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Engadget's back to school guide: Netbooks and laptops
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we've got laptops and netbooks in our sights -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. You didn't think we'd let back to school season roll around without rounding up the latest gear, did you? Good, because here at Engadget we understand that not only is heading off to college nerve wracking, but picking out the best gadgets can as equally scary. We couldn't think of kicking off our back to school guide with anything but our top netbook / laptop choices since, you know, a good performing and well-rounded machine is absolutely essential for those hours of Facebook stalking, err of homework and studying. No matter what your budget, we've got you covered with recommendations and loads of mobile computing options. Now, on to the laptops...
HP TouchSmart tm2 gains Core i5 CPU option, a whole new level of respect
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? Or when a rumor plays out perfectly? We're looking at a case of the latter here today, as HP's oh-so-lovable 12-inch TouchSmart tm2 is now available to order with a Core i5 processor. Just months after gaining Core i3 support, the convertible tablet can now be ordered with a 1.2GHz Core i5-430UM (capable of hitting 1.73GHz with Turbo Boost). Said CPU can be paired with integrated Intel graphics or with a discrete ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5450, and 4GB of DDR3 RAM is standard on either configuration. Hit the links below to investigate further, but be sure to keep your plastic far, far away unless you're kosher with impulse buys of a rather significant caliber.
HP TouchSmart tm2t review
Let's not forget that before "tablets" were all the rage there were, well, tablets. While most tablet PCs were -- and still are -- aimed at the business market, the HP TouchSmart tm2 (which began as the tx2000) was one of the first tablets for the average Joe. And despite rumors of a slate product and future WebOS devices, HP hasn't given up on the tm2, and rightfully so. Just updated with a brand new Core i3 ULV processor, the convertible has a 12.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, a new TouchSmart layer for laptops, an onboard stylus for taking notes, and a striking design with a rather stellar chiclet keyboard. There's no doubt the form factor still appeals to students or those simply looking for the power of a PC with a touch experience, but we wish HP paid a bit more attention to a few key features before shipping. Find out just what those are in our full review. %Gallery-96332%
HP's $950 TouchSmart tm2 surfaces at Amazon with Core i3-330M
Don't you just love it when a plan comes together? Just a week after hearing that HP would soon be refreshing its TouchSmart tm2 convertible tablet with Core i3 and Core i5 options, in flies this: an Amazon product page confirming as much. The 12.1-inch, 4.72-pound TouchSmart tm2-2050us is currently in pre-order status, rocking a 2.13GHz Core i3-330M processor, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 640GB hard drive (5400RPM), Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit), a WXGA LED-backlit display, Intel's integrated graphics set, Altec Lansing speakers, a 5-in-1 card reader and gigabit Ethernet. You'll also get a brushed aluminum finish, inbuilt webcam and fingerprint reader, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, a trio of USB 2.0 sockets, HDMI / VGA outputs, audio in / out and a battery good for around four hours of use. You can get in line now in exchange for $949.99, and if we were the betting type, we'd surmise that a Core i5 version was just around the bend. [Thanks, Daniel]
HP TouchSmart tm2 getting Core i3 and i5 this summer?
This is just a rumor at this point, but it's definitely one we'd file in the believable column. According to NewGadgets.de, HP's planning to update its 12.1-inch tm2 convertible tablet with Core i3 and i5 processors in June. Considering we've heard that Intel will be releasing its Core i5 ULV processors around then, this certainly makes sense --- after all, we'd expect HP to swap out the current Core 2 Duo ULV processors for something more powerful, yet power efficient. Time will tell if the new chips make it into the multitouch laptop, but it's good to know that HP's still working on at least some sort of Windows 7 tablet.
HP's TouchSmart tm2 gets exhaustively unboxed on video
We heard that HP's recently unveiled TouchSmart tm2 tablet would begin shipping immediately, and given that said "unveiling" happened just last week, well... you know we couldn't lay off the first unboxing video that we've seen. One particular user decided to bless us (or harass us, depending on perspective) with five full minutes of YouTube footage dedicated to the device's unwrapping, which even includes a breathtaking view of the owners manual being glanced right over in favor of that whole "jumping right in" thing. Be sure to hit up the More Coverage link below if you're a to-be owner -- already lots of chatter going on from folks who just landed one of their own. [Thanks, Mike and Andy]
