Alright folks, here goes. On Tuesday, December 16th, we will be announcing the winner of the HP Magic Giveaway. How do you enter?
All you’ve got to do is create an account right here. Sign up for a Dabbledoo account/profile to enter! Also with that account, you’ll be able to comment without entering your information, create a profile, upload a pic / avatar, and more!
In the comments, tell us what you will do with the prize pack that includes a TouchSmart PC, a HDX 18, a HP Mini 1035 and plenty more. We can’t force you to share the prize, but we’re sure you’ll get karma points if you spread your good fortune to your friends, families, or charities in this holiday season. Good luck to all of you.
Update: You do not need to write a comment to be in the contest, it is just a suggestion. To be in the contest, just register. Sorry for the confusion.
What's the best way to get a tech junkie to sign up for anything? Offer a chance to win free tech. I'm happy to sign up for an online tech site that I read all the time anyway.
Free tech, free tech, free tech
Fingers crossed along with toes.
I am a 5th grade teacher at Parkview Elementary School in Eagle-Mountain Saginaw ISD in Northeast Fort Worth Texas. I have heard from 3 out of the 12 parents that I have already conferenced with before Thanksgiving break that they are in such financial crisis that their children will do without anything this year.
If I were to be the lucky recipient of your prize package all of the technology and equipment would be used to benefit the students that I teach. I would supplement the classroom that currently teach to make sure that I am able to effectively teach the students and make them responsible citizens, as they are the ones who will be taking care of you and me in our aging years. I would continue to use the technology in my classroom to benefit these 88 students and the future 5th graders that I teach. After making sure that the classroom was effective, I would love to make sure that the families that I have heard from that are struggling to get by have a Christmas for their children. Regardless of whether I win this or not, I will still do the latter; however, this generous prize package would allow me to reach even more families in need. I hope that you will consider me and my students when you make your selection for your winner!
Dawn Greenfield
Parkview Elementary School
First let me tell you more about myself before I start to babble about what I’m going to do with the prize. I am Vietnamese, born here in the States and currently live with 2 of the most important people in my life; my mother and little brother. My life would be a complete utter mess if they were not there for me when I need them. Actually without my mother or my father, I wouldn’t be here at all to write you this very article. But the important thing here is that I love my family and I want the best for them since they raised me and helped me to be the person I am today.
My mother, a single parent, raised my brother and me by herself since I was 7. Believe it or not she was the one who first got me into technology. She works in the IT field working as a computer technician for Connecticut’s Community Colleges (CCC). Her job is very demanding as it requires her to be on her knees, under tables, and connecting cables. She’s been doing this for about 12 years now and I am amazed by her determination to keep on doing it even with 2 children to take care of. Recently I came out to my mom that I was gay, she fully understood what I was going through and accepted it. I was relieved and hugged her to death. My Mom is not just my parent but a friend that I can say anything to without feeling embarrassed or scared. I want to nominate my mom who will be receiving the HP Touch Smart PC if I win. I can’t think of anyone deserving enough to receive it. She can use it for work when she is on call on the weekends but also watch movies since she loves watching movies with me when I come home on the weekends from college. Right now she has a 6 year old dell that my father got me a long time ago. It works fine but it can’t handle 720p/1080p movies for shit. She deserves better.
Now my brother was always there when I needed another guy to talk to. Without him I might as well be the loneliest person in the world. He is my companion and my best friend. Though sometimes we fight, we always make it up and get along. He also knows that I am gay, he said “I will always love you no matter what” after I told him. That moment made me feel so warm inside that I cried! He is 3 years younger than me and a junior in high school. So having a laptop is almost mandatory for him since he is about to go to college like his older brother. He plans to study in architecture so having a powerful laptop for AutoCAD software would be useful. He is currently using the gaming machine that I helped him build last year but now he says “I don’t play games anymore.” He used to be quite the counterstrike pro but now he thinks playing games is not “cool”. Typical teenage hormones I guess! Now he wants to sell it and get a laptop. So I am nominating him for the HP Pavilion DV4 as a Christmas present this holiday. He would be so happy if he received something this wonderful! I can’t wait to see his face if I win.
So where does my father go in all of this? You must have been wondering since he wasn’t really mentioned at all so far. Well he is currently with someone else living somewhere in CT. That's basically all I know about him and shows how distant he is from my mom, brother and me. He wasn’t there when I was growing up. He never paid child support for my mother….ever. But now he is starting to see me and my brother more. I appreciate him for trying, I really do. I just really need his support right now; my mom has her hands full with helping me pay for college. He is the only one in the family who doesn’t know who I really am yet. He tries to help by buying us food and electronics for our home but that’s basically it. Very recently he called me up because his computer was slow. He wanted me to build a new computer for him since I am the computer techie of the family. But instead I think I will give him the HP Mini 1000 netbook for him if I win. All he really uses the computer for is checking email and surfing anyway, I think it would be the perfect fit for him. This gift will hopefully show him that I still love him no matter what and will be there for him if he needs me.
Well the only one left in my family is me! Currently I am using a custom multimedia machine I built for myself with a fairly powerful graphics card and blu-ray drive. It is sitting in my dorm right now as I am typing on it for this submission. I am also using an Asus netbook for class notes and to carry around campus, the thing is the keyboard is fairly cramped and the screen size is a little small. But what I hate about my current setup is that I am going to have to lug my mammoth-like desktop back home for the winter break since I really can’t live without it. I am too use to using a powerful computer just bring back my tiny netbook. Gaming on a netbook is irrelevant anyway! The problem with this is that it is not portable! I have to carry the tower as well as the monitor and speakers back and forth. I don’t think my back can handle that. I just want one machine that can be both powerful and portable and the HDX 18 notebook looks like it was built for me. Being a college student going for a computer engineering degree, a computer is required for a lot of my course work. With a lovely HDX in my hands, I could sell my netbook and desktop and get good money for things I need like books and gas.
So now you’ve read it all and know my reasons for wanting to win this godly giveaway. Yes, I am mostly going to share these gifts of technology to my lovely family for being there for me and helping me through life as it is. Winning the HP Magic Giveaway would make our lives so much easier and make a family going though rough times so much happier this holiday season.
Obviously this is an amazing giveaway! I've already witnessed about a dozen other people win on all sorts of different websites! (sobs!) But there's always my chance!
About me – My name is Marques, living with my family in a home in a small town in New Jersey – a great, quiet little place – I live with my mother, my father, and my little sister! They're all wonderful people, and I don't know how I could go on without my family. Anyway, I've got to tell you what I would LOVE to do with this fabulous-sounding prize!!
Firstly, the HP Touchsmart PC is an amazing machine – the TV tuner, the gorgeous (i hope i spelled that right!) 25" screen, all the media controls – this thing is a monster! I would give this as a gift to my general family – as the home's primary PC. It can easily be used as our TV, our word processing unit, our schoolwork unit, or even our household entertainment device! I'm sure this privelage would make it EXTREMELY easy for my family to communicate, and entertain! I know my entire family deserves it, and we could all use it!
The HP HDX 18t laptop is another monstrosity – if I don't win, I would still consider buying this laptop! It's got all the gaming performance (with it's graphics card) that one could ever need. It has processing power like no other machine! It can handle anything any computing power can throw at a portable machine – and that's why I'd nominate my Dad to get this laptop! This machine is just wonderful! He's currently working on a worn-out Toshiba P105 – slowing down constantly, and eating up valuable time. My Dad works as a software developer in NYC, and he uses this Toshiba as his primary computer. Al I'd need to to is buy him an Easy-Transfer Cable from Belkin – and all his data is running extremely fast on a wonderful, new, 18" HD laptop! I know there's nothing else I could get my Dad that would benefit him more than this machine.
The Hp dv4 is another great little piece of hardware – and my sister is a great young woman as well! She's been working with an absolutely ANCIENT (and I mean that when I way it) PC running Windows 98 – a barely visible monitor… Takes 20 minutes to open the start menu! Giving her this pretty, shiny little laptop would absolutely make her year! She's been struggling through a few things as school, sometimes not being able to finish an online research project, or having to go to the library to save something to a USB drive – but this HP would be an improvement beyond belief to my sister! (and my Mom, who drove her to the library all those times!) Giving her this gift would make me just as happy as I know it would make her.
Then there's my Mom – she's not the most tech-savvy person you can imagine – but she certainly uses her computer! I'm telling you, the one she's using now is OLD! It's a Dell laptop thick enough to be an All-In-One! Haha, I know it sounds superficial, but the HP Mini 1000 would just be amazing for her. She's constantly using her computer to check email, and stay on top of things that she does at home when I'm at High School. And since I know Vista might be a little much for her to handle – it'll have the same, (just much faster) Windows Xp running on it already – awesome! Making her every day that much more productive is something I know that she can truly appreciate! My Mom is really special to me, and I'm lucky to still even have her here with me on this planet – Giving her this gift would make my holiday season really special!
When I saw the HP Photosmart printer in the contest, I knew IMMEDIATELY who I would send it to – my Aunt. Raising 2 children (ages 3 and 5), I know it's hard to stay on top of things, but there are just SO many pictures she has of them – that she'd like to post on the refrigerator, walls, etc! She's got a scanner already, and this printer is all she needs to print out those little doodles they draw that she's scanned – or their latest holiday picture as a family! Their current printer isn't exactly the best of them all … if you know what I mean! So a brand new HP Photosmart Printer would be an amazing addition to their household, brightening up their lives my a great amount! I couldn't wait to give them this gift, as they have done so much to support me!
Finally, the Kung Fu Panda DVD! That would have to go to my counsins! (3 and 5 yrs old, like I said…) They're the types that love to watch the same cartoon over … and over … and over again! They must've watched the CARS movie a thousand times! Owning the Kung Fu Panda DVD would make their lives so much brighter! Not only that, but it would keep them occupied long enough for my aunt to catch up on their latest school projects – this would make the perfect addition to their DVD collection, and I'd be proud to give it to them for the Holidays!
Office Home and Student would go on my current computer (which I must admit, has been loyal to me!) Because I use this computer solely for – well, home and projects! I do tons of word processing, and the occasional Powerpoint presentation for a class – and trust me, I AM tech savvy! (despite being 15) so I can handle all the new features of Word 2007. I already have the Office 2003 disk which my Dad can install on his new HDX! He uses 2003 to do most of his software editing and such.
The MediaCenter, I would give to my school library. My High school is a great place where I (obviously) go to learn every day! I utilize the library quite often, and I've seen quite a few students watch presentations in the library – things like this are what prompted me to give the MediaCenter to my school's library, making it slightly easier for them to do what they do best! I'm sure they'd greatly appreciate the gift, and they'd be able to figure it out – without my help!
I want to thank Gadgetell again for holding this drawing, and thanks for allowing so many people to even THINK about giving away so much to the people they know and trust.
Thanks to HP for giving away SO MUCH stuff!! I can't wait to see it my family wins this giveaway!
Good luck to everyone, and happy holidays!!!!!
If I'm lucky enough to win this, I'll be giving everything to my two brothers and brother-in-law. Hopefully this is the proper way to be entering the contest! Cheers, and happy holidays everyone!
Thanks for the chance to win something "HP" I hope today is my lucky day! it would be a great christmas present for me
Hi there,
my name is Chris, I'm a 15 year old Australian and here is my entry, I'll try to keep it as short as possible.
Okay, so lets start with the schooling. I am going into a TAFE course next year, well, it kind of started just a few weeks ago, but technically, it starts next year. TAFE will basically allow me to get certificates in areas so that I can get better jobs, or have a better chance at getting a job.
I need a laptop to take to these classes. In year 10, I am doing electronics and in year 11, I am doing I.T and multimedia courses, hopefully – if I get in.
Just a note, in case you are wondering how I got into TAFE a year before almost everybody else in Australia. It is because my school has introduced a new system, I was very lucky to get in and I need a laptop more than ever now.
The other thing is this, and I know this may sound REALLY crazy, me being 15 and all, but please hear me out.
I have been in contact with a patent attorney past the last few weeks and even though at first, he didn't think my ideas were THAT amazing, after I fully explained them to him, he thinks they have a lot of potential. I need a laptop that can handle decently high resolution videos and is LIGHT WEIGHT so that I can take presentations on my laptop to companies such as AMD to present to them my ideas.
I know it sounds like a long shot but I can email you with proof that I am trying to get a patent pending.
I'm looking at going through a joint-venture with a company so that, for example, they provide the funds, I provide the ideas, we share the profits and have both of our company names in the product.
I want these products to be very affordable too.
On top of this, I create websites and services – some should be released in a few weeks time.
I also do FREE tutorials to help out people and try to take all the requests I get, I help out MANY people online on youtube in the comments sections. I'm also going to be getting a job next year, so it's going to be a heck of a lot of work for me to do, I really need a bit of help here.
So basically, I need a laptop school and my own business.
Anyway, my parents jobs rely on commission, and at this time with the economy, it's REALLY tough for them to get money in. I'd rather not talk about this in public, but feel free to contact me for more info, things are REALLY bad (admins.)
Anyway, they have been needing a computer for their work for quite a while now and I wanted to give them one for Christmas as a surprise.
I wanted to also give one of the computers away in a contest held online, after I have done an unboxing, overview and review of the product. I want to give one away to a person that can prove to me they need it to unleash their skills or creativeness.
All of the products will be unboxed, reviewed and overviewed in HD on YouTube, obviously with credit to this site.
So, there you have it, all I need is one laptop, I'll give the rest away to family and one away on an online contest.
I will also be happy to hold a contest for Office 2007 and KungFu Panda.
Again, I will hold a contest and give away one of the computers to somebody who needs a new machine to do something creative with, or unleash their skills. Such as photoshop or CAD 3D etc. As long as they can prove it to me – I don't need everything in this package.
Thank you SO much for the opportunity, I want to wish everybody the best of luck. I really need just one of the computers and so do my un-suspecting parents – they have no idea that I am entering this
-Chris
This year I won't be getting any presents for Christmas, due to financial reasons, so I'd REALLY like to make my parents feel better by giving them something back, they really deserve it.
I just wanted to add on to this. I didn't want this to come across as a "sob story" – all I am asking for is a little bit of help.
hi i am aravinthan from a middle class family from south india..
I know that more entries from around the world will be there for this contest. Most of them will be from developing countries. Only a few will be from developing countries like India. Why this is so? even though technology reached india 5 or 6 years I still see lots of my fellow people didn’t even get proper primary education. Just 150 yards from my house a primary school is there with about 80 children studying for there. If I won this contest I will give them light of education to the people by giving them half of my prize to them.
If I'm lucky enough to win, the only prize I'd keep for myself would be the HDX notebook. My own desktop is definitely in need of replacement considering it's about 10 years old, and unfortunately I don't have the finances to replace it myself anytime soon. I will be returning to school in January and a new computer like the HDX would quite honestly be a miracle in itself. The other prizes I will be sharing with other students in the same position as myself, although I don't have anyone specific in mind yet.. The DVD would go to my nephew who I know would love it.
This giveaway comes at this blessed time of sharing what we have with others to make their lives better. If I win, I will have a great time distributing all these electronic goodies. Over 600 students will benefit from the magic!
I am an elementary art teacher in an urban school district in Kansas. Our student population is very diverse which brings our school strength, joys and challenges. While the classroom teachers are given the latest technology, specials teachers–art, music, physical education and library–get ours much later, if at all. Usually we have to jump through major hoops, such as writing and administrating grants, to gain access to technology. To honor these dedicated professionals I will be sharing the laptops, printers and software with the other five people in my specials team.
The HP Pavilion DV4 Entertainment Notebook PC and HP HDX 18 series Premium Notebook PC would have excellent visual and auditory capabilities for the music and art classes. The touch screen features of the HP TouchSmart IQ816 PC would make it ideal for working with our learning disabled and English for Speakers of Other Languages students. The HP Mini 1000 would be perfect to take to district meetings to take notes or for our Physical Education teachers to track their students’ progress. The HP MediaSmart Connect would help students access television programming, such as when the Winter Olympic Games are broadcast in 2010. The specials team recently completed a school wide unit on the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
Because it is wireless, our entire specials team could share the HP Photosmart C6380 wireless AIO printer. Visual examples would be more appealing to students in color than black and white–especially on the quality paper of the HP 564 Photo Value Pak.
The software will make all of the hardware work to its capacity. With the Corel VideoStudio X2 teachers and parent volunteers in the PTO will have a great time making videos and slides shows of school activities to share at Parent Nights at the school.
We can't show Kung Fu Panda at school, because it is rated PG, but my sons and nephew would love this DVD.
Thanks for the opportunity to reach the hearts and minds of children through the magic of technology.
I registered but I still haven't received the registration email thirty minutes later (hopefully by tomorrow). I am a home schooling Mom with four kids so we can always use new tech toys! I'm a big believer in KARMA
Thanks for the chance!
well i am a singer.songwriter and sufficient equipment to actually get the quality of what i am trying to pursue would be great, thats where the touchsmart would come in to play, the mini would serve great as a gift for my little 7 yr old sister so she can have something to brighten her eyes as well as her learning experience and entertainment, anything i wouldnt use would definitely go to someone who needs it to serve whatever purpose they have with limitations they also have.
i may not do what alot of people with companies can do but i do have aspirations to attain and goals to withstand.
also due to the restrictions i now have due to my deceased grandmother i kinda got thrown into life (you know bills and rent…lol) but i know whoever does get it prize would really appreciate something like that
Why is it that after a while, there are a whole bunch of entries, then they stop again..
It feels like somebody is cheating – can somebody please check the IP's?
Heh.. and it suddenly stops :-S
I would love the chance win this giveaway. I am in the process of starting a home business and this would be a great help to take it to the next level. I have family in mexico in need of computer equipment for students that have nothing or a local school for homeless children. There is nothing better then putting a smile on someone less fortunate. Good luck to everyone!
Great idea! I have a friend who is a minister in Muskegon Heights. Certainly he can put this to use in such a poor community. Muskegon County has the highest unemployment in the nation as of last week.
hi..2 everyone here..its great like having this type competitions ..they are really cool and Rocking..lets rock here..
I would keep 1 computer to myself and share everything else oh ooo h oohhhh !!!! merry chrystmas!!
If I won in the contest, I probably will give my younger brother the HP Mini 1000 so that he can “get in touch” with the internet with it, and give the HP Pavilion dv4 Entertainment Notebook PC to my younger sister because she likes to listening to music and she is asking for a notebook for a long time already.
Most of the time me and my family loves to take photos to capture our memorable moments, and if I got the HP Photosmart C6380 Wireless AIO printer, we can printing out a lot of good quality photos and share with relatives. I will learn to use the Corel VideoStudio X to makes those photos into videos, that’s pretty cool!
Besides, the HP MediaSmart Connect will be placed near the TV so that my parents can watch the Kung-Fu Panda and other movies with it, they can do even more with the TV. (Although it is a little bit small)
Another notebook-HP HDX18 Premium Notebook PC I have decided to give it to my father, because his current notebook very old and sometimes its performance is very slow and makes my father getting mad.
Lastly, the HP TouchSmart IQ816 will be for myself to using at home, it gonna be my first touch-screen PC and I will be truly excited.
Good luck to everyone who have enter this contest and also good luck to myself.
Happy holidays!
——–NOTE – PLEASE DISREGARD MY FIRST POST! I HAVE REWRITTEN IT ALL HERE!——–
Alright, this is going to be a bit of a longer post than usual.
I'll try to keep this as short as possible because I know that the person/people reviewing this post have a LOT to read through.
My name is Chris and I'm a 15 year old Aussie who is a tech ADDICT, I admit it, calling me a geek is a compliment! A lot of my viewers and friends know that I make tutorials for people on youtube, I don't charge for these tutorials, nor do I put advertisements on them, so I am pretty much doing all these tutorials for free, and helping people in the comments section with them too!
I have been making websites for well over five years now and am also into video production, animation, practically EVERYTHING in multimedia. I am also into building computers that friends want me to build (I COULD charge them for letting me build it, but hey, I enjoy it so I honestly don't care!)
I would use just ONE of the laptops for school and business. As many of you know, I have quite a number of ideas for technology products that I want to get on the market (one of them required that surround sound system that I bought WITH MY OWN MONEY, not my parents – just so you know, to the person who said that we aren't struggling with money. That took me MONTHS to earn.) I have figured out almost everything to do with the products, even though I haven't built one yet due to financial restraints, I DO know that how I've planned out how to build these items WILL work, 100% sure. Every issue with them, that I have thought about, I have been able to fix, JUST by thinking about ways to fix things, or improve things.
I have been in contact with a patent attorney for the past few weeks and we are trying to get my patents pending (which is surprisingly cheap – $50 USD, roughly), so I can present these ideas to other companies (with the protection of a patent pending), such as AMD for example, and to see if we can go with a joint-venture, where we both work on the product. These ideas have a LOT of potential, even my patent attorney thinks so – even if he didn't think it was a good idea until I fully explained it to him – I know, I'm only 15, but these are seriously great ideas. I really do need the assistance of a light weight computer.
The thing is, I don't care all that much about the money, so I want to make these awesome products as affordable as possible and give a few of them away as well. I don't want Sony to keep charging $7000 for a TV that cost's them well under $1000 to make, and if you weren't to pay the scientists, etc who improve the technology, it would probably work out to well under $100 to make one of their TV's.
As I said, I need a computer that is also light weight (under 4kg/10lbs) – or something that's not to heavy, computer for school. I am going into TAFE next year, well, it kind of started a few weeks ago due to my schools new system, but in any case. I am going into a TAFE course for year 10, to get certificates so that if I ever need to get a job, I can get higher paying ones, or at least have a better chance at getting a good job. In year 11, I'll hopefully be doing IT and Multimedia courses. This is the MAIN reason I need just ONE of the laptops, the rest (excluding the printer and media centre) will be shared/given to others.
My parents have a job that relies on commission, and in these economic times, things are VERY bad. My parents need a computer for their work, so I would also be giving them one. I believe we may be selling the house we moved into, just one year ago. Somebody came over to look at the house the other day, I'm really not sure what's going on there, this is just to give you an idea on how bad things are at the moment.
Finally though, I would give one of the computers away by holding an online contest – the person that needs it the most (and they need to prove this to me) for their creativeness or skills would win. Whether that be art, program development, architecture or anything creative that will CONTRIBUTE to society.
I would also give away the 2 dvd's of Kung Fu Panda, and the blu-ray version in another contest. As I already have office 2007, I would be giving that away too, in another contest, I will give away VideoStudio 11.5 (my older version of the software) on top of all this.
You may be asking, how is this impacting on others lives? Well, first of all, I'd be helping people get jobs and second of all, this would make other products more affordable, so it would help consumers and people looking for tech jobs.
It will impact the life of the person who wins the computer that I give away and it will impact on my parents lives, because never before have I been able to give them something for Christmas… even though due to financial struggles, past the last seven years, I, myself haven't had any Christmas presents either, but my parents work so hard, so this being a surprise to them which will ALSO help them with their job.
My end goal though, is to start this company and get through school with top marks (I am a shocking writer, and bring your own computer to type on is now allowed at school – my record is 124 words per minute for type. As for writing, I would say about 1 word every 2 seconds at best) – this ONE computer would help me so much and the three that I am giving away to family and somebody who enters the contest with creative skills. This means that ALL FOUR computers will be pushed to their limits and used by the best people in the world. The people who support their family and the people who do something for society.
In a nutshell, here is what is happening as of January of 2009.
I am going to be holding down my own job, doing FREE tutorials for youtube, going to TAFE AND normal school and also be in talks with companies to get my idea on the market. It's a LOT and this would really give me that last bit of "omph" I need to put in my best on all of it.
If I do win this, I will obviously do HIGH DEFINITION unboxings (my favourite) with my webcam and reviews on ALL of the products and keep you all updated by vLogs online. I will also write articles on my new websites, launching next month (obviously 3 of the sites are about tech!)
Thank you so much for reading. I want to wish EVERYBODY who has entered ANY of the contests the best of luck and I wish you all a very happy Christmas!
If I win, I will donate the netbook to the Oakland Children’s hospital and my current PC will go to charity. I already have a working printer so I’ll donate the new printer to charity as well. The Kung Fu Panda DVD will be donated to my local library. The Microsoft Office 2007 software will go to a college student that needs it since I already have Microsoft Office 2007 software. I will help geeks by writing a video review of each notebook and posting it in the Notebooks.com forums (the Corel software I win will be used for editting the videos). The Touchsmart PC will be used as a family computer, the HP HDX will go to me for my college assignments, the other HP laptop will go to my sister for her college work, and the HP Mini will go to my older sister for her college work (she travels alot and works full time).
This is such an amazing giveaway! If I do win, I'll keep the HDX 18 for me and dv4 for my sister. My dad does some light internet surfing, reads e-books and mom keeps gazing at all our family pics – so the HP Mini would be great for them. I've got my own HP dv5 notebook which I'll be donating to our hostel's ancient computer center.
As per the rest of the prizes, I would love to have them as well (especially the TouchSmart!) but thinking practically I can't utilize them to the fullest. The TouchSmart is too big for my hostel room and it'll be pure overkill for our house as well, since neither me nor my sister stay there now. The printer again will be useless as my dad has his own smoothly working HP deskjet.The MediaSmart Connect is too cool again, but it'll be of little use here in the hostel. As per the software packs, I already have Office 2007 Enterprise and I'm not going to use VideoStudio. Oh, any one of those Kung Fu Panda titles would be cool.
So, if I do win this contest I'll keep the three note / net books, one Kung Fu Panda title and the MediaSmart Connect for our Technical Society. I'll reuqest you to give the rest to the runners-up here / keep it yourself / make another contest / do whatever you like. It'll be just too selfish to run away with everything when thousands others are participating.
Merry Christmas!
I would just like to add, if I do not win this contest, I would love for Shan Gee to win – defiantly deserves it as well!
Hey, first off, I just wanted to compliment you on participating with HP and Microsoft on this wonderful contest, just in time for the holidays! Winning this contest would mean so much to me and my family this holiday season. I’m sure you probably don’t really want some sob story or anything, so ill try to keep it relatively light.
My name is Nikolas Harris, I’m from Canada. This year, I’ve been struggling with Christmas gifts for my family (mom, dad, sister). Basically, I have no means of getting money whatsoever. This HP package would be like a miracle to me, I would know that out in the world, there were nice people, that love to just go out and do random acts of kindness for other people in need.
My mom, dad, and sister, have been there for me through thick, and thin – and it’s been a struggle. Since I was one year old, I was diagnosed with JRA, which stands for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. JRA is when your immune system (for some unknown reason) attacks your body, thus deteriorating your bone density and there is a high possibility of my bones fusing together. There have been a lot of ups and downs in my life (mostly downs) but they still stood by my side. Life can sometimes be a struggle because of the constant worries about this condition. I first had it in my pinky finger of my left hand. Then it spread to my left wrist, both my knees, and now my ankles. I’m learning to cope with having this disease in my system, and also with the steady dose of medications. But with the new medications, it isn’t cheap, medications cost a lot of money, and we had to seek help from the company to cover the huge cost of the medications. One of the medications that I’m currently taking is Humira. With the stable support of my family, and my friends, I’ve been doing quite well. The doctors told us that it wasn’t getting any better though. I go for regular blood work and MRI’s to check how my body is responding to the medications, and to see if they need to make a better plan of slowing down the disease.
Dealing with JRA has put a lot of stress on me, and I’ve been able to juggle my schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and my medications, all very well. I’m currently receiving high 90%’s in all my classes at school, I’m on the Student Leadership Team at my school, I’m an avid swimmer – mostly in the summers, I volunteer when I can (just recently at the local tree lighting), and I’m currently involved in a study to test a website, for teens like me that have JRA. It’s a site that helps teens cope with the disease. If all goes well, it could help tons of teens like me, feel better about their condition. Also it helps you learn more about your condition, and how to learn ways to calm the pain when you have “flair ups.”
Basically, since my family has been there for me 100%, I plan on splitting it up with them. Also, I plan on giving the Kung-Fu Panda DVDs to the IWK Children’s Hospital – where I have spent a lot of my time at. The doctors have been so helpful, and supportive. I would give it to the Rheumatology department. It would go to the place where kids have to go when they get joint injections (which I have had twice before) and where they get monthly doses of certain medications from a machine, through a tube in the arm. These kids (like me) have to stay there for the most of the day, or even the whole day, and this would provide them with some more entertainment. Also, I am thinking of donating my older computer to my friend’s brother’s daycare, or to the IWK Children’s Hospital. My sister, who has been there for me, always being very supportive of me, is graduating this year and also having her 18th birthday on December 17th. She has applied to Dalhousie University. She plans on majoring in Radiology – because of me and my constant MRI’s. She loves working with children, and it would be good for her. She needs a laptop for her studies, but since university costs a lot, and money is tight, we can’t afford to get her one, so I would be giving one of the laptops with software, to her for her birthday and Christmas. She also works as a lifeguard, and constantly volunteers at the IWK and at the local library, reading to children (reading buddies). My mom has been there from the very beginning. Currently her computer and the printer that she uses are both messed up and in need of major repairs/replacements. I would be giving her a laptop or the TouchSmart desktop with the proper software. The current printer she uses prints unevenly, bleeds, and fades away a lot. The computer freezes, doesn’t respond, and the mouse triple clicks on everything that you choose. My dad would get either the TouchSmart, or the other laptop, with software also. He works full time to provide for our family, just so we can have a nice Christmas. He works long hours, and busy weeks. For myself, well I’ll probably just take the Mini 1000. It’s really all I need. I will also be keeping the photo editing software for myself, because I do a lot of photography, as it is one of my hobbies. The rest of the items that I didn’t mention would be split up among my family and/or the IWK.
Without them in my life, it would be nothing like it is today. I would probably be miserable, not having them with me. I truly am glad to have them. And I love them all
Well, that’s basically it. That’s a bit about my life, and also what I plan on doing with this wonderful package. I hope this entry has dazzled you in some way. I really appreciate you doing this contest, and allowing everyone to enter, it truly is magical, Thanks.
I just want to applaud everyone else that entered, and wish them good luck. Thanks so much in advance, even for considering me. Happy holidays! Have a good one!
-Nikolas Harris
P.S
I’ve decided on attaching a link to a picture of my current desktop computer – enjoy.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/29940029@N07/3096534206/
I have also made a slideshow with Windows Movie Maker and posted it to Youtube. It’s the people that have helped me, and are supportive to me in my life. It’s basically a thanks to those people. I also tied it in with the Hp Magic Giveaway. Watch it if you like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwoWT4xJ9sA
I would give one notebook and the photo printer to a friend of mine who is a single mother who is in nursing school and barely scraping by and facing more difficulties in life than I could. The other notebook I would give to my girlfriend(her laptop is on its last legs – this would be great timing). The TouchSmart and Mini I would keep.
Hi all,
First off, I'd give the TouchSmart to my mom, who isn't very good with computers normally but only needs one to see pictures the family sends and to view woot.com.
I'd take the HDX; I'm currently a college student studying computer science, so having a laptop that can handle any programs I make for it would be a great boon to me, as well as clear up some of the dorm room clutter caused by my old desktop.
I would donate the MediaSmart Connect to my school, LeTourneau University, as they have a lounge that is in desperate need of such a device.
The HP Pavilion dv4-1145 would go to my high school AP Computer Science high school teacher. She fostered in me my love of all things related to computers, but being a high school teacher with a family, has always been too strapped for cash to afford a laptop.
The netbook would be given to my university's ACM program as part of their yearly raffle in order to raise money for the club. We're a small school with a relatively small CS department, so our club hasn't been able to do many of the activities we've wanted to.
With the printer I'd like to start a community print service on my dorm floor at school. I'd charge a small fee for usage to cover paper and ink costs, or give it to someone else with the intention that they do the same. This is due the insane costs of printing at school, and not everyone has their own printer.
I'd take the copy of MS Office. OpenOffice is great, but I often run into formatting problems between it and what my professors give me or what they want submitted.
I'd give the VideoStudio software to my local church so that they can better advertise upcoming or past events.
Finally, I'd give the Kung Fu Panda DVD to my grandma, who has taken it upon herself to raise her great-grand children and who could use the break this distraction would give them.
Thanks for your time!
when will you be announcing the winner?
hello gadgetell and thank you
Winning this hp giveaway would give me the chance to give
this Christmas and it will bring happiness and would will surely pay this gift forward.
If i won the hp giveaway
I would give the HP Mini 1000and kung fu panda to
nm catholic charities and they will give the computer to
someone for a worthy cause and the kung fu panda to the youth
I would give the HP Pavilion dv4 series Entertainment Notebook PC to my brother as a christmas gift and it would help him allot with his college home work
I would give the HP HDX 18 series Premium Notebook PC laptop to my mother she who has done so much for me and been there for me it would be an honor .
I would like to keep the Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 the touch smart and the photo smart as they would come to very good use with my homework writing and my art and my drawing my computer is very outdated and the touch smart would be a blessing
I would like to get the prizes so i can get my music studio.!!!!! Dude thnx to HP this blog!
I remember when my dad bought me my first and only one laptop last year, this was a special gift because my dad made a big effort to buy me this computer because he knew that the laptop was going to help in the future with my career in the university. This made me to think in giving the HP Pavilion dv4 series Entertainment Notebook PC (with Windows Live) to a friend that I had seen in the same situation, his parents can´t afford a computer to him for the university and what better than I can give to him this computer if I win.
So, now what do I'm planning to do with it.?
With all this stuff I would help to an institution and to a person. The HP HDX 18 series Premium Notebook PC is going to be destined to the institution, where they take care the children with limited resources, where they could give several uses to this laptop. One of them is to be able to take the administrative control since they lack a computer and this could facilitate this control. Also I will give to them the DVD’s so the children can enjoy the movie. The Pavilion dv4 series Entertainment Notebook PC (with Windows Live) is going to be destined to a friend that I had seen that his parents had sacrificed too much to be able to pay the university to him but they cannot provide him with a computer and with a computer he can grow more academically as professionally. The HP Mini 1000 (with XP) probably I’m giving to give it to one of my parents because they don’t have a computer to take to their work. I’m not who is giving all this stuff, just a bearer of the kindness of the company HP and Microsoft that have such a great heart to help several human beings who lack of computers. I do not deserve the merit, if not of the company that is giving it to me. God bless Hp and Microsoft for this incredible gift!
Hello, and thank you for this opportunity!
I would share this package with my wife and her family as they have been a great help with everything. My wife would get the mininote or the pavilion, her sister would get the hdx 18, and whatever laptop is left over I would get. The touchsmart would be a family computer that would be for everyone to use. Everything else would be up for grabs in the family.
I want to share the prize with my family and my old school's students. I'm studying on Buenos Aires and I can see them only once a year for Christmas. They live on my little home town. So I was thinking to buy them a computer and a webcam to chat with them every day and so they can see me on the webcam, and then I heard about this contest and I think it can be the answer to my prey. I'll give them all the computers but a notebook for me, that I don't have, the desktop for my family and the other notebooks ones for my mothers school, she is an English teacher on my home town. It's a perfect Christmas present, I think. I miss them so much.
i want i want i want please please please
I didn't know you needed to submit your reasons. The e-mail said all I needed was an account. Anyway, if its not too late, this is what I would do with the prize.
I have 2 people/groups of people who I want to share these gifts with.
1st – Wayne R. and family – They lost their house, as well as all of their belongings, in a fire about a month ago. We have been trying to help out here at work by donating clothes and raising money for essentials, but that doesn't count electronics. In these hard economic times, work is slow, and its hard to raise extra money. Wayne and his wife, have a son who is 13, and a daughter who is 17. Given their ages, I'm sure they are missing their computer time. I just think this would be a great Christmas gift for them. I want them to have the entertainment laptop with the printer and the software.
2nd – My friend Liz who just lost her partner to cancer on Thansgiving day. Her current computer, a laptop, will not even boot. I can't even imagine what she is going through. Her and Terri were together for 20 years. Terri was only 47 when she passed. I know a computer doesn't even come close to making everything better, but it will be one less thing for her to worry about. I think it would cheer her up. I wanted to give her the high performance laptop, and 1 copy of office.
As for me, I really want the netbook. I'm not sure about the desktop. Mine is pretty old.
I'd really like to spread a little extra cheer this year.
Thanks!!!
this is something anyone would be so appreciative of, the winner along with the unsuspecting recipients who receive the gifts from them. times are hard and u just cant do for yourself the way u want to these days.
id also really love the touchsmart n picture printer while mostly distributing the other tiems amongst my younger siblings cause ibelieve they are a major key part of the future.
Were I to win, I would surprise a particular friend who has been down on her luck of late but who volunteers her time to a local pregnancy crisis center and also spends time tutoring illiterate youngsters and adults alike. Both centers are underfunded, so I plan to donate a couple of the laptops and printer, possibly Office as well (if she or her group(s) need it) at the very least to her that she can delegate to her organizations as needed.
Best of luck to all entrants!
Oh nuts, all that time writing that article? Oh well… best of luck to everybody I suppose.
First and foremost, I would like to thank HP and Gadgetell for hosting such a noble giveaway. To introduce myself, my name is Charlie and I am a first year student currently attending a public 4 year university in Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth University). If I am chosen as the recipient to the prize package, I will like to keep 2 of the 9 prizes being given away, which will be the HP Touchsmart with Windows (because I love touchscreen gadgets :] ) and the HP Pavilian Dv4 laptop for my own personal use for college. Everything else, I would be willing to share with those who inspire me and most definitely deserve it.
The first person who comes in mind is a women who has dedicated most of her life to ESL students at a community learning center. For as long as I can remember, she has contributed greater to the community than anyone I know by providing students with knowledge and a haven to study and learn. I am 18 years of age, and I was one of these students. Ever since I was able to walk, I remember attending the local learning center; assisting in everyday activities, doing service for our community as well as the larger city, and tutoring/mentoring ESL students were a few of the many activities SHE helped with. She is my mentor, educator and friend. To show her my appreciation, I would give the HP HDX 18 series notebook for her own use. I would also like to donate the wireless printer and ink for the local learning center. For the students, I would like her to have all the Kung-Fu Panda DVD's to giveaway to a few of her ESL students at her disgression.
The second person who comes to mind is my brother. He just turned 20 years old on December 8th and I did not give him a gift due to financial issues. I believe he deserves the Mini 1000 netbook because he is a first year ECPI Technical Institute student with no laptop. Furthermore, I believe the Mini will fit him perfectly because it is compact and easy to carry between classes. Also, I would like him to recieve the Microsoft Office software and the Corel VideoStudio X2.
For the MediaConnect hardware, I would give it to a teacher who has inspired me during high school to work hard and to take advantage of life's offerings. She is an amazing teacher whose passion for teaching is impeccable. I believe she would benefit from this hardware for use in class or for her own use at home because she deserves it.
This time of the year is a time for giving and sharing with others. I believe that every person who I would be giving HP's items to will clearly benefit at the end. Whether it was helping the community, offering knowledge to students, or working hard in school, all three reciepients would clearly benefit from the selected items. Thank You and good luck everyone!
Well first, I'm 17, currently in the Philippines with half of my family while the other half are all in Queens, New York. As I would really love to win this for myself and my brother here but I think my mom who I've yet to see again for about 8 years now and also two of my sisters in NY would really deserve this more than us. My mom is a Teacher by day in New York and a Teacher by night in New Jersey, the bad thing is her job in NY is currently on a hiatus because of the financial crisis of the school she works in, but to me, I think it's also a good thing 'cause every time I hear her voice by the phone, you could easily sense the stress she's feeling everyday.
As a Teacher I think this would really help her in every way possible in her profession, trips to the library would finally come to an end. And also to my sister studying in Michigan who has just been saving for a much needed laptop and to my older sister who recently had a child and sadly, without a father supporting her, but good thing it has not become a hindrance for her studies as she is going to continue her studies next year.
Every Christmas they send us boxes of small gifts but never received anything from us. So I hope this Christmas my mom and my sisters would be surprised if ever I get to win in this giveaway. And that'll be my entry, hope it wasn't time consuming. Thanks for this awesome chance.
Just a quick note: You do not need to write a comment to be in the contest, it is just a suggestion. To be in the contest, just register. Sorry for the confusion.