HP TouchSmart tm2 convertible tablet slims down and spruces up
By Paul Miller 
posted January 6th 2010 12:01AM
posted January 6th 2010 12:01AM
We played around with the laptop, and outside of the slightly suspicious touchpad, we were pretty impressed by the laptop. The build quality is great, in both feel and confidence-building (a must for a convertible tablet like this), but HP's also really beefed up the software aspect, pre-loading the new Netflix-inclusive version of its TouchSmart software and the wild, almost-useful BumpTop 3D desktop. Tossing in a finger friendly version of Corel Paint and an interactive dolphin screensaver was also a nice touch. Check out a quick video hands-on after the break.
HP TouchSmart tm2
Building on HP TouchSmart software innovation, the thin, powerful HP TouchSmart tm2 updates the tx2 – the industry's first convertible notebook PC with multitouch technology designed specifically for consumers.
With the convertible tm2, customers can choose the product configuration and input method that is most comfortable and natural, whether on a couch, in an airplane or while surfing the web. (3) As a traditional notebook, the tm2 offers a keyboard and touch-enabled display for input. Converted to a slate, the tm2 morphs into a sketchpad with digital pen, allowing artists to sketch on the go and students to take notes in class.
Feather-light capacitive multitouch display technology responds to the softest touch of a finger. The display also supports multitouch gestures such as zoom, scroll and rotate by allowing more than one finger to be accepted as input simultaneously. With the digital pen, handwriting appears on the display as digital ink, similar to writing on paper.
Featuring a sophisticated aluminum design with "Riptide" engraved illustration, the tm2 provides a full notebook experience with the latest low-voltage Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors and optional high multimedia performance ATI Mobility Radeon™ discrete graphics upgrades.(4) The tm2 also provides up to nine hours of battery life via the standard six-cell battery and includes a fingerprint reader as well as an advanced thermal design that helps keep the PC cool.(5)
New touch applications enhancing the tm2 experience include:
• BumpTop, a touch-enhanced 3-D interface for photos and documents that allows users to spatially organize and "toss" or share files and photos to social media sites or email.
• DigiFish Dolphin, an interactive 3-D screensaver that recreates an ocean environment to be experienced via touch or a mouse.
• Corel® Paint it! Touch, whichTM allows users to draw and paint or turn photos into paintings using fingertips.
The tm2 also features many of the same exclusive built-for-touch applications found on the recently introduced tx2 and HP TouchSmart PC, including exclusive touch-enabled games and Corel Painter Sketch Pad application for creating digital art.
The tm2 now offers a touch-enabled Netflix application, which delivers thousands of full-screen movies and TV episodes that are instantly streamed from Netflix over the Internet and can be watched any time at no additional cost by Netflix members with an unlimited subscription. Other recently introduced applications within the TouchSmart software include Hulu Desktop or Internet TV, Twitter and HP Music Store.(6)
As part of HP's commitment to the environment and to eliminating all uses of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in its computing products by 2011,(7) the TouchSmart tm2 is BFR/PVC-free.
Building on HP TouchSmart software innovation, the thin, powerful HP TouchSmart tm2 updates the tx2 – the industry's first convertible notebook PC with multitouch technology designed specifically for consumers.
With the convertible tm2, customers can choose the product configuration and input method that is most comfortable and natural, whether on a couch, in an airplane or while surfing the web. (3) As a traditional notebook, the tm2 offers a keyboard and touch-enabled display for input. Converted to a slate, the tm2 morphs into a sketchpad with digital pen, allowing artists to sketch on the go and students to take notes in class.
Feather-light capacitive multitouch display technology responds to the softest touch of a finger. The display also supports multitouch gestures such as zoom, scroll and rotate by allowing more than one finger to be accepted as input simultaneously. With the digital pen, handwriting appears on the display as digital ink, similar to writing on paper.
Featuring a sophisticated aluminum design with "Riptide" engraved illustration, the tm2 provides a full notebook experience with the latest low-voltage Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processors and optional high multimedia performance ATI Mobility Radeon™ discrete graphics upgrades.(4) The tm2 also provides up to nine hours of battery life via the standard six-cell battery and includes a fingerprint reader as well as an advanced thermal design that helps keep the PC cool.(5)
New touch applications enhancing the tm2 experience include:
• BumpTop, a touch-enhanced 3-D interface for photos and documents that allows users to spatially organize and "toss" or share files and photos to social media sites or email.
• DigiFish Dolphin, an interactive 3-D screensaver that recreates an ocean environment to be experienced via touch or a mouse.
• Corel® Paint it! Touch, whichTM allows users to draw and paint or turn photos into paintings using fingertips.
The tm2 also features many of the same exclusive built-for-touch applications found on the recently introduced tx2 and HP TouchSmart PC, including exclusive touch-enabled games and Corel Painter Sketch Pad application for creating digital art.
The tm2 now offers a touch-enabled Netflix application, which delivers thousands of full-screen movies and TV episodes that are instantly streamed from Netflix over the Internet and can be watched any time at no additional cost by Netflix members with an unlimited subscription. Other recently introduced applications within the TouchSmart software include Hulu Desktop or Internet TV, Twitter and HP Music Store.(6)
As part of HP's commitment to the environment and to eliminating all uses of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in its computing products by 2011,(7) the TouchSmart tm2 is BFR/PVC-free.
@DaHarder Unless it breaks HDCP. But I see your point.
@kingofmyworld324
Do you know (for a fact) that it won't be able to circumvent these obstacles?
We'll See Soon Enough...
I'm confused is a uniform touchpad only okay on apple products?
@KungFuHamster
As the proud owner of an Hp ENVY featuring the same technology as this TM2, I find Hp's design every bit as effective as the MacBook Pro on which I'm tying this post.
Note: Apple's NOT the only game in town regardless of what some would have you believe.
@KungFuHamster Hah, I was thinking the same thing.
I have the older HP convertible and I think this might have solved every issue with it that was not fixed with the TX2. Very excited to read some hands-on reviews.
@KungFuHamster
It's not OK on any products.
==" Now my toshiba M750 is getting more and more outdated... its still great, just lacks multitouch (i was comforting myself XD)
When will someone make a 15.4" tablet? 3 years ago, I was going to buy a HP tablet, but I told myself to wait for a bigger screen just around the corner, but instead HPs remained the same while others' screens have shrunk.
I don't care how much it would weigh, I just want a multimedia-style tablet large and powerful enough so I can enjoy movies and games with, while still being able to doodle and write on the screen with. I don't care if its Windows, Mac or Ubuntu, whoever makes this first will have my money!
@ushimon
Sounds like you want an Hp TouchSmart IQ-type desktop, rather than a laptop/tablet.
@ushimon I'm sure there'll be touchscreen 15ers (there's a Acer IIRC) but not necessarily in a tablet form factor with a digitizer. For the desktop, there's capacitive multi-touch screens from HP and Dell.
@YpoCaramel Yup, I tested those desktops out, but I'm still looking for something more all-in-one, that I can set flat on my desk to draw on and portable enough to take with me on trips. I'm hoping one day all the screen sizes available for laptops now will be available for tablets too. A few years ago, Dell once told me that it had something to do with the weight and lack of suppliers when tablet screens get too big though, so I guess that's still a problem.
... Core2Duo? Why not i3/i5?
@CJisohsocool
Why not an i5/i7 ? - Try: Cost... Heat... Diminished Battery Life.
The TM2 is designed to be an affordable, convertible laptop/tablet not a desktop replacement.
@DaHarder
I just realized that when I read low voltage in the press release lol, because it said low voltage and not ultra low voltage does that means it's in the SL/SP line? Instead of the SU's
Heat and battery life wouldn't be part of that equation, all the reviews show same or less heat, same or slightly better battery life, with huge gains in performance. Cost it the deciding factor here.
Wonder how the speakers are in the unit. And, of course, the fan noise in real-world use.
Now could this come to Egypt on the 20th of January?
Man this laptop looks sweet. Although i'm not sure i could ever trust a HP tablet convertible again after the years of hell my TX1000 put me through.
Yes, I'd also like to know if it's wacom penabled... to replace my tx2000z - but I wouldn't buy it until 18 months later to make sure that the excessive failure rate for the tx2 isn't being repeated. While I'm sitting here typing on my tx2, the thing has already melted its soldering once and is apparently working on melting it a second time - get a 2 + year warranty!! It's WORTH it.
Really nice, price not bad either. but need to wait Apple "iSlate" 1st.
Seems quite impressive. If HP is able to keep the battery running for just over 3 hours and keep the price in europe about 800€ they´ll get my money. Also good performance on hd-videos would be nice.
Can´t wait to read a review and see an european release date.
how much does this thing weigh? I'm debating between this and my asus eee t91mt which I can return up until the 20th
Can somebody PLEASE shoot the laser-etching-crazy idiot at HP?
Way to completely eff up an otherwise awesome notebook.
@NewL Totally agree. The stupid looking designs that are on most consumer LTs (hp, tosh, etc) are a killer. Eliminate the designs and let people use skins (skinit.com, etc) if they want to customize. Otherwise this looks like a great convertible.
Still waiting to see a complete list of specs... what I'm finding on line is not encouraging. The weight I've been seeing quoted is unusually large- almost 5 lbs. Still waiting to see the dimensions. Slightly disappointed with the lack of the HP Docking Port, which I use daily. No DVD player either, which is kind of disappointing. Also, where's the LAN port?
The question is has HP learned from all the issues the original TX1000 and TX2 owners experienced...
I'm wary to buy another HP machine as they screwed all of us TX early adopters with the infamous video chip problem and heat issues.
I'll definitely check it out to see if they addressed all the issues that compromised the potential that was the TX series.....if they actually get 9 hours of battery life from 6-cell.....i could be sold.
But I'd definitely get a very very long extended warranty.
Lol playing with the dolphins.
Not bad HP.
Where the hell is the 2740p???
This link:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/hp-tm2-1070us-tablet-details-leaked-is-temporarily-out-of-stock/
Says 1.3GHz. Fail. If it was 2.5GHz+ I'd actually consider one of these as a secondary to my MacBook Pro. I can't live with such a slow processor though.
@grahamj TX2 and older had 2.4ghz and they burnt the heck up. I guess this is how they feel they can solve that problem.
Please, what's all the rage with the lame flat-key keyboards? I NEED tactile feedback to know where my fingers are in relation to the key edges! Quit making stupid apple-esque keyboards, HP!
The days of my TX2 are numbered :)
it just bugs me so much when teaser specs come out...discrete ATI graphics...WHICH MODEL? Im dying here! =p
@fahdriyami I think its the 4000 series. Not sure of the specific number though.
So we have a discrete video card on a tablet finally, whats the onboard memory for said card, and what is the price increase for adding the discrete video card?
Anyone?
Sweet!
no optical drive or port replicator... 1 step forward.. 2 steps back.. thanks hp
I am very interested in this because I always wondered if tablet pcs can replace my sketchbook. After reading a few post on deviantart and seeing some artwork, I'm convinced that this would be perfect for me. Also that 3D desk thing I remember seeing 3 years ago. It was done by some college student. I guess he sold it to HP. Anyway All I need is my hacked copy of Photoshop CS4 and a two 22' inch lcds and this can be my perfect desk. One complaint is I would love to see some of those art designs that Dell have for these.
I'm definitely interested in this type of product and I like HP. I'm just curious how easy it will be to take notes (write) on a screen that just swivels instead of lays down flat?
I ordered mine today through the HP website and customized it with the 1.6 GHz and ATI graphics option plus 4 GB RAM. It all came to $1449 but HP gave a $200 discount and I also got an online HP coupon for $250, so the total was $999. Pretty good deal. How come there are no reviews of this tablet yet? Only mobiletechreview has given it an extensive review.