Gadget n Gizmos: HP Pavilion tx2500z series

For those of you looking to get into HP's Pavilion tx2500z Puma-based tablet PC, the time has come. This "echo" inlaid-design ultraportable sports a 12.1-inch 1280 x 800 swivel touch screen with handwriting capture, AMD Turion Dual-Core processor, ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics chipset, and WiFi. Other features of note include a fingerprint reader, webcam, 5-in-1 media card reader, and 3 USB ports.

This is a great Tablet PC from HP with lots of features and excellent performance. The only disadvantage is that you cannot downgrade it to Windows xp. It comes pre-installed with Wondows Vista.

The high-definition, spacious 12.1" (diagonal) display on this compact notebook means comfortable viewing that won't strain your eyes. You can open it in the standard way, twist it backward for presentations or to view comfortably on a plane, or fold it flat like a slate. This notebook includes a touchscreen and digitizer so you can handwrite, sketch, draw, take notes, or graph, plus use the pad of your finger to navigate Web sites, play games, organize and play music, and view photos, TV shows, and movies.

Fingerprint security (select models)

Swipe your finger across the optional integrated reader on the side of the panel to log on to your tx2500z and password-protected Web sites and documents.

Optional fingerprint reader

Here are some more pics for the same..

HP Pavilion tx2500 Tablet PC specs:

AMD Turion X2 Ultra ZM-86 2.4GHz processor
3GB DDR2 RAM
160GB hard drive
Mobility Radeon HD 3200 IGP
12.1" WXGA Display with dual active/passive digitizer (1280x800)
8X DVD multiformat burner with LightScribe
802.11 a/b/g/n WLAN with Bluetooth support
Windows Vista Business OS
Integrated gigabit Ethernet and v.92 modem
6-cell battery
Integrated webcam, fingerprint reader, Mini Remote Control
ExpressCard/34 Slot
1 x Multi-format card reader
3 x USB ports
2 x headphone out and one microphone-in
1 x Expansion port
1 x VGA and S-video
Weight: 4.5 lbs

Display

The 12.1" WXGA display is kind of grainy, but this is very common with tablets. It is glossy and reflective, but nothing major if you like the high-gloss screens.

Keyboard/Touchpad/Pen

The keyboard on the tx2500 is solid. I didn't notice any signs of flex and enjoyed tying on it. It is accurate and responsive. I also like the durable finish the keys have, which is good for preserving the keyboard from those greasy fingers.

Tablet Features

There are plenty of multimedia buttons for watching DVDs, listening to music or viewing your photos. There is even an optional Webcam, which makes this tablet great for chatting with friends over the Web, especially with the productivity that comes with the new Puma processor. It converts into tablet mode with ease and when in tablet mode the speakers are still accessible, a definite bonus.

Battery

I found the battery life to be acceptable on the tx2500. It came with a 6-cell battery that sticks out slightly from the back, but can be used as a nice handle when using it in tablet mode. When the battery was set in High Performance mode I got around 1.5 hours of usage with full screen brightness and Wi-Fi on. The number increases to about 3 hours in Balanced mode with Wi-Fi on. I didn't try out the Power Saver mode because the screen gets very dull and you don't get much performance, but I am sure it improves battery life slightly as well. If you want more battery life, I recommend getting the 8-cell battery for longer computing times.

Speakers

The tx2500 is fitted with Altec Lansing speakers, which produce good sound quality for listening to music or watching movies. That was HP's focus; I mean the tx series are called entertainment notebooks. If you compare the speakers to your standard notebook, they produce comparatively loud, clear sound, but they don't compare to the higher-end multimedia notebooks equipped with subwoofers.

Even in tablet mode you still get that loud clear sound from the speakers because they don't get covered like on other tablet models, which is a bonus. The headphones come in handy too, if you want to watch a movie or you don't want to disturb your co-workers.

Wireless

I had no problems staying connected where ever I traveled. The tx2500 worked well at my house and my office. The WLAN 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth is a good option to have and coverage doesn't seem to be a problem. I don't live in a rural area though, but still think it should work fine. The consumer level Infrared for controlling media functions via the included remote is a plus because you can watch movies while laying in bed too.

Conclusion

Overall I am impressed with the tx2500. The updated AMD Puma processor and ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics are a big plus. Web pages render faster and surfing the Web is a breeze. Even though our tx2500 had some problems with the integrated graphics it still performed better then most tablets on the market now and we are sending it back to HP to fix. College students and other consumers should be happy with all the features the tx2500 packs, especially considering it's available for under $1,000. The active digitizer/touchscreen combo is very nice, even though the screen is a little washed out. Watching movies on it is still a lot of fun and it still maintains the same sleek design as its predecessor.

Pros