Notebook Computers

HP's Pavilion dm3t gets a well-deserved refresh, now available with Core i3-330UM

By Darren Murph

Tags:notebook computers,HP's Pavilion dm3t gets a well-deserved refresh, now available with Core i3-330UM notebook computers,notebook computers

It sure looks as if HP's Pavilion dm3t is still rockin' that godforsaken aluminum-sheet-of-a-trackpad, but if you're a perennial mouse user, you may still appreciate the revised innards that have recently slid into one of HP's most stylish ultraportables. The 13.3-incher is now available with Intel's 1.2GHz Pentium U5400 or a 1.2GHz Core i3-330UM, both of which include integrated graphics alongside an HDMI and VGA output. You can also equip it with up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a 640GB hard drive (or 160GB SSD, if you're feeling froggy), a six-cell battery and a 1366 x 768 BrightView LCD. The baseline machine sits at $549.99, but you know you'll be pushing it north of that once you spot the backlit keyboard option.

HP dm3t review

By Nilay Patel

Tags:notebook computers,HP dm3t review notebook computers,notebook computers

We're really into the new influx of inexpensive CULV-based laptops that's arrived with Windows 7, and just like the ASUS UL80Vt, we knew we had to check out the starts-at-$599 HP dm3t the second we saw the first leak. In many ways, it's the perfect throw-it-in-a-bag-and-go portable on paper, with a sleek and rigid case design, a 1.3GHz Intel SU7300 Core 2 Duo processor, and a 13.3-inch screen, but there's a big difference between loving a machine's spec sheets and reviews and loving it in real life, so we spent a couple days playing with a spec'd-up $819 model -- read on for our impressions.

HP Mini 210 HD edition

By Joanna Stern

Tags:notebook computers,HP Mini 210 HD edition notebook computers,notebook computers

Netbooks for all! We're convinced that's the motivational saying plastered to the wall in the HP lab where the company births Minis for everyone but your pet fish. But of all the company's Pine Trail offerings, we're most excited about the $425 Mini 210, which has a 10.1-inch HD screen and a Broadcom Crystal Accelerator chip that promises decent HD video playback, even with Flash. With an attractive new thin design, improved chiclet keyboard and that promise to handle high-def content, the Mini 210 has the potential to kick the others to the curb. Given the issues we had with the Broadcom-powered Dell Mini 10 and HP's newer touchpads, though, we had to put on the glasses and take a closer look. Join us past the break for the full review, will you?

HP Pavilion dm1z review

By Joanna Stern

Tags:notebook computers,HP Pavilion dm1z notebook computers,notebook computers

It's crazy to think we've been writing about and waiting for AMD's Fusion platform for close to five years now. Believe it or not, it was back in 2006 that the chipmaker first started talking about its "new class of x86 processors" and the idea of an Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) -- a chip that would combine a CPU and a fairly powerful ATI GPU onto the same die. The company promised to have the silicon ready in two years' time, but when 2008 rolled around, it was clear that all it was prepared to release was a series of roadmap slides. Now, don't get us wrong, those charts and graphs made us pretty giddy about the superior graphics and improved battery life that AMD was promising to bring to affordable ultraportables, but then a year later, when AMD still had only PowerPoint slides to show for itself, we started to think "Fusion" was no more than a drunken fantasy.

HP TouchSmart tm2t Review

By Joanna Stern

Tags:notebook computers,HP TouchSmart tm2t notebook computers,notebook computers

Let's not forget that before "tablets" were all the rage there were, well, tablets. While most tablet PCs were -- and still are -- aimed at the business market, the HP TouchSmart tm2 (which began as thetx2000) was one of the first tablets for the average Joe. And despite rumors of a slate product and future WebOS devices, HP hasn't given up on the tm2, and rightfully so. Just updated with a brand new Core i3 ULV processor, the convertible has a 12.1-inch capacitive touchscreen, a new TouchSmart layer for laptops, an onboard stylus for taking notes, and a striking design with a rather stellar chiclet keyboard. There's no doubt the form factor still appeals to students or those simply looking for the power of a PC with a touch experience, but we wish HP paid a bit more attention to a few key features before shipping. Find out just what those are in our full review.

HP Pavilion dv6t series

Tags:notebook computers,HP Pavilion dv6t series notebook computers,notebook computers

Features:

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
2nd generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-2310M Processor (2.1 GHz, 3MB L3 Cache)
6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 500GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
Up to 6.47 hours battery life (6 cell) +++
Beats(TM) audio for superior sound and two speakers that tilt

User's Review:
This laptop isn't too good at first, but after customizing it, it becomes spectacular. The audio is my favorite part; beatsaudio turns any pair of headphones into amazing headsets. The only thing bad is the trackpad, as it is kind of scratchy and stuttery.....

I have had this machine for two ,months now without a single problem. It did crash a couple of times, but that was I believe a Windows 7 problem. I am actually using mine as a replacement for an old desktop machine, I love it! I also bought my wife a mini 210 with some upgrades. SHE IS HAVING A BALL WITH IT!.....

I recently purchased this machine, and I have been exceptionally happy with it so far. I would echo most of the other comments here, but I am really impressed that such a solid-performing laptop costs so little when compared to other models. I have had no trouble at all with the back-lit embedded mousepad (which you can double-tap on and off), but prefer to use a wireless external mouse anyway. The processor is fast, the screen is nice, and the case is well-designed and feels solidly-constructed. I especially like the fingerprint sign-in feature. This is a great laptop!....

HP Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition series

Tags:notebook computers,HP Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition series notebook computers,notebook computers

15" (diagonal) high-end laptop in dark umber or steel gray metal-finish design. Powered by AMD latest accelerated quad-core processors with discrete-class graphics. Includes Beats superior audio, USB 3.0, fingerprint reader, HP Coolsense technology. Optional HD 1080p display

Features:

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
AMD Quad-Core A6-3400M Accelerated Processor (2.3GHz/1.4GHz, 4MB L2 Cache)
FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
640GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
HP TrueVision HD Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone and HP SimplePass Fingerprint Reader
Up to 5.5 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++

User's Review:
I recently purchased this machine, and I have been exceptionally happy with it so far. I would echo most of the other comments here, but I am really impressed that such a solid-performing laptop costs so little when compared to other models. I have had no trouble at all with the back-lit embedded mousepad (which you can double-tap on and off), but prefer to use a wireless external mouse anyway. The processor is fast, the screen is nice, and the case is well-designed and feels solidly-constructed. I especially like the fingerprint sign-in feature. This is a great laptop!

HP Pavilion dv7t series

Tags:notebook computers,HP Pavilion dv7t series notebook computers,notebook computers

Features:

More power when you need it and increased energy efficiency when you don't
Intel Turbo Boost Technology³, which automatically speeds up the system when it needs extra performance
Multitasking with Intel HT Technology, which lets each processor core work on two tasks at once⁴
High frequency and large cache size for even more responsiveness

A stylish, dark umber (or optional steel gray) metallic finish

A 17.3" diagonal high-definition^{^§§} Brightview LED display (upgradeable to high definition 1080p)

An island-style keyboard with numeric keypad

Premium Beats audio with quad speakers and triple bass subwoofer for virtual surround sound

An optional Blu-ray ROM drive or Blu-ray burner¹ for viewing and creating high-res movies

An HP TrueVision HD webcam for easy video chatting

2nd generation Intel Core i3^{^‡} (upgradeable to core i5) processor technology

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit^{^§§^§}

Fast, easy, trusted Web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer⁵

Great discrete graphics options with GDDR5 ultra-fast memory

Personal and on-line content on your big screen by wirelessly connecting your laptop to your TV via Intel wireless display and Netgear Push2TV adapter (not included)

A standard 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery (up to 4.75 hours^{^††^†})

User's Review:

This computer desperately needs a BIOS update.It will attempt to boot from ANY usb device attched to it, and the BIOS has 2 issues:
1) It's not smart enough to discriminate between bootable and not-bootable devices (like a bluetooth adapter)
2) there is no BIOS option to disable usb boot.

HP Pavilion dv6t Select Edition series

Tags:notebook computers,HP Pavilion dv6t Select Edition series notebook computers,notebook computers

Features:

2nd generation Intel Core i5‡ processor technology
Simplified daily PC activities with genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Fast, easy, trusted Web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer4
6GB of memory and a 640GB hard drive§
Great discrete graphics options with GDDR5 ultra-fast memory
Personal and on-line content on your big screen by wirelessly connecting your laptop to your TV using the Intel wireless display and the netgear Push2TV adapter (not included)
A standard 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery (up to 6.5 hours†††)

User's Review:

I ordered this laptop from HP.Com and except for the long wait to receive it after my order; the laptop came to me in perfect working order. I ordered the “top-of-the-line” second-gen i5 with all the goodies and 8meg of memory. Additionally saving 30% off the top from a perfectly timed Facebook coupon did not hurt either.

HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition series

Tags:notebook computers,HP Pavilion dv6t Quad Edition series notebook computers,notebook computers

15" (diagonal) high-end laptop in dark umber or steel gray metal- finish design. Powered by Intel latest 2nd Generation quad-core processors and leading-edge discrete graphics. Includes Beats superior audio, USB 3.0, fingerprint reader, HP Coolsense technology. Optional HD 1080p display

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
2nd generation Intel(R) Quad Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz
1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6490M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]
FREE Upgrade to 6GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
FREE Upgrade to 750GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner
Up to 5.5 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++
Beats(TM) audio for superior sound and two speakers that tilt

User's Review:

A warning for the current dv6t/dv7t models

As you may or may not have heard elsewhere, the current laptop models (61xx series) have a problem that prospective buyers should be aware of. Specifically, the graphics devices in this machine don't function as they should.

Allow me to elaborate: these graphics devices have a system called "Switchable Graphics" that, ideally, would dynamically switch from one device to another depending on the application you are running. However, this system is broken; some applications refuse to listen to the settings that you selected and run on the wrong graphics device, causing performance slowdowns or even crashes.

HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition series

Tags:notebook computers,HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition series notebook computers,notebook computers

17" (diagonal) premium performance laptop in dark umber or steel gray metal-finish design. Powered by Intel latest 2nd Generation quad-core processors and leading-edge discrete graphics. Includes awesome Beats audio, USB 3.0, fingerprint reader, HP Coolsense technology, 2-year warranty. Optional HD 1080p display

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

2nd generation Intel(R) Quad Core(TM) i7-2630QM (2.0 GHz, 6MB L3 Cache) w/Turbo Boost up to 2.9 GHz

1GB GDDR5 Radeon(TM) HD 6490M Graphics [HDMI, VGA]

FREE Upgrade to 8GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)

FREE Upgrade to 750GB 5400RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

FREE Upgrade to Blu-ray player & SuperMulti DVD burner

Up to 5.25 hours of battery life (6 cell)+++

Beats(TM) audio + HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer

User's Review:
This laptop has nothing but good quality and design put into it. The build is solid and very sturdy with no obvious weak points on in the structure. I have to tip my hat to HP with this computer, as it was designed very well.
Human interface:
When considering which operating system to use, I would recommend windows 7 professional. I say this because it has the option for windows xp mode, which sets up an environment for older programs that may not work with windows 7 directly.

HP Pavilion g6t series

Tags:notebook computers,notebook computers HP Pavilion g6t series,notebook computers

This popular series features:

Intel 2nd generation Pentium and Core i processors^{^‡}
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium
Fast, easy, trusted Web browsing with Windows Internet Explorer^{^§§^§}
512MB and 1GB graphics options
Built in Wi-Fi (Wireless-N¹)
A 6-cell battery (as compared with 4 cell) for longer work and play
Everything you need for e-mailing, Web surfing, music
5 free HP games, already loaded on your PC
ENERGY STAR^® qualification

User's Review:
When I set out to buy a laptop to replace an older one that died, I had specific needs. I wanted a laptop that can play and record over-the-air HDTV videos with absolutely no issues or hiccups. I also wanted one that did not use an excessive amount of power because I did not want the laptop to get too hot. This was the downfall of my previous laptop. Because it was loaded with the latest and greatest graphics performance (as of four years ago), it frequently got very hot, even when it was idle, which eventually caused some components to cook and die a slow death. (If you search the web, you will see many other people with the same experience with "gaming" laptops. My advice is to buy a desktop if you want a computer with even a moderately high graphics performance. Desktop has bigger space internally to accomodate bigger fans and better air circulation that can keep your computer motherboard cool enough to not suffer heat damage.)

A Few Tips to Help You Select the Finest in Notebook Computers

By Matthew Richard Kerridge

Tags:notebook computers,notebook computers A Few Tips to Help You Select the Finest in Notebook Computers,notebook computers

If you are on the lookout for some good notebook computers you should proceed after taking into consideration a few things. First and foremost you need to be sure about what purpose the notebook should serve and secondly you have to be sure about what price you can reasonably afford to pay for the notebook computer. Also, remember that another name for the notebook computer is laptop computer and this kind of computer has been designed to take care of certain specific computing needs.