HP Pavilion DM3-1030US 13.3-Inch Silver Laptop - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a beautiful machine. Check it out -- 4.2 lbs, 1" thick, Magnesium case, 7200 rpm HDD, spectacular HD display, 4 GB memory, 320 GB Hard Drive, Iconic keyboard Windows 7, 4 USB ports, HDMI port, great WiFi,etc. etc. All for under $600! It's astonishing. One begins to wonder what truck they steal these off of. Yes, my title is correct, "Macbook Killer." Look at the two machines side by side -- they are pretty much the same thing. Yes, the Macbook Pro has a backlit keyboard, ok. But the DM3 has an HDMI port, which means I can attach it to my HDTV and play Neflix or Itunes movies, or youtube, etc. in High Definition. Sure, it has no optical drive, but folks, cd's and dvd's are becoming old technology, and being replaced by thumb/jump drives. Even software will be coming on these. Actually, the DM3 weighs almsot a pound less than a Macbook by eliminating the optical drive, and the advantages of using an external drive are many. Keyboards are almost identical, case is a toss up, display's are similar, windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard has its plusses and minuses going both ways. Yes, the Macbook is more powerful for high intensity graphics, but if you are using your computer as most people do, you will not notice the difference. But the knockout comes at checkout: It is less than 1/2 the price of a similarly configured 13" Macbook Pro!
It is so far superior to any netbook that there is no comparison there. Yes, it's not perfect. It does re-charge slowly, and the trackpad takes some getting used to. But it has so many fantastic features, when you factor in the price, it is the best value out there in ultraportable computing.
I have been using portable computers since the mid-eighties when they were 25 pounds with tiny monochrome screens floppy drives and cost $3000. Now for under $600, they are 1/6th the weight, yet 100 times as fast with 3000 times the storage and much more functionality. Think about how amazing this is! You will love this little machine.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion DM3-1030US 13.3-Inch Silver Laptop - Up to 6 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

For those who want full PC performance optimized for mobility, the HP Pavilion dm3 Entertainment series delivers in a surprisingly affordable, minimalist design. Its top and palm rest covers are made of brushed aluminum in Modern Argento gray, while its bottom casing is a magnesium alloy. The metal casing helps ensure maximum durability at minimal weight. The clean design is accentuated by an iconic keyboard. Powered by the latest ultra-low-voltage processor and mobile graphics technologies, it delivers optimal mobile performance to support your on-the-go lifestyle.Get up to 6 hours of life for extended use with the standard battery.Break free with the performance you need in a design you\'ll love (without the designer price tag).Set yourself apart with an ultra-thin design in colorized brushed aluminum.Get greater durability with lightweight aluminum-magnesium casing. Experience full-screen views of HD TV and movies with the 16:9 13.3-Inch diagonal display.Enjoy your photos and videos on HD TVs with the HDMI port (cable sold separately). Chat face to face with the HP Webcam and add fun special effects. Relax with extra protection from file loss due to drops with HP ProtectSmart. Enjoy easy access to your favorite entertainment with HP MediaSmart.

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ASUS UL80Ag-A1 Thin and Light 14-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is the second Asus in my my family, and i have to recognized this brand rocks, great prices, great battery life, not as at advertised, but using wifi, for email purposes, around 9 hours.
No hassles with the keyboard, mouse or anyuthing, even so i can give you the advice that after you remove the sticker in the mouse, you must clean it with a moistured pad.So it will run more smoodly.
Dont think it twice this is a Best-Buy.
Pros:Really Slim, Amazing battery life, Nice Display, ultrafast booting, 8 sec system to browse, music, skype,etc..!
The only Cons: Its hard to keep it without fingerprints because of their finish.

Click Here to see more reviews about: ASUS UL80Ag-A1 Thin and Light 14-Inch Black Laptop - 12 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

Free yourself from power cords and start exploring with up to an amazing 12 hours of all-day battery life with the ASUS UL80AG-A1, thanks to its Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor and 15.6-inch LED-backlit display, which combines vibrant visuals with advanced energy efficiency. This stylish, ultra-portable notebook features a brushed aluminum lid that not only looks magnificent, but also helps in maintaining its stylish exterior day after day. The UL80AG also features a multi-gesture touchpad, which enables you to intuitively zoom in or out of pictures via pinching, or navigate up and down pages by sliding your finger.
Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to. (Learn more about Windows 7 Home Premium below.)

Experience FastBoot, the unique performance boost for Windows 7 made possible by ASUS's close partnership with Microsoft. With ASUS exclusive FastBoot technology, this Windows 7-enabled ASUS notebook starts up in a staggering 30 seconds.

Compact and just over an 1-inch thin, you can fit the UL80AG virtually anywhere--freeing space for books, files, or whatever else you need to enjoy a spacious workspace. The UL80AG includes Altec Lansing speakers plus SRS surround for a virtual home theater experience on the go, as well as an HDMI port for connecting to an HDTV at home. You'll be able to store all of your favorite applications, most important documents, and large video and audio libraries with the generous 320 GB hard drive. Other features include 4 GB of DDR2 RAM (maximum capacity), integrated webcam, Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n), Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated video graphics, and multi-format memory card reader.

And where some PC manufacturers only offer 1 year of warranty service, the ASUS UL50AG comes standard with a 2-year global ASUS 360 warranty as well as 1 year of Accidental Damage Warranty (ADW).



Key Features
High-gloss 14-inch LED-backlit HD high definition display with 1366 x 768 resolution (16:9 aspect ratio) that uses less energy and still gives you an immersive cinematic experience (Learn more)
Up to 12 hours of battery life from 8-cell battery
Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium. (Learn more)
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.
Chiclet style keyboard and multi-touch trackpad for comfortable and intuitive use (Learn more)
ASUS IceCool Technology for cool-to-the-touch palm rest
Exclusive Express Gate feature enables ultra-fast boot so you can connect to the web in just 10 seconds
Energy efficient, dual core 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 processor with ultra-low voltage for extended battery life (Learn more)
320 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
4 GB of installed DDR2 RAM (800 MHz; 2 x SODIMM slots; 4 GB maximum capacity)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD integrated video processing
0.3-megapixel webcam for connecting with friends and family over video chats
ASUS SmartLogon facial recognition system detects your face and logs on automatically
Draft-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n)
HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD
Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound for home theatre quality acoustics (Learn more)
ASUS Super Hybrid Engine for extended battery life
Dimensions: 13.5 x 9.6 x 1.1 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 4.8 pounds (with battery
Warranty: 2 year global warranty and 1 year accidental damage warranty (Learn more)

Networking, Connectivity & Expansion With its integrated Draft-N Wi-Fi networking capabilities, this laptop provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers). This notebook also provides Fast (10/100) Ethernet networking.

3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
1 HDMI output for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable
Analog video output: 1 VGA
5-in-1 memory card reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia Card (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and xD Picture Card
1 headphone jack (S/PDIF digital audio output), 1 microphone jack
10/100 Fast Ethernet

What's in the box This package contains the ASUS UL80AG-A1 notebook PC, AC adapter, rechargeable 8-cell battery, and user manual

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High Definition That Doesn't Break the Bank The 14-inch LED-backlit display offers bright, vibrant visuals and advanced energy efficiency, and it has a high-definition resolution (1366 x 768) and 16:9 ratio display for watching movies and HDTV programming without annoying black bars. It's supported by an integrated Intel GMA 4500MHD integrated graphics processor for cinematic visual quality. Equipped with HDMI connectivity, you can easily stream media whether you're on the move or through an external display at home or in the office.
The UL80AG is complemented with Altec Lansing speakers--30 percent more powerful compared to those found on conventional notebooks--and SRS premium surround sound, providing high-quality audio playback without the need to connect to external speakers. The angle of the speakers also allows audio to be "bounced" upwards from any surface to provide better amplification, delivering a wider frequency range, which in turn produces lower pitches that allow users to hear every reverberation of the drums, as well as every note in pitch perfect quality.



Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, rewind, and record TV. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.



Jump Lists New in Windows 7, Jump Lists take you right to the documents, pictures, songs, or websites you turn to each day. To open a Jump List, just right-click a program icon on the Windows 7 taskbar. (You'll also find them on the Start menu.) What you see in a Jump List depends entirely on the program. The Jump List for Internet Explorer 8 shows frequently-viewed websites. Windows Media Player 12 lists commonly-played tunes. Your Jump List missing a favorite? You can "pin" whatever files you like there. Jump Lists don't just show shortcuts to files. Sometimes they also provide quick access to commands for things like composing new e‑mail messages or playing music.

Improved Windows Taskbar In Windows 7 you can "pin" favorite programs anywhere on the taskbar for easy access. Not crazy about the icon lineup? Now you can rearrange them any way you like by clicking and dragging. Finally, there are new ways to preview windows. Point to a taskbar icon to see a thumbnail preview of open files or programs. Then, move your mouse over a thumbnail to preview the window full-screen. You can even close windows from the thumbnail previews--a big time saver.

Snap Ever need to cut through a cluttered desktop and quickly focus on a single window? Just click a pane and give your mouse a shake. Every open window except that one instantly disappears. Jiggle again--and your windows are back.



Energy Efficient Intel Core 2 Duo ULV Processor Offering the latest in ultra-low voltage processing power, the dual-core Intel Core 2 Duo SU7300 has a has a power consumption rating of just 10 watts and a 1.3 GHz speed that's paired with a fast 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB) and 3 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.)




Eye-Catching Sophistication Impress onlookers or complement any setting with the UL80AG's brushed aluminum finish and high-class appeal. Simply opening the notebook you notice the interior casing around the display that brings the color to life so that time-after-time the UL80AG shines with a brilliant, high-gloss finish. Plus, the chiclet style keyboard and spacious keys not only allow for a comfortable typing experience but also prevents dust buildup keeping it nice and clean every time you use it. Inspired by the light grace of a butterfly, the UL80AG carries the hallmark contours and slim elegance that separate it from the typical cookie-cutter notebook with a true style of its own.
With ASUS IceCool Technology, you're ensured extended battery life and a cool-to-touch surface, so even after the longest computer sessions there's limited heat for optimized comfort. The palm rest area also makes your experience more enjoyable so you have plenty of space to place your hands while typing on the keyboard.



Industry Leading Customer Warranty Accidents Happen You have extra protection when they happen to your ASUS notebook purchased in the US or Canada. ASUS will fix it or replace it for you at no charge during the first year after purchase in the event of damage from accidental spills, drops, electrical surges, or fire.
Warranty covering accidental drops, spills, power surges, and fire damage
Target 3-business-day turnaround time for repair / replacement; not including receiving and shipping time
One-way shipping (from ASUS to the user) at no additional cost
24-hour toll-free phone support
One incident covered per notebook

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HP Pavilion DM3-1035DX Notebook PC - AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core L335 / 13.3" LED / 3GB DDR2 / 320GB HD / Webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have this notebook for about 2 months now. Although I only use HP DM-3 for mobile surfing, I have been able to perform heavy jobs from time to time.
This notebook weigh only 4.25lb and it is pretty light to carry around. I put it in my swiss gear bag and I barley notice the weigh. It doesn't have any CDROMS drive but it doesn't bother me a bit because I only needed only once during these two months and I think I can live with it because it is so light without CD-Drive.
The pros of the this Notebook is that
1. Light (as I mention only 4.2 lb)
2. Window 7 (better than linux and window vista)
3. 3 GB of memory in window 64 bit (window uses about 1GB), It is easily accessible in the back for upgrade. (although I never tried it before)
4. Wireless draft N, faster if you could get draft N signal.
5. Storage 340 with HP protect smart, you could get bigger space for this much money but not at this weigh.
6.Built webcam and mic is descent enough to hold video conference.
7. Keyboard and the metal cover is such a charm, many people think I paid a lot more than what I really pay for this.
8.4 USB, typical,one mic port and audio out. Nothing fancy but I am really sold for the one HDMI port. I can instantly hook up with my sharp 46" through HDMI cable and browse the web or watch online movie (I watch more movies and browsing the web).
Now the cons
1. Battery life is no where they claim it to be, they said nearly 6 hours in HP sites, I barely get past 4 with minimum power usage.
2.Track pad is difficult to operate.
3. Over heat quickly when watching movies or doing heavy tasks, otherwise, it is fine.
4. Hibernation does not resume window quickly.
As you can see, there are more pros than cons and I am one of those people who hate Netbook because it is too damn small. This worth the extra money.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion DM3-1035DX Notebook PC - AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core L335 / 13.3" LED / 3GB DDR2 / 320GB HD / Webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium

This laptop features a 13.3" LED high-definition widescreen display for viewing your favorite photos and video clips in clear, brilliant detail. Enjoy video chatting with friends and family using the built-in webcam with digital microphone.

Click here for more information about HP Pavilion DM3-1035DX Notebook PC - AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core L335 / 13.3" LED / 3GB DDR2 / 320GB HD / Webcam / Windows 7 Home Premium

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HP Pavilion DV4-2140US 14.1-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I wanted a laptop for cruising the internet and general purpose use. I don't do gaming. This laptop fit the bill in nearly ever respect, but I was quite disappointed by the short battery life. It seems to discharge at a rate of about 1% per minute, so that gives 1.5 hrs of on-battery use. Yeah, you could extend the uptime by dimming your display but that makes it quite difficult to read. I'd say, if you want this laptop, plan on spending from 75 to 150 more for a 12 cell battery - prices vary depending on if you get it from HP or aftermarket.
Lots of people have commented about the metallic touchpad but I don't find it an issue.
I love the touch sensitive volume control and mute button. Very handy, no fumbling around looking for the right key or key combo to adjust volume or mute.
Lightscribe works as advertised, kinda fun to make CD's and label them, but it does take a while (5-10 minutes).
I was tempted to give it just 3 stars (It's OK) vs 4 (I like it) and decided on 4 due to the value delivered.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion DV4-2140US 14.1-Inch Laptop (Black)

For those who want an all-in-one performance notebook with rich multimedia features, the HP Pavilion dv4 Entertainment series delivers mobile performance that looks as great as it runs. Powered by the latest processor and graphics technologies, it delivers optimal mobile performance to support your lifestyle.

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HP Pavilion DM3-1040US 13.3-Inch Silver Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I don't know if you've noticed, but dunking a product on Amazon usually gets you more "No" votes. That said, I am compelled to write this review as I believe that HP did an "evil thing" when they rolled out this product.
Before I start bitching, here are the GOOD:
***Killer looks (five stars are not enough)
***Great screen (never feels like I am looking at a 13.3" screen)
***one of the best keyboards I had used in a long time
***Powerful processor with plenty of RAM (doesn't struggle even when I keep 10 applications simultaneously open)
***Silent
***Four USB's and an HDMI out (on such a small body)
***Solid build.
Then there are the BAD:
***Buggy touch pad. Some quick fix solutions are being discussed on the forums. The issue seem to be a software bug. If so, it's just a matter of time before HP would fix it (I wonder why HP hadn't done it already; I'll grit my teeth and wait).
***Mirror surface touchpad is "sticky" (I'm not a "touch pad" guy anyway).
***A laptop bag supplied by HP screams "aesthetic murder" (I'll budget may be another $100 for a new bag)
***Having to hold function key to access F2 is real pain when working on spreadsheet (but I think I'll get used to it; I'm already warming up to using FN+Arrow to access HOME and END)
Here is the unforgivable UGLY:
***The battery life is typically 4 hours and not the advertised 10 hours (no gaming or video; only standard office work with WiFi on)!!!
This is absolutely unforgivable because
***This is not a software bug and won't get fixed in the future
***The difference between the claimed battery life and actual one is so large that it can't be explained away with fine prints (I can swallow if I get 80% of advertised battery life; not when I get only 40%)
***When the Asian manufacturers (Acer, ASUS and now Sony) claim 10hr, user actually get 10hr or more.
I think HP is having trouble catching up with the "low battery consumption" technologies. Instead of working their butt off, HP took a short cut and made a false "10hr battery" claim. After all, the world is full of suckers like "yours truly". In my part of the world, such practice is called "cheating". If you are from Google Land, you may want to call it "doing Evil".
I bought this laptop because I was tired of carrying my earlier "kitchen sink of a machine" (HP dv9000; beautifully designed). I had this fancy notion that I would carry the notebook to the office, sans the wires, bag and baggage (I've seen my friends do this with Acer and Asus). That's never going to happen till I upgrade some two years down the line.
When I am in the market the next time around, I should remember not to take HP on its face value.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion DM3-1040US 13.3-Inch Silver Laptop (Windows 7 Home Premium)

For those who want full PC performance optimized for mobility, the HP Pavilion dm3 Entertainment series delivers in a surprisingly affordable, minimalist design. Its top and palm rest covers are made of brushed aluminum in Modern Argento gray, while its bottom casing is a magnesium alloy. The metal casing helps ensure maximum durability at minimal weight. The clean design is accentuated by an iconic keyboard. Powered by the latest ultra-low-voltage processor and mobile graphics technologies, it delivers optimal mobile performance to support your on-the-go lifestyle.Get up to 10 hours of life for extended use with the standard battery.Break free with the performance you need in a design you\'ll love (without the designer price tag).Set yourself apart with an ultra-thin design in colorized brushed aluminum.Get greater durability with lightweight aluminum-magnesium casing.Experience full-screen views of HD TV and movies with the 16:9 13.3-Inch diagonal display.Enjoy your photos and videos on HD TVs with the HDMI port (cable sold separately).Chat face to face with the HP Webcam and add fun special effects.Relax with extra protection from file loss due to drops with HP ProtectSmart. Enjoy easy access to your favorite entertainment with HP MediaSmart.

Get 2% OFF

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HP Pavilion DM3-1130US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The HP Pavilion dm3 1130us (AMD CPU & ATI GPU model) is a good compromise between the portability of a netbook and the functionality of a full sized laptop. Technically in the "Ultra-portable/Thin & Light" category, I would say it is a netbook on steroids. I was looking for a portable computing solution but didn't want a small keyboard or a hard-to-read/small screen. It had to have a small form factor, yet have a more powerful processor and graphics than traditional netbooks. I use it mainly for office work, web surfing, video streaming, music listening and light gaming.
Most of the specs are readily available on Amazon, but you can get a more in-depth overview by going to HP's site and looking up the dm3z line in their Ultra-Portable category. The 1130 is essentially a later production run of the 1030, which is still available on Amazon as of this writing.
Back to what I was looking for;
Basically, I wanted a MacBook but only had about five hundred bucks to spend. I'm a Mac user normally but could not see paying so much for a laptop. I searched high & low and weighed several other options. In this laptop segment and at this price point, it is all about compromise and what you want as an end user. In this end, the 1130us was the best fit for me. I was able to find it on sale for under five hundred on the OfficeMax site and then found a [...] dollar rebate. I used that saving to buy a [...] , and so far that is working perfectly too. I was a little leery about getting an HP since they don't have the best reliability reputation, but I would expect more problem reports from a company that sells so many computers. My mother-in-law has a 3 year old Pavilion that still runs like new.
What I like about it:
1. It's fast, faster than I expected. Initial set-up was a snap. The 1.6GHz AMD Athon Neo X2 dual-core processor and ATI Mobility Radeon HD3200 graphics see to that. Perhaps not the best combo for intense Photoshop sessions or cutting edge 3D gaming, but I have several apps and browser windows open at once with no system slowdowns. Online video from various sources streams just fine and I've played a number of games (including Star Wars Battlefront) with no issues. The AMD cpu and ATI gpu combo uses more wattage than the Intel option, but I think you would sacrifice computing power for battery life if you went the Pentium or Core Duo route.
1b. 7200 RPM 320GB Hard Drive. Did I say it was fast? And spacious.
2. The screen. It is glossy, but not as bad as some and it is nice and bright. 13.3" w/ a 1366x768 widescreen resolution means things are a bit smaller than on a standard desktop monitor, but everything is nice and crisp and the colors are good. It seems much bigger. HD content looks great on it and the viewing angle isn't bad. I had a stuck pixel, but it went away. The lid opens about 135 degrees back so you can easily work with it on your lap. It has a nice firm hinge so there are no worries of it falling one way or the other.
3. Wi-Fi draft N. I've only had fast and excellent connectivity so far. Having bluetooth is nice too, but I've yet to use it.
4. Windows 7, not a cobbled Started Edition. Coming from OSX, I have to say I'm growing more and more impressed with the latest Windows OS. It seems to have more intricacies than with OSX, but I'm getting used to it and have to say the user interface is top notch. Before this, I've used XP and am so glad that Microsoft has finally refined their product. Connect a device for the first time and either the drivers are already there or they download automatically. Nice. Lots of eye candy too.
5. Touch pad. Some reviewers pan it, but I find it works well for me after a slight learning curve. Sure, it is the only fingerprint magnet on an otherwise lovely case, but I like the feel of the shiny chrome finish and find the multi-finger gestures useful. The "mouse-buttons" could be a little easier to depress, but that is a small quibble, just tap the pad. It is also very customizable to your specific needs. The 1030us touch pad had some wake-from-sleep issues, but that was fixed in the latest BIOS. I also use a [...] but have no problems adjusting to the touch pad if I leave mouse at the office.
6. 4 USB, 5-in1 card reader, 1 VGA, and 1 HDMI port. Connectivity ahoy!
7. Full sized keyboard. It took a little adjustment, but I like the quiet, island style keys. When in the proper position, I can type just as fast as with my desktop's keyboard. I measured it, and it is slightly LARGER than my G5's primary keyboard area!
8. The case. This is one sturdy feeling case with little or no flex that I can detect. You can hold it by a corner without fear. I love that it isn't a finger print magnet like so many others out there. The brushed aluminum finish is very attractive and gives it a high-end appearance.
9. It came with 4GB DDR2 ram, expandable to 8GB. With the 64bit OS, I could do this, but see no need to at the present time.
10. Cool. Even after all day use the air blowing out of the rear side exhaust vent is only slightly warm. The front wrist rests can get a little warm, but never uncomfortable (at least to me).
11. Quiet. If a completely silent room you can hear the faint breath of the fan, but otherwise it and the spinning hard drive are unnoticeable.
12. Well packaged. There are no disks included, but the manual and documentation are pretty clear.
13. Price. Find this on sale and you've got yourself one heck of a deal!What's not so great about it:
1. It is about 13" wide and weights about nearly 5 pounds with the battery inserted. For me that's no big deal but if you plan to lug your laptop around a lot, you may want to look at something smaller and lighter. It is only one inch thick so it slides easily into most bags.
2. Speakers. You know going in that they won't be that great, but I still couldn't help being a little disappointed. However, I tweaked the sound settings and get decent output now, though not very loud. It does the job though. Use earphones. I connected it to my speakers with a subwoofer and Pandora radio sounds terrific!
3. Battery life. I get about 4 hours of constant general use life out of it. Another reviewer stated he was able to play the entire Fellowship of the Ring movie before it went into hibernation, but I have not tested that. The good news is that 4 hours is still decent, and the power cord isn't too cumbersome. If you need an all-day, cord-free laptop/netbook, look elsewhere.
4. Some bloatware. Being new to Windows I researched what to do when you first get a computer. One of the most common recommendations is to remove the manufacturer installed software. I got rid of the MS Office trial and Norton. I'll still playing around with the suite of HP software. I may keep some, but will probably ditch a good bit of it. However, some users may like the included software. Even with it, the 1130us is a speedy customer.
5. No optical drive, but I knew that and won't need one every day. The Samsung will also be useful for my other computers.
6. No OS restore disk. I know, there is no optical drive and there is a recovery partition, but it still would have been nice.
7. Possible fit and finish issues. I just noticed a very slight gap along the top right front edge where the wrist wrest meets the side paneling. Pressing down on it does reveal a little flex. Not enough to return it, but it is worth keeping an eye on and could be cause for concern. It is too early to tell. (see my product photos)I have not used the Quickweb feature, but Windows 7 boots up (after some re-configuration) in less than a minute so I'm not sure I'd need it. I've also not yet used the HDMI out port or webcam. I plan to test both soon and have heard that the webcam is good in low light. I've only been using the 1130us for a little over a week so I can't speak to its long-term reliability, but so far so good. I'll post an update if I have anything new to add.
So, is the dm3 1130us the right model for you? If you are not a 3D gamer and want a nice looking, sturdy, portable laptop without most of the limitations of a netbook, then the answer could be "yes". Of course, technology is changing rapidly and in a few months the next latest and greatest will be out. But if you need something now, and want a lot of oomph at a great value, then the dm3 1130us could be your best bet. It exceeds my expectations at a price point other laptops couldn't match, so that is why I'm giving it 5 (4 1/2 actually) stars.
UPDATE-March 30, 2011: It is over a year later and I'm still loving this little machine. No major issues. Yes, the left palm rest can get a bit warm, but I've never had it become uncomfortably so. It still does everything I need it to with little fuss.

Click Here to see more reviews about: HP Pavilion DM3-1130US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Silver)

For those who want full PC performance optimized for mobility, the HP Pavilion dm3 Entertainment series delivers in a surprisingly affordable, minimalist design.

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Acer Aspire TimelineX AS3820T-5246 13.3-Inch HD Laptop (Black Brushed Aluminum) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When receiving the package, I immeadiately charged it. Afterwards, downloaded all the programs that I needed to replace my four year old laptop. Talked to the internet company to get that started (my fault b/c I forgot a step to set up). After my set-up was done, I absolutely LOVE it!!!!
My soul purpose for the Timeline is writing. But I do need to carry the laptop to different locations and interview clients. And this "dream" laptop is a sure delight. The processing speed is quick for what I do. Downloads are fast. And the biggest plus....this laptop does not get HOT like my old one. So, I'm ditching the "lap"top cooler! I'm free to roam.
The Battery life is outstanding! I surfed the web for over two hours(unplugged from the ac adaptor) before I came to write this review, my indicator is showwing 90%...8 hours left! WOW!!! Granted, I did some tweaking to the display and power adjustments. But still, 8 hours left after two hours of surfing the net....I love this laptop!
Now the down side. If you're looking to webcam with this laptop, you'll be disappointed. You need to be outside for the proper lighting. Or you can have the lamp light your face if you're indoors. I have adjusted the webcam to a certain degree, but still the quality wasn't there. But like I mentioned before, the soul purpose is for writing.
PRO: Lightweight, Battery life!
CONS: Webcam quality.
If anything should arise in the near future, I'll add it to my review.
I highly suggest the Timeline X to everyone who is in my position.
Addendum:
Someone asked for the Windows Experience Index:
Processor: Calculations Per Second..... 6.3
Mem(RAM): Memory Ops Per Second..... 5.9
Graphics: Desktop Performance for Win..4.7
Gaming Graphics: Performance.....4.9
Primary Hard Disk: Data transfer..... 5.9


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8-Hour, All-Day Performance with the Acer Aspire TimelineX 3820T Combining Intel Core i3 processing performance with extended battery life, the breathtaking thin and lightweight Acer Aspire TimelineX laptop (model AS3820T-5246) gives you the freedom to roam all day long with an 8-hour battery life and stay productive with its 13.3-inch LED-backlit display.

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HP Pavilion dm3-3010us 13.3-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 7.5 Hours of Battery Life (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It lives up to the hype. I've gotten great battery life out of it, and it's so light, and the resolution is AWESOME. The matte Black finish is semi-grippy as well, so it's easier to hold on to. I wish it had one of the i -series processors, but you can't have it all....except you get so much anyway. On-board Bluetooth (Best Buy kept telling me that BT was being phased out, and nobody used it; guess what dweeb? I DO!), and lots of memory... it's a very nice machine and just the right size. And there are tons of 13 inch Macbook sleeves and cases that fit it PERFECTLY.

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HP Pavilion dm3-3000 dm3-3010us XG649UA Notebook - Pentium U5400 1.2GHz - 13.3" - Black XG649UA#ABA Laptops & Notebooks

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HP 14" Pavilion dm4-1165dx Entertainment Notebook PC Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This laptop was bought more than 6 months ago and I think it is a good quality laptop. It could be better in some areas like the mouse pad. The pad is a little finnicky and it is hard to control sometimes. Other than that, it seems to be pretty good quality with everything else, including a big hard drive and a good processor. The battery life is pretty long, I find it usually lasts around 4 and half hours or so if I am just surfing the web and using word/excel type functions. The coolest thing about the laptop is it's sleek design and its light weight aluminum brush finish.
I have found the customer service to be pretty helpful when my laptop wasn't working properly for a minor issue connecting to the internet. They are contracted from India somewhere, but they did solve my issue which seemed pretty abstract to solve in the first place; so that is a good sign. I actually ended up taking out the battery and holding the power button for 45 seconds to discharge any static built up in the laptop.
All in all, I would give this laptop on a scale of a 100 an 85. If I had to grade it on marginal dollar value, I would grade it a little higher, maybe 90 out of 100. Hope this helps.

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Toshiba Satellite L655-S5158 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)After my overpriced, underperforming, Vista disabled HP laptop died on me, I shopped around for a good deal on a budget priced, reliable laptop. Asus is the only laptop brand that has better reliability than Toshiba (see [...]). When I checked the Toshibas, this is the model they were pushing (and apparently, still are). It's got an even bigger screen than I expected. It has a full size keyboard with a number pad on the right. It's a little large for carting around, but it is incredibly high performing with a great display. When I put a tumb drive in to copy some folders and files, I wondered why it wasn't working. I was used to watching the little folder transfer icons on my HP. Well, I was wrong - it did work. It just worked so quickly I didn't even see it. It transferred a ton of data in the blink of an eye. I've only had it a month, so I can't speak to longevity. But the battery life is reasonably good, and it's a great computer - especially at the price!

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Toshiba Satellite L655: Fashionable, Affordable and Portable with 15.6-Inch Screen
Offering plenty of mobile computing power plus room to multitask, study, and play, the Toshiba Satellite L655 (model L655-S5158) offers a generous 15.6-inch display that's great for doing more things at once--handling business at home or in the field, watching movies or playing online RPG games. The L655 is perfect for handling computing essentials at home, school or work--from surfing the Web and downloading video to managing household finances or studying for finals. And its high-gloss Fusion Finish in Helios Black will be sure to raise a few eyebrows.
Enjoy added screen real estate with the L655's 15.6-inch screen (see larger image).

Get 27% OFF

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