25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quite satisfactory as my main personal computer., December 4, 2008
This review is from: HP Pavilion DV4-1140GO 14.1-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) (Personal Computers)
I just wanted a dual-core laptop in this size and price range and opted for this with its Intel T series processor. The newer
P series uses less power but costs more. Shop around! I saw differences of $300 in price for this exact same computer.
There are too many considerations about a computer to cover in 300 words. I won't repeat specs you can see in the description.
While deciding whether to install my favorite Linux or Windows XP, I gave the 64-bit Vista Home Premium a shot and ended up keeping that. I found compatible drivers and software for everything I run: OpenOffice (a free alternative to MS Office), Canon camera software, TextPad & Vim, PGP, and SilverFast SE (slide and film digitizer), IrfanView (a free photo editor), and iTunes. Everything runs great except that IE 7 occasionally locks up on Hotmail or MSN (ironically, both Microsoft sites).
STRENGTHS:
* I don't like touch pads and prefer a mouse, but this touch pad is great (for a touch pad).
* Boot-up, from cold to password prompt, is only 55 seconds.
* Good sound, great display, and it's loaded with ports, connectors, web cam, etc.
* Good keyboard action. I have large hands and type like a fiend, and I can really go to town on this.
* It did not come loaded with "craplets," so I spent very little time cleaning those off.
* Even the trial copy of Norton seems to work.
LIMITATIONS:
* The keys are a sort of light metallic-beige color with small white printing, which makes them impossible to read in low light. It was a pain until I memorized the locations of the home, del & end keys, etc.
* Vista took some getting used to, because Microsoft rearranged things. I wouldn't take Vista Pro if you gave it to me because Vista Home Premium is already loaded with bells & whistles. (The automatic updates have been great!)
* It's heavy. I intended to take this along on an international trip, but my dread grew as the trip approached and I bought
this netbook for travel instead, and I am glad I did.
* On battery, mine runs just over two hours (2:12) on the "HP Recommended" power plan; there are other choices. A depleted battery takes about 90 minutes to fully re-charge while the computer's in use.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A versatile laptop - stunning looks with superb performance, loses a star on the touch pad, December 25, 2008
This review is from: HP Pavilion DV4-1140GO 14.1-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) (Personal Computers)
Overall this is versatile multi purpose laptop - Great looks, ultra powerful processor, huge memory & hard drive, Inbuilt Webcam, Mic, TV connectivity option, DVD burner, wireless internet connectivity ..... - essentially everything that you could ask for from a laptop.
I am simply blown away by all the nice features it packs in this portable beauty.
Whats good & whats bad
=====================
+ The Looks & controls
-----------------------
Sleek & steely looks & super glossy screen & glowing HP logo on the back side of the screen (like Macs). Backlit controls. Keyboard has a nice click feel to it. Sure to get a few glances if you take this beauty to starbucks
+ Processing Power
------------------
With 4GB of RAM and a Intel Core 2 Duo (T5800) 2 GHz processor, excellent horse power for all purposes.
This computer comes with Core 2 Duo - 64-bit processor : over the next 2-3 years there will be more and more 64-bit applications in the market which only 64-bit processors will be able to run. Example: Microsoft Vista Business is a 64-bit only operating system. Thanks to Intel for 'friendly' processing naming - Core 2 Duo is a 64-bit processor and Core Duo is 32-bit processor.
+ Battery life
--------------
Battery lasts around 3-4 hours with normal usage, if you are running a movie on a DVD - you can expect around 1.5 to 2 hours at the most. Which is a decent battery life.
- Touchpad
----------
A very nice & smooth touchpad - that is good and bad: Good because it feels smooth and responsive and bad if you fingers tend to get sweaty. If you are finger tips get sweaty, you might find it a bit difficult to use the touchpad. Also, I find that the touchpad keys are a bit hard to click, but manageable
+ Software - Comes with basic softwware
--------------------------------------
+ Vista Home premium operating system which is more geared towards entertainment- comes with Media Center (for watching TV), Movie Maker (movie editor)
+ Cyber link DVD suite : Software to let you burn CDs/DVDs, create CD/DVD labels, play movies, Edit Movies
+ Size & Weight
---------------
The laptop looks small and highly portable with its size & weight. 17" Laptops are too heavy and bulky and would not recommend it as a laptop, Anything that is 14.1" or 15.4" is the optimal size - not too small to strain your eyes and fingers and not too big to strain your shoulders
+ Entertainment
---------------
Built in Webcam & mic - video chat, record videos, record videos directly into youtube (check out youtube website, it is pretty cool)
Headphone, Line In and External Mic connector
DVD Player & Recorder - Has the hardware as well as the software
Lightscribe: Not many people know this, but it is pretty cool, you can actually design and burn labels on a DVD disc - no need to stick a label or write anything with a pen - all you need to buy is Lighscribe writable DVDs (a bit expensive than normal DVDs, but gives a neat finish for your works). This laptop comes with both hardware & software to write lightscribe labels on your DVDs
+ Storage & Partitioning
----------------------
Huge hard disk with 320 Gig capacity, there is only 1 partition you can use, the secondary partition is used for HP PC recovery options.
Connectivity options
--------------------
Compared to a Dell which provides connectors on the back side of the notebook which are difficult to plug in anything, HP provides all the connectivity options on the sides of the laptop which are very convenient:
2 USB ports - for your mouse, printer, camera ....
(wish if there were more USB ports available)
1 Ethernet port - To plug in using a LAN cable
1 HDMI port - High resolution connectivity to TV/Gaming devices
(watch youtube, online movies on your TV !)
Bluetooth: Wireless connect bluetooth compatible speakers,
printers, phones ....
Wireless Internet : 802.11 n (which is the latest & fastest wireless
technology available at this point of time - Dec'08).
802.11b and 802.11g are slower & previous versions of
the wireless standard
1 DVI port - Connect to TV, a bigger monitor, a projector
Headphone, Mic & Line in - Listen to music, record your voice
Web Cam - Record video & audio, you can even record video directly into youtube without having to transfer files between your camera/camcorder !
SD MMS XD .. - plug in a variety of data cards from your
digital camera/mobile phone, basically you can take the
SD card from your camera/mobile and plug in directly
in to your computer and transfer images/music !!!
PCM CIA SLOT - Almost all laptops have been having this for ages, but very few people use this. This is used to expand your PC to anything - if you want to add USB ports, Verizon/AT & T mobile internet card, you can add Firewire connectivity. Just google for 'PCMCIA USB' or any other connectivity you want to establish. One downside of PCMCIA card is that it sticks out of the laptop.
1 modem port - If you wish to dial into internet where there is
no high speed cable/DSL
1 docking station port - if you wish to connect a
docking station to a full size monitor & keyboard
eSATA - High speed connectivity
Laptop lock - One in ten laptops are stolen - that what the statistics say. If you need to secure your laptop a laptop lock (Belkin/Kensington) and locks into the laptop & secures it to a stationary object such as a table/railings ...
A few tips
==========
(1) Antivirus & Anti-spyware: I have tried all kinds of freeware, do not experiment - buy a decent antivirus/anti-spyware such as 'PCTools Internet Security' - costs around $38 on amazon - worth it. Once you get the PC tools internet security, uninstall the norton internet security which is a evaluation copy that came with your laptop
(2) Free Office suite !: Google for 'Open Office' and install it, comes with free versions of everything you want to do with MS Office, but for free. Agree, not as good as MS office, but hey - you can do most of the stuff as well as save your files in MS office format - such as .doc, .ppt, .xls so your friends/colleagues can see the files which you send them
(3) Uninstall Yahoo toolbar:
Go to Start Menu -> Control Panel -> click on Classic view on the left hand side -> click on Programs and wait till the list gets populated, uninstall yahoo toolbar & the norton toolbar
(4) Install Google toolbar:
Search on google for 'google toolbar' and install the google toolbar to be able to search from your browser toolbar without having to visit google.com every time
(5) Backup your data: What if your laptop is stolen/you spill coke on your laptop ? Can you afford to lose your data - all your photos/music ...
Buy a portable external harddrive such as 'Seagate FreeAgent Go' and backup your data on a weekly basis. To automate your backup process, get a backup software such as 'SecondCopy' (costs $30) which will backup your data on a periodic basis and very easy to configure.
~ Update 24-July-2009 ~
It has been 7 months since I've had this laptop and started noticing a few problems this early
(1) Touch pad is a pain to use almost impossible to use
(2) Few quirky problems such as a message that says 'Power plugged in but not charging' once in a way
(3) One of the days, the laptop did not switch on due to static problems, after looking up on the internet, found that I had to pull the battery out, put it back, keep the power button pressed down for 10 seconds and came back on
Overall, I am getting a feeling that HP laptops have amazing looks, but have more defects than a Dell. I have a Dell as well, it looks like a cardboard box, but performs solid, been with it for 2 years, but no problems yet !
I really wanted to give it a 3 stars on this item, but amazon will not let me do that.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definately a laptop I would recommend!, December 14, 2008
This review is from: HP Pavilion DV4-1140GO 14.1-Inch Laptop (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) (Personal Computers)
Having used an HP laptop for the last two years, I was maybe prejudiced where this laptop is concerned. However, the more I investigate the things it can do and the speed in which it does what I ask it to speaks for itself.
The HP Pavilion DV4-11480GO 14.1-inch Laptop runs like a dream. With a 2.0 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB RAM, this baby goes from shut down to log in screen in less than a minute. Once I log in, it is fully loaded and ready to go within two minutes. How do I know? I got a stopwatch and timed it.
Setup was easy and without any heartaches. I was prompted on every bit of the initial setup with this laptop and understood perfectly what I was supposed to be doing. The computer also prompted me to burn backup disks and this is one process that does take time with any computer. From the beginning until it was time for me to burn the disks, around an hour had passed. Or course I had the wrong DVD media to use and didn't know it until the computer spit the disk back out to me telling me what kind needed to be in the computer. I didn't get to make back up disks until I was able to purchase DVD+R disks, which it took two of, but the best thing was that I didn't have to go through the sixty minutes of preparation again. I was able to backup the computer from the point in which it stopped which was awesome.
Things I have investigated and done:
1. With online manuals and a HP care help in the computer, I tried to think of off-the-wall questions to search answers for and pretty much found out everything I needed to know.
2. Adobe 8.0 comes pre-installed and as a lover of ebooks and a reviewer of same, this was very much welcomed. PDF files load quickly and open just as easily. Reading on the screen is near about perfect. I played with the font and resolution of the screen and put it on different settings which was fun.
3. Microsoft Office XP edition installed perfectly in under six minutes. Each program works with no error messages and nothing had to be preloaded. The HP Pavilion DV4-1140GO comes pre-installed with Microsoft Works and that program works without any trouble; I just prefer Microsoft Office with Word over Works.
4. The DVD player is easy to use and movies play really well. The buttons for the DVD player are above the keyboard and function really well -- even in the dark. The keys are backlit with white lights that are easy to see and read. The speakers work. Big gamers might like more sound but I was satisfied. The computer even came with a remote control which I adore.
5. I downloaded Mobipocket reader to this computer in less than five minutes. Again, I use prc files to read my ebooks on and this downloaded and opened without any trouble.
6. The screen is clear and the resolution is very nice. I can't complain about a thing. Movies downloaded from the internet are seen in amazing HD color.
7. Norton Antivirus software came fully loaded on the computer and with the initial setup, I just followed the prompts to register my computer with the Norton website. That might have taken five minutes at the most.
8. I was able to get online immediately after giving the computer my wireless router information.
9. This laptop comes with three USB ports. Two I have left unused and the other I have plugged in my mouse. I plugged in a USB hub with four ports and those worked fine.
10. I use a palm pilot which in turn uses an SD card to hold books. I am able to place my SD card in the slot provided and place my books directly on the card. It also has slots for MMC, SD, and XD cards.
11. Built in webcam! I have used the camera twice and it worked easily both times. I like that it doesn't automatically start. The laptop user has to start the camera.
12. The keyboard is very easy to use and the actual keys are very easy to type upon. I love the color of the keys (silver) instead of the basic black. I think it gives the keyboard personality and the silver shiny colors just enhances the entire keyboard.
13. Playing games. I went to several online gaming sites and was able to play and download games. My stepson guided me through a game that has a 'high' enhanced part of the game or you can use the 'sensible' part of the game. A bit slow with the highly enhanced site, my stepson said it stuttered a bit and had a pause in the game. "I" did not notice that. I thought it worked perfectly so big gamers might be able to tell a difference.
14. With 320 GB of hard disk space, I don't think I will ever be able to fill this computer up. I downloaded every single ebook file I had from memory sticks and various SD cards and didn't even make a dent on the amount of free space available.
15. Shut down time. Shut down time is quick; I do like how the computer will finish downloading updates before shutting completely down. Hibernation is a favorite of mine to use just because I like to get on and off the computer at all times. From hibernation to fully operational and online it took roughly one minute and 48 seconds to happen. Again, I used a stop watch.
I did not use a laptop cooler with this HP laptop but it never seemed to get very hot. The fan turned on but was not overly loud. I used this laptop for close to two hours non-stop and the bottom was never hot to the touch.
Overall, I am very pleased with the HP Pavilion DV4-11480GO 14.1-inch Laptop and would recommend it unconditionally. If I have to find one thing I don't like about it, it would be the fact that it is a 14 inch instead of a 17 inch with a number pad on the keyboard. Forgive me, I know I am grasping.
In all seriousness, if I had the money, I would purchase this laptop for every member of my family -- even the ones I don't like. :)
***Natalie S.***
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No