A Laptop Review of the HP Pavilion TX1305US 12.1" Entertainment Notebook

Notebooks with swiveling touch screens which are sometimes referred to as tablets are a favorite among professionals and students alike. These little notebooks allow for their users to easily and quickly take notes as well as perform more general tasks. HP has come out with a line of entertainment laptops and have included the HP Pavilion TX1305US which is a tablet. Thanks to them marketing it as not only a "get work done" table but a fun entertainment center these notebooks have seen remarkable sales success. Luckily I've managed to get my hands on one and I'm going to let you know how it performs.

Hardware:

Imaging: an integrated 1.3-megapixel Web Cam (producing an image slightly better than the typical cell phone camera)

Audio: Integrated microphone

Security: Integrated fingerprint scanner

Processor: 64-bit 1.9 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-58

Storage Space: a 160 GB hard drive

RAM: 1 GB RAM (upgradable to a 4 GB maximum)

Optical Drive: A CD R/RW with integrated LightScribe dual-layer +/- DVD burner

Graphics Card: an Nvidia GeForce Go 6150 (using up to 287MB of shared system memory)

Dimensions and weight: 8.8" x 12.0" x 1.5" and weighs in at about 4.2 pounds.

The best thing about this little notebook is obviously the 180 degree swiveling 12.1" with the activated touch screen. The LCD on this little guy is clear and crisp. It does experience a good deal of washout in direct sunlight, but nothing more extreme than the average notebook. Overall the touch screen is accurate and intuitive to use. The power on this little notebook is impressive. The only thing I would have suggested is to include more RAM. The 1 GB is inadequate for Windows Vista, but luckily this can be upgraded relatively inexpensively. This notebook is made for mobility and it delivers.

Connectivity:

Integrated wireless

1 Ethernet port (this is used to connect to wired networks)

3 2.0 USB ports (these are used to connect most peripherals like digital cameras, printers and iPods)

1 VGA video output (this is a typical monitor connection)

1 S-Video port (this can be used to connect to projectors or a compatible television)

1 ExpressCard slot (consumers use this slot to add hardware like a Bluetooth adapter or cellular modem)

2 audio out / 1 microphone in

5 in 1 memory card scanner (these ports allow users to directly insert the memory from their mobile devices into their notebook)

1 Integrated 56K modem (allowing this notebook to dialup an internet connection)

This little notebook has plenty of connectivity considering its size and that it has a swiveling screen. This will likely please most notebook consumers especially those that will be using this notebook mostly to get work done. It will improve productivity and may even add a little bit of fun. This notebook is priced at $979 and that figure is right on target for its capabilities and the performance that I've witnessed. Remember the high season is approaching with manufacturers often reducing prices around the first of August so keep an eye out on this one.