Customer Reviews

HP Pavilion DV2210US 14.1" Entertainment Laptop (AMD Turion Processor TL-52, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, SuperMulti DVD Drive, Vista Premium)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been using this laptop for about a week (a LOT) and I am so far impressed with the hardware, but not so much Vista. I like Vista, but it just seems like it needs to be patched. I have a lot of little quirky problems like: cursor jumping around, drivers "failing" and then "restarting", incompatibility issues, and the like. For example, my favorite program for MP3 playback, QCD Player, runs fine, but won't integrate with Vista. I try to open a file after associating the player with audio files, and Windows tells me that it can't find the file. Also, ever since I upgraded the RAM, it runs a ton better. Now, on to the hardware.

I was disappointed that the laptop doesn't have the integrated camera, [...]. The screen is marvelous and the audio is grade A for a laptop. Battery life is pretty bad (2 hours) and the touchpad is too slippery. The keyboard and touchpad buttons aren't very responsive; they're a little mushy. My biggest disappointment is that the headphone jack is in front of the computer. I like to use my laptop in my lap (surprise!), propped up on my thighs and have the headphones on. Just like my Dell 700m, this isn't an option because of the location of the jack. Thankfully, the speakers (situated above the keyboard) are good enough that it's not a huge deal. On the subject of ports, I am not a fan of the power cable. I got used to my Macbook's magnetic power cord, so going back to worrying about breaking the port is kind of a bummer. The system ships with a TON of bloatware, and until you turn it off, the system is very VERY slow to load, despite the fact that we were promised that Vista would load fast. It also takes almost half an hour for the first bootup for some reason.. It's slightly bigger than my 13 inch Macbook, but weighs exactly the same. I couldn't tell the difference holding one in each hand.

I pointed out mostly the negatives there, everything else is pretty good. It's shiny, looks nice with the blue lights, has the touch media buttons, card slots, DVD burner, and remote (surprisingly useful). The screen is solid (coming from a Macbook with a busted screen, this is very nice) and the whole thing feels pretty sturdy (despite the glossy plastic all over feeling a little...not cheap, but cheesy maybe?). Bonus points go to HP for putting hard switches to turn off the wireless (battery saver) and touchpad (for people who type with their wrists down).

[...]

OUt of the box the notebook had a few booting up issues. But it basically settled by itself after a few days. The picture quality is excellent and Vista is awesome. I would recommend more than the 1GB RAM it comes with as Vista is a memory hog. All in all I am pleased with this

Based on my experience with it, let me address some issues I've read in various online reviews:

-Every system has a long bootup time the FIRST time you start it. After your initial couple of days, Vista loads up quicker.

-I play a variety of games on this, from Sims 2 to World of Warcraft. The 1gb of ram is fine for these. I can even alt-tab between playing a game and writing a paper without lag if I want.

-The system is speedy, and the wifi card can pick up even really weak signals (like some of the ones on my campus) with no problems.

-The speakers aren't worth listening to music on, but a pair of headphones should solve that problem for you.

-I would recommend getting a Spire PacificBreeze cooling fan for this. I got the one with two fans that sits right under the back of the computer, and I can use it for very extended periods of time without overheating.

So, I can play games, video and photo edit, and use this for school and entertainment purposes and I love it. The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because of the speakers.

There's no better laptop out there for the price i paid. The laptop looks nice, and does not feel cheap. The specs are all decent, although you might want to look into getting another 1GB of ram because Vista is such a resource hog.

PROS:
1. Quick play buttons are nice and convenient at the top of the laptop, and they are illuminated as well.
2. The fan in the laptop is not noisy, and runs quiet. I used to have a dell, and it sounded like it was going to blast off into space all the time.
3. The laptop does not get too hot.
4. The media center works well with the included remote control that slides into the express slot.
5. The high gloss finish looks sharp. The laptop is light and slim for a 14.1 inch widescreen laptop. The screen is glossy and clean as well.

CONS:
1. Battery life is not great. It lasts about 2 hours. I read that Vista eats up power, so it may not be the laptops fault however.
2. The keyboard is a little cramped. For example the shift key on the right side is half the size as the one on the left. The delete key is smaller than the tip of your finger.
3. The keyboard is also of the material that gets "shiny" after some use. The keys are black, and they are not like the Apple Macbook Pros where they will always look the same after some time.
4. Beware that some of these models made a "whiny" noise. Faint, high pitched "computer" noises. Not hard drive or fan noise either. Almost unnoticeable, unless you're in a quiet room. Google it and you can find out more about it.

Overall, the cons are minor and are outweighed by the pros. This laptop is perfect for student or business use for the daily user. Not recommended for people looking to use graphic intensive programs. I carry my laptop everyday, and the size/weight is perfect. A 15.4 incher was big to carry everyday, and to clunk down at starbucks as i did work. This really is the best deal for the price. Its hard find a good looking laptop that has dual core processor, 120 GB hard drive, 1GB ram at the right size and price for under $800. The only reason why i gave it 4 stars is because of the mediocre battery life and the minor keyboard issue. Otherwise, great laptop overall.

I've had this laptop for almost a year now.

Memory - adequate for vista (1GB)
Video card - not for games, OK for regular work
No floppy slot
SD slot, no CD slot
3 usb slots, 1 firewire
Battery life ~ 2hrs

Pros
HP name, presumably reliable
They've fixed the power connector design, presumably its more reliable now
Enough memory for multiple apps
Quiet keyboard
Connectors all at sides, easier to plugin

Cons
The screen is VERY reflective.
The microphone and ear phone connectors are at the front, which makes it awkward when on lap
The multimedia buttons are too close to the keyboard and too close together - when reaching for the 'f' keys or the mute button I often hit the DVD keys, bringing up the multimedia center screen.


UPDATE: 2008.03.19

This laptop has a reliability issue, which has been confirmed by HP support. There is some circuit board problem, that for me manifested itself almost a year after purchase.

I am having to have it sent back for repair. HP repair service does not give you a loaner laptop for the enormous amount of time they estimate for repair.

I can't give it four stars because of reliabilty issues

I've been using this computer for over a year. It works pretty well for general purposes with 1 GB of RAM; could use more on occasion like when making a DVD. Oddly, I paid much less than what it is currently being sold for (about $700 from $taples in Jan '07).

HP Pavilion DV2210US 14.1" Entertainment Laptop (AMD Turion Processor TL-52, 1 GB RAM, 120 GB Hard Drive, SuperMulti DVD Drive, Vista Premium)
is very good

I have had this notebook for about 3 months, and the Hard drive faild on me 3 times! I re installed windows vista 3 times and the problem kept happening. The notebook is nice if it worked. I would rate this a 1 start but the warenty on this product is great. great customer service! i think the problem is the vista and not the notebook. another thing is that the notebook gets fairly hot, even on a flat hard wood or glass table. I would def. buy an HP over a Vaio.

Este es es un producto asombroso, es un computador que ademas de ser un diseno precisoso, tiene muchas caracteristicas que yo buscaba en un cmputador portatil, como suficiente memoria ram, disco duro de gran capacidad, control remoto para la opciones multimedia, sencillamente lo que yo andaba buscando, ademas su tamano de 14,1" que para mi es ideal.