Other useful software touches: The HP Advisor unobtrusively keeps an eye out for trouble and breaks it down with a easy-to-digest interface. MS Works comes preinstalled; following closely on its heels: bloatware. Wild Tangent games sit on your system as do Flash ads for Slingbox. Really? I have to delete ads from my new notebook now? I know that sometimes trial software and shareware piggyback on new PCs, but straight-up video ads are a bit much.

As far as Tablet PCs go, the HP TouchSmart tx2 gets enough right to warrant a look. This media-friendly tablet tries to take the TouchSmart desktop experience on the road, but at this point the size of the device and the software's limitations mean its touch capabilities are more a gimmick than a useful addition.