Over the past year, I have had the wonderful opportunity of working with a PR company to review and learn more about HP and Microsoft products. How does this work exactly? Well, HP, Microsoft and the PR company they have hired are interested in the feedback and opinions of their average, everyday customers. Where do I come in? Right now they are curious about my perspective as a mother – who also happens to be the one balancing our family’s budget and deciding where every dollar is spent. As a blogger I can share my opinions about their products with them while giving my readers the skinny on their products.
An important Morningside Mom disclaimer: I am not paid to write any of these reviews.Yes, I do get to hold onto the review products “for an extended period of time” and that is certainly a benefit. However, my reviews and opinions are my own. I promise that I’ll be straight with you. If I like something, I’ll tell you. If I don’t, I ‘ll tell you that too.
On this page, I will collect and post each link to my HP product reviews and experiences. I will also keep the rules and results of the famous HP Giveaway contest here too.
Keep checking back for new updates all the time!
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HP Pavillion dv6000 Entertainment PC and HD Canon Video Camera Review
My first contact with the PR company Buzz Corps was a few weeks before BlogHer08. They were looking for a mom blogger to try out some HP gear. Call it luck, call it fate, call it a very lucky day for me but one of their very wonderful reps just happened upon my blog. She liked it, she contacted me and *poof* just like, I wound up reviewing the very fabulous HP Pavillion dv6000 Entertainment PC at BlogHero8. The amazing thing about this laptop is that it is ideal for movie making and picture editing. There are all sorts of extra USB plugs, a spot to upload pics directly from your SD card and a DVD drive and burner. The HD Canon Video Camera was a wonderful addition so that I could try making HD movies right on this laptop. Once I had the correct firewire, it was a cinch. All of the movies I put on my blog are made using that HD camera and HP Pavillion laptop. For an example of a video I took at BlogHer (its of Dooce and it’s pretty cool) and links to these products, check out my review on this blog here.
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Vivienne Tam HP Mini Netbook Review
I am very excited about my opportunity to review the new Vivienne Tam edition HP Mini Netbook. HP is hoping that this product will meet the needs of moms (and bloggers) just like me: always online, always needing access to a PC and always on the go. And it is impossible to overlook how gorgeous this HP Mini is. HP has teamed up with the designer Vivienne Tam to create something fabulous for women who don’t want to sacrifice fashion for technology. I think they are describing this mini as “tech chic” and it is also considered the first “clutch” PC. For more feedback from me – and even some 12 second videos I made with it – check out my review here.
The New York Trip
To truly illustrate the full “Vivienne Tam meets technology” experience, HP took tech, fashion and parent bloggers to the City. Yep, you heard right, I joined a fabulous crew of bloggers and went to NYC for fashion week to experience the Vivienne Tam collection for myself. Check out my post about all of the bloggers who went with me.
Once I arrived in NYC, I had to post from my fabulous hotel room right away. I was thrilled to be there and absolutely besides myself.
The next day we went on a tour of the city and then went to the Vivienne Tam show that evening. I posted about our amazing evening and actually meeting Vivienne Tam herself!
On our last day, we were given gifts. We were stunned and taken aback. Curious about what we got? Then read on. We also had another opportunity to meet Vivienne Tam again that evening. Read here about our gifts, the entire experience and my appreciation for turning this regular mom into a fabulous woman for one evening.
My Vivienne Tam Wireless Mouse giveaway can be found here.
Here are some of my favorite posts about the NYC trip written by other bloggers who were there experiencing it all with me!
If you are looking for more of the blogger’s posts rehashing our amazing NYC trip and experiences at fashion week, visit the HP website .
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2008 HP Magic Giveaway
Welcome to the Morningside Mom Magical HP Giveaway Contest!
How did it all begin?
The announcement of this contest was posted on my blog here.
What did my family and I think of all Giveaway prizes once we had a chance to check them out?
My family had a chance to review all of the HP Magic Giveaway prizes on my blog here.
Who won?
I am so thrilled to announce that I am one of 50 bloggers worldwide being offered the opportunity by HP and Microsoft to give away a prize package of hardware and software worth $6,000.
THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED! Congratulations again Laura, President and Founder of Moms Without Moms!
I received well over 300 submissions. Thank you again to all entrants.
Where is HP’s site about this contest?
What did the prize package include?
Hardware
- HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC
- HP HDX 18 series Premium Notebook PC
- HP MediaSmart Connect
- HP Pavilion dv4 series Entertainment Notebook PC (with Windows Live)
- HP Mini 1000 (with XP)
Accessories
- HP Photosmart C6380 Wireless AIO (printer)
- HP 564 Photo Value Pak
Software
- Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate/Home Premium or Microsoft Windows XP pre-installed on all units (Mini 1000 runs XP)
- Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 (Student-Teacher Edition) – 1 DVD with 3 licenses
- Microsoft Windows Live
- Corel VideoStudio X2
Entertainment
- Kung Fu Panda (2 widescreen DVDs; 1 widescreen Blu-ray disc)
Total value: >US$6000
Which other Bloggers offered the same HP Giveaway?
Gotta Be Mobile
Barb’s Connected World
Geek.com
Gear Live
Neowin
Small Biz Vista
JK On the Run
BostonPocketPC
Notebooks.com
Geekzone
I Started Something
Bleeping Computer
The Gadgeteer
Planet x64
Digital Home Thoughts
Digital Inspiration
Geeks!
MediaBlab
Geek News Central
The Digital Lifestyle
GearDiary
Last 100
Geeks To Go!
Liliputing
OSNN
Slashdot Review
SlashGear
Gadgetell
Windows Connected
Techie Diva
One Day, One Job
Student Bloggers
Study Hacks – Demystifying College Success
HackCollege
Noticias Tech
Eliax
La Bitácora de Erwin Ried
Carlos Alberto
InfoWester
GeeksRoom
CíberPrensa
Unión de Bloggers Hispanos
Living – In Theory
Moosh in Indy
Thoughts on poetics and tech
Techmamas
Stop, Drop and Blog
Down-to-Earth Mama
merlot mom
Contest Giveaway Rules, Dates and Expectations
1) This entire prize package will be awarded to one person.
2) However, this winner will be chosen based on how they plan to use this prize. To be more specific, I will be awarding this prize to a winner who will put the package to positive change or towards a charitable cause. For example, this person might work at an underprivileged school, the winner might know someone working at an underfunded health clinic, or maybe they’ve heard about a Boys and Girls club that might need a donation. Regardless, this person should plan to have these computers affect lives positively.
3) The winner has the option of sharing this prize, it is their choice. In other words, I can mail part or all of the package to the winner or could mail part or all of the package directly to a cause, charity, etc.
4) Each entrant MUST explain to me in 250 words or less why their cause should be chosen. This explanation must be mailed to morningsidemomgiveaway@gmail.com with the subject heading “My Entry to the HP/Microsoft Magic Giveaway”.
5) The entrant is encouraged to be creative with their submission. You could include a link to a blog post, a Youtube clip or FLIKR images. (Please do not send large files or jpegs attached to the email itself.) Through your submission, show me you are an honest individual who truly cares about the cause or person you support. The more you can show me that your cause is real (and not something made up so you can sell it all on e-bay which I strongly strongly discourage), the better your chances are to win. Please remember: this is about giving and supporting a worthwhile cause. Please think hard about what kind of good you can do with this prize.
6) I will not hold it against the winner if they would like to keep a portion of the prize themselves. There is certainly enough to go around and it is up to the winner to decide how to spread the wealth. Just remember, charitable individuals will be rewarded in this contest.
7) Real addresses are required, no p.o. boxes.
8 ) International entrants are welcome.
9) While your address and full name will be protected and kept private, I will be posting about the winner and the cause they represent on the Morningside Mom blog.
10) Additionally, the winner will be asked to submit a follow up post about how the gift package was put to good use. Pictures and personal experiences will be highly encouraged. This follow up will be expected within 2-4 weeks after you received the package.
11) While unlikely, press or media could potentially by involved. If they are, obviously, the winner’s full name or address will not be made public or ever shared with anyone.
12) Winners will be chosen solely at my discretion.
13) Entrants who have won this prize at one of the other 49 blogger’s websites involved in the HP give away will be disqualified.
14) A winner will be announced on December 5th.
15) If you consider yourself a friend of mine – I love ya but sorry, don’t bother entering. However, think about entering at one of the other 49 blogger’s sites! (See above.) But tell a friend about my contest (one I don’t know) to come on over and enter.
16) HP has encouraged me to look over the hardware and review it. Some boxes or bags may have been opened. Everything has of course been put back into its original packaging.
Stumble It!
Morningside Mom 
I’m SO curious. And I like to give, so bring it on, Caroline! Can’t wait to hear the details. : )
You have my attention. I think I peed myself a little when I read about the prizes. I know so many people who could use these.
All this would be for others. I already received my Magic-Wish-Come-True, to have my husband with me this holiday season. Therefore, winning would be spreading the magik 😉 Py
I think all the prizes are awesome. I’m a single parent raising 3 teenagers and it would be an awesome gift to give to my family because I can’t really afford to buy christmas gifts this year my kids. I’m glad that I have my family with me, because they mean a lot to me and I wish I had more to give back to them.
Thanks for being a part of this great event. Will be waiting.
I would like to share it with one of my brother(uncle’s son) because he loves playing computer games but he doesn’t have a computer of his own.So, he’ll certainly be delighted if he will get one.
Hmm finally the contest has been started,I was waiting for it!! hope the genuine person wins
Email send.. 🙂
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I e-mailed the information you had asked for , this is a wonderful opportunity to share this holiday season!
I’ve sent my entry. 🙂
I’ve mistakenly sent two entries to you.The earlier one without an address.Please delete this first mail & accept only the last/2nd Email which contains the address.Thanks for understanding. 🙂
What an amazing contest!!!!
I think I won’t enter here
I’d like to help, but I am not helping a specific organization, and I’m not connected to one of them. And I’m pretty sure there are already interesting entries better than the normal-student one, so good luck for those who enter 🙂
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I sent my email off just a minute ago. No matter who wins, this is an amazing contest. Think how happy people will be! Scrooge would be so disappointed in us all 😉
I am really excited about entering the contest. I am a 26 year old single full time working mother of three. Right now with finances being so tight and the holiday season is coming up, this is a perfect opportunity to not only get a wonderful gift for my kids (my 6 yr old loves computers and is very tech savvy for his age and my 4 and 2 yr old love playing preschool/toddler games online) but it’s also a great way to teach my kids the value of paying it forward by giving away the rest of computers. If I was to win, I would definitely give my kids the honor of giving the gifts away so they can experience the true feeling of the holiday season.
Just sent in my entry, I hope the sincerity shows.
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Thank you for hosting this contest. My entry is on the way….
Blessings,
Ray
What a great contest! I would love to win to give it to our local food bank, my charity of choice – the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. So many are unemployed in Michigan right now. I would hope the food bank could use the prize package or sell it so they could buy more food. Thank you so much for the chance to help.
My mom recently came to need the care of Hospice. She’s having difficulty coordinating her needs with Hospice. I want to use the prize to build a system that aids recipients of Hospice care with to better coordinate with Hospice to provide that care.
My mom is 1,000 miles away. But the beauty of the internet is, distance means nothing when transferring information.
Facing the end of one’s life is no time to worry about medication scheduling and O2 deliveries.
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4 years ago at 37 my son had a stroke that has left him unable to keep a job, he is collecting social security and his wife does licensed daycare, so they are okay. They have elected to send their children (2) to a Christian school, but could not afford it, so I am paying 1/2 tuition. The items would be donated to the school to help defray costs of tuition. The school is really hurting at this time as the Principal just lost her husband (a police officer) to the Hanta virus. More info upon request, thank you for offering this contest.
I am probably not going to enter this one either, but I L-O-V-E the way you set it up. I think it’s important to make a difference somehow – every day.
No matter who wins, this is a great contest! Hopefully the selected one will have the heart to pay a good portion of it forward. Good luck, and Happy Holidays!!!
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Fifty lucky winners will sure be happy.
Yeah for you to launch this contest!
You mentioned that you strongly discourage selling the package on ebay, but I have an issue with that. It’s not a selfish issue mind you 😉 I was planning to sell most of the package on ebay, and then using the money I earned from those sales to buy OLPC-XOs for children in developing countries….
I reasoned that children wouldn’t be able to use laptops and other technology like the ones in the giveaway. I also reasoned that more children could be reached by selling ~$6000 worth of 12 items (only four as computers) to buy ~$6000 worth of the OLPC-XOs designed for teaching children of developing countries in mind…which would total up to 30 computers, reaching more children ^_^.
I was wondering if that would be okay, and I would really like to participate in the giveaway :]
I hope I would win. Yeheyyy I really need a new PC and a printer.
Want to give most of it to nonprofit workers.
In life I feel there are winners and there are losers(people who try so hard but somehow life just doesn’t give them the extra boost they need)My 16 year old daughter has wanted to be a pedatric surgeon since she was 5 years old when her nephew had to have open heart surgery at 6 months old. She has done her best in school and is in advance classes, shes in cross country, soccer, marching band and band. She takes online classes to advance her grade and skills. My 12 year old son was chosen last school year as student of the year for his 6th grade class, he had a 4.0 GPA. This year he also takes online advance classes, takes advance classes at school, is in football, track and band. I have seen my children struggle to become successful and they are trying to breakout of the lowerclass stereo type and become well educated. To their success comes the need for help in getting their so if I’m chosen a winner of thie awesome prize I will give computers to my children. I have 2 other children and 3 grandchildren that live 1200 miles away, I would also give them computers so they may stay in touch and send pictures of my grandchildren. I have a brand new grandson I would love to see how he’s growing but since he’s so far it’s impossible, with a computer for his parents that dream could become a reality.
Thank you for helping this unemployed stay at home mom give her children the gift of learning, sharing compassion, rewarding them for their best performance and showing them that struggles and hard work payoff.
Hey i just sent the mail to you! thanks for give us this opportunity!
This computer would be used to help keep in contact with my wife and son while my unit is deployed. A webcam would be useful so they could see me as well.
I sent my entry. Originally, I hadn’t planned on linking to my blog (it’s more of a personal diary and very rarely updated), but while writing the e-mail I was somewhat affected….; anyways, if I keep writing here I’ll use up the whole page. I also found out that it is conveniently the requirement for another contest (if I’m not mistaken), so that makes 3 birds with one stone. =0
I am nominating a handicapped single mom. I hope I win so she can have opportunities to have an income from home.
I would donate it to a school in our area (Metropolitan Learning Center, Portland, OR) that teaches kids about environmental sustainability. Kids who go here learn to make bioswales. They go on extended science camp trips. They waste nothing and reuse whatever they can. Like most public schools, they’re underfunded. They need money to run their programs and they do a charity auction in February to raise money. I would donate this to that.
Best of luck to all those who entered the contest!!
just sent my entry..hope its still included. 🙂
I wanna win too!