HP Pavilion tx2000 Notebook Tablet PC: Review
Bill Gates was right. Tablet PCs are useful and fun. His company has been developing pen computing and tablet pc software for ages; but, very few people cared until now. Finally, Mr. Gates' persistence has turned into such user-friendly touch-screen software and hardware that anyone can use the products without having to invest extra work or extra cost in technology. The HP Pavilion tx2000 is one of the first mini-laptop PCs that has everything a touch-screen computer should have - in a compact, smart package.
The HP Pavilion tx2000 is a small Windows Vista computer with two strong identities. On one hand, it is a petite, 12-inch notebook PC with an excellent keyboard and touchpad. On the other hand, it is a tablet PC that is used with a pen or fingers. In addition, it can be both a laptop PC and a touch screen tablet computer at the same time.
How it works
The trick is that you can fold out the tx2000 into an ordinary laptop. This position allows you to type on the keyboard and use the integrated touchpad with your fingers as a mouse. The touch screen is accessible as well. You can tap the screen anytime you like, if it is more convenient than using a keyboard or mouse.
When you want to use the PC as a tablet computer, you grab the screen, rotate it 180 degrees and push it down on top of the keyboard. There is a button beside the display that lets you rotate the software into portrait or landscape position. Now, you may access the computer by tapping the screen with your fingers or with the included pen.
Watch a video that shows how the notebook PC turns into a tablet computer:
You don't have to decide whether you will use the pen or your fingers – you can use either whenever you like. Anyway, it is a good idea to calibrate the screen for the pen and your primary pointing finger. Using the pen or finger is as simple as directly tapping the same objects on the screen that you would click with the mouse. Hold the pen against the screen and the right-click mouse menu will pop up. Hold your finger against the screen and you'll get the same menu. That's all you need to get started with touch screen computing. There are many more options that you can explore in the included Tablet PC tutorials.
HP Pavilion tx2000 Key Features and Specifications:
- 12.1-inch display. HP BrightView widescreen in 1280 x 800-pixel resolution.
- Touch-sensitive screen that accepts both finger and pen input.
- The display can be twisted and rotated to form a tablet-style PC, hiding the keyboard.
- RAM memory: 2GB DDR2 (2 Dimm) – may vary by regional configuration.
- 160GB capacity 5400RPM SATA hard drive or 250GB 5400RPM SATA hard drive.
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g WLAN connectivity. Some models come with Wi-Fi 802.11n as well..
- Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit) operating system software.
- 2 removable batteries. Estimated battery life 1.5-2 hours using the slim battery pack (four cells) and 3-4 hours using the bulky battery pack (eight cells).
- Dimensions (length x width x height): 8.82 x 12.05 x 1.23/1.52 inches. Weight 4.26 lbs
Check out the full list of features and technical specifications.
Usage
We found ourselves increasingly using the tx2000 as a tablet instead of using it as a laptop. Reading news on the Internet, Web surfing, listening to MP3 music or streaming radio, reading documents or even ebooks, viewing videos or photos, or making minor edits to documents using the tablet all quickly felt natural as a way to do these things.
There are software products that weren’t developed to work with touch screens. As long as you only need to tap objects within the application, everything goes smoothly. But if you are using an application (like Firefox) that doesn't recognize pen input, you have a problem when you need to type something. Fortunately, a virtual (software) keyboard is always lurking just at the edge of the display, where it can be pulled out for tapping letters and numbers.
The touch screen requires a fairly straight angle for viewing and for input. If you have calibrated the screen with your right hand, you better use the same hand to tap the screen.
Considering that it is a touch screen, the display is sharp and has wonderful colors.
The keyboard is almost a full-size laptop keyboard. Function keys at the top row (Del, Ins, End, and Home) have been squeezed into a tiny space. Still, we liked the keyboard a lot. It is excellent for typing documents, messages, or whatever it is you may want to write (one more reason for taking a laptop like this along for a trip).
The stereo speakers produce clear and wide, but thin, sound. If you intend to use the laptop for VoIP telephone calls with products like Skype or Gizmo, you should wear a headset. In addition to stereo speakers, the product comes with a built-in stereo microphone; but, because the mike and the speakers are so close to each other, they cause feedback to the line.
The finger print reader that can provide logon credentialing instead of a password is located at the left edge of the screen. It is in an awkward location, which is probably one reason why it frequently failed to recognize our fingers. There is a dedicated program that you have to use to teach your fingerprints to the reader.
The tx2000 discovered Wi-Fi hotspots well, but it has to be fairly close to the access point for a decent transfer rate and uninterrupted connectivity.
The unit is made of black and silver plastic-type material. The black portion attracts fingerprints. So does the screen. The body feels as though it is unlikely to withstand even minor bumps or drops to the floor.
Competitive Products
There are similar laptop/tablet notebook PCs from Dell, Fujitsu, Lenovo, and Toshiba on the market that compete with the HP Pavilion tx2000. If you are not yet sure which type of mobile computer you should have, here are some other choices: the ultra-portable Fujitsu U810 or the small and light Asus Eee PC. Even smaller products than mini-laptops are Web tablets, or Internet tablets from Nokia, such as the Nokia N800 or the N810 that are both running Linux operating system software.
What we liked about the HP Pavilion tx2000
- Considering the product price, it has a well-balanced system configuration for Windows Vista.
- Whatever your preferred input method, the tx2000 lets you stick to your habits. Keyboard, touch screen with pen, touch screen with fingers, touchpad, or mouse (not included with the product) are all practical, easy-to-use options.
- Pen input is excellent.
- Extensive connectivity options: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB ports, Webcam, Microphone, S-Video, memory card reader.
- Good battery life with the bulky battery.
What we didn't like
- Touch-screen required re-calibration after hibernation in order to have accurate input.
- Touch-screen technology and greasy fingers blur the screen (a wiping cloth is included).
- Hardware keys around the display are not configurable. For instance, we would like to disable the DVD playback keys because we often accidentally hit them with our palm or wrist.
- Finger input can be inaccurate. A number of factors seem to affect the accuracy, for example, angle and how solidly the tablet is held when tapped.
- Relatively poor battery life with the slim battery.
Value for the money: 5 out of 5
For us, the tx2000 is exactly what a small, portable computer should be. It is versatile, allowing us to use it in the kitchen, on the living room sofa, by a office desk, in the university auditorium, at a café, or in a hotel room. The rotating display combined with touch-sensitive pen and finger input has convinced us that directly contacting the screen is the way of the future.
We like using the HP Pavilion tx2000 so much that we are always slightly disappointed when the battery runs out. Fortunately, the product comes with a spare battery. In any case, for anyone who needs a truly portable laptop with a keyboard and touch screen, the product is worth every penny, cent, and yuan.
HP Pavilion tx2000 touch screen PC video review:
Rate the product:
John 20.03.2008 20:07
I got one too, I really liked it. wish the video card was a bit better bar It is a tablet per not a gamming one
skizzie 21.03.2008 06:50
I have noticed a funny thing when using the tx2000. I'm a Firefox fan, but I'm using Internet Explorer 7 more. IE7 is better when in used tablet mode.
editor 26.03.2008 05:04
We have received some questions: ---------------------------------- 1. Can you say something to the noise? Du you hear the fan, when you work with the book? Especially when you read texts! Or marking them with the pen... ANSWER: Most of the time the fan is silent. When I'm viewing web pages with heavy Flash ads, the fan goes on. It has two speeds. Slower speed is really silent and the fast speed is really loud. The pen makes a clicking sound when you tap the screen. The sound can be turned off. If the sound is on, the volume is the same as the volume of the loudspeaker. 2. Do you know whether this has a passive or active pen(able to move cursor while hoving/not touching screen? And is it pressure sensitive? Also, since you have big hands like me, do you have any trouble typing on it? ANSWER: You can move the cursor without touching the screen with the pen. The pen is not pressure sensitive. When you hold the pen against the screen for a second, you'll get right-mouse click menu. Clicking links, buttons and scroll bars works well with fingers, but typing with fingers (using the virtual keyboard) is slow. Typing with the pen is pretty fast.
NJef 26.03.2008 12:07
How is the NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 like? how many mb's is it and how good is the graphics when playing games like WoW for example.?
ari 27.03.2008 02:40
geforce reports 799MB of available video memory. I haven't tried games yet, but it is fine for everything else - videos, dvds etc
editor 30.03.2008 01:52
more questions received: Q: I heard that the wacom technology does make it pressure-sensitive. Is this false? A: The touch-screen behaves exactly the same way regardless if you tap it lightly or really push it. It's the same behavior with the pen and finger. When you want, for instance, right-mouse-click function, you hold your finger or pen against the screen for a second . Another example is copy/paste. A flick of the pen against the screen to a certain direction means copy/paste/cut (dependin on the direction).
editor 03.04.2008 06:18
Questions keep coming: Q: how much is this? and is hp better than others like mac or apple? would this be you number 1 recommendation? A: At least HP should sell it on their web site. The whole point of this laptop is that it has a touch screen that lets you input with a pen, fingers, keyboard, mouse, touchpad or all at the same time. In that sense, comparison to MacBook is difficult. Q: i have a question, if i add a screen protector onto the laptop, would it interfere with the touch screen capabilities? i recently ordered one online but i was just wondering in advance. please respond! thankyouu A: I haven't tried a screen protector, but I would expect it to have some side effects. I wouldn't attach a shield to my screen before testing it with a tiny piece of tape that can be easily removed.
kgj 04.04.2008 01:34
i got this hp notebook too.. its light and easy to handle. its features and stylistic design makes me do things possible.. love it!!
Heeelp mee 13.04.2008 20:39
On my tx2000 when i use the internet explorer i get a hand as a cursor and i cant highlight anything. it may not sound as a big thing but its such an annoyance. help pleeeeeeease
ari 14.04.2008 12:13
Now that you mention it, it is actually kind of a weird detail. You have to open the View menu and uncheck the Panning hand.
editor 15.04.2008 11:18
HP has introduced a mini-notebook that has 8.9 inch screen, but it is not touch-sensitive: http://www.avecmobile.com/index.php?id=1085
editor 20.04.2008 04:08
We have received more questions: -------------------------- Q: which battery are you using, it looks flush with the back so is it the 4-cell? the 6 and 8 cells both look really ugly compared to the design of the labtop itself. A: I was using the 4-cell battery for the video. It is really slim. You're right, my other one, the 8-cell battery is bulky and looks ugly.
editor 03.05.2008 04:04
An additional question: Q: does the pen have eraser? the one that comes with the pc A: Yes, but it depends on the application. For instance, Windows Journal app has a specific eraser feature for the pen, but many others don't. There are, however, some neat extra features that work in all apps. For example, you can copy/paste data, or erase selected text by flicking the pen to a certain direction.
CW 04.05.2008 06:34
Hi, i don't reali like the soundcard that comes with the hp pav. it interferes with recording music and playing back songs as it sounds very murky, even when i am using good altec lansing external speakers. is there anything that i can add on to it to make it better? thanks.
J 14.05.2008 08:03
Hi, I was wondering if others hear a strange click happening sporradically on the tx2000 and also, has anyone else noticed some sluggishness/nonsensitivity of their space bar? Would really appreciate any feedback to what these things could mean.. had it a month
macpaul 15.05.2008 20:36
Hi,bought this machine a month ago,loving it,but the 4-cell battery is a major disappointment as well as the integrated video card,which eventhough it says 790mb has much less available for graphics. Could anyone tell me please how long the 8 cell battery can last say if I`m using to watch a 3hour long dvd?Thanks
Ari 17.05.2008 04:03
macpaul, I'm using the 8-cell battery. It gives about 3-3.5 hours of power for me. My typical usage is web access (via Wi-Fi), photo imports from camera, photo and video uploads to online albums. I haven't played a whole dvd yet...
Ian 03.06.2008 05:05
Just to clarify, the tx2000 series screen is both touch sensitive (you can move the pointer with your finger and tap buttons, etc.) and Wacom pen digitiser enabled and the pen is pressure sensitive. You can turn each on or off independently. In fact normally when the Wacom function is on and the pen is detected, the touch sensitive aspect of the screen is switched off (so your palm doesn't compete with the Wacom pen). So you get the best of both worlds. The tx1000 is only touch sensitive and optimised for stylus use, not fingertips (though your fingernail should work). It is not pressure level sensitive like the Wacom pen either, so it is not suitable for artists needing pressure sensitive pen functions. For that you need a tx2000. Having owned both a tx1000 and now a tx2000, I can say there is nothing that the tx1000 does better than the tx2000 in my opinion.
Phil 16.06.2008 23:37
Finally figured out how to disable DVD & Quick Play Quick Launch keys on right side of screen, while retaining Mobility Center & Rotation keys. Also kept Quick Play as a program. In Program Files\HP\QuickPlay, rename QP.exe & QP.sim to QP1.exe and QP1.sim. Find all registry entries with "Program Files\HP\QP.exe" and change to QP1.exe (this is used in several auto play settings, both as exe and icon). I just kept pressing on these buttons with my palm while writing on the tablet. I really like the tx2000z and actually Vista does a better job at ink than XP Tablet edition.
jen 17.06.2008 23:58
Thank u Phil!! I asked HP support about the same thing. They said the keys couldn't be disabled. Thanks!
icyhale 13.07.2008 02:31
I found that to alleviate the problem of pressing those buttons you just keep pressing the rotation button which then allows the screen to rotate to all four sides meaning you dont need to disable the buttons
GGGGGGG 25.07.2008 08:46
Hi, i'm a translator. I'm thinking of buying this book but I'm not sure if the screen is good to visualize texts mainly in Msword and writing appls, besides its bright. I don't know if it's too bright and annoys the eyes because I usually spend lotsof hours in front of the pc. would you help me? also the keyboards.. are they resistant enough to typing or too fragile? thanks
Ari 26.07.2008 04:39
Hi G, the screen is sharp because the resolution is quite high. In fact, some friends have needed their reading glasses, because the objects on a 12-inch screen are smaller than on a 15-inch screen. But it is sharp and fonts are being rendered smoothly. The display brightness can be adjusted. Since it is a touch screen, it may collect stains (depending on your fingers, of course). The keyboard is excellent. I mean the size of the keys, feel, and the placement of the keys. Just like the whole unit, the keyboard is plastic-ish. It doesn't feel like a really heavy-duty keyboard, but time will tell how long it lasts.
Amethysts 07.08.2008 22:54
Yea, the brightness can be adjusted and the keyboard is unique from most other laptops I've seen... the keys are only slightly smaller than on a desktop keyboard. They still manage to fit all the keys by shrinking the f keys and arrows. It's pretty nifty. And works well for everyday essay typing. But there are deep crevices between all the keys that make dust and other particles easily fall through... actually it's because I was looking for a keyboard protector that I found this site *continues on her search for one*
Yasar 10.10.2008 03:28 yasar
Please help me, how to change window vista to XP for HP Pavilion tx2000. Thank you.
Jo-Jo_5 17.10.2008 18:11
i just bought this laptop about a month ago and i've always had this problem with the internet, it really bothers me. Sometimes it will take forever to load a page and then it says that internet is not responding and it has to restart it. this happens quite a lot. i dont know what it is or how to fix it. Can someone help me?
minki 19.10.2008 03:44
Jo-Jo ... maybe your wireless wifi signal is weak... happened to me. check the network strength. i had to move my wifi box.
editor 09.11.2008 02:41
We received the following question:
---------------------------------
is there a port in the computer, to hold the pen when not in use?
Answer:
Yes, there is a slot for the pen under the keyboard, but it can be accessed from the side (without lifting the unit).
Philip Melorin 10.12.2008 02:06
Follow-up question regarding vista to xp Please help me, how to change window vista to XP for HP Pavilion tx2000. Thank you.
mizar 05.02.2009 13:48
i have problems with the keyboard,i'm curently writting with the pen as i seem to have lost the ability to use any buttons of the keyboard...the funny thing is that the ligths are on and the mouse is working as are the rigth and left click buttons. does any one know sth tht could help
bendalk 22.02.2009 12:13
I have this laptop and like it very much, although I have a problem with the pen while using it as a tablet. I'll be using it for a few minutes and then all of a sudden it's as if the pen freezes or gets stuck and just continuously blinks in the bottom right corner of the screen. It ends up messing things up on the screen and all I can do then is not use it as a tablet anymore. I'm pretty sure I did the whole calibration thing when I first got it (?). Also, I'm looking for a cover for the keyboard, as tends to collect dust and stuff. If anybody has any advice, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!
Steve 02.03.2009 02:16
i have had this laptop for around 6 months. the finger print reader is now NOT DETECTED! this happened a few months back when i first got it, i restarted and it was fine, however, its not detected again. its fairly slow, the touch screen isnt very accurate, you have to have tiny fingers and using the pen is annoying. since first starting up this laptop, i've found it doesnt like certain updates. it refuses to update certain files. i could go on and on.... i wouldnt recommend buying this laptop period
Alex 16.03.2009 00:45 www.vistadoesntsuck.co.nr
We have this tablet, and I recommended deleting the recovery partition and formatting the hard drive, as HP ship too much junk with their computers. Otherwise this is an excellent tablet PC - it even runs Battlefield 2 well.
Mr Emran 07.06.2009 13:21
i also use tx2000 and right now i must press a little bit hard to my space bar when typing.maybe this week i should go to HP centre to check what the problem with my space bar.My friend told me that i could extend the warranty of my tx2000 if i pay RM200++ to the HP.the slim battery cannot hold charge longer.very sad.
Norule 20.07.2009 22:26
Hi, I have a question. Is it normal for the laptop's screen to be so shaky? it's not as stable as a Fujitsu tablet pc. The tx2000's screen is like a baby tooth about to fall off =/
mick 24.07.2009 23:43
norule, that doesn't sound right to me. my tx2000 screen is stable and sharp.
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