Customer Reviews

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)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.***

I've owned a number of Dell laptops, usually getting a new one every two or three years. The past few, however, have been exercises in frustration and despair. Dell's laptop products have been usable, but not exciting in any way - and frankly overpriced in comparison to what others have been offering.

Want proof? Just look at the HP Pavilion DV4-1140GO (not the most inspiring name) which they label an "Entertainment Notebook PC". The reason for this moniker is because it is "preloaded with Windows Live to make your on-line world as easy as the Windows you already know: you'll get fast access to e-mail, social networking, and chatting. Windows Live services are designed to work seamlessly with each other and a variety of on-line services such as Facebook and Flickr, meaning less work and more fun for you."

Obviously, an MBA or two who couldn't make the cut at Proctor & Gamble found work at HP. Aside from the silly attempt at branding, the HP Pavilion DV4-1140GO is a workhorse laptop with some very impressive specifications - and some very noteworthy add-on accessories.

The 1140GO reflects today's emphasis on design, but not to the point of form overwhelming substance. HP has created a package of gentle curves and bright surfaces. Certainly not breathtaking visually, but you won't feel that people will think you shopped the computer bargain basement either. There are a few bits of silliness, such as the illuminated HP logo on the top cover.

The unit weighs in at just over 5 pounds, a little too heavy in my opinion to be carried comfortably for any period of time, but the young and strong will probably feel differently. On the other hand, the size is right for most roll-ons and shouldn't represent a problem.

The keyboard is an absolute joy. It is practically full sized and very responsive to the touch. Function keys are slightly reduced in size, but not to the point of being difficult to stroke accurately the first time. There is a row of directional keys (i.e., Page Up, Page Down) on the right hand side, well separated from the main keyboard to keep mistrokes to a minimum. You won't have any lost productivity with this keyboard.

The touchpad is generously sized. It has a metallic appearance, though on closer inspection it appears to be just an ordinary touchpad. Two large buttons are more than adequate. Unique to my knowledge on the HP is a switch to turn off the touchpad.

Another indicator of the "entertainment" branding of the DV4-1140GO is the row of touch-sensitive buttons above the keyboard. These provide links to HP's branded CyberLink media and entertainment hub called "Quick Play". It is rather crude with unlabeled icons permitting access to DVD plaback, playlists, video from various sources (including an optional ExpressCard TV Tuner, if installed) and a link library to your favorite games. Frankly, QuickPlay is pretty lame. The button it takes up does not appear to reprogrammable, which is regrettable.

The remaining buttons on the touch-sensitive bar are mute, volume, scan forward and backward, play/pause, stop and WiFi on and off. The bar is a nice touch and handy, especially for volume adjustments.

There is only one word to describe the 14.1" Diagonal WXGA High-Definition(8) HP Brightview Infinity Display (1280 x 800): gorgeous.

Video is bright and crisp with excellent contrast. The screen is highly reflective, which may bother some. Fourteen inches is a reasonable size, though phoo and video editors and power business users would prefer a larger size.

Finally, the DV4-1140GO incorporates a nifty webcam. The CyberLink "YouCam" software supporting it is juvenile, limited and, overall, lame. But the webcam is capable of pretty good video and should more than sufice for Skype and other web video teleconferencing.

The Altec-Lansing branded speakers deliver adequate volume for personal listening, but you are not going to fill a large room with them. As with almost all laptop speakers, the sound is tinny with little range and practically no bass. Plug in a pair of headphones, though, and you'll hear every note. In line with the "Entertainment Notebook PC", HP puts two headphone jacks along with a microphone jack on the front edge of the computer, a nice touch if you want to share your media.
All these goodies would be of little use without ample power under the hood and the DV4-1140GO (geez, I love that name!) does not disappointment in the slightest.

A 2.00Ghz T5800 Intel Core 2 Duo Processor drives the action on an 800 Mhz bus. For those without a tech background, those are more than decent numbers for most purposes (though not for high-end gaming). The unit comes with 4GB of RAM. (Maximum capacity is 8GB, if you ever want to think of upgrading.) The video adapter is weak: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD. It does okay with most workaday tasks, but isn't up to anything hugely strenuous, like the latest 3D games. HP makes other 1140 models with more sophisticated video adapters.

This particular model comes with Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit installed. Almost all major applications will now run under 64-bit Vista, but you may still encounter an application that doesn't. The performance of this computer under Vista 64 is very impressive - I ran some basic benchmark tests and was impressed by its speed. Another advantage of 64-bit Vista is that all 4GB of RAM are addressed. Under 32-bit, only 3 GBs are seen.

I/O ports, with a couple of exceptions, are pretty much what you would expect:

-3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0, 3rd port shared with eSATA,
- 2 Headphone out
-1 microphone-in
-1 HDMI
-1 VGA (15-pin)
-eSATA + USB 2.0
-1 RJ-11 (modem)
-1 RJ -45 (LAN)
-1 notebook expansion port 3
-1 Consumer IR (Remote Receiver)

The eSATA port is a very nice touch and the HDMI port is kind of a "wow" feature. All of the ports are on the left and right sides, the back pane being reserved for the battery.

Estimated run-time for the included six-cell battery is average, reports running from 2 to slightly less than 4 hours. Estimating battery life is like herding cats. I don't even bother testing it since everything depends on the load you are running and even temperature - cell capacity drops with the temperature. Easier to carry a spare battery if you're concerned or, like me, just prudent. But HP delivers a very welcome surprise with regard to batteries, which I'll describe in a bit.

There's a card reader and a neat remote control that fits into the ExpressCard slot, Bluetooth, WiFi and a LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support.

HP has a couple of things, though, that turn the DV4-1140GO from a solid performer into a stellar machine. The first is a swappable bay. They barely mention this feature in their marketiting material, but you can swap out the DVD for a bay containing up to a 500GB 2.5" hard drive! That is a massive feature for many road warriors or those who like to carry their media library with them. I am surprised HP doesn't push this feature harder, but maybe their market research tells them there aren't many people like me who think this is the cat's meow.

The second major feature HP doesn't scream about is the availability of a 12-cell battery. A 12-cell battery will last for virtually all of a flight from Chicago to Beijing. Yes, it adds almost 2 pounds to the unit's weight, but you are not going to be carrying it around while in-flight and it stows nicely in your roll-on. The 12-cell also causes the unit's back to sit higher, giving a nice tilt to the keyboard.

In short, the DV4-1140GO, while labelled an "Entertainment Notebook PC" is really a very capable and exceptionally versatile all-purpose laptop, particularly well suited to business users.

From my perspective, HP shows in the design of this unit why Dell is losing marketshare. HP packed this unit with lots of usable features at a reasonable price point - and provides reasonably priced add-ons that increase and enhance the computer's useulness.

All in all, anyone needing a full featured reasonably light laptop computer will find much to like in the DV4-1140GO. For those like me, who often need to carry massive amounts of data and want long battery runtimes, the expansion bay and 12-cell battery are treats you don't often see.

Overall, this laptop has impressed me and brought me to the point of saying "Hello, HP - goodbye, Dell". I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a solid, all-around laptop.

Jerry

This is my first HP laptop. It replaces a two year-old Dell running XP. I also compared it to a new midrange Dell running Vista, that cost about the same as this HP Pavilion.

HP got a lot of things right with this machine. Compared to the Dells, the Pavilion is better designed, has better usability, and looks fantastic. Here are some of my favorite features:

1. The play-rewind-fast forward controls are all lighted touch buttons along the top of the keyboard. Volume is a touch slider. These are always visible when the laptop is turned on, and they are easy to hit. I could find them easily the first time I used it. On my Dell, I still don't know which button is mute and which is volume down without squinting at the buttons. I used my last Dell for two years, but never could find the right volume/mute button up there. The usability features make the Dell feel a bit crude.

2. HP Total Care documentation and software are miles ahead of Dell. All of the automatic software update features actually work. The user guides are easy to access and appear complete. The Dell user guides and software update system are less complete and work crudely in comparison. For example, there's a strange port on my Dell that is not described in the guides, and no descriptions are available online. There's a unique port on the HP that is described clearly in the documentation, including what signals are on what pins!

3. There's an ExpressCard slot that takes PCMCIA cards and newer PC cards and ExpressCards. Even better, the thin remote control that comes with this laptop fits into this slot for storage. This controls media (MP3 playback, CDs, DVDs) and also acts as a remote for PowerPoint presentations. Very nice engineering usability.

4. Norton Internet Security is packaged with the computer. This is a great tool (and necessary) that includes anti-virus, firewall, anti-phishing, etc. It includes a one year virus definitions subscription.

5. It connected to my invisible, secured wireless network without a hitch.

6. It has a digital media slot that takes SD, XD, MMC, memory stick, etc. Unfortunately, my camera uses Compact Flash. Bummer.

7. HDMI out! This means you can watch HD movies downloaded from the internet on your HDTV. I downloaded some HD content and connected to our 60" Sony. WOW! Suddenly I understand what all the Internet TV fuss is about.

8. Mic and headphone jacks on the front, where they belong. I still have to turn my Dell sideways to insert the mic and speaker plugs from my headset.

9. Built-in WebCam! This is a feature that Macs and cell phones have had for years. I don't know why every laptop doesn't have one. I downloaded Skype, and the computer and Skype automatically configured the webcam for video conferencing without my help.

10. The keyboard arrangement is very natural. You wouldn't think this would vary much between laptops, but it does. HP did a good job with the home, page up, page down & end keys. This is a minor point, but I was using them within minutes, whereas I still have to look for them on my Dell.

11. Sound quality through the speakers is decent. Actually, for a laptop, it's great, the best I've heard from a laptop of this size.

As you can probably tell, I really like this laptop. I have only a couple of complaints:

At first I thought the fan was a bit loud. Then I realized that all the cooling vents were blocked by my pants (it is a laptop, after all!) I moved it a bit, and within 30 seconds, the fan slowed way down and got acceptably quiet.

Also, the shutdown when the battery runs out is not graceful: the screen turns off without warning, but the computer takes a minute or so to actually hibernate. Every other laptop I've owned gave warnings before hibernating. It is possible there is a Vista setting for warning time that I have not found. I also noticed that the battery indicator shows the percentage of charge remaining, but not the time remaining. This is the single feature that the Dell does better: the Dell battery indicator gives a pretty good estimate for battery time remaining.

One previous reviewer complained about Vista, but loved this laptop. If you don't like Vista, don't buy a laptop with Vista. If you don't like cheese, don't buy a cheeseburger.

All in all, highly recommended!


Update two weeks later:

After using this sweet machine for more than two weeks, including a bit of travel, I've decided that it's darn near perfect. It travels well, it performs well, it has awesome media capabilities, it looks great.

The hibernation issue is a Vista issue. I've changed the settings and am happier (but not thrilled). I believe this should be a ding on Microsoft, not HP.

The only avoidable design flaw is the fan. It is a bit loud. I've put it side by side with my Dell, which generates what feels like a bit more heat when running on AC power, and the Dell fan is effectively inaudible. The HP fan is definitely audible at all times. Both laptops have the vents in similar locations. I can hear the HP fan all the time, but I seldom hear the Dell fan unless it kicks up into high gear. Noise is a pet peeve of mine, this won't be an issue for many people.

Second update:

After two chat sessions with HP (started via three clicks on the Help menu), both problems above are gone. They directed me to an updated BIOS version, plus some BIOS settings. Now the fan turns on and off as expected. Low battery sleep is now quick (non-Hybrid, in Vista speak).

Incidentally, I have now used HP chat support three times, twice to get replacement printer cartridges, and once to get the bios update for this computer. Although imperfect, the chat system works pretty well. It takes somewhat longer than a phone call would, but since it is chat, you can do something else pretty easily at the same time. In all three cases, HP fixed the problem (sent me new printer cartridges for free, and sent me the revised BIOS.)

All in all, this laptop is very highly recommended!

HP's DV4-1140GO won out over some other units to be one of the two that I kept this year. I have been exhausting the useful life of my main notebook, and was in need of an updated model for home and a separate one for work. I tried several, and I ended up keeping the HP1140 for my home model. This model is very similar to the HP DV6000 line of consumer focused notebooks that I had used over the course of the last year. It has the same glossy composite surface, touch multimedia controls and hinged back that requires all the ports and interfaces to be focused on the sides and front of the unit. But one of the things that this, and many new HP models does have in comparison is a beautiful screen that seamlessly covered by a glossy glass surface, and a built-in webcam. The included features are very nice on both Intel and AMD versions, but there are several considerations before choosing this for yourself. If you want a full featured notebook at an attractive price and in a highly portable case, this unit is only slightly larger than the larger netbooks and definitely packs a punch. But the 15 and 17 models have larger screens, which may be ideal for those who care less about portability and plan on using them exclusively at home. Another very important consideration is that several of the specific models have significantly improved processors versus this one. I decided that the lower power of the T5800 chip was enough for me since I had to get several notebooks at the same time. The cost between this model and the ones with the better processor are generally about $150 to $200. If this was going to be my only laptop for the coming year, I would have probably paid the premium to step up.

Some of the multimedia features, while slick for newbies, still have some of the weaknesses that I have seen on prior HP laptops. The *QuickPlay* feature, which is supposed to let you launch this unit as a DVD or digital media player, still requires the entire OS to boot, which somewhat defeats the purpose of *Quick Play*. Sure the boot-up is faster than older laptops, but far from instantaneous. Still, many people probably won't look at those kind of multimedia extras as primary features. By and large the pros outweigh the cons.

LOOKS

The laptop's shiny exterior has a subtle cross-stitched pattern on it to differentiate it slightly from the large number of models that share this surface. This is the same surface on the prior generations, but the variety of textures and colors has increased. There is some chrome accenting around the edge of both halves, and it's definitely attractive. The screen, though, is probably the best looking feature on the laptop.

There is one thing that irks me, and I know not everybody minds these kinds of things. Every company will put a logo somewhere on the laptop, but I am not a huge fan of big glowing logos that attract attention. It seems HP has taken a page out of Apple's playbook here. The lighted HP emblem on the back of the screen is much more noticeable than similar non-lighted logo's on competing laptops. The previous HP model I had had a rather discreet logo, which was something I didn't feel mentioning but still appreciated very much. Now it seems HP wants free advertising in bold glowing letters, even if they are not so large that they cover the entire top.

Every surface area except the underside is the same shiny material that attracts finger-prints and scratches. It is similar to the same shiny plastic that is used on the portable WD passport drives, though with a seemingly thicker clear plastic surface over it on the exterior surfaces. Not to put too fine a point on this, but even though I bought this unit for portability I will continue to take my other unit outdoors with me till I get a silicone cover for this model. I just don't want to scratch the body and I am extremely cautious when it comes to things like that.

The keyboard itself is not very attractive looking, and it is not backlit. That means those who type in darker conditions will not be able to see the keys without moving the laptop closer.

Surrounding the keyboard is a thin silver grate that hides the integrated speakers and adds yet another nice looking accent. So all in all, this is a very attractive laptop.

HARDWARE FEATURES

While I noted that the keyboard is not very attractive, it is also somewhat *squishy* compared to the prior model I had. I don't know what has changed in this design, but the keys have less bounce back than the other model. It's a minor detail but for somebody that types a lot it's hard not to notice it. The touchpad also feels overly slippery and slick to me.

The integrated web-cam looks very different from the product picture here. As opposed to being completely self contained in a recessed unit as shown here, it is more like a half-moon at the top of the screen. I also notice a ridge in the middle of mine, possibly from this thing touching against the mouse-pad keys. I still use the included cloth when I close the laptop, but I am definitely keeping a close eye to make sure this camera survives. I have no need to really use it a lot on this particular model, but it's one of those features that's becoming increasing important to have *just in case*. Clearly those using video chatting or conferencing applications will find the convenience of the integrated camera to be a required amenity.

In terms of ports, this unit has some minor differences compared to prior models. On the right hand side, the power plug is not curved so it sticks out awkwardly when plugged in. The prior models had an L-connector that was more easy turned so the power cord could be tucked out of sight. The right side also includes the modem port and 2 USB ports. This is also a slight downgrade, because the network cable port has been moved to the left side. Having it next to the power cable just seems more convenient that having the two cables on opposite sides of the laptop. Since there are no rear ports on this model, that is something that is slightly inconvenient. Few people love to have to see and adjust the cables on their laptop when they have to use them.

But there are some hardware upgrades and plusses compared to the prior model. This model still includes the integrated mini-remote that clicks away conveniently into the slot in the left hand corner for storage. This remote is SO COOL for controlling your media center apps, and since the speakers on this guy are still VERY GOOD for laptop speakers this remote can really be put to use. Just make sure to remember to install the small battery before storing it in the laptop.

The third USB port is located on the left hand side, and is also integrated with an ESATA port which is a great upgrade. This seems like a minor thing, but having an option besides just USB is very welcome indeed. Unfortunately, no fire-wire ports are included on this model, but some of the higher end models do offer them.

Finally some convenient expansion ports are included in addition to an HDMI port and the multi-card memory slot. And thank goodness, this slot DOES directly read SDHC cards, which was something many prior models did not do. The inclusion of the HDMI port and eSATA connector were enough to overcome the slightly annoying changes to the other ports for me.

Getting back to the screen, it is attractive to look at both on and off. The screen is MUCH brighter than the standard one on the prior model. Even some of the upgraded screens on the prior model don't compete with this. Now when I use my other two units, my eyes have to adjust to their relatively dimmer and lower definition screens.

The integration of wireless-N is also something that is nice to see finally becoming standard. While the public at large sees this as a new feature, the draft standard has been around for about a half a decade. I am one of those suckers that bought into the standard years before it was adopted, and was somewhat annoyed that all the models that included it last year were vastly more expensive. This model has that and more, and is reasonably priced for the hardware.

The processor is somewhat middle of the road, as I said before, for dual core intel processors. Having 4 GB of RAM is nice, but is kind of needed with a 64 bit OS. This unit is definitely relatively speedy, but certainly not as fast as those equipped with better processors. Once again, given that this one was $150 less at the time I got it, I found it to be a better value.

SOFTWARE FEATURES

The dual-core Intel processor finally has the right version of Windows Vista Premium, namely the 64 bit version. It still would be nice for Vista Ultimate to start to come standard on at least some of these models, but apparently that is not going to happen any time soon. Service pack 1 seems to have added a lot of stability to this version, though I will warn you to plan on at least an hour of Windows and HP updates that add about 1 GB.

One of the nice things about the 64-bit Vista is that there is much less scum-ware to remove from this system. I wish I was trusting enough to think that this was a change in policy, but considering that many of the applications on this system are still 32 bit I am fairly certain that played a factor. For those key applications that still are not available in 64 bit versions, we will all just have to wait a little bit longer.

As with all Vista Premium versions and above, Windows Media Center is included. With the HDMI port, it makes it easy to save and play your content.

Norton is the included anti-virus, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a year included instead of the bait and sell 30 to 60 days that used to come on newer laptops. Not everybody likes Norton, but this newer version seems to be less resource intensive and you have a year before you have to get something else if you still don't like it.

Unlike other models I have bought, even lower-end models, this unit had no trial version of Office 2007 included. So you will have to either settle for Microsoft Works, which feels like a throwback to 1999, or install your own version of Office. I played with the updated Works Suite a little and the included Calendar application is definitely getting better. But most people will want to put some kind of version of Office on their machine.

There's plenty of other software for ripping content and authoring disks, and the included lightscribe functionality is nice. But by and large, most of the extra games and apps are standard fare.

Of course HP Advisor does give you an extra layer of *easy management* for those who don't like to manually do certain things. Every laptop version seems to add their own version of this kind of software, and my Acer has a less attractive but similarly functional management software. This is a minor point, but rest assured that HP specific driver and patch updates will be downloaded by this application.

CONCLUSION

This is a very nice unit for those looking for a full-featured laptop in a smaller size. The improved screen makes the 14 inches of this screen feel as easy on the eyes as 15.4 inch models on other units I've had. The hardware updates and extra connectors (HDMI, eSATA) don't hurt either. Definitely give this unit a try.

Enjoy!

This latptop is very near perfect,it is so nice; it is beautiful and sleek looking. The only thing I don't like about it is windows vista but most of them ship with this any way so I won't detract for this. (Vista does run slower than XP even with the aero turned off)

It comes with 64 bit Vista home Premium which is to be one of the better ones with more options and features. I searched for information to tweak Vista and it is working much better, Vista isn't bad once you get used to it.

The screen is crisp and sharp, the screen is actually better than my lenovo laptop. it is slim and light weight.

It has 3 USB ports, touch pad, audio and video jacks, HDMI, connection for and external monitor, built in webcam, light scribe and DVD writer.

This PC didn't come with outlook express but it does have windows live desktop email and it will accept gmail and other types of POP emails. It comes with Microsoft works which is the cheaper version but has the functionality of Microsoft word for the most part.

CONS
1- This was weird, I had the laptop closed and in sleep mode, it woke itself up but when I opened the lid there was no screen, then it shut down? It has done this twice.

2- This computer should be screaming fast with the excellent processor and 4 GB of Ram but it is slow. I installed some games, utilities and stuff and it is slow to install, when I click to open the system restore so I can create a restore point it takes it about a whole minute or more to open. I know others are saying it is fast but the custom desktop and my Lenovo laptop are faster than this machine.

3- the keys are a little hard to read, since the keys are light colored they should have had the lettering darker

4- It should have a longer lasting battery, I would prefer one that lasts at least 8 hrs (this one only lasts about 2 or so)

5- No install disks, come on how much does a disk cost? Not much so why not include an install disk. You are only permitted to make one copy of the restor disk from the computer, uh what happens if something go wrong and it doesn't make a good disk, what happens if you break a disk? I don't see the need to limit it to just a one time copy, you wouldn't be able to use the disk on any other computer..

PROS
1 -Vista premium
2- 300 GB hard drive
3- 4GB Ram
4- 3 USB ports
5- Touch pad
6- Mike and headphone jacks in the front
7- HDMI connection
8- External monitor connection
9- Built in web cam that is user initiated (doesn't start automatically)
10- Light scribe DVD player/recorder- it will write or scribe on the disk (have to purchase special disks for this)
11- Very sleek design
12- Light weight
13- It is quick booting (although the HP center takes a while to load, I disabled it fro loading at start up and that made a big difference you can activate it from the menu))
14- The Touchpad works very well (I prefer a mouse but if you can't use a mouse then this works very well.
15- Setup was very easy and straight forward
16- Comes with a remote although I don't have a use for it yet
17- The speakers are much better than my Lenovo laptop
18- Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 dual-core processor
19- I didn't have to waste time removing a lot of software
20- The keyboard is nicer than my Lenovo, I do like the lighter colored keys

I would recommend you but this while it is showing a sale price; it is a powerful computer that has a lot going for it.

Wicked stuff:

1. Sleek looking, and although some parts are fingerprint magnets, the appearance is kinda cool with its mesh imprint finish and shiny touch pad. (It comes with a cleaning cloth for fingerprint removal)
2. The keyboard is gunmetal grey, and has a great feel to it when you're doing mundane stuff like typing or data entry.
3. If you're a mouse person, you can turn off the touch pad with one casual touch of a button.
4. Pretty lights! Unless of course you don't like drawing attention to yourself in darkened rooms. The multimedia control buttons light up, and so does the HP logo on the front.
5. Speaking of the multimedia buttons, these are touch buttons and very sensitive. The only thing is that there's no way of knowing your volume setting while you're fiddling with it.
6. Amazing webcam, with sharp high resolution images and a whole bundle of fun stuff to do with them. (Picture frames, special effects, avatars, filters, distortions and You-Tube uploading among others)
7. Oodles of ports and jacks! Every port (and jack) for a storm including 2 headphone (audio out) jacks; microphone jack; modem jack; TV antenna/Cable jack; 2 USB ports; eSATA/USB port; HDMI port; network jack; expansion port 3; external monitor port; security cable slot; digital media slot; ExpressCard slot.
8. Swappable bay for DVD or extra hard drive
9. Cute little remote control for multimedia which stores neatly in the ExpressCard slot
10. Comes with a full year's supply of Norton 2008. (I upgraded it to Norton 2009 anyway)
11. Doesn't include a whole bunch of stuff you don't need, so you start with a nice clean screen and recycle bin.
12. Comes with Vista (for those who like Vista)
13. It's geared for entertainment, so movies, music, TV and games are given top priority, and are easily controlled with the remote. The Quickplay feature gets you started with one button.
14. Picture quality is excellent - crisp and clean
15. Wifi and Bluetooth, plus HDMI to connect to your HD TV
16. Huge 320 GB hard drive to store all your music, pictures, videos and memories, et al
17. Digital media slot for easy reading of your camera's memory card
18. Parental controls

Maybe not so wicked stuff:

1. When you first turn it on, it is recommended that you grab a bunch of blank CDs to save the factory settings for posterity. Actually, you'd better make that DVDs, because while it only takes 2 DVD+/-R or 1 double layer DVD, you'll need 14 CD-Rs. This delays the starting up process a bit, especially when you don't happen to have a bunch of blanks available. A good feature is that you can pause at any point, and pick up later without starting all over again. You also have to remember where you're storing the recovery discs in the event that you need them at any time in the future.
2. The touch pad can be "sticky" depending on how moist your fingers are - sweaty fingers need not apply. It also holds fingerprints that you won't need CSI equipment to detect
3. The keys are hard to read in low light situations, and the screen in bright light situations. During the day the screen is so reflective that you see yourself most of the time. (Fine if you're narcissistic)
4. If you remove the protective plastic sticker info-thingy from the area around the touch pad, the wrist-rest section can be easily scratched by your watch band or other wrist wear when you're using the keyboard. On the other hand, if you leave it, it peels and looks ugly.
5. Comes with MS Works Standard, while most folk I know use Office. Doesn't take long to install Office though - about 10 minutes.
6. Comes with Vista (For those who don't like Vista)
7. Slightly heavy for its size, but sure as heck beats walking around with a 17 inch laptop.
8. Shuts down abruptly without warning when the battery is low. Sometimes it hangs up.
9. Testing the battery life on music (with HP recommended settings) gave only 1 hr 52 minutes of play time.
10. Depending on the type of music you're playing, it can sound tinny. Sound separation is good, and it's loud with lots of treble, but headphones or ear buds are required for best sound.
11. Slightly sluggish in launching programmes
12. Takes too long to hibernate.


Overall, this is an almost perfect little laptop for when you're on the go and suffering from separation anxiety for your multimedia hobby. It's not perfect, needing better speakers and battery life, and it would have been nice to get the recovery discs with the package, but for the price and versatility I'd definitely recommend it.




Amanda Richards, December 24, 2008

I'm a diehard fan of HP. I've had great experiences with all of the HP devices I have owned and used in the past. As the senior employee in the IT department of a technology company that provides service to many clients nationally, that is saying a lot. From the server class machines to home PCs to printers and PDAs, I always look to HP first when I need a new computing device.

Do I always buy HP? No, not always, but they are always given close scrutiny, and if I choose a competitor's product it is because they have some feature that HP just couldn't offer me at that time.

So it was with high expectations I awaited the arrival of my new HP dv4 1140go notebook PC. Once again, HP did not disappoint me.

The dv4 1140go is marketed as an entertainment PC and it fills that bill admirably. I put it through its paces by performing a number of entertainment related tasks to see how it performed:
* Watch a DVD - I have a decent DVD collection and love watching movies, so this was an important test. The movie picture had beautiful clarity on the notebook monitor and playback was flawless.
* Watch a movie recorded from TiVo - I have my TiVos networked and am able to transfer shows I've recorded on TiVo to my PC to view them. This is great when you need to go out of town and want to keep up with the shows you've recorded while on the road. TiVo shows performed just as well as the DVDs did.
* Watch streaming shows online - When you miss your favorite television show, it is great to be able to catch the missed episode online at ABC.com or the like. I watched several tv shows on the notebook and it played as well as if it were local. Where possible, I chose the HD versions of these shows and was very impressed.
* Music - I don't go a day without listening to music. Typically I use my iPod for this, but I also use my laptop PC as well. I have a collection of songs totaling over 20 gigabytes and the large hard drive affords me the luxury of having all of them on the local drive. Playback was again flawless (I used iTunes, my player of choice.)
* Games - I love, love, love my Sims 2 games. I have every expansion pack and every stuff pack installed on the dv4 1140go notebook, as well as a large number of customizations and added content. With 4 GB of memory on this computer and a great graphics card (not to mention a rockin' processor), Sims 2 responded fantastically when played on the PC. I also like a bunch of games from BigFish Games and all of them play very well on this PC. Since the dv4 1140go notebook comes installed with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista, I received a warning when installing my BigFish games telling me that they may not work in a 64-bit environment, but all installed and played without issue.
* Built-in Webcam - The notebook comes with a webcam installed in the top of the lid, so it is well-positioned when the laptop monitor is in the upright position. The webcam performs as well as most standard external webcams, but eliminates the problem of affixing it to the laptop and positioning it just right. For most users, this webcam will be more than enough to have web conferences with friends and family, record video greetings, etc., or more.

I also like that it comes with a nifty little remote control that works on media functions like playing music, DVDs, etc. You do have to point the remote at the PC pretty directly for it to work, so while this is nice, it isn't perfect.

The machine also has a great built-in microphone, something I have long wished for in laptop computers. It is very nice to be able to record, talk, etc. without needing to dig up an external microphone first. Sound quality is pretty decent from the built-in microphone.

I have a couple of websites I design and update, and do a little graphics creation and editing (amateur level) for those sites. I usually employ CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X4 for graphics, but sometimes use Adobe Photoshop 7 as well, and both perform with ease on the dv4 1140go notebook.

One thing that buyers should be aware of is that because this is a 64-bit operating system, some programs and devices may not install right out of the gate, or at all. I've only had one program so far that could not be installed at all, and I don't think it fair to count off on the rating because of that program as it is a piece of business-class software (Cisco VPN client) and this notebook is built for home use. I only mention it as an example of a program that could not be installed. The issue with this is that Cisco does not currently have any plan to make a version of their VPN client that will be compatible with 64-bit operating systems.

I also had an issue installing my Logitech diNovo Media Desktop Laser wireless mouse and keyboard set, but that was easily resolved by ditching the software CD that came with it and downloading a more current installer from the Logitech website.

One of my favorite things about the dv4 1140go laptop is its ability to do a split screen. What's that, you ask? Simple - with split screen monitor support, you can have two monitors attached to one PC and view different windows and applications on each monitor. So if I wanted to watch last week's episode of Pushing Daisies on ABC.com while working on reading and replying to my emails, I can simply open the tv show on the external monitor and my email client on the laptop monitor (or vice versa). I run a couple of websites and own a book review site, and do a lot of administrative work that has me tiling two applications side by side on my monitor screen, so being able to use a split screen will help me tremendously. Plus, it's just doggone cool as all get out! LOL

My old laptop had plenty of power - so much in fact that it drew too much electric and I have never been able to use it with a power inverter while riding in a car. For those who don't know, a power inverter plugs into your vehicle's cigarette lighter and gives 1 or more electrical outlets, so you can plug devices like laptops in and keep them charged. My old laptop tripped the power inverter within moments of connection. This is a big deal to me. I swore that my next notebook would be one that I can connect to an automobile cigarette lighter via power inverter so I can work on road trips. The HP dv4 1140go notebook works very well whether I use my 500 watt inverter or the 150 watt inverter.

Speaking of working on the go, I easily connected this laptop to the internet using my Verizon mobile broadband service. There were no issues installing the USB device and connecting to the service.

The weight of the dv4 1140go notebook is refreshing. It's pretty light, especially considering what it is packing under the hood. Of course, being a home-class notebook means that the case is a little less durable and therefore a little lighter.

The DVD burner supports CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, and dual layer DVD media. It also boasts the Lightscribe technology, which prints labels onto the DVD or CD media while in the DVD drive, providing you are using compatible media. The burner worked very well for me, although I haven't yet tested the Lightscribe functionality. I'll update this review when I do.

The only thing that truly bothers me about this computer is the touchpad. I'm a touch typist, and the last time I tested my speed it was over 100 words per minute. For those of us who touch type, it is important that the touchpad be centered with the home keys (F & J). This notebook centers the touchpad in the middle of the computer, rather than centering with the home keys. What's wrong with this? Well, your right palm tends to brush the touchpad, as the right half of it is directly under your hand when you touch-type. This has caused me to accidentally advance screens, leave a field, etc. more than once and is pretty frustrating. I think this is an area where HP definitely needs to improve this PC. My old HP laptop does center the touchpad with the home keys, so I don't understand why they missed the boat in this area for the dv4 1140go notebook. Still, this isn't necessarily a deal breaker as an external keyboard easily resolves that little issue. And really, I'll use an external wireless keyboard most frequently with this notebook. This will be an issue for me when I am out and about without the keyboard, but I suppose it is something I will get used to eventually. You can also `fix' this problem by using an external mouse and turning the touchpad off altogether. This solution would be more ideal for usage on the go.

Also, the laptop sports media keys above the keyboard for ease of controlling volume, etc. I have found that these buttons - especially the mute command - are sometimes slow to respond. This has the effect of making me believe the command hasn't registered and so I send it again, only to reverse the command. I've learned to wait a second or two before repeating a command now.

The machine comes pre-loaded with Symantec Norton Internet Security 2008, which I've had to uninstall as it was causing some issues for me - especially with downloading email using Outlook 2007. I've since installed McAfee Total Protection 2009 and it works better.

Buyers should note that there are no recovery discs in the package, as they must use the HP utility to create their own discs. This operation can only be performed once, and it took me between 2 and 3 hours and 2 DVD+R discs to finish it.

Having Wifi and Bluetooth on board is a big plus for me - this means less devices utilizing external ports like the USB or PC card slot. I have connected via Wifi to numerous routers, in multiple locations, without issue. I have also connected a variety of Bluetooth devices easily, including two Bluetooth earpieces and a mouse and keyboard set (Logitech diNovo Media Desktop set).

All in all, this is a great little notebook that packs quite a wallop in the power department and handles with ease any entertainment task you throw at it, as well as publishing and word processing. At a very attractive price, this is a deal that would be very difficult to pass up, even with the minor touchpad issue. Because of the issue with the touchpad position, I would give this laptop 4.5 stars if Amazon allowed half stars. Since they don't, I am giving it 5 stars, as I don't believe it deserves being bumped down to only 4. Even with that touchpad issue, I'd buy my mother one if I had the budget for it. *grin*

PORTS:

The machine has all of the external ports most users would need: 3 USB ports (one of these is shared with an eSATA port), 2 headset jacks, 1 microphone jack, 1 ethernet port (RJ-45), 1 fax/modem port (RJ-11), 1 PC Card slot that supports both ExpressCard/54 and ExpressCar/34, 1 VGA for connecting an external monitor, 1 HDMI, notebook expansion port 3, 1 consumer IR (remote receiver), 5-in-1 digital media reader (Secure Digital cards, Multi Media cards, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, xD Picture Cards)

WIRELESS:

On board Bluetooth, on board wireless a/g/n.

QUICK PROS:

Fast; powerful; light; easily portable; swift setup; built-in microphone and webcam; great speakers and video; large hard drive (320 GB); plenty of RAM; can be used with power inverter; supports running split screen monitors.

QUICK CONS:

Touchpad is badly positioned; media keys sometimes slow to respond; 64-bit operating system means some programs may not be compatible, although most work well; Norton Internet Security may cause some conflicts but can be uninstalled.

This is my third personal laptop and it has quickly become my favorite. Yes, the specs are wonderful with hefty memory and hard drive space. However, RAM and gigs do not always a great computer make, so I will discuss the features of the laptop itself in this review.

Pros:

Easy setup. The computer loads well the first time with the usual software delays, but Windows and Norton load and register quickly. Yes, you will have to deal with several updates and downloads during the first day or so of usage, but that's typical of a new computer. However, you can start using this computer within roughly half an hour of removing it from the box. The initial setup is relatively quick. It can take longer if you make your back-up disks immediately, but I delayed this until I had the computer completely set up.

Once the computer is booted, there is not a plethora of junk software to contend with on the desktop. The only icon on my laptop was for the recycle bin. I didn't have to waste time removing icons or useless software. None of the abundant memory is being hogged by unwanted or unasked for software. This was absolutely lovely and I fell in love at the exact moment I realized this.

Wireless internet is easy. Just entered my passwords and I was online immediately. Of course, this is when the security updates start, but that's to be expected. The wireless can be easily shut off on the media control strip, so making the laptop airplane ready requires one simple touch of a finger.

The media controls above the keyboard are touch sensitive and work well. They are lit and easy to use. The touchpad also works well and is slightly recessed, helping to avoid stray mouse movement if you forget to turn off the pad and brush it with a thumb or wrist. A physical button is provided for turning off the touchpad, too. (My previous laptop didn't have one and annoyed me no end.)

The speaker volume is excellent. My last laptop never got loud enough to comfortably watch DVDs without headphones. This one does.

There are lots of ports for various accessories. There's even a port to store the media remote provided. More about that later.

The 64 bit Vista works well and obviously puts the 4GB RAM to use. This is a fast machine. Yes, I prefer XP, but so far Vista is treating me well on this machine.

Cons:

For a 14.1 inch monitor and thus smaller computer, this one is still the heaviest I've owned by at least a few pounds. An extra empty bay comes in the box to allow you to reduce the weight of the computer by over a pound by switching out the disc drive. Since I want the drive when traveling, I don't imagine changing out the dock to lighten my load.

Whatevers:

A small media remote also comes in the box. It's small and novel, but not necessarily a big bonus. I can see it being a help if you are using the laptop for internet tv or a Powerpoint presentation and attach it to a larger monitor, but otherwise, it's frivolous for the laptop itself.

I'm still undecided on the high gloss monitors found on most laptops now. They reflect light and are hard to see, especially in bright lighting conditions. I want to see my screen, not my reflection. It helps to have the monitor's brightness boosted which happens automatically when on AC power. I find these monitors problematic, especially when sitting in sunny areas.

Extras:

It's possible to buy an extended life battery that will last up to 5-8 hours according to documentation. I've ordered one (HP KS526AA 12-Cell Multi Charge Extended Battery) and haven't tried it yet. The battery that comes with the laptop gets the standard 2 hour battery that appears to be the norm across most brands.

I'll admit that I've been a tower computer user and tend to use my laptop as my portable device, not my main one. However, I have a feeling this laptop may convince me to make it my primary computer. This was the best of all the computers I found in this price range. I was thrilled it was an HP since I've had best results with them over the years for laptops and towers.