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Excellent deal for the price! Pretty much top of the line. Love it! You will be very happy!! All around great computer!!!!!!!
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HP Pavilion G Series Laptop
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I don't know about the other reviewer's experience, but I can say that I love everything about this computer. The screen is bright and the colors are vivid. I have listened to other laptop speakers, and these sound very good. The keyboard is wonderful to type on. I had to uninstall some bloatware, but that was expected. Will upgrade to a 12 cell battery as soon as I can afford to. I highly recommend this laptop to anyone who wants a well made machine. Read the specs listed above and you will find that this machine has everything you would want in a laptop or desktop replacement. Con: somewhat large and slightly heavy, but then again your going to carry it in a bag anyways!
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HP G71-340US 17.3-Inch Black/Silver Laptop
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Runs like a graped ape. Not real sure of the SD slot. Got my files to download but module didn't seem to seat too well. AC plug protudes from the right side, contrary to my living arrangement. Why dont they come up with a flush a/c plug. I've had to replace 2 for my Dell. Love the display. My pix look real good. Sound is ok, but it's never loud enough for me, anyway.
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HP Pavilion DV6-1250US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop
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I recently purchased a slightly different version of this HP DV6 laptop for my mother-in-law (all HP DV6 laptop models share a common chassis and only vary on a few components). The first thing about the DV6 line that impressed me was the build quality. It is well constructed with a metallic toned black plastic exterior (some other DV6 models come in white). Take a good look at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone. My mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a little more individual than the usual dull grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed much in the way of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who love to "help" grandma with her computer. (Update: I've learned there are some models without art work such as the . The specs for this model are aimed at someone focused on web browsing and office type applications with only light gaming: CPU - The Core 2 duo is the best performing notebook CPU on the market and the P7350 included with this computer is a upper mid-range Core2 Duo (2.0 GHz w/3MB cache and 1066 MHz Memory Bus). It can handle two threads which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. It's a pretty good fit for a higher end laptop CPU and it's far above what you need for typical notebook tasks and it has a enough performance head-room to keep your computer from becoming outdated anytime soon. It's a lot better than the "Pentium" branded CPUs you see in lower-end notebooks which typically run slower and have far less cache. RAM - The 4GB of RAM is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provided more than enough memory for pretty much any application you can think of outside of extremely high end gaming. HDD - 500GB plenty is far more space than you need now but again, I like the future proofing. Some people may not like that it is 5400 RPM drive (vs. 7200 RPM) but the performance difference for home users is nearly zero and the reliability of 5400 RPM drives makes me prefer them in notebooks which are hard on hard disks (because they move around while in use notebook HDDs suffer far more failures than desktop drives) Graphics - While I am a fan of Intel CPUs their graphics performance has lagged the competition. The good news is that the integrated Intel 4500MHD graphics controller in this model is a step up from previous Intel offerings and all most home users will need. I still wouldn't recommend you try and run graphics hungry 3-D games on it but it's fine for playing videos, surfing the web, doing light gaming, and running office applications. If you want more graphics power look for notebooks with ATI graphics since Nvidia has been having quality issues lately that have resulted in recalls. Display - HP has a reputation for high-end displays and this one delivers. Tuned slightly for indoor use the HP Brightview display is good enough for outdoor use though not as much as a more matte display. Indoors it is brilliant with surprisingly strong blacks (too many notebook displays are all brightness with no depth). We have the slightly larger 16" wide screen and it provides a decent amount of vertical space without overdoing it. The difference between this and a 14" is surprising. (Note: HP recently starting mixing 15.6" and 16.0" screens in the DV6 model line. You can usually buy a very similar model with either screen size but you may have to order direct from HP). Sound - Surprisingly good sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and deliver a good range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook. Battery - The typical 6 cell Lithium Ion. Notice in some bundles of the DV6 HP includes a 12 cell. If you need extended battery time look for the 12 cell (it only adds about 1/10 of a pound). If you plug in often you will be fine with the six cell. I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a little odd at first but we got used to them quickly and hey, they look cool when they light up. To wrap it all up: a good computer for home users who don't plan on running high-end games and who looking for something with above average build quality and maybe a little more CPU than average.
HP Pavilion DM3 Series 13.3-Inch Laptop
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For the price this is a great lap top. One issue I had was the screen brightness was fluctuating when in battery mode. This was fixed by updating the Intel Video card driver. I am very happy with it, speed is great and screen real clear. Battery life is good have not timed it yet
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HP G70-460US 17-Inch Laptop
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This is my first laptop and I accidentally found a good deal on this machine this week
and I got it for [..] after rebates. I really don't like a compact screen because it's
hard to read texts and I do a lot of image PPs so 17" screen is just perfect for me.
The screen is bright thought it looks to be a little glossy. This is a typical Vista
machine so start up is a little slow but once it's loaded up,it's quite fast.
My several co-workers have HP laptops and I thought their PC's wireless connection was
a bit slow and that surfing on the net seemed to be also a bit slow.This is when they used my
Verizon wireless modem. I don't know what models they have but I thought that's what I should
expect from a current laptop.
Wrong! :) This machine's wirelss connection is quick and surfing online is quite fast.
That's probably because of wireless N and T-6500 Pentium chip. I was looking at T-4200
machine but I'm glad I didn't buy it. This maxchine is built for multi-task jobs and it
does an excellent job. I haven't burnt any CDs/DVDs because I usually do it with my desk top.
If you're looking at this machine,you will be happy to hear what I'm going say about heat.
I used this machine for 5 hours straight and this machine handled the heat very well.
Yes,I felt "some" heat from the bottom and from the screen but it's not alarmingly hot at all.
I know this because all my co-workers HP laptops get hotter than my machine.
This laptop comes with 3 GB memory and its maximum memory capacity is 4 GB. I feel that this type
of machine should be allowed to expand the memory up to 8 BG. It is already fast but you know,
I felt that HP skipped a design on this respect.
Paying a full price on this laptop is not for people on a budget like me, but I just happened to
find a good deal and for the price I paid,it's a steal.
HP G70-460US is an efficient,fast,quiet,cool-headed machine and I highly recommend it.
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HP Pavilion DV6-1230US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop
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Recently I purchased a different version of this HP DV6 laptop for my mother-in-law and I looked at this model during that process (all HP DV6 laptop models share a common chassis and only vary on a few components). The first thing about the DV6 line that impressed me was the build quality. It is well constructed with a metallic toned black plastic exterior. Take a good look at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone but my mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a little more individual than the usual dull grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed much in the way of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who love to "help" grandma with her computer.
The specs for this model are aimed at someone focused on web browsing and office type applications who wants superb battery life:
CPU - The Core 2 duo is the best performing notebook CPU on the market and the T6500 included with this computer is a mid-range Core2 Duo (2.1 GHZ w/2MB cache). It can handle two threads which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. It's not the highest performing CPU out there today but it's far above what you need for non-gaming tasks and it has a enough performance head-room to keep your computer from becoming outdated anytime soon.
RAM - The 4GB of RAM is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provided more than enough memory for pretty much any application you can think of outside of extremely high end gaming.
HDD - 320GB plenty is far more space than you need now but again, I like the future proofing. Some people may not like that it is 5400 RPM vs. 7200 RPM but the performance difference for home users is nearly zero and the reliability of 5400 RPM drives makes me prefer them in notebooks which are hard on hard disks (because they move around while in use notebook HDDs suffer far more failures than desktop drives)
Graphics - While I am a fan of Intel CPUs their graphics performance has lagged the competition. The good news is that the integrated Intel 4500MHD graphics controller in this model is a step up from previous Intel offerings and all most home users will need. I still wouldn't recommend you try and run graphics hungry 3-D games on it but it's fine for playing videos, surfing the web, doing light gaming, and running office applications.
Display - I like this 15.6" display though I got my mother-in-law the 16" version of the DV6. While a little smaller than what I settled on it is far superior to the 14-15" screens you usually see in this price range.
Sound - Surprisingly good sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and deliver a good range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook.
Battery - For years the retail notebook market has been plagued with cheap six cell and even four cell batteries that could barely deliver 90 minutes of real computing use. To see HP bundle a 12 cell Li-Ion battery in with this notebook is hopefully a sign the industry is recognizing that notebook users want good battery life. With a 12 cell battery you can realistically plan to go all day without plugging in. This does add slightly to the weight but few users will notice. You will be hard pressed to find another laptop in this price range with a batter this good. Most will have a 6 cell.
I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a little odd at first but we got used to them quickly and hey, they look cool when they light up.
To wrap it all up: a good computer for home users who don't plan on running high-end games and who looking for something with above average build quality and really good battery life.
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HP TouchSmart TX2-1370US 12.1-Inch Black Laptop
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For those whose active lives demand a device for note capture, entertainment, communication and robust computing that's easy to carry everywhere, the HP TouchSmart tx2 Notebook PC delivers. The tx2 combines powerful computing with Tablet PC capabilities and entertainment features in an attractive design light enough to go anywhere. With multi-touch support within HP MediaSmart, it is the first notebook PC for consumers that enables the use of two fingers to navigate HP's entertainment applications.
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HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop
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Just one week after I buy this notebook from Amazon, the price falls by $27 and Amazon refuses to match the price drop. Quite disappointing in that regard. I ordered this on a Wed, Amazon shipped on Sunday and it arrived on Tuesday with free shipping. So that was good.
On to the notebook. First the pros:
Build quality is good and it feels expensive compared to most sub $500 note/netbooks.
Large keys on the keyboard while not as spacious as a regular keyboard works better than than those from Acer that use the chicklet size keys. One of the reasons why I chose this over the Acer Timeline series.
Screen is bright and sharp.
Small compact and lightweight since it doesn't have a built-in DVD drive (uses an external drive). Design looks clean and modern with none of that clunky look from the low end Lenovos or Toshibas.
Uses Vista 64 bit edition
Has HDMI port to plug into HDTVs
Dedicated graphics processor and memory.
Now the cons:
Battery life is average 2-3 hours
Uses single core AMD Athlon Neo processor which is underpowered for Vista. There're occasional lags when running basic things like browsers, Word, etc. The CPU is maxed out at 100% most times.
The initial applications and drivers installed seem to make the notebook run really slow. I tried to watch videos on Hulu.com and they were jerky and slow. After installing updated video drivers and IE8 and Firefox, it worked better. Strange for a notebook professing to be an "Entertainment" notebook to be that bad at video until the drivers were updated. Despite the dedicated graphics processor and memory, video performance is just average and can a bit slow at times.
Bloatware. There are several but not too bad.
HP MediaSmart: this is pretty useless since the notebook already has Windows Media Center. The software itself is nothing great and eats up additional memory and CPU cycles.
Bottom line: This notebook is just barely able to run Vista 64 since the CPU is underpowered. It's a compromise between a full blown notebook and netbook since it has a decent size hard drive and screen. To make it perform better, you'll have to remove all the bloatware and unnecessary applications, and download the latest software updates and drivers. I'll be upgrading to Win 7 when it arrives so hopefully, that'll improve the performance further. Also probably look into upgrading the 2gb ram to 4gb.
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HP G60-440US 16-Inch Laptop
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I took a good look at this laptop when I was shopping around for a new computer for my mother-in-law, and while I ended up purchasing the HP DV6 there was a lot to like about the G60 line. The HP G60 (and G70) are aimed at the home user looking for a desktop size screen but otherwise want traditional notebook specs (good battery life, lighter weight, etc...). While not a true "desk-note" (it uses mobile cpus, most desk-notes use desktop class cpus) it will fill the "desk top" role for most users. The build quality is pretty good. Far above the basic "Compaq" line but not quite as nice as the DV line from HP.
What it is good at: Web browsing, light gaming (does well with anything other than 3D games), office apps (word, excel, power point, etc...) and basic media tasks (playing and creating MP3s, watching movies, editing short home movies).
What it is not good at: 3D gaming, editing large video files, or any heavy computational tasks.
Here is a quick break down of the specs:
Display: This 16" screen is a good bright display that works best indoors, but can be used outdoors except in direct sunlight. A good display is an HP trademark and this one lives up to that standard.
CPU: The Intel Pentium T4300 is a good dual core CPU for light home use. It is the newest version of the Pentium line and is based off the most advanced of the "Core2" processors. (Pentiums are just "Core" or "Core2" CPUS with less cache and slower clock speeds.) I'm a big fan of this CPU for people who mostly want to web browse - it's got two cores so you can surf while the anti-virus does it's job so why pay more for a CPU you won't use? If you plan on doing any serious gaming this is not the CPU for you (though it's a lot better than older Pentiums based off the old "Core" cpus).
Memory: 3GB is plenty for light home use. Again - plenty for web surfing and playing movies. Not enough for serious gaming.
Graphics: Comes with Intel's new 4500 integrated graphics. While this is a great improvement over previous Intel graphics parts it's still not going to run high-end 3D games at any decent resolution. Old games and non-3D games will be fine.
HDD: 320GB is far more than most light home users will use. I know few using more than 60GB. However anyone who plans on editing home movies will need more space than this (and more memory, and a faster cpu...).
Battery: 6 cell lithium ION. Pretty standard. Gives you about 2-3 hours of light use. If you order it custom from HP you can get an 8 cell. However if you are looking for good battery life you really don't want the G60 line. Look for something with a 14" display and at least an 8 cell battery.
Wireless: Most notebooks from high to low end are using the same few wireless chipsets. This one is covers a wide wireless spectrum including the newest "Wireless N".
Weight: 6.7lbs is a good weight for a screen this large. You will find them up to 8lbs. Again if you are looking for serious mobility you want a thin-and-light, but if you want something you can easily carry from room to room this should suit you.
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HP G60-530US 15.6-Inch Black/Silver Laptop
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For those who want to connect and manage everyday computing tasks with an elegantly minimalist notebook, the HP G60 series Notebook PC delivers balanced mainstream performance at a great value. Powered by Intel processor and graphics technologies, the G60 includes essential features to enhance your PC experience and life. Watch full-screen HD TV and movies with the 15.6-Inch diagonal display’s 16:9 aspect ratio. Enjoy your photos and videos on HD TVs with the HDMI port (cable sold separately). Enter data quickly with the numeric keypad. Look good on the go with award-winning, high-gloss HP Imprint finish. Get online more quickly with Windows 7 and high-speed wireless LAN. Create personalized, silkscreen-quality DVD and CD labels with LightScribe. Chat face to face with the HP Webcam and mix it up with YouCam’s fun special effects.
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HP Pavilion DV7-1450US 17-Inch Entertainment Laptop
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I just purchased the HP Pavilion DV7-1450US 17-Inch. We got it at Staples (though I usually get my computers from Amazon) for $599!!!
Admittedly, I was skeptical about a laptop so cheap being any good since most of the ones we have are in the $1,500 to $2,500 range. Surprisingly, this laptop grows on you from the moment you open it up. It's a beautiful looking piece of work and as nice as our HP HDX, Sony Vaio and other HP laptops we have.
The screen is bright and readable. Disk drive is large. Processor is very zippy with Vista 64bit.
I immediately gutted it and installed a production version of Windows 7 on it and the whole process toook about 1/2 hour. End result? This machine runs like a bat out of hell right now!!!
Not too heavy, great screen, exceptional keyboard that is very easy to read and better than the other four laptops we have all costing double or more, great network card which connected easily to both our home and office wireless networks at N speeds...
I am still wondering how HP did this? A great value for the price and I'm not quick to give glowing reviews (read some of my other ones)...
By the way, a full keyboard with numeric pad is so convenient. Very happy!
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HP HDX16-1370US 16-Inch Entertainment Laptop
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I'm a big fan of the HP HDX series. It sits at the top of their Pavilion line and is one of the best built notebooks sold in the retail channel. It's aimed solidly at consumers looking for a high end entertainment laptop. Because the material quality is well above average it's not necessarily the best value: you can get these specs for less money, just not with the same build quality. This is a good choice for someone looking for a notebook that can handle more than just web browsing. The biggest drawback of this HDX model is a slightly under powered battery and a little more weight (though again, much of that lies with the superior frame and shell).
Let's go over the specs:
CPU: The Core 2 P7550 runs two separate cores at 2.26GHz and has 3MB of on chip cache. The Core2 line is the best notebook CPU out there today and and this model this is about in the middle of the mobile Core2 line in terms of performance. At 35W it sits in the same thermal envelope as much slower chips (such as the Mobile Pentium line). Having two cores means you can run your full internet security suite and not have your computer freeze up for events like a virus scan.
MEMORY: 4GB of DDR2 RAM is plenty and the 1066Mhz memory speed is plenty fast.
HDD: The 500GB HDD has plenty of storage, even if you like to do video encoding. The 5400RPM speed isn't the fastest but it is more reliable that 7200RPM drives.
DISPLAY: The 16in (1366×768) display looks great. Like a lot of glossy screens it's a little more susceptible to glare, but in the home it looks fantastic. There's also a HDX line with an 18inch screen.
GRAPHICS: The Nvidia GeForce GT 130M w/ 1GB of DDR2 used in this notebook is a large step up from the standard Intel 4500 graphics. It is basically a Nvidia 9600 on a newer (55nm) manufacturing process. With this notebook you can play newer 3D games at reasonable resolutions. This is still a step down from being a true "gaming notebook" but if you want to be able to do occasional 3D gaming on it you can (I should note that online 3D games like World of Warcraft run fine on this chip). If 3D gaming is important to you I would suggest looking for a notebook with something more powerful (either the Nvidia GTS and GTX line or the ATI 4800 or 4600 series). It is more than enough to handle your home entertainment needs. The only downside is it uses more power and will drain your batter faster than the standard 4500.
AUDIO: The Altec Lansing with Dolby Home Theater and Sub-Woofer is part of what sets this notebook apart. The sound is fantastic. It is rich and deep and has none of the tininess usually associated with notebook sound.
DVD/CD DRIVE: Uses the "HP Super-Multi Drive" which means it can read and write pretty much any CD or DVD format out there except for Blu Ray. The lack of Blu Ray is the main ding on the "entertainment" specs of notebook. You can get Blu Ray on other HDX-16 models or by custom ordering it from HP.
BATTERY: The 6 cell battery falls a little short. With this size screen and the upgraded graphics chip you really want a 12 cell battery (which some HDX models have). If you expect to be plugged in most of the time you probably don't care. If you expect to travel with this the 1.5-2 hour typical performance (3 max) will disappoint you.
WEIGHT: Coming in a 7.06 lbs this is slightly heavier than the next step down from HP (a DV6 comes in around 6.5 lbs) but that's mostly improved framing and heavier grade plastics. This notebook is solid.
WIRELESS: The usually Intel 5100 A/G/N supports the most common standards ("A" and "G") along with the new "N" standard. You should have no trouble connecting to wireless networks.
PORTS: This notebook has all the usual ports (USB2, Ethernet, VGA, headphones, microphones, eSATA) and a HDMI port. Thanks to the included remote you could watch DVDs on your TV (if it supports HDMI) in relative comfort. I'm not sure why you would want to foor DVDs, but if you want to use Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Video On Demand, it makes it easy to download and watch movies on your TV.
So if you want a solid notebook with good video and sound this is well worth taking a lot at, especially if you want to download movies. If you are looking for a gaming notebook keep looking. If you want Blu Ray keep looking. If you just want to surf the web you don't need a computer this powerful unless you want really good sound. If battery life is important look for a model with a 12 cell battery (or custom order one from HP).
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HP Pavilion DV6-1354US 15.6-Inch
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My wife and I purchased a slightly different version of this laptop for her mother and I have been very impressed with the features and build quality (there are several DV6 models but they are all built on the same chassis). It is well constructed with a metallic toned black exterior (HP also offers versions in white). Take a good look at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone. My mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a little more individual than the usual dull grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed much in the way of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who love to "help" grandma with her computer. (There are some DV6 models without art work such as the HP Pavilion DV6-1050US 16.0-Inch Laptop and the HP Pavilion DV6-1030US 16.0-Inch Laptop.)
The specs for this model are set well above what the average home owner needs today which (in my mind) future proofs it nicely. If you are on a tight budget you can get what you need for less (look at the HP Pavilion G60 line). If you have a little bit more to spend and you want some headroom to handle your computing needs for the next few years this is a great choice.
CPU - The four models Amazon is showing all share variations of the Intel Core2 Duo. This is a great notebook processor and the best choice for consumers today. It can handle two software "threads" which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. The difference between the four CPUs offered is not that great and outside of gaming, CPUs are not the performance bottleneck in notebooks. I would suggest most users should spend their budget on things that will get them more tangible enjoyment (like a nice display and good graphics). Only the DV6-1361SB stands out performance wise vs. the other models offered here. The other three models have CPUs with very similar performance (in fact the 1350US and 1354US share the same CPU model).
RAM - 4GB of RAM is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provided more than enough memory for pretty much any application you can think of outside of extremely high end gaming. All four models have the same amount. The RAM on the 1350US and 1354US run at 800MHZ while the RAM on the 1361SB and the 1360US runs at 1066MHZ. Faster is better for performance but not for battery life so the tradeoff depends on what matters most to you. The performance difference is not great and I think most people will be happier with the improved battery life.
HDD - Ranging from 320 to 500GB this is far more space than you need now but again, I like the future proofing. All but the 1354US have faster 7200RPM drives while it sports the slower (but slightly more reliable) 5400 RPM drive.
Graphics - The more expensive 1361SB and the 1360US both sport an integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 which is vastly superior to the usual low-end graphics that plague notebooks. You can actually do a some 3D gaming on those notebooks which is a truly rare thing. The 1350US and 1354US use the Intel 4500MHD which isn't going to win any awards for performance will satisfy any non-gamer (it chokes on newer 3D games).
Display - HP has a reputation for high-end displays and this one delivers. Tuned slightly for indoor use the 15.6" HP Brightview display is good enough for outdoor use though not as much as a more matte display. Indoors it is brilliant with surprisingly strong blacks (too many notebook displays are all brightness with no depth). I like that the screen provides a decent amount of vertical space without overdoing it. The difference between this and a 14" is surprising. (Note: HP recently starting mixing 15.6" and 16.0" screens in the DV6 model line. You can usually buy a very similar model with either screen size though you may have to custom order).
Sound - Surprisingly good sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and deliver a good range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook.
Battery - Surprisingly only the least expensive model (1350US) has a long lasting 12 cell Li-Ion battery. I'm guessing that's because it's aimed more towards students on a budget who need better battery life than a home user. The rest port a 6 cell battery (pretty standard). With a 12 cell battery you can realistically plan to go all day without plugging in. This does add slightly to the weight but few users will notice (about 1/10 of a pound). It is larger and will stick out whereas the 6 cell will sit flush.
I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a little odd at first but we got used to them quickly and hey, they look cool when they light up.
If you're staring at these four models trying to decide which one to buy my advice is: For non-gamers just go for the 1350US. The performance for non-gaming software will be very close to the more expensive model and you get a better battery out of the deal. The hard drive is smaller but as mentioned before most home users won't get near to filling a 320GB drive. And these days external hard drives are cheap and can even sit on your wireless network. And if 320GB isn't enough for you then 500GB isn't going to be much better.
If you are a gamer just skip up to the 1361SB. Let's be clear: this isn't a gaming laptop. A real gaming laptop will easily run you another $500. But you can play newer 3D games at reduce settings and older 3D games will run at more aggressive settings.
If you are a power user who needs the fastest CPU and memory the 1361SB is also your best choice. You get a small speed bump going to the 1360US but the real jump is the 1361SB.
To wrap it all up: you can always buy more features for more money but if you are looking for a laptop with some higher-end features and upscale build quality this is an excellent choice. HP spent money in the right places and has created a high-end laptop at a mid-tier price. For most users there no reason to buy anything other than the 1350US which is one of the better values out there today. If you are a student you may want to check out HPs "Academy" program which offers student discounts (it can be hard to find on HP's web site so you may be better off searching for "HP Academy").
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HP TouchSmart TX2-1270US 12.1-Inch Laptop
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We're unabashed fans of HP's Touch-Smart desktop machines, so we were really looking forward to getting our digits on the new technology in a convertible touch-screen notebook PC. But our eager anticipation only made the reality of the TouchSmart tx2 all that more disappointing.
This is the first convertible touch-screen PC designed for the consumer market, and its underlying hardware--which in our review unit included AMD's best mobile CPU--delivered enough horsepower for this machine's touch-screen elements. Benchmark performance, on the other hand, was dismal (more on that later).
You can use the TouchSmart tx2 as a conventional notebook PC or rotate its 12.1-inch screen 180 degrees, lay it flat, and use the machine's tablet functionality. The 1280x800 touch screen uses active digitizing technology and supports the use of either a fingertip or a digital pen (as opposed to the simple stylus that HP shipped with its first-generation TouchSmart desktops). The digital pen delivers hover feedback (it doesn't have to touch the screen to activate user-interface elements, such as tooltips) and considerably more precision than a fingertip.
The pen is particularly useful for drawing diagrams and jotting notes, and HP's handwriting-recognition software is nothing short of excellent. It had no problem recognizing even our sloppiest handwriting as fast as we could scribble. The vaunted multitouch feature--which lets you manipulate objects and certain aspects of the user interface--is really only useful with HP's very basic MediaSmart applications.
That could change once Windows 7 hits the market, since the new OS is slated to offer native support for multitouch screens. (This machine came with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium).
If you don't have a work surface and don't need to type, you can put the machine in tablet mode and cradle it in one arm. But we found that our elbow and shoulder could tolerate this position for only about 20 minutes because the TouchSmart tx2 is so heavy for its size: five pounds, one ounce (with the optional eight-cell battery). Adding the power supply brings the weight up to five pounds, 13 ounces. Replacing the optical drive with the plastic "weightsaver" shell sheds five ounces, but renders the machine much less useful.
As you can see in the chart below, the TouchSmart tx2 is abysmally slow with hardcore applications. And while the machine was nearly silent when idle or playing a movie, it sounded like a hair dryer when given a heavy load. The battery delivered two hours and 51 seconds--long enough to watch both Boogie Nights and its supplemental disc--using HP's recommended settings (which balance battery life with performance).
We made many allowances for the performance of HP's touch-screen desktops, with the caveat that they shouldn't be a Maximum PC reader's only computer. We can't do the same for a notebook. And while we can ignore the TouchSmart tx2's crappy gaming performance--no one buys an ultra portable to play games--we can't ignore this machine's other shortcomings and high price tag.
+ Outstanding touch screen; excellent handwriting recognition.
- Heavy for an ultra portable; loud under load; poor performance; expensive.
Verdict: 6 out of 10
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HP-Pavilion-DV4-1433US-14-1-Inch-Laptop
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Overall, I like this computer. This is my 4th laptop and I gave it a recommendable "4," however it has one MAJOR drawback. Strengths: 1.) Great price for the features you are getting (speed, size hard drive etc.) 2.) BIG positive - runs so much cooler! I'm sure all laptops have improved with changing technology, but I feel no heat coming out of this machine (which means it runs faster). I have my other laptop sitting next to it (about 1 1/2 years old) and it is so hot it could melt something. 3.) I got the white version and it just looks cool IMHO. 4.) Built-in webcam is a lot of fun (and practical too, I guess). 5.) Volume controls are so clear and accessible (my other laptops were difficult for my child to find, subjecting me to loud screaming car racing programs on too many occasions! They required the use of function keys + another that he couldn't remember or find quickly enough). This has the volume and muting options by itself right above the keys. Drawbacks: 1.) BIG issue - You can see in the photographs on this page that the touch pad is positioned in the center of the machine, which you would think would make sense. However, the dang thing keeps sensing heat from my thumb pad/palm and jumping cursors all over the place (and I type so fast that I don't realize this until I've messed up my whole document!). I wondered why this didn't happen with my Gateway from last year so I compared. The Gateway laptop has the touch pad centered below the space bar and the letters on the keyboard so that... BRILLIANT... the touchpad is lined up nicely in between the hands as they rest on the home keys and type away. I have no idea why HP wouldn't try things out first and discover this on their own. Because of this, I have spent extra money on a cumbersome external keyboard and mouse (which sort of defeats the purpose of having a portable contained laptop). In fact, as I type this review, I can't tell you how many times I had to redo what I typed because it jumped around to different areas of the message. If you plan on typing a lot, you could hit the easy-to-find turn off the touch pad button, but that can be incredibly annoying if you have to keep switching back and forth. Also part of the whole touchpad feature... although it is sensitive when you don't want it to be (i.e., sensing your palm's heat), it is not sensitive enough when you want it to be (i.e., using the touchpad to click - you often have to tap your finger 3 or 4 times). Something to remember if you buy this (and you work off a network)... There is a network button that doesn't look like a button at all. Once I couldn't get my internet to work for a whole day and kept trying different things. I finally decided to touch this little red antennae picture light on the panel to the right of the volume controls. As I clicked it, it turned to blue and everything went hunky dory again. Apparently it is a quick-disconnect network button (for security I guess, but a pain in the butt if you're not aware of it). This computer also comes with a remote, which looks and sounds cool, but I have yet to figure out a use for it. I think you need to subscribe to a television type service and then it can become your main television. It also could be used for running dvds, etc., but it seems unnecessary to me. I got this other product to work with it and I love it! Use this as your main mouse then it all works great.
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