HP tx2000 Tablet PC

Are you someone who likes to write on a notepad over using a keyboard? Well this new laptop from HP might just be for you.

Are you someone who likes to write on a notepad over using a keyboard?

You’ve probably heard of a Tablet PC, a style of notebook computer that allows you to write on the screen and have your text translated into digital form. There’s a little more to it than that as Tablet PC’s also give you the ability to play games or use a computer in general with your fingers or a stylus.

Well hot off of the heels of last year’s entry, HP are at it again with a new tablet, the tx2000. A few things have changed this time around including the addition of a proper tablet digitizer from the people who really helped evolve the tablet market. If you’ve ever looked for a tablet in your life, you’ve probably seen a Wacom tablet before and now HP have gone and put the technology in this tablet.

This means that the tx2000 can tell the difference between the stylus that it comes with and your finger. So you can write with the stylus but use your fingers like a mouse. We tried playing a game with our fingers and it worked quite well.

Much like other Tablet PC’s, the screen rotates and snaps into the back allowing you to show your friends what’s on your screen or turning your laptop into a giant notepad.

The keyboard and mouse are probably the stand-out features of this laptop with each feeling better than almost every laptop I’ve tested. I say almost because it’s on par with the Lenovo X300’s and keyboard from Apple laptops.

And complete with a Lightscribe DVD burner, PC express card slot, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2 gig of memory, and a 200 gigabyte drive, it certainly comes packing in the features.

There is a downside however. Like its predecessor – tx1000 – it’s just not fast enough. While the chip inside has increased from a 1.8 gigahertz to a 2 gigahertz AMD Turion, this hasn’t really done much to speed it up. Unlike last time, you can actually use this model as a tablet and write on the tablet. But you’ll only get around one or two lines before the tx2000 slows down like it’s brother and becomes useless.

Then there’s the screen, and this is really the biggest problem the TX series have going for them. While the pressure sensitivity technology comes from the graphic tablet geniuses at Wacom, the screen is ultimately too glossy for use. What this means is the moment you step into a room where there’s an overhead light like say that of an office or your home, the screen reflects everything and makes it hard for you to see what you’re doing.

While you’re struggling to find a good angle and perspective while you write, you might think to yourself “why didn’t they include a matte screen, anti-reflective coating or something that wasn’t so shiny” because I sure did.

The Nvidia Geforce 6150 doesn’t help things much as the video chipset just isn’t fast enough. While good video isn’t a needed thing for a business grade laptop, HP haven’t actually changed the graphics since it’s predecessor was released last year, which is a shame since it really feels lacking more so now than ever.

The sad thing about the HP tx2000 is that while some of the technology is excellent in it – pieces like the proper tablet technology & excellent keyboard and mouse -, it’s still a Tablet PC that is too slow to be a worthy competitor to over Tablet PC’s.

If you do end up using one, you’d probably be better off using it as a laptop rather than as a tablet.

Should you buy it?: If you can live with an over-glossy screen and writing in two lines at a time, it’s not a bad buy.

Click to enlarge

Product: HP tx2000

Vendor: HP

RRP: $2199

Website: HP tx2000

Reviewed by Leigh D. Stark