Search for a New Laptop, Part 2 « Prolix. No extra words unused.

Search for a New Laptop, Part 2

HP Pavilion dv4, originally uploaded by HP Malaysia.

It’s a good thing I didn’t completely set my heart on the Dell and Lenovo models I mentioned before, since the new laptops from HP are almost certainly perfect for my needs.

For the longest time, I retained a huge aversion toward notebooks from Hewlett-Packard (although I am a big fan of their printers, although I no longer own one from them; switched to Canon PIXMA), and for no real reason, other than the fact that I thought too many people had them and the fact that they were extremely bland.

Well, HP went along and took care of the biggest problem I had against their mobile products — the looks. While I wouldn’t say I’m completely in love, the updated HP design philosophy is clean and professional looking, far better than the amateur look from before, what with the matte chrome plastic and the ugly decals. To some degree it is still chrome plastic and etched decals since the new look is merely an evolution of the old, but it just seems more refined. The HP Imprint 2 etching is much less commercial and much more workhorse — a change I welcome greatly. It is amazing how such subtle changes can alter the entire feeling of a product line.

With the move from casual user to serious worker in terms of its look, HP has certainly also turned up the intensity in the performance portion as well. HP is one of the two largest computer manufacturers in the world, and certainly has the buyer clout to secure the latest technologies from Intel and the best prices. That purchasing power certainly translates to a great value for the consumer. Aware of that fact, I promptly began fiddling away at the customization specs on HP’s website, expecting a well-appointed computer for relatively little coin.

When I first laid out my requirements for replacing my Inspiron 700m, I decided I wanted a 14.1″ notebook with a curb weight of less than 5.33 lbs and a thickness of 1″ or less. The only requirement the HP Pavilion dv4t series notebook could not meet was the one on thickness, coming in at 1.34″ at its thinnest and 1.57″ at its thickest. Not terribly impressive, but I thought I could forgive it if it had more of the features I wanted in a laptop.

Good thing the HP had everything I needed technically in a laptop and more. It’s the first consumer notebook line from a major manufacturer to ship with the Montevina chipset. It has eSATA (which I actually use) and HDMI 1.3 out (which I fully intend on using on my family’s HDTV). The little things are pluses as well, such as an extra stereo miniplug for a friend to listen to something simultaneously, the requisite integrated webcam/microphone, remote control in the PCMCIA slot, and an empty shell that when replaced for the DVD drive can lower the weight from 5.18 to 4.82 lbs. That weight, of course is when the laptop is fitted with the LED backlit screen, another option that was surprisingly affordable at only $100 above the standard screen.

The price was perhaps the most attractive part of this computer. I customized a well-appointed dv4t with a Penryn P8600 and 3 GB RAM and all the other bells and whistles I mentioned for only about $1200 after an instant rebate. However, I do know of stackable coupons and student discounts that can very well send this system well south of $1000.

I have only a few minor gripes:

- No option for 1440×900 display, although that would not come with an LED backlight; 1280×800 is plenty good for 14″
- No 7200 rpm HDD option; I don’t need lots of storage space, just speed
- No DisplayPort? OK, I’m stretching a bit. It’ll be years before DisplayPort plugs are popular