Customer Reviews

HP Pavilion DV6-1360US 15.6-Inch Espresso Laptop - Up to 3.5 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For the dv6-1360us

Pros:
Price - For less than 900, I got a laptop that can play the games I want at high settings and is fairly light for portability's sake.

Keyboard - This laptop has a pretty comfortable keyboard to type on. I'm not a huge fan of the touch controls for volume and wireless adapter, but you get used to it quickly. The inclusion of a numpad is great and it doesn't make the keyboard feel squashed.

DDR3 RAM - This computer can handle a lot of various tasks together and the bumped up performance from the DDR3 RAM is pretty noticeable.

Movies - Good resolution on the screen. Not 1080p, but still great to watch movies on. HDMI output is awesome

Speakers - MUCH louder and clearer than any other laptop I've ever owned. No Bass, but I didn't expect any.

Great Graphics Card - I have tried playing various different games, including WoW, Crysis, CoD4, Resident Evil 5, and Prototype. I have had very nice framerates for all of the games at high settings without overclocking

The little remote control that they include with the laptop clicks nicely into the expresscard slot and is great for when you connect the computer to a screen and want to watch a movie.

Cons:
This thing is a fingerprint and dust magnet. Be ready to wipe it clean several times a week with the included microfiber cloth.

The 6 cell battery that is included is pretty mediocre. At all settings on optimal, I squeezed out about an hour and a half on it. At optimal battery life, it was about 2 hours and 15 minutes. I will probably invest in a 12 cell battery.

No BluRay - I didn't actually expect bluray on a laptop this cheap, but it'd be nice

ATI's video card drivers are still in Beta. I haven't had any troubles so far, but until a stable release, I'm still a little worried and crossing my fingers.

The HP LED light on the case is kind of annoying since you can't turn it off at all. and it is BRIGHT

My wife and I purchased a slightly different version of this laptop for her mother and I have been very impressed with the features and build quality (there are several DV6 models but they are all built on the same chassis). It is well constructed with a metallic toned black exterior (HP also offers versions in white). Take a good look at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone. My mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a little more individual than the usual dull grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed much in the way of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who love to "help" grandma with her computer. (There are some older DV6 models without art work such as the older HP Pavilion DV6-1050US 16.0-Inch Laptop).)

The specs for this model are set well above what the average home owner needs today which (in my mind) future proofs it nicely. If you are on a tight budget you can get what you need for less (look at the HP Pavilion G60 line). If you have a little bit more to spend and you want some headroom to handle your computing needs for the next few years this is a great choice. The 1360 sits in the upper middle of the DV6 line. For me it makes sense to either step or step down the line depending on your needs, but this is a great notebook none the less.

CPU - 2.13GHz Intel Core2 Duo Processor P7450 is a decent notebook processor. It can handle two software "threads" which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. There is a quad core version of the DV6 out now that uses the new Intel "i7" processor, but I think for most home users the increased power requirements isn't worth the two extra cores. If you expect to do a lot of video and audio editing then stepping up to the i7 would make sense. If you are mostly looking to use Office type-applications and browse the web I'd suggest sticking with the Core2 Duo.

RAM - 4GB of DDR3 RAM running at 1066MHz is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provide more than enough memory for pretty much any application you can think of outside of extremely high end gaming.

HDD - The 500GB drive is the largest offered in this line and is far more space than most users need (few people will use more than 100GB). Most DV6 models come with 320GB HDD drives.

Graphics - This model is using an integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 which is vastly superior to the usual low-end graphics that plague notebooks. You can actually do a some 3D gaming on those notebooks which is a truly rare thing. The cheaper DV6s use the Intel 4500MHD which isn't going to win any awards for performance will satisfy any non-gamer (it chokes on newer 3D games).

Display - HP has a reputation for high-end displays and this one delivers. Tuned slightly for indoor use the 15.6" HP Brightview display is good enough for outdoor use though not as much as a more matte display. Indoors it is brilliant with surprisingly strong blacks (too many notebook displays are all brightness with no depth). I like that the screen provides a decent amount of vertical space without overdoing it. The difference between this and a 14" is surprising.

Sound - Surprisingly good sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and deliver a good range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook.

Battery - HP bundles their standard 6 cell Lithium-Ion battery. The HP Pavilion DV6-1350US has a 12 cell battery (which you can also order separately from HP). If you are on the road a lot the 12 cell is nice. Home users who plan to plug in a lot may not care.

I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a little odd at first but we got used to them quickly and hey, they look cool when they light up. I also don't find the included remote to be that useful but anyone planning to hook this up to their TV might like it. I suspect most people will just put in a drawer and forget about it.

If you're staring at the various DV6 models trying to decide which one to buy my advice is: For non-gamers save some money and buy the 1350US. The performance for non-gaming software will be about the same as the 1260 and you get a better battery out of the deal.

If you are a gamer just skip up to the HP DV6-1361SB (Windows 7 Professional). Let's be clear: this isn't a gaming laptop. A real gaming laptop will easily run you another $500. But you can play newer 3D games at reduce settings and older 3D games will run at more aggressive settings. If you are a power user who needs the fastest CPU and memory the 1361SB is also your best choice. You get a small speed bump going to the 1360US but the real jump is the 1361SB (thanks to it's faster CPU).

To wrap it all up: you can always buy more features for more money but if you are looking for a laptop with some higher-end features and upscale build quality the DV6 line from HP is an excellent choice. HP spent money in the right places and has created a high-end laptop at a mid-tier price. I like this model but overall I think the HP Pavilion DV6-1350US is a better choice for home users. If you are a student you may want to check out HPs "Academy" program which offers student discounts (it can be hard to find on HP's web site so you may be better off searching for "HP Academy").

This is one the best laptops that I ever had. Beautiful finish, nice diplay. I really like the keybord with the numpad.
Win7 runs smoothly on the hardware. I'm very impressed with the performance of the hardware. Things like the fast porcessor and the fast hard drive make thing easy with this machine, you can even play games with the GPU Radeon Card.
I didn't have the oportunity to play HD content but I'm sure that the DV61360 will handle it very easy.
Also I really like the HP advisor that's help you to keep you pc in good shape.

If it is true that is it a fingerprint and dust magnet, I don't know a fingerprint and dustproof laptop at this price. Aslo the battery is not bad considering the kind of hardware that this laptop has.

Nice Machine, no complains

Great laptop, love the design, a bit heavy but nothing a backpack can't handle. O.P. system is super fast. I highly recommend this machine.

I really am enjoying the new DV6-1360US. Windows 7 is new to me and so far I really like it. The boot time is short - a major improvement from my old Lenovo (possibly because of additional software installed on that). There are some things that were installed that I chose to remove, but nothing that really slowed the system down - I just don't like a lot of unnecessary clutter.

I tried to undervolt this processor using RMClock, but it didn't recognize the P7450. So I chose to purchase CPUGenie and am now running all processor clock speed settings at a mere .875 volts which saves on power and battery usage. Speaking of battery usage - this one uses more than my previous laptop by quite a bit. I would say about 3 hours would be the most I could get on this 6-cell battery.

I really like the HDMI output, the fact that this can accept a docking connection, and the big speedy drive. The fast memory and relatively low-power CPU are nice, too. I am able to run Unreal Tournament 3 on this laptop no problem thanks to the ATI discrete graphics.

The remove control works well if you have a line-of-sight. It's a nice idea, but it didn't do anything with the VLC player when I tried. So it may only work with the HP-supplied media software.

Pros:
* Fast boot times
* Nice performance combo with CPU/GPU (good for gaming)
* 4 gigs of RAM at 1066Mhz is nice
* Beefy 7200rpm hard drive
* Good price ($749 after rebate)
* Windows 7 x64 is pretty slick
* Wireless N built in is a great thing. I can watch 720p video over the wireless network.

Cons:
* Can't really use RMClock (as of this writing) to undervolt
* LCD is great, but not as sturdy as old Lenovo screen (probably true of most manufacturers)
* I miss the little keyboard illuminator that my Lenovo had (used it when typing in dark room).
* The P7450 doesn't support hardware virtualization (some core 2 duos do, some don't).
* Remote control storage and removal is difficult (when removing, it acts like it's not coming out, then 10 seconds later springs out unexpectedly).
* Would rather not have a fax port.

None of the cons are significant enough to drop this down from a 5-star rating.

I have never regretted getting this computer. I have had it for school for 2 years, and it goes with me everywhere. I have had to replace both the battery and the cord, but the rest is still in great condition. Perfect for a college student on the go.

I love it!.
1.- Great price.
2.- Beautiful notebook.
3.- Amazing performance.
4.- The shipping was in time.

That's why its a five stars for me.

P.s. sorry about my english.

I am a software engineer who has used a variety of brands. I got a 3 month old DV6t-2000 i7 quad core with 8GB RAM for development purposes. I trusted in HP brand and bought this computer to see that there is absolutely no support. The computers GET issues from time to time, a well performing computer does not necessarily mean that it is a good product.

The support department is going to offer you to replace the whole panel and reformat the PC if one of your key-caps(in my case up arrow) gets loose or broken. You will have to leave your PC to service department for at least a month if you have warranty, and if your warranty is over may God help you since your will have to pay several hundred dollars. There is absolutely 0 initiative, and prepare to talk to human robots. I went up to their CEO! and could not get a resolution. Managers are arrogant and chooses to fight with the customer instead of offering solutions.
I am an IT expert and strongly suggest advanced and novice users to stay away from HP as far as possible...
05/27/2010
After sending several emails and hours spent on the phone calls, I could get the support department to resolve the issue. However, they sent a whole keyboard panel. So, it seems, once the warranty period is over, I would have to pay for the panel. It is a powerful computer , yet the support is still weak.

This computer will run all the games you want. It runs Fallout 3 consistently at 40fps avg average max settings. Make sure all apps are closed though and you don't have virus checking running.
I wouldn't run too many apps at once like you can do with an Intel I3 or quad core but the computer doesn't slow too much if you forget to close a few apps. With Windows 7 Premium (WMC)and the remote it's also a speedy multimedia machine. The Radeon 4650 works superb with the 4GB DDr3 ram and 1 gig dedicated (it's needed with all the shaders it can handle) and 1066FSB. Run's a little hot while gaming but not if you raise the computer up.

If you want to stay cutting edge without breaking the bank or brag about the price you paid while zipping through your favorite games at high settings this is it. I would also get a 12 cell battery and turn off the power saver settings for when the plug is out so you don't loose speed.

I am an extremely frugal shopper who took my time searching many different stores and sites, spoke with techie friends, salesmen, and even technical support at Activision to ensure high quality and compatibility of this computer's components and my needs/desires. This HP meets and exceeds! And Amazon saved me about $160 in buying this HP with an advanced graphics card.
-blvd1@hotmail.com