HP Pavilion Laptop Review

When I set out to purchase a laptop, I had a short list of requirements:

My first requirement was to have something portable so I knew I was shopping for a laptop and not another desktop. I have a house full of men - a husband and three boys. We have a rule that the desktop must be in a central location so we can keep our eyes on the boys online. That means the office holds the family computer. I wanted a laptop I could use in whatever part of the house I might want, whenever I wanted.

My second requirement was speed. I often run a number of applications at a time, have an average of two browsers open at any given time, and have at least 10 tabs per browser. (I write a blog and do lots of research for my Squidoo lenses). The processor on the desktop couldn't always keep up and I'm not patient when it comes to technology. I want it to do what I need it to do when I ask it to do something. (I'm the same way with my kids but they haven't come out with faster processors for them yet.)

Third, more memory. The desktop is six years old and has only a 60G hard drive. This was more than sufficient at the time I purchased the desktop but quickly became woefully inadequate when we added iTunes and an ever growing number of iPods to the household.

Finally, I wanted a great graphics experience. I don't play online games or PC games, but I sometimes use my laptop to watch movies when I'm on the road. I also enjoy digital imaging and do a lot of work with my photos of my children.

Processor:

Hard Drive Size:
Disk Drives:
Network Adapters:
Network Adapters:
SD Host Adapter:
Storage Controller:
Memory:
System type:
Display adapters:
Standard keyboard:
DVD/CD-ROM:
Sound & Video Controllers:
Wireless:
Operating System:
Display Size:AMD Turion(tm) 64 X2 Mobile Technology TL-60 2.00GHz
100GB
FUJITSU MHZ2120BH G2 ATA Device
Atheros AR5007 802.11b/g WiFi Adapter
NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller
SDA Standard Compliant SD Host Controller
Microsoft iSCSI Initiator
3.00 GB
32-bit Operating System
NVIDIA GeForce 7150M / nForce 630M
Standard 101/102-Key
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-T20N ATA Device

Conexant High Definition SmartAudio 221
WiFi ready
Windows Vista
15.4"

I'd be lying if I said I knew what all of these terms meant, but I know the basics. The processor is not the fastest one on the market, but it was AMD's best at the time the laptop was produced. It's a dual core processor competitive with an Intel Core 2 processor. It's built to economize on power, drawing less than older processors, which helps battery life, for one thing.

The 3.00 G of memory is larger than the old standard of 2.00 and means my laptop can store more processing information while running. It's like having a larger engine, so the computer can handle a greater number of simultaneous requests.

I also have four USB ports, two network ports, an expansion port, printer port, speaker outlet, headphone jack, and a microphone jack. I did not get the built in camera. I may regret this later. While I do not use the camera (and have an external one anyway, if I wanted to use one), it's my intention to pass this laptop to my teenage son in the next couple of years and go for another HP laptop. Teens, I notice, seem to prefer a built in camera - although I'm a bit terrified of what he might do with one.

Building a similarly equipped laptop (except 250G hard drive*) with no insurance, no accessories, and no additional software runs in the neighborhood of $730 on HP's website.

Interestingly, there have been a number of upgrade options added since I purchased my HP Pavilion laptop. The hard drive now includes protection technology which senses a fall and locks the hard drive to keep data safe in the event of an accident.

A processor with 4G of RAM is available. (A minimum of 3G is preferable when running Windows Vista).

*The minimum hard drive option is now 250G if ordered through HP.

From the first time I pressed the power button, I've loved this laptop. Maybe it was the fact that compared to the desktop I'd been using, it was lightning fast. Maybe it was the beautiful, nearly glowing screen and bright, vibrant colors. Maybe it was the fact that it was all mine!

Honestly, though, it's performed very well. I was a little concerned about switching to Vista based on all the hype and there was definitely a transition period. Fortunately, the system can easily be customized to give me the experience I want and I can more quickly find my way around the backend of the system itself.

It comes up quickly. Images and colors are distinct, bright, and easy on the eyes. The keyboard is smooth, comfortable and of standard size. The screen size is perfect - great view and movies can be displayed in wide screen without sacrificing the image detail.

I've had no issues with performance, no bugs, and no reason to contact customer support. Following are a list of the pros and cons I've identified.

Update: July 6, 2009 - I am on vacation at my parents' house. I knew my parents had purchased a new laptop in the past year or so, but I don't know that I ever knew what kind it was - I only remembered thinking it was an awfully sharp looking laptop and I'd eyed it with a bit of envy. Well, guess what? It's the same laptop I have! They had also purchased an HP Pavilion Entertainment PC and they love it as much as I love mine. The only difference is they did go ahead and include the built in camera, although they don't use it much. They've had no issues, either, and would recommend it to others.

One tip: While my dad and I were sitting side by side, he suddenly lost a bit of text he had just typed. Mom told him to hit "undo" to see if it could be recovered. This worked and then I told him to disable his built in touch pad. He didn't know he could do this (there's a little button at the top of the touch pad that, when pressed, will turn this off and you'll see the light on the touch pad turn orange). I had run into the same issues and had figured this out awhile ago. When typing, my wrists would sometimes cross over the touch pad and cause my cursor to move or activate some keyboard function. Mom explained she'd run into the same thing but didn't know how to get around it. Ta da! Disable the touch pad and your problem is solved - for those of you who use a wireless mouse, anyway.

While my write-up on the cons looks more voluminous, the pros far outweigh them. The cons are really nit-picky and some would apply to any laptop purchased.

CONS

Pre-loaded trial software is a bother to deal with. It takes up a lot of space and I find some of it misleading. When I tried to connect to my wireless router the first time, I was offered a number of selections for wireless services and had to do some research to find I didn't need to buy any of them in order to connect to my router. I don't think one can escape these pre-loaded sales pitches when purchasing a pre-loaded computer - most companies will load this sort of software. Yup. Computers as advertising mediums.

One of the pre-loaded items was an offer to purchase Microsoft Office 2007. I already owned Microsoft Office 2003 Home and Student Edition with the option to load on three machines. I've deleted any reference to 2007 and loaded 2003 but if I attempt to launch an Office file from Outlook, my computer attempts to launch 2007, even though it's not on my computer. I have to save the file, open the applicable Office app and open the file from inside Office. I have not been able to find why this is happening. I've even updated the launch program to be used for these file types.

Volume button, when touched even by accident, pops a large, partially transparent volume display box in the middle of the screen, getting in the way of anything I'm viewing for a few seconds. Annoying.

All excited about the faster N force technology that is supposed to deliver faster internet speeds over my DSL connection, I went to pick up a N force capable wireless router. While I did get one that handles both G and N, the clerk at Best Buy explained to me that unless my internet provider's hardware had also been upgraded to N force technology, I'd still be traveling at the speed of G. Many internet providers are not yet prepared for the faster N force delivery. Like having a race car on a freeway with a posted speed limit of 65mph. This probably should not be a constraint against the HP Pavilion laptop but it did put a little damper on my experience since I was really hoping to take advantage of this new technology.

PROS

The touch pad has a nice feature for quick scrolling when you don't have a mouse but I prefer using a mouse. You can also lock the touch pad so that you don't accidentally slide the cursor around with your wrists while typing.

Great size for travel and mobility.

Keyboard is smooth and easy to use, nice sized buttons.

QuickPlay for DVDs.

Great screen. Black edged screen looks sharp. Crystal clear images.

All outlet placements for power, USB, headphones, etc., are on the front and the side - no reaching around the back to plug something in or check a connection.

Came with a neat remote control for media. (Wonder where that went...?)

Speed!

Comparison shopping is important. A purchase of a laptop is like buying a new car. You set a spending limit, then you see all the cool gadgets available so you start adding them on, and then you realize there are all the must-haves you need to also buy in order to actually use and protect your investment. Suddenly, you're wondering where you can borrow a few grand.

First, set your total spending limit for everything - computer, warranty, and software. Then, build your ideal laptop from any of the manufacturers in which you're interested - right on their site. Make a print of those specs and final prices and start comparison shopping.

Check all of these handy sources to find the best price:

1. Check any employee discounts your employer may have made available to you. Many companies have discount programs they've arranged with partner organizations to offer their employees reduced prices on items including computers.

2. Use Biz Rate to find sellers of similar laptops. Complete a build profile through those sellers and compare the price to the manufacturer's price.

3. If you're a member of UPromise, check through their online program for deals. (If you're a parent and not a member of UPromise, I suggest you check them out anyway. It's a free partner service that helps you save for college every time you buy online from a partner company. Highly recommended and a strong reputation. I've been a member since 2001.)