battery drains very fast. I have a 6-cell Li-ion battery and it is down to 10% within 90 minutes of normal usage (websurfing and microsoft office use with bluetooth diasbled). I don't know how long it will last with high end computing, probably less than 1 hr.
Vista has many problems. Lot of programs are still not Vista compatible and I frequently find myself going back to my laptp or desktop with Windows XP.

- bondj303

January 24, 2008 08:30
Good
1.5/5
I almost never write reviews, and I have generally had good experience with HP in the past (2 printers and a desktop computer), but I have had quite a few issues with the tx1000z. I bought this tablet PC when it first came out, and it has never really worked well despite much time spent with (very friendly but ultimately unsuccessful) tech support.

1. Video playback - This is the main issue. Video playback from the hard drive has not been very good, even with software that comes with the system (windows media and some HP software). Video playback from websites (tried on various connections) also is not very good. Quicktime/iTunes video doesn't work at all with the internal hard drive, and after a few seconds to minutes of choppy video, one often gets the blue screen of death. For a PC that is advertised as an entertainment PC I feel this is a pretty big flaw. I have re-downloaded drivers, reloaded everything, erased the hard drive and re-installed everything, spent time with apple tech support (which has now run out since my iPod is out of warranty), and have scanned the internet discussion boards for a solution. It still doesn't work from the internal hard drive. One solution is to use an external hard drive and play video from there or the optical drive which does work. Unfortunately, that solution cuts down on the portability of the system (which is one reason to buy a lightweight notebook/tablet). I have done a lot of research thinking that I may have had a defective unit, and this is actually a common problem. The links to discussion boards are below. To be fair it is not an isolated problem to the tx1000z, and has happened with many early vista machines. In discussion boards (and no doubt in reply to this review) some have stated that it is not HP or Microsoft's responsibility to ensure that an Apple program (iTunes) works on their computer, and to some degree I do agree, but iTunes is a pretty ubiquitous program that works on most systems (and on my old HP computer) and given it is an entertainment PC you would think that a fairly common entertainment program would work.

Links:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6225584

http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=5254500#5254500

2. Tablet function - the tablet function is pretty worthless. You have to press very hard and the tablet software really has a hard time putting words together. It often anticipates words, and then the auto complete gets them wrong, which is hard to correct. There has been much debate about this on CNET reviews stating that "you get what you pay for." I think you should get what is advertised. This is advertised as a tablet PC, but the tablet function (for taking notes and writing) is largely unusable. I think that is a worthy critique that potential buyers should be aware of. The tx1000 does come in a non-tablet form that is slightly less expensive, which would be a much better buy, and people will not have the expectation that they will be able to easily enter data via the stylus.

3. System Stability - there have been more than the usual amount of "blue screen of death" crashes. The system does recover well and I have not lost any data. Much of this is in relation to video drivers, but rarely it will occur with other programs.

4. Other minor problems: standby mode drains the battery very quickly (it's best to turn it off), the screen is dim to save power, but can be hard to see in moderately lighted rooms. The Wi-Fi can be a little buggy. After connecting to paid Wi-Fi spots (like T-mobile hot spots-which when traveling I sometimes have to use) It sometimes cannot find the page that is supposed to come up so you can pay for the service. This also happens in the hospital were I work (you have to type in a password to use Wi-Fi)- this can be fixed by saving the pages you need to your favorites, but it's annoying.

Despite these problems, and about a month of frustration coming to terms with it's limitations, there are some good things about the Tx1000.

1. It is very light. The other computers in it's weight range were versions of the Sony Vaio, which were nearly twice as expensive, and some have a very small keyboard. I use it in my medical practice when I take notes in conferences (Not with the tablet function) and it is easy to carry when traveling.
2. It loads quickly so I don't have to wait long to look up information or browse the internet.
3. Battery life is OK.
4. the swiveling screen is neat (although I don't use it very much).
5. HP tech support is very friendly and at least try to be helpful.
6. Photoshop works very well on this computer. I do some medical illustration and I really have been impressed with how well Photoshop works with the tx1000. (the tablet function also is not great for illustration however).

In summary, I think if you are looking for a lightweight computer just to do word processing, image editing or illustration with wireless internet, without tablet function you probably could find a less expensive alternative to the tx1000z, and the alternative device might be able to play video from iTunes/Quicktime. Hopefully the tx2000 fixes some of these problems.

I hope that this spares at least a few people some frustration. It really isn't a bad computer for a lot of functions, but it also doesn't really deliver what is advertised.

- lawallc