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HP Pavilion dm4 Review
Product Summary
HP is known for making quality computers at the right price. The Pavilion dm4 is no different. The specs on this laptop are phenomenal, especially for the price. Although users do have some issues with various parts of the computer, the overall picture is undeniably a great value. It has a good-sized HD screen, fast processor, tons of memory and a virtual cavern of storage, respectable battery life, quality sound system, and most of the ports, slots, and drives you are looking for. Put it on the shortlist shoppers; this computer is going to impress you.
The Features
We’ll start with the crystal clear 14” HD display with BriteView technology and 1366 x 768 resolution and LED backlight. This screen is perfect for all your image and video viewing needs and transfers to your HDTV via the convenient HDMI port. The Pavilion dm4 runs on the super-speedy Intel Core i5 2.3 GHz processor with Turbo Boost of up to 2.9 GHz. This laptop might as well have a cave built in for storage. It comes with 6GB of RAM (with potential expansion up to 8GB) and 640GB of hard drive! Whew. That’s a lot of space. The battery goes for nearly 7 hours, which is decent; nothing incredible. The Pavilion dm4 supports Fast Ethernet, Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, and IEEE 802.11 b, n, g networking, comes a sound card, Dolby Home Theater, and Altec Lansing speakers. Not impressed yet? How about watching video via Pavilion dm4’s Intel HD Graphics 3000 Dynamic Video Memory Technology? Or taking pictures with the integrated HD camera? The thing has fingerprint reading security! Fingerprint reading people! How cool is that? The Pavilion dm4 has ports for VGA, HDMI, and Ethernet, as well as 3 Hi-Speed USB ports and a security lock slot. Finally, top it all off with Windows 7 64-bit Home Edition, a DVD±RW (±R DL) optical drive, and a starting price tag of only $649 and you’re looking at one quality to price ratio that’s hard to pass up.
The Design
If you want the prettiest girl on the block, go to the Apple Store. Pavilion dm4 is an average looking laptop, but it holds its own against nearly every feature of the MacBook Pro and does it for more a third of the price of the MacBook. However, if you are concerned with the looks of your laptop, here’s the deal: Pavilion dm4 is 13.4” wide, 9” deep, 1.3” thick, and 4.4 lbs. Not impressive, right? I tried to warn you. Think of this computer as a chance to build your muscles (carrying it around) while doing some fast computing on a brilliantly clear HD screen.
What Users Say
The Good: Users like the display, the keyboard, the configuration, the battery life, the fingerprint reader, and (despite the fact that this isn’t the prettiest, or lightest computer by any means) the lightweight and “stylishness.” The Bad: Some users say the trackpad is too small, the speakers could be better, and that the lack of Estata port was disappointing. The Ugly: A few users actually sent the computer back because the trackpad buttons were so hard to push that they hurt the user’s fingers. This was mentioned in a few different user reviews, and more than one said it was a deal-breaker. Sad that such a flaw could be the reason HP doesn’t sell more of these computers. Lazy designing HP. Tisk, tisk.
Final Thoughts
If you don’t mind a little girth, perhaps having to buy an additional mouse to get around the crummy trackpad buttons, and a less than sleek, sexy design you could be blown away by what this computer is capable of. It’s loaded with features compared with similar competitors. The i5 processor will whip you through the internet at a pleasant surfing speed, download videos, images, and music in only minutes, and get you up and running from a dead stop within seconds. The HD display with BriteView technology is great for streaming videos or watching a DVD on your laptop. I can’t say enough about how much storage and RAM comes with this computer. Put all your files on there. It can take it all and keep sprinting along. Though some users did complain of the speakers, the technology is there to have a great sound system. You never know what users are comparing it to—it’s not a home stereo after all. And, if you haven’t used it yet, Windows 7 is a very smooth operating system. It is well organized and intuitive. A huge improvement after Microsoft’s Windows Vista debacle. So, if you want to save some money and still get the power, speed, and functionality of a much more expensive computer, take a look at the HP Pavilion dm4.