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Review HP Touchsmart tm2-1090eg Laptop / Tablet PC

by: Martina Osztovits 17.03.2010

A Tablet for Everyone?

Whether you prefer to type or handwrite your texts, whether you rather navigate your computer per touchscreen or touchpad, the HP delivers. On top of that HP promises performance on par with full size laptops and a battery life of up to eight hours. The following review will show, if the 12 inch device meets the expectations.

HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg Laptop
HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg Laptop

We reviewed the HP 1090eg. This model is called tm2-1070us in the US. The machine came equipped with a Core 2 Duo SU7300 and four GB RAM. Depending on the task the user can choose between two graphic adapters, the HD 4500 for more demanding applications and the GMA 4500M HD for everything else. The 4500M HD will also help improve battery life.

Buyers in the US can tailor the HP Touchsmart tm2 to their needs in HP's online store. They can choose from various processors, hard drives and batteries. The performance and battery run-time of differing models may vary from the results in this test.

Case

We liked the look of the TouchSmart tm2 right away: aluminum elements with etched patterns on the lid and the upper side of the base unit contrast nicely with black plastic elements.

The build quality is top notch. The lid, display frame and the base unit show no sign of flexing and can hardly be dented.

Measuring in at 30.4 cm breadth, 22.2 cm depth and, at the max 4 cm of height, the machine is not exactly of the slim sort. With its minimum height of 2.63 cm at the front there is quite a decline from back to front. This makes for nice writing when used as a laptop. When used as a tablet pc, however, the user must choose if she wants to write up or down the "hill".

The one central hinge allows for the usual vertical opening of the lid, but also for horizontal movements of the display when used as a tablet pc. Trying to change the angle, the hinge proved to be rather stiff. Given the light weight of the base unit, this makes it impossible to open the device with one hand. However, the hinge is not stiff enough to prevent the display from luffing after having changed the viewing angle. The maximum  opening angle of the display is a little over 180 degrees. To use the TouchSmart tm2 as a tablet pc, the user has to rotate the screen 180 degrees in its vertical axis and then make it rest on the keyboard.

HP decided not to secure the lid with an extra latch, hence it's advisable to be careful when out and about. A keychain stuck between the base unit and the screen might do some serious damage. However, the tm2 comes equipped with a protective case made from neoprene. Either way, the device should not be transported in tablet mode.

Connectivity

In its class, the tm2 is neither ahead nor behind its competitors in terms of  number and placement of interfaces. Apart from the standard VGA port, there is an HDMI port. The 5-in-1 card reader supports Secure Digital Cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro and xD Picture cards. Peripherals can be added using one of the three USB 2.0 ports. For those wanting faster transfer speeds eSATA may have been better, though.

Front: None
Front: None
Left: Louver, HDMI, USB, Headset, Stylus
Left: Louver, HDMI, USB, Headset, Stylus
Rear: Kensington, VGA, LAN (underneath cover)
Rear: Kensington, VGA, LAN (underneath cover)
Right: Power switch, WiFi switch, card reader,  rotation button (on the lid) 2x USB-2.0, DC-in
Right: Power switch, WiFi switch, card reader, rotation button (on the lid) 2x USB-2.0, DC-in

Connectivity features are nothing out of the ordinary. The internal Intel WiFi Lin 1000 BGN wireless card provides access to wireless networks and the Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller is used for ethernet access. The latter, however, is only active when a cable is plugged into the network adapter.

A fingerprint reader was integrated into the side of the upper part of the lid making it accessible in tablet mode. Before using it, you have to set it up with the digitalPersona software. Once that is done, authorisation can be gained using your finger. You no longer need to type in the password.

The fingerprint reader is always accesible
The fingerprint reader is always accesible

Windows 7 Home  Premium 64-Bit came preinstalled on the machine. This makes use of the full four GB of memory installed and is well prepared for the maximum of eight GB the device can handle.

HP supplies trial versions of various software and useful HP tools. Some of the preinstalled programs support touchscreen use, for example Corel Paint it! Touch

In the box you will find the neoprene case mentioned above and a printed manual. Recovery DVDs are not included, but can be created by the user with a preinstalled tool by HP. Said program also supports recovery from hard drive partition. Warranty includes two years of pickup and delivery service in the German speaking part of Europe, in the US it is only one year.

Input Devices

Keyboard

The tm2 is fitted with a single-key keyboard with standard layout. As the alphanumerical keys are dimensioned nicely with 15 millimeters side length and the space between the key is rather ample, the user can start touch typing right from the start.

The key travel is fairly long, the feedback is clear. Except for the slightly louder space bar the keyboard is nice and quiet.

Touchpad

The Synaptics Clickpad V7.4 is constructed as one piece with two integrated keys. Even though the surface is very sleek and lets the fingers glide easily, it can only be used with very dry fingers. Changing the sensitivity of the mouse driver can mend this. The touchpad also supports multi touch gestures.

The integrated keys work silently. Tapping the touchpad led in the top left twice deactivates it. When the status LED is orange, the touchpad is turned off.

Keyboard
Keyboard
Touchpad
Touchpad
Touchscreen
Touchscreen

Touchscreen

This is what the tm2 is all about. It supports scrolling, rotation and zooming, just like the touchpad. Custom gestures and sensitivity can be changed to the user's liking under 'Hardware' and 'Sound / Pen'. The cursor can be moved either by hand or by stylus pen. Both methods work just fine. Movements of the stylus pen are recognised precisely, as long as it is held in an upright position. The same is true for input by hand. Here, however, you have to have an eye on the position of the finger. It should cover the intended element completely.

Using the stylus pen, texts can be input by handwriting. We suggest starting with the learning program to make the device acquainted with your handwriting. After that texts can be written comfortably on the touchscreen surface. The stylus pen has to be held in a more vertical position than you would hold a normal pen. At the bottom of the pen is a surface which acts as an eraser.

Handwritten texts are recognised reliably, even if your writing is not the most beautiful. The system has a learning curve, so results will get better over time. A well versed typist, however, will still be faster using  the conventional way of inputting text than someone using the touchscreen method. Especially the latter has to stop occasionally and check whether his writing has been recognised correctly.

Display

Now let us have a look at the quality of the built-in touchscreen. HP opted to go for a 12.1 inch WXGA screen. The led lit screen is glossy and offers a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, a 16:10 ratio which is more viable for applications using an upright format than 16:9 ratios. In tablet mode you can view content in an upright format.

175.2
cd/m²
191.7
cd/m²
170
cd/m²
181.5
cd/m²
189
cd/m²
176.7
cd/m²
149.7
cd/m²
158.8
cd/m²
150.7
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Maximum: 191.7 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 171.5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 78 %
Contrast: 148:1 (Black: 1.28 cd/m²)

Looking only at measurements the tm2, sporting a maximum 191,7 cd/m², comes very close to the mark of 200 cd/m². The average brightness is a lot lower and the illumination, reaching 78%, closely misses a good level. Due to a relatively high black level of 1.28 the contrast ratio comes out at 148:1.

Blacks seemed closer to grey. Monochromatic backgrounds show no identifiable shadowing effects. Fonts are displayed clearly and without shadows.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use

Don't even bother thinking about using the tm2 outside. The glossy screen and the poor average brightness level will spoil the fun. But even in rooms the glossy screen means reflections aplenty. This is even more true in tablet mode. Lying flat on its back it is even more prone to reflections from all sides.

Vertically the viewing angles are rather restricted. Horizontally the workspace is bigger. Still, the further the display is tilted away from you, the more reflections occur.

Viewing angles HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg
Viewing angles HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg

Performance

With its Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor (-> manufacturer's information) by Intel and optional use of the GMA 4500M HD the tm2 is more tuned to saving battery life than fulfilling demanding tasks. If the need arises, though, the tm2 can also be switched to run with an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550. Both components are backed by four gigabyte of memory, of which the integrated  GS45 chipset supports up to eight.

Switching the GPU
Switching the graphics adapter int the Touchsmart tm2
GPU-Z: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550
GPU-Z for ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4500
GPU-Z: Intel GMA 4500M HD
GPU-Z for Intel GMA 4500M HD

The benchmarks were all done using the high performance profile and activated Radeon HD 4550. This is a DirectX 10.1 capable entry level graphics adapter which is built upon the HD 4570. However, the internal clock speed is lower. Avivo HD technology for video functions is supported. The HD 4550 can fully decode H.264/MPEG-4 AVC und VC-1 streams using the integrated UVD (Unified Video Decoder) of the second generation. With its video stream decoding and Picture-in-Picture mode the UVD2 is fully compatible with BD-Live.

System info CPUZ CPU
System info CPUZ Cache
System info CPUZ Mainboard
System info CPUZ RAM
System info CPUZ RAM SPD
System info CPUZ RAM SPD
System info HDTune
Systeminformation HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
1413
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
2669
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
2960
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
1501 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
3020 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
3009 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
8.07 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
0.77 Points
Help
PCMark Vantage Result
3158 points
Help
3.2
Windows 7 Experience Index
Processor
Calculations per second
4.1
Memory (RAM)
Memory operations per second
4.8
Graphics
Desktop performance for Windows Aero
3.3
Gaming graphics
3D business and gaming graphics
3.2
Primary hard disk
Disk data transfer rate
5.9
The DPC latencies stay below the critical mark
The DPC latencies stay below the critical mark

In terms of application performance the tm2 is in the mid-range of similarly classed devices. It reached a total of 3158 in the PCMarkVantage Test (64-bit version). It did equally well in the Cinebench R10 rendering test.

The graphics perfomance is well satisfying. In the shading test of Cinebench R 10 it surpasses its partner, the GMA 4500M HD. 3DMark06 yielded acceptable 2911 points. Modern, resource hungry games are not its intended field of use. These would only run at the lowest settings.

While on battery power graphics performance will suffer on standard settings due to ATI Powerplay. The laptop reached 35% more points in the Cinebench Shading Test when in mains operation. Whoever wishes to have full graphics power on the go can turn off ATI Powerplay. This will, of course, cut the battery life short.

3DMark 2001SE Standard
13318 points
3DMark 03 Standard
9594 points
3DMark 05 Standard
6267 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
2911 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
942 points
Help
WDC Scorpio Black WD3200BEKT-60V5T1
Transfer Rate Minimum: 40.9 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 87 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 66.9 MB/s
Access Time: 14.7 ms
Burst Rate: 99 MB/s

Our review sample came with a Scorpio Black hard drive by Western Digital (-> manufacturer's. The exact specifications are: WDC WD320BEKT-60V5T1 with 320 GB capacity and 16 MB cache at a speed of 7200 rpm. The hard drive is protected by the ShockGuard technology.

Emissions

Emissions

Under heavy use the TouchSmart tm2 can get rather loud. We measured 40.1 dB(A). When idle the system is around an acceptable 35.4 dB(A). There were no irregularities in the fan behaviour.

Noise Level

Idle
35.4 / 35.4 / 35.4 dB(A)
HDD
36.1 dB(A)
Load
35.4 / 40.1 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light    (15 cm distance)

Temperature

Both under full and moderate load the TouchSmart tm2 stays mostly cool except for one hot spot in the back left corner, where the fan is located. There we measured 40 degrees Celsius under full load on the upper side and a little over 37 degrees on the bottom. Using the device on your lap should not be a problem.

Max. Load
 41.1 °C
106 F
32.2 °C
90 F
28.9 °C
84 F
 
 34.7 °C
94 F
34 °C
93 F
32.3 °C
90 F
 
 34.1 °C
93 F
33 °C
91 F
29.5 °C
85 F
 
Maximum: 41.1 °C = 106 F
Average: 33.3 °C = 92 F
32.1 °C
90 F
36.7 °C
98 F
37.3 °C
99 F
32.8 °C
91 F
35.5 °C
96 F
37.5 °C
100 F
33.7 °C
93 F
32.6 °C
91 F
36.4 °C
98 F
Maximum: 37.5 °C = 100 F
Average: 35 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  44.2 °C = 112 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.3 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 30.2 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Convertible.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.1 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 55.7 °C for the class Convertible.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.5 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.5 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are reaching skin temperature as a maximum (34.1 °C / 93.4 F) and are therefore not hot.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (-6 °C / -10.8 F).

Speakers

Even though they were manufactured by Altec-Lansing, the speakers fail to impress. The sound emphasizes the highs, under-represents the bass and was generally hollow and tinny. The maximum volume is barely acceptable for use at the workplace.

Battery Life

With little use, minimum screen brightness, wireless off and the profile set to "Powersave" the TouchSmart almost reached the promised eight hours of battery life. This is grace to the 62 Wh Lithium Ion battery our review sample came with.

Using the GMA 4500M HD the Reader's Test of the BatteryEater Tool measured a full 473 minutes of use. The BatteryEater Classic Test at maximum brightness, wireless turned on and the profile set to "Maximum Performance" emulates full load and yielded at least 131 minutes when using the HD 4550. Switching to the GMA 4500M HD wins you at least 50 minutes. Surfing the web in the "Powersave" profile at maximum brightness let us go for four and a half hours.

Readers Test using GMA 4500M HD (max. run-time)
Readers Test using GMA 4500M HD
Readers Test using ATI Mobility Radeon 4550
Readers Test using ATI Mobility Radeon 4550
Classic Test using GMA 4500M HD
Classic Test using GMA 4500M HD
Classic Test using ATI Mobility Radeon 4550 (min. run-time)
Classic Test using ATI Mobility Radeon 4550
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
7h 53min
WiFi Surfing
4h 30min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 11min

Judging by the measurements the Touchsmart tm2 is on par with devices of its league. Not only the LED screen, but also the CULV processor help lower power consumption. Moreover, the tm2 can automatically switch to the GMA 4500M HD when on batteries. ATI Powerplay plays its part, too, reducing the graphics performance in favor of battery life. According to Western Digital the installed 7200 rpm hard drive uses the same amount of power an average 5400 rpm hard drive uses. However, there was not enough time to verify this in the test.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 9.3 / 11.8 / 12.9 Watt
Load midlight 25.8 / 36.7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Verdict

The Touchsmart tm2 pleases the eye with its patterned aluminum surfaces combined with black plastic elements and puts even more on the scoreboard for its stability and overall finish. Typing is made easy by its wedged shape. However, in tablet mode, this design feature does not seem as nice.

Data can be input in more than the two usual ways, keyboard and touchpad: the tm2 offers a touchscreen on top of that. Just like the touchpad, the touchscreen supports multitouch gestures. Optionally you can write on the touchscreen using a stylus pen. The character recognition works very well.

Unfortunately, HP decided to put a glossy screen on the tm2. If it wasn't for that, the tm2 would make for an ideal travel companion. This is evident when looking at the good battery run-time and the decent and highly customisable performance.

HP designed the tm2 with the private user in mind. If you are looking for a good battery life paired with decent application and graphics performance - and maybe handwritten input - should definitely consider this laptop. It offers good value at the recommended retail price of 900 euros.

HP Touchsmart tm2
HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg
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In Review: HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg
In Review: HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg

Specifications

HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg (Touchsmart tm2 Series)
Graphics adapter
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 - 512 MB VRAM, Core: 550 MHz, Memory: 800 MHz, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4550 - 512 MB, Core Speed: 550 MHz, Memory Speed: 800 MHz, 8.672.4.0, 8.672.4.0
Memory
4 GB 
, PC3-10700 (667 MHz)
Display
12.10 inch 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixel, 12.1 inch 16:10, 1280x800 Pixels, , glossy: yes, glossy: yes
Mainboard
Intel GS45
Storage
WDC Scorpio Black WD3200BEKT-60V5T1, 320 GB 
, 7200 rpm, WDC WD3200BEKT-60V5T1, 320GB 7200U/Min
Soundcard
IDT 92HD81B1X @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: IDT 92HD81B1X @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller, Card Reader: 5-in-1
Networking
Realtek PCIe GBE Family Controller (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel WiFi Link 1000 BGN (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 2.?
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 39.6 x 304 x 222 ( = 1.56 x 11.97 x 8.74 in)
Battery
62 Wh Lithium-Ion, 62 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HP Pavilion WebCam
Additional features
Carrying Case, Printed Manual, various HP Tools (e.g. Touchsmart), various Trial versions, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.05 kg ( = 72.31 oz / 4.52 pounds), Power Supply: 400 g ( = 14.11 oz / 0.88 pounds)
Price
900 Euro

 

Etched patterns on aluminum surfaces
Etched patterns on aluminum surfaces
Stylus compartment
Stylus compartment
5-in-1 card reader, USBrotation button and a/c connector
5-in-1 card reader, USBrotation button and a/c connector
Slide switch to turn on-off, WiFi switch
Slide switch to turn on-off, WiFi switch
Hard drive
Hard drive
Memory
Memory
and wireless module are easily accessible
and wireless module are easily accessible
At the bottom the temperature stays within the limits
At the bottom the temperature stays within the limits
Altec Lansing apeaker
Altec Lansing apeaker
However, no great sound
However, no great sound
Keep Power consumption down switching between graphic adapters
Keep Power consumption down switching between graphic adapters
Good battery run-time with 6 cell battery
Good battery run-time with 6 cell battery
The battery department also fits a
The battery department also fits a
HDMI, USB, and webcam
HDMI, USB, and webcam
Video chat with your friends? No problem, a webcam is on board
Video chat with your friends? No problem, a webcam is on board
on the lid and
on the lid and
the right palmrest
the right palmrest
Tilted position when opened
Tilted position when opened
Opening angle larger than 180 degrees
Opening angle larger than 180 degrees
Usual input via keyboard and
Usual input via keyboard and
touchpad
touchpad
But also via touchscreen and
But also via touchscreen and
in tablet mode
in tablet mode
Stylus pen allows for handwritten input
Stylus pen allows for handwritten input
Rotate button allows for rotation of what is displayed
Rotate button allows for rotation of what is displayed
The highly reflective surface prevents
The highly reflective surface prevents
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
9 cell battery which can, at least in the US, be ordered additionally.
9 cell battery which can, at least in the US, be ordered additionally.

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Compare Prices

Pros

+Elegant Design
+Decent Application Perfomance
+Comfortable Input via Touchscreen
+Switchable Graphics
+Good Battery run-time
 

Cons

-Glossy Screen
-Tilted Position When Used as a Tablet
-Touchpad

Shortcut

What we like

Elegant 12.1 inch device with good performance and comfortable pen input

What we miss

At least the option for a matt display

What surprises us

That using the touchscreen is more comfortable than using the touchpad

The Competition

Affordable 12 inch tablet computers are still not the rule: Worth mentioning are the AMD based TX2, also by HP, which uses an integrated HD 3200 graphics adapter and the Nexoc Osiris S626 which is equipped with only the GMA 4500M HD and a Core 2 Duo P8400. The Nexoc, however, doesn't hit your wallet as badly.

Verdict

HP Touchsmart tm2 - 1090eg - 03/15/2010
Martina Osztovits

Chassis
95%
Keyboard
94%
Pointing Device
79%
Connectivity
74%
Weight
85%
Battery
92%
Display
70%
Games Performance
75%
Application Performance
84%
Temperature
86%
Noise
82%
Add Points
85%
Average
83%
85%
Convertible - Weighted Average
Martina Osztovits, 2010-03-26 (Update: 2013-06- 6)