HP Pavilion DV2-1110US 12.1-Inch Entertainment Laptop Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)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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EXQUISITELY THIN: Refining the dv series to achieve optimal mobility, the new dv2 wears a magnesium-aluminum alloy case, an LED display and a 92% of full-size keyboard. It offers optional WWAN, runs on breakthrough energy-efficient AMD processors and removes the internal optical drive. The elegant modern lines and metalized finishes that define the dv series remain but with a profile less than 1" thin and starting weight of just 3.81lbs. Lustrous magnesium-aluminum alloy casing on the outside is complemented by color-matched HP Imprint finish on the inside in Moonlight white. External optical drives are available in Espresso black. HP¿s mobile products have won coveted International Red Dot, iF and CES Innovation design awards and been recognized by other leading design institutions.SURPRISINGLY ENTERTAINING: Carry on your favorite entertainment with the standard, large-capacity hard drive.Burn CDs and watch DVD films with the external optical drive. Providing more choices than ever, HP MediaSmart enables access to DVDs, videos, photos, music, and Internet TV at the touch of a button.Get access to watch the best video clips from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV. Built-in demos show you how to add music to your slide shows or videos with drag-and-drop functionality ¿ and much more. An HDMI port enables you to watch films on an HD TV. Muvee Reveal makes creating films complete with effects and transitions a snap! SRS Premium Sound pours through Altec Lansing speakers delivering great audio.What's in the box: dv2-2110us laptop, 65W AC Adapter, 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 with 60 days complimentary live update, Microsoft Works, HP MediaSmart. Muvee Reveal,Cyberlink DVD Suite, Adobe Acrobat Reader and HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent.

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Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Laptop PC Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First of all, I'm a gamer and advanced computer tech. My main rig is composed by X4 965, 4GB, 275GTX, 2 x 26" and some TB's (WD1002FAEX FTW!).
I need a computer for my school projects and really did not want to spend all my cash for a laptop I wouldn't use at 100% (No fancy quad core, 4GB, 500GB, or fancy video cards and fingerprint readers). I was about to get the 210US but compared both VGA, CPU and RAM and its so much more worth this 220US than its little sister.
Strenghts:
-Processor has quite a punch. If your API's are double core oriented, this lap will not slow down
-Enough RAM, come on 3GB are just fine, 4GB is better and anything beyond is overrated (if you need more, then u don't need this laptop)
-Video: By this I was truly amazed. I totally discarted any gaming on the laptop. However, just out of curiosity, I tried one of my fav. games (Company of Heroes). Everything Low & 1366x768 = 50~60fps. I COULDNT Believe it! I instantly started some panzer battles and it dropped to 36~45fps. VERY VERY Playable OMG!.
-Display is BEAUTIFUL! I own a T260HD & LN42B630 and it looks really great compared to them!.
-Speed: Overall very good speed. HDD somehow drags you down but its 5400rpm afterall...
Weakness:
-Case: Even though I think it looks cool, once you get closer, it really looks very very cheap and scratches very easely
-Touchpad: Its integrated in the case and there are no boundaries (physically, but the touchpad does have limits) so if you dont constantly keep an eye where the touchpad is, you wont find it by feeling it.
-Bloatware & Bundled SW. useless.
Extra:
- The mouse buttons ARE NOT HARD TO PRESS!. Ive tried the CQ60 and yes they were, but on the CQ62 they're smooth as butter!, less smooth than the DV6000 but seriously, who wants a DV6000 hehehe.
- No webcam :( but I already knew that.UPDATE (I've had it for 6++ months)
The laptop is still running strong (Hardware wise, Software wise that depends on you not on the laptop). I've came across many other laptops that are prettier (like Toshiba's) but they are much more expensive and come still with less hardware (many lack a good graphics card) than this CQ62-220US.
I'm impressed by how the price has maintained itself. Truly a great purchase!
PS. The Battery still holds very good and the charger is properly working :).

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Multitask more efficiently with the power of a dual-core processor and 3GB of memory. The affordable Compaq Presario CQ62-220US Notebook PC is function-forward with style made simple. Convenient one-touch keys give you fast access to email, the Web and other common applications. This Compaq laptop also looks great with the fingerprint-resistant, textured HP Imprint finish in matte black. Watch videos and view photos easily on the 15.6-inch diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED display, plus save power with this ENERGY STAR qualified product.Enjoy everyday computing for a great value.

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