 [Larger view] | HP Pavilion dv1040us 14.0" Notebook PC (Intel Pentium M Processor 725 (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive)
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Average user rating:  | |
 Great Buy | |
| When I was in the market for a new laptop I was actually leaning towards buying a Mac instead of a PC. This laptop convinced me not too. Here's why:
* Optimum size- small enough to be very portable, yet large enough to easily be used as you primary computer. * This is an entertainment machine. Both CD and DVD players work without the laptop actually on, saving battery-life. Remote control fits snuggly into its storage slot and works flawlessly. * The whole computer, particularly the HD widescreen is beautiful to look at, and keyboard has a very nice feel. * The 3 2.0 USB ports are conveniently located on the sides of the laptop instead of in the back. A digital media card slot is also located on the side of the laptop. * Thus far the computer has worked absolutely flawlessly, is pretty fast, and doesn't get too hot after hours of use. I haven't tested the battery to its limits yet, but I ran them on full power for 3 hours and still had plenty of life left. It's also fairly light and slim. * I'm a bit clutzy, and fortunately, HP offers an Accidental Damage extended warrenty which covers drops and spills, among other things. It's a little steep, but worth it if you should ever need something major replaced (like the HD screen) due to a fall. This having been said, the HP DV1040us does not come without its flaws... * The wide screen is a little hard to fit wallpaper on, as it tends to stretch the image. It fortunately does not do this to DVDs, but a 16:9 DVD format is ideal. * While I like the USB ports on the side of the computer, and they wisely left the powercord in the back of the computer, all the other ports and jacks are located on the side. While this isn't a major inconvenience, and may even be a plus depending on personal preference, I personally would prefer them in the back. Even with these flaws, I still think that this computer is a great buy for the money. This laptop offers many features that are not currently available on any other laptop on the market, and I am very satisfied with my purchase. | |
 Good performance with mediocre case design | |
| This laptop would work really well for someone who never takes it anywhere. The main problem with this unit it its case. After 2 weeks, the case noticeable creaks. From my experience as a network administrator, I can tell you that this is a bad sign. My PowerBook G4 does NOT have the creaky-case problem, in contrast.
Other than this obvious design flaw, I have found it to be powerful and feature-rich. I ordered mine with Bluetooth and WiFi, which have performed admirably with many access points, cell phones and the occational bluetooth headset. The on-off trackpad button is very convenient for frequent writers. The keyboard is VERY comfortable to use, with a convenient layout and easy-to-find arrow keys and dedicated navigation keys (home, end, pgup, pgdown). Wireless signal strength is very good, much better than my powerbook at finding local networks. Battery life appears to be over 2 hours with standard battery and over 4 hours with the extended life battery. One final note -- the scrolling feature of the trackpad does not work very well at all. | |
| Size, not power | |
| Well first off a centrino with a battery life of 2-3 hrs is horrible. Centrino laptops usually last atleast 5 hrs if not more. I just got this laptop and am not sure of my purchase. The DVD+R is a nice way of HP promoting a format that they are the #1 promoter of. The DDR2100 ram is slow compared to DDR2700 and the Harddrive is way slow too at 4200 RPM. All in all if your looking for something small and light this is a good laptop. If your looking for something powerful and with a long battery life, get something else. |
