Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm a big fan of the HP HDX series. It sits at the top of their Pavilion line and is one of the best built notebooks sold in the retail channel. It's aimed solidly at consumers looking for a high end entertainment laptop. Because the material quality is well above average it's not necessarily the best value: you can get these specs for less money, just not with the same build quality. This is a good choice for someone looking for a notebook that can handle more than just web browsing. The biggest drawback of this HDX model is a slightly under powered battery and a little more weight (though again, much of that lies with the superior frame and shell).
Let's go over the specs:
CPU: The Core 2 P7550 runs two separate cores at 2.26GHz and has 3MB of on chip cache. The Core2 line is the best notebook CPU out there today and and this model this is about in the middle of the mobile Core2 line in terms of performance. At 35W it sits in the same thermal envelope as much slower chips (such as the Mobile Pentium line). Having two cores means you can run your full internet security suite and not have your computer freeze up for events like a virus scan.
MEMORY: 4GB of DDR2 RAM is plenty and the 1066Mhz memory speed is plenty fast.
HDD: The 500GB HDD has plenty of storage, even if you like to do video encoding. The 5400RPM speed isn't the fastest but it is more reliable that 7200RPM drives.
DISPLAY: The 16in (1366×768) display looks great. Like a lot of glossy screens it's a little more susceptible to glare, but in the home it looks fantastic. There's also a HDX line with an 18inch screen.
GRAPHICS: The Nvidia GeForce GT 130M w/ 1GB of DDR2 used in this notebook is a large step up from the standard Intel 4500 graphics. It is basically a Nvidia 9600 on a newer (55nm) manufacturing process. With this notebook you can play newer 3D games at reasonable resolutions. This is still a step down from being a true "gaming notebook" but if you want to be able to do occasional 3D gaming on it you can (I should note that online 3D games like World of Warcraft run fine on this chip). If 3D gaming is important to you I would suggest looking for a notebook with something more powerful (either the Nvidia GTS and GTX line or the ATI 4800 or 4600 series). It is more than enough to handle your home entertainment needs. The only downside is it uses more power and will drain your batter faster than the standard 4500.
AUDIO: The Altec Lansing with Dolby Home Theater and Sub-Woofer is part of what sets this notebook apart. The sound is fantastic. It is rich and deep and has none of the tininess usually associated with notebook sound.
DVD/CD DRIVE: Uses the "HP Super-Multi Drive" which means it can read and write pretty much any CD or DVD format out there except for Blu Ray. The lack of Blu Ray is the main ding on the "entertainment" specs of notebook. You can get Blu Ray on other HDX-16 models or by custom ordering it from HP.
BATTERY: The 6 cell battery falls a little short. With this size screen and the upgraded graphics chip you really want a 12 cell battery (which some HDX models have). If you expect to be plugged in most of the time you probably don't care. If you expect to travel with this the 1.5-2 hour typical performance (3 max) will disappoint you.
WEIGHT: Coming in a 7.06 lbs this is slightly heavier than the next step down from HP (a DV6 comes in around 6.5 lbs) but that's mostly improved framing and heavier grade plastics. This notebook is solid.
WIRELESS: The usually Intel 5100 A/G/N supports the most common standards ("A" and "G") along with the new "N" standard. You should have no trouble connecting to wireless networks.
PORTS: This notebook has all the usual ports (USB2, Ethernet, VGA, headphones, microphones, eSATA) and a HDMI port. Thanks to the included remote you could watch DVDs on your TV (if it supports HDMI) in relative comfort. I'm not sure why you would want to foor DVDs, but if you want to use Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Video On Demand, it makes it easy to download and watch movies on your TV.
So if you want a solid notebook with good video and sound this is well worth taking a lot at, especially if you want to download movies. If you are looking for a gaming notebook keep looking. If you want Blu Ray keep looking. If you just want to surf the web you don't need a computer this powerful unless you want really good sound. If battery life is important look for a model with a 12 cell battery (or custom order one from HP).
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LUXURIOUS STYLE:Expanding on the elegance of the current line, the new HDX series is defined by fluid, modern lines and metalized finishes with surprising innovations inside and out. High-gloss HP Imprint finish in titanium and chrome now encases all surfaces visible during normal use for greater durability, and a sleeve is included for extra protection. The HDX series Fluid Imprint features a flowing linear pattern that enhances the reflective qualities of the metallic finish. The streamlined look is enhanced with a color-matched keyboard and touchpad. And touch media controls light up and become visible only when the system is powered on further enhancing the clean appearance. HPs mobile products have won coveted International Red Dot, iF and CES Innovation design awards andbeen recognized by other leading design institutions.EXTREME ENTERTAINMENT: Extreme entertainment is at your fingertips with everything you need to enjoy content in the highest-quality formats - and create your own show. Introducing HP MediaSmart for access to DVDs, videos, photos, music, Internet TV and radio at the touch of a button.What's in the box: HDX-1370us laptop, 90W AC Adapter, 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 with 60 days complimentary live update, Microsoft Works and Adobe Acrobat Reader
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