has finally updated the very popular tx1000z. Welcome the tx2000z convertible notebook. It has the same design as its predecessor, but now has an active digitizer and touchscreen. I have to say I am quite impressed with this 12.1-inch convertible notebook/tablet. The entertainment features make this notbook a real head turner, especially when you consider the starting price. We received a pre-production unit for our review and it's still near perfect. HP Pavilion tx2000z convertible notebook specs: Design and Build laptop The tx2000z has a high-gloss HP exclusive "Echo" finish. Unlike its predecessor the lid is glossy black and has the Echo pattern, which also extends inside to the silver keyboard. It's a very sleek design, but it does get full of fingerprints. The overall design and chassis are still the same. The tx2000z feels solid and weighs in around 4.3 pounds, but it still has the same plastic housing which shows some signs of flex. It gets a little heavy to carry around in tablet mode, but it does come packed full of features and you can always substitute the weight saver in place of the optical drive. Students and professionals everywhere are rejoicing to this news. The updated tx2000z Entertainment Tablet PC has a touchscreen and active digitizer, which means now you don't have to use just your finger to navigate because there is a pen for taking notes or drawing. The pen is accurate and responsive as well. It still comes packed with a remote (my pre-production unit was lacking one though) and the Altec Lansing speakers, so watching movies or listening to music is great, just like a standard notebook. Display laptop 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. The screen is hard to read in the sunlight, not that I have seen much sun though here in the cold Midwest. The viewing angles are fine and now that it has both a touchscreen and active digitizer, it's a real tablet. The screen automatically changes orientation when rotated into tablet mode and the small hinge is surprisingly sturdy. The pen feels nice as well and I prefer it when navigating over my finger because it is more accurate. At the highest setting the screen is bright and the colors are bold, but you can't tell what you are setting it too because there isn't an on-screen indication for brightness levels. Performance and Benchmark The tx2000z now has that needed bump of power with its AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual Core processor. Browsing the Web and uploading pictures was an easy task. The Nvidia Go 6150 graphics will be a disappointment to some, but still work fine, just no hard-core gaming. There are no signs of lag when browsing the Web, checking email or editing photos. This tablet was in need of a refresh and I can't complain, especially for the price. Comparison Results for PCMark05 PCMark05 measures the systems performance as a whole. As you can see the tx2000z is on top of the competition. Comparison Results for 3Dmark05 3DMark05 tests the overall graphic capabilities of a notebook. Super Pi In the below results of Super Pi, where the processor is timed in calculating Pi to 2 million digits: wPrime is a program that forces the processor to do recursive mathematical calculations, the advantage of this program is that it is multi-threaded and can use both processor cores at once, thereby giving more accurate benchmarking measurements than Super Pi. HDTune Results Keyboard/Touchpad/Pen The keyboard feels solid. The keys don't flex too much and response time is good. HP is making the keyboards even better on the production models with improved accuracy and response. I also like the durable finish they have, which is good for preserving the keyboard from those greasy fingers. The touchpad is still the famous perforated design. I like this design very much because it doesn't get worn down easily and is responsive. Your finger doesn't slide off the touchpad because it is indented in the palm rest area, which makes navigating a breeze. The pen is solid, but still your basic pen. It reads the screen when it's about an inch above and then disables the touchscreen, this way your hand doesn't interfere when writing. Some users rest their palm on the screen and since the tx2000z also has a touchscreen you might think this would cause a problem, but it doesn't. The Wacom technology used is great, just remember you can't keep picking the pen up or the touch feature will be activated again and your hand might be detected. The pen has an eraser on the end as well, which is a feature I like especially when taking notes because you can flip the pen over and erase your mistakes, it's very convenient. 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. It converts into tablet mode with ease and when in tablet mode the speakers are still accessible. The tx2000z has both a touchscreen and active digitizer, so now you are getting the best of both worlds for a starting price of $1,299. You can take notes on the screen because it is no longer has a passive display. The pen has nice feedback and is easy to navigate with, but if you like using your finger then you can use it to navigate through windows as well. If you go into the Control Panel on the tablet to Tablet Properties you can calibrate the pen and touch capabilities. This is a nice feature because you can calibrate the pen's tip and eraser to your liking either soft or firm. The same options are available for the touchscreen too. This way you get the response you prefer. Heat and Noise I didn't notice any excessive heat from the tx2000z, but when running benchmarks on the system it got warmer than normal and the fan was pumping out some very warm air from the back right vent. The keyboard area doesn't get hot, but in tablet mode when you’re holding the underneath of the tx2000z you’ll feel that warmth, especially on the back right side where the vent is located. The fan does get a bit loud when it kicks on during benchmarking, but besides that the tx2000z runs fairly quiet. When playing a DVD it is noticeable, but nothing that causes a distraction. Ports I don't think you can ask for much more then what the tx2000z already offers. It isn't the lightest tablet I have held, but it is the funnest. I wasn't disappointed with the feature set and the entertainment features are an added bonus for this tablet. Battery Battery life was good. I got around three to four hours with the 4-cell battery, which sticks out the back of the tablet a bit. The 6-cell actually raises the tablet's height from 1.23" to 1.52", so that is something to think about. If you carry your tablet in slate mode the 4-cell battery might be more comfortable, but obviously the 6-cell is going to give you more life. I actually got around five hours of usage with the 6-cell. I don't work in high performance mode very often, so the battery life might be less if you need this extra power. Speakers The tx2000z 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. I am comparing these to the hardly noticeable speakers on the Asus R1F I use. 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 definite bonus. OS and Software The review unit I had ran Windows Vista Home Premium. It didn't come with much bloatware, but it does come with Norton, which you can uninstall with ease. It did come with a 60-day free trial of Microsoft Office 2007 though. Wireless Wireless options are endless from 802.11b/g WLAN to 802.11a/b/g/n with Bluetooth and everything in between. At the office I had no problems connecting to the Internet, but at my house the tx2000z wouldn't pick up a signal for anything. It was either hit or miss, but the Verizon coverage isn't so great in my neighborhood. Anywhere else I am sure you would be fine and it works great on the road. The consumer level Infrared for controlling media functions via the included remote is a plus because you can watch movies while laying in bed on those raining days. Conclusion The tx2000z is going to be a hit with all the mainstream users. HP gave this model just what it needed. The active digitizer and touchscreen make this a true tablet PC now, but it still maintains the entertainment notebook status unlike any other model on the market at this time. The mini remote and multimedia buttons are very convenient when conducting a presentation or watching movies. If you want to do some work the pen is responsive for photo editing and taking notes is great. Not only does Vista help with handwriting recognition, but so does the active digitizer and fact you can calibrate the pen. The tx2000z has that personal feel that you don't find in many tablets especially with its sleek glossy appearance. Pros Cons
(Pavilion tx2000 Review from CNet.com - 1/29/2008)
HP's Pavilion tx2000 combines a convertible tablet design with an entertainment-focused laptop to create an interesting hybrid, thanks to an improved tablet screen and mini remote control.
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Lid of the tx2000z with Echo imprint. (view large image)
The tx2000z in tablet mode with pen. (view large image)Notebook PCMark05 Score HP tx2000z (AMD Turion 64 X2 2.3GHz, Nvidia Go 6150 graphics) 3,738 PCMarks Asus R1E (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, GMA 965 chipset) 4,679 PCMarks Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 (Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.2GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 2,334 PCMarks Gateway C-140x (Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, ATI X2300 HD graphics) 4,342 PCMarks HP Compaq 2710p (Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.2GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 2,453 PCMarks Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (Intel Core 2 Duo 1.6GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 3,473 PCMarks Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 (Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz, GMA X3100 graphics) 4,171 PCMarks Gateway E-155C (Intel Core 2 Duo ULV 1.06GHz, Intel GMA 950 graphics) 2,205 PCMarks LG C1 (Intel Core Duo 1.2GHz, Nvidia Go 7300) 2,568 PCMarks Toshiba R400 (Intel Core Duo ULV 1.2GHz, Intel GMA 950 graphics) 2,187 PCMarks HP tx1000 (AMD Turion X2 2.0GHz, Nvidia Go 6150) 3,052 PCMarks Asus R1F (1.66GHz Core Duo, Intel GMA 950 graphics) 2,724 PCMarks Lenovo ThinkPad X60t (1.66GHz LV Core Duo) 2,860 PCMarks Toshiba Tecra M6 (1.66GHz Intel T2300E, Intel GMA 950) 2,732 PCMarks Notebook 3DMark05 Results HP tx2000z (2.3GHz AMD Turion 64 X2, Nvidia Go 6150 graphics) 636 3DMarks Asus R1E (2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, GMA 965 chipset) 923 3DMarks Fujitsu LifeBook T2010 (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo, GMA X3100 graphics) 566 3DMarks Gateway C-140x (2GHz Core 2 Duo, ATI X2300 HD graphics) 1,956 3DMarks HP Compaq 2710p (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo, GMA X3100 graphics) 634 3DMarks Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (1.6GHz Core 2 Duo, Intel GMA X3100 graphics) 812 3DMarks Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 (2.2GHz Core 2 Duo, Intel GMA X3100 graphics) 925 3DMarks Gateway E-155C (1.06GHz ULV Core 2 Duo, Intel GMA 950) 500 3DMarks LG C1 (1.2GHz Intel Core Duo, Nvidia Go 7300) 1,392 3DMarks Fujitsu LifeBook S2210 (1.6GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-52, ATI x1150) 810 3DMarks PortableOne UX (2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, Intel GMA 950) 590 3DMarks Toshiba Satellite A135 (1.73GHz Core Duo, Intel GMA 950) 519 3DMarks Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB) 2,092 3DMarks Notebook Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits HP tx2000z (2.3GHz AMD Turion 64 X2) 1m 33s Fujitsu LifeBook U810 (800MHz Intel A110) 6m 22s Fujitsu T2010 (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 40s Gateway C-140x (2GHz Core 2 Duo) 58s HP Compaq 2710p (1.2GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 39s Lenovo ThinkPad X61 (1.6GHz Core 2 Duo) 1m 10s Fujitsu LifeBook T4220 (2.2GHz Core 2 Duo) 54s Gateway E-155C (1.06GHz ULV Core 2 Duo) 1m 58s LG C1 (1.2GHz Intel Core Duo) 1m 49s Toshiba R400 (1.2GHz ULV Core Duo) 2m 10s Asus R1F (1.66GHz Core Duo) 1m 20s Lenovo ThinkPad X60t (1.66GHz LV Core Duo) 1m 24s IBM ThinkPad X41t (1.5GHz LV Pentium M) 2m 02s HP TC4400 Tablet PC (2.0GHz Core Duo) 1m 13s Dell Latitude D420 (1.06GHz Core Solo ULV) 2m 11s Notebook / CPU wPrime 32M time HP Pavilion tx2000z (Turion X2 TL-66 @ 2.3GHz) 34.023s Dell Inspiron 1525 (Core 2 Duo T7250 @ 2.0GHz) 43.569s Dell XPS M1530 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) 37.485s Portable One SXS37 (Core 2 Duo T7250 @ 2.0GHz) 41.908s Sony VAIO NR (Core 2 Duo T5250 @ 1.5GHz) 58.233s Toshiba Tecra A9 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) 38.343s Toshiba Tecra M9 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) 37.299s HP Compaq 6910p (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2GHz) 40.965s Sony VAIO TZ (Core 2 Duo U7600 @ 1.20GHz) 76.240s Zepto 6024W (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2GHz) 42.385s Lenovo T61 (Core 2 Duo T7500 @ 2.2GHz) 37.705s Alienware M5750 (Core 2 Duo T7600 @ 2.33GHz) 38.327s Hewlett Packard DV6000z (Turion X2 TL-60 @ 2.0GHz) 38.720s Samsung Q70 (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2.0GHz) 42.218s Acer Travelmate 8204WLMi (Core Duo T2500 @ 2.0GHz) 42.947s Samsung X60plus (Core 2 Duo T7200 @ 2.0GHz) 44.922s Zepto Znote 6224W (Core 2 Duo T7300 @ 2.0GHz) 45.788s Samsung Q35 (Core 2 Duo T5600 @ 1.83GHz) 46.274s 
The keyboard and touchpad. (view large image)
The tx2000z in notebook mode, multimedia buttons on right side of screen. (view large image)
Front view of the tx2000z. (view large image)
Left side view of the ports, has 4-cell battery installed. (view large image)
Right side view of the ports, has 6-cell battery installed, notice the height. (view large image)
Back side view of the ports and extended battery. (view large image)
Underneath view of the tx2000z. (view large image)
Battery comparison, 6-cell on left and 4-cell on the right. (view large image)
( From http://www.notebookreview.com )
HP Pavilion tx2000 laptop
