HP has just announced the new TX2000 Entertainment Notebook PC, which improves upon the TX1000 by supporting touch and an active Wacom digitizer – YEAH! We can now officially call this a Tablet PC! Official press release at the Read More link.

The pen is quite unique in that it recharges while you write, but does not require a battery. Pricing will start at $1299, depending on configuration, and will be available for ordering at HPShopping.com and other retail outlets on January 8^th.

You can bet your bottom dollar we’ll be at HP’s booth first thing Monday morning to get some hands on with this new Tablet PC.

Here the official specs:

• Genuine Windows® Vista Home Premium, Business or Ultimate
• AMD Turion ™ 64 X2 Dual-Core Mobile Technology Processors
• 12.1" WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Touch-screen Display
(1280 x 800). Panel rotates 180° and folds flat. Built-in digitizer
for handwriting with battery-less rechargeable eraser pen (dockable).
• NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 graphics with up to 559MB shared video memory
• Up to 4096MB 667MHz DDR2 system memory
• Up to 250MB (5400 RPM) hard disk drives
• SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support (LightScribe optional)
• Up to Wirless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n & Bluetooth

Follow the Read More link for the official press release, and more complete specs, along with a link to the official data sheet PDF.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 3, 2008 – HP today introduced its latest consumer notebook PCs, adding to an already compelling lineup to meet the needs of consumers in this growing and evolving market.

Whether for students, casual gamers or content creators, the new notebook PCs are powerful entertainment systems that extend the limits of portable computing and push the boundaries of design.

The HP Pavilion tx2000 Series Entertainment Notebook PC is excellent for students, professionals and others that need a high-performance PC and frequently capture handwritten notes and drawings. The tx2000 optimizes handwriting capture and offers touch-screen capability with a 12.1-inch diagonal touch-screen display that rotates 180 degrees and folds flat as well as a built-in digitizer.

The high-gloss HP Echo Imprint Finish encases the elegant, curvilinear form of the notebook, providing a stunning design.

The HP Pavilion tx2000 also comes with HP QuickPlay software, offering a variety of entertainment options. Using the HP Webcam, integrated microphone and IM (instant messaging) solution of their choice, consumers can engage in live video chat with friends and family across the world.⁽¹⁾

For an unrivaled home theater experience in a portable and affordable solution, the HP Pavilion HDX series Entertainment Notebook PC offers 512 MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS video graphics and the latest Intel® Core™ 2 Extreme⁽²⁾ and Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor technology,⁽³⁾ giving it desktop-caliber performance. Now with Blu-ray and HD DVD support,⁽⁴⁾ the HDX series plays high-definition DVD or Blu-ray movies on the world’s first 20.1-inch diagonal WUXGA XHD Ultra Brightview display. HDX Integrated Audio provides a best-in-class audio experience with four discrete Altec Lansing speakers and the integrated HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer.

HP QuickPlay software makes it easy for consumers to use their HDX series PC to view photos, as a television to access live or recorded TV, or as a karaoke machine to entertain friends and family. People can also watch, pause, rewind and record live TV with the integrated HP Digital + Analog Hybrid TV Tuner.⁽⁵⁾ Other features in the HDX series PC include a mobile full-function remote control, dual hard disk drives for more storage and an eSata port for high-speed data transfer.

More information regarding both notebook PCs and HP’s presence at the 2008 International CES is available in an online press kit at www.hp.com/go/CES2008.

Pricing and availability

The HP Pavilion HDX series Entertainment Notebook PC is available for an estimated U.S. street price of $1,999.99, depending on configuration ordered. The HP Pavilion tx2000 series Notebook PC is available for an estimated U.S. street price of $1,299, depending on configuration ordered.⁽⁶⁾

The HDX is planned to be available direct from HP via www.hpshopping.com or at retail outlets nationwide starting this month. The tx2000 is planned to be available by Jan. 8 via www.hpshopping.com or at retail outlets nationwide in March.