Customer Reviews

HP Pavilion DV6-2190US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This DV6-2190us model is a desktop replacement.

Pros: The i7 processor is very fast, has 8 threads of execution (4 hyper-threaded cores) and the turbo boost kicks in when needed. It boots quickly, and runs applications quickly. I was able to install software and still use the machine without noticing any slowdown. It has a dedicated onboard graphics processor, with 1GB of dedicated graphics memory for gamers, I presume (I do not have any games to test it with).

Cons:
1. The fan runs continuously unless you turn it off in the BIOS. If you turn it off, it cycles, which is even more annoying. It cycles even when the laptop is idling (using very little cpu time). I did not notice the fan noise until I worked with it in my quiet office.
2. The keyboard layout takes learning. The pgup/dn are in the far upper right. The arrow keys and keypad keys are smaller than the QWERTY keys.
3. The power adapter has 120 watts output, and is huge and heavy.

Other:
1. touchpad has a lot of friction, but if you use your fingertips, it glides pretty well.
2. The battery life wasn't too bad, but I wasn't pushing the CPU or graphics.

I exchanged it after a week for the HP DV4-2170us model, which is cheaper and more portable.

Note: since I wrote a few reviews for some very simliar DV6 models Amazon has cross posted all those reviews.

I posted a long review of the current crop of DV6-21xx series of notebooks here: HP Pavilion DV6-2170US. The models are mostly the same with different CPUs (one has a discrete graphics chip). All include the newest mobile processors from Intel which eclipse the older Core2 line in terms of performance. Those with integrated graphics include Intel's new HD graphics which are also a big improvement over Intel's old 4500HD graphics (which are still inferior to discrete graphics chips from AMD/ATI and Nvidia when it comes to 3D gaming).

One specific thing I want to highlight about this model is that the CPU is the Intel i7-720QM, one of the top performing notebook CPUs on the market. With four cores running two threads each you computer can (if needed) act like a 8 core processor. When not needed the extra cores shut down and the frequency goes up (part of what Intel calls "Turbo mode". The downside is that the combination of this quad core CPU and the discrete graphics chip from nVidia will drain your battery much faster than a dual core CPU with Intel's integrated graphics (expect the battery to last 1-2 hours during typical use). Unless you are a 3D gamer this is probably not the notebook for you. If you are a 3D gamer the included nVidia 230M graphics chip will make 3D games at lot more playable. For example Fear2 goes from 12FPS on Intel HD to 45FPS on the nVidia 230M at medium settings.

The other thing to note about this model is that it has Gigabit ethernet (10/100/1000) whereas the dual core HPs have standard 10/100 ethernet. Not something that matters to most people but I thought I'd mention it since it's easy to miss when you are comparing models.

If you are really sold on this model but need better battery life you can buy a HP KS526AA 12-Cell Multi Battery for it and get another 1-2 hours of battery life. It adds another $100 to your purchase price. You can order direct from HP with this battery but I'm not sure if that gets you a better price (taxes, shipping, etc...) over Amazon or not. It's worth pricing out.

Have used now for over a month and have found this to be a great little machine. Only problems I've had are related to Win 7 compatability and not the Laptop.
Pros: Great speed
Full keyboard with number pad
Easy volumn adjustment with visible slider
Cons: No separation between touch pad and buttons - too easy to get both fingers on touch pad

This is a Fast machine!! Internet pages are there instantly - the graphics card is excellent and for that matter the specs on this machine are outstanding.

I purchased this to serve mainly: 1) to connect to 50" plasma and stream Internet TV and 2) as an emergency backup to my work laptop.

Initially had issues with network connectivity. After much time,frustration and effort discovered that the HP DV6 would "break" my network each time I tried to access Internet. Turns out the setting in Networking for hardware had IPV6 box checked. What does IPV6 mean? Turns out IPV6 is a new IP address scheme and my network router did not recognize IPV6 and would cause it to crash. Since unchecking the IPV6 box, there have been no further Internet connectivity issues. Whew!!

However, some unresolved issues remain with Mediacenter. Currently I am unable to setup Netflix through mediacenter, well actually Netflix is setup and I see my queue but when I select from my watch instantly list it just shows "loading" and never plays. GRRR. More troubleshooting needed before I criticize. Instead of going through media center for Netflix viewing, I connect to internet, login to Netflix and then am able to play NF movies/progams up to the connected 50" plasma screen. Not ideal, but a work around for now.

Yesterday I connected a HP USB Hybrid Atsc NTSC QAM Fm High Definition TV Tuner KS523AA#ABA KS523AUSB which allows me to receive digital over-air TV channels. The video quality is very good. The HP USB tuner product specs state the TV tuner is compatible with Windows7. Unfortunately, the remote that is included with the USB TV tuner does not function as described in the user guide. Number keys do not change channels and other remote buttons do not work - another issue to troubleshoot. UGH!! Perhaps just a newer driver is needed for Windows7 OS?

Some of the other mediacenter features I intend to use but have yet to test include playing dvds, recording TV programs, managing photos and editing video. Although I am no computer wizard, and this could account for many of my set-up woes it seems as if there have been a significant number of problems. Yet, I am confident all will be resolved, with more time, effort and yes, frustration!

This is the 5th HP laptop I've had in the last 3 years. I've only had it for 5 months and it is constantly freezing and the USB and SD-MD ports work only about half of the time. The HP model I had before this (DV$-1433US) also had problems, it wouldn't boot, again after only 6 months of use. I sent it back to HP and they said that I had spilled some sort of liquid on the keyboard, which was not case. I never spilled anything on it. I asked them to prove it and they sad that if I wanted pictures I would have to pay for them to send them to me!! Before that one, I had an earlier model which also had the same problem, it just wouldn't boot. I was a fan of HP of many years but the last 3 models I've bought have been a big headache. I just bought 2 Toshiba Satellites for almost half the price of HP and a very similar configuration. So far no problems. Adios HP!

I've been using this at work for the past month. With a full size keyboard and mouse, it feels like I'm working on a high-end desktop workstation. Runs Win7 at blazing fast speeds. Graphics card is robust enough to drive two monitors (notebook and 22" acer). Have one partition running Server 2008 R2 x64, VMware 2.0, three Server 2008 R2 x64 guests on 4gb of memory.

Good:
Core i7 Intel chip
Doesnt have a lot of "Bloatware" to bother you
Snappy and speedy
Good amount of space on the harddrive
Relatively quiet even when the fans are spinning
Lightweight for the kind of power it punches
Has a num-pad
Screen is very bright thanks to the LED lighting

Bad:
Fingerprint Magnet on the keyboard, outer shell and even on the handrests
Depending what you do, it can get pretty hot
Also Depending what you use the laptop for, the battery life can get cut short, but thats with any laptop really.

This laptop is a pretty versitile laptop that can appease the gamer, power user, or even a web surfer. It is a really sleek looking laptop and it doesnt scream out like the alienware laptops or dell XPS. The only thing that brings attention to the laptop is the light it has on the outerside lid. It lights up the HP logo, which some people will like or some wont. The laptop keyboard is kind of squished because they added a numpad, but coming from a 17" laptop with no keypad, this was a welcomed addition. The LED lit screen is amazing. Everything comes out crisp and bright especially since the graphics are being run on a dedicated nvidia m230 card. This card helps out with more of the demanding resources when playing a PC game, and will drop the battery life.

I bought this as a replacement for my Dell Inspiron 6400, which had finally died after 4 years of heavy use. I had made the decision NEVER to buy a Dell again, especially when the screen began to loosen drastically after two years, so I had only one restriction for my replacement: ANYTHING but a Dell. And thus began my quest.

Conducting a search based solely on the manufacturing company's reputation rather than features was no easy task. For example, many of the Acer laptops had great features for the money, but something just didn't sit quite right when I looked at their reviews. Gateway and Sony Vaio: Too expensive, not enough features, and relatively poor reviews. And there was no way in HELL I was ever going to make the switch to Mac: Nearly twice the price for equivalent power and features, just to support a corporate image? No way! Just when I thought all hope was lost, I remembered how a friend of mine had an HP that held up much better that my Dell had during the past five years, so that became a natural consideration.

To make a long story short, this computer was the best balance of power and features on the PC market for the money at the time of purchase about six weeks ago. The PROs are many, and I am not the least bit regretful about my purchase. In addition to being very aesthetically pleasing, I have had very little problem running some of the most memory and resource intensive programs currently on the market (i.e. the latest PC games). Also, it's an optimal balance between power and portability; I find that many laptops currently on the market either are geared to be nearly as powerful as the desktop models that almost nobody buys or uses anymore (and are tantamount to lugging said desktop from home to coffee shop or campus as far as weight and profile are concerned), or are not much bigger than the latest smart phones...and pack just about as much power, too. What can I say? This sucker is powerful, fits seemlessly in the laptop compartment of my backpack, and packs a powerful punch!

The only CONS I can ascertain in my short tenure of ownership are the following: (1) the speakers are EXTREMELY weak (to the point of being hardly audible in many contexts) and I would be absolutely ashamed to have my name embossed on this product if I were the folks at Altec Lansing; (2) the external finish is made of very shiny plastic that collects finger prints and dust very easily, requiring constant wiping for those of us obsessed with keeping our electronics looking good; and, (3) as would be expected from a laptop that packs enough features to serve as a full-fledged desktop replacement, the longevity of battery life (or rather lack thereof) is very disappointing. Nevertheless, these are minor nuisances and peccadillos that only the most ridiculously choosy of consumers would have a hard time living with. Overall, I would DEFINITELY recommend.

One thing I would suggest to anybody buying a laptop, whether this one or any else: Buy a full three-year warranty from Square Trade (also sold here on Amazon) for $299.99. This goes for ANY of the more expensive electronic products you may purchase. It will definitely be worth the extra money when you (for example) end up spilling coffee all over the keyboard, or shattering the case upon impact with a hard wood floor.

Computer started freezing after owning it for a month!! We need to turn it on and off several times! we contacted customer service, only to get a barely english speaking foriegner, and they put us through several tests for several hours! They kept giving us the run around by making us perform tests on it! A month later, they told us that we needed to send the computer back to them for at least 2 weeks and they would fix it! They refused to exchange it for another computer. We recieved the "so called fixed" computer back only to have the same problems with it!! Once again, we had to contact the foriegners and they kept giving us the run around!! I believe they wanted our one year warrenty to run out so they did not have to give us a new computer!!
RUN, RUN, RUN, RUN, FROM HP!!! buy yourself another computer!! I will NEVER buy another computer from them again!!
I just lost over $1000.00!!!!
It's alot of money to loose!!!

I'm serious, do not buy this computer.

I have had many HP products and still do but this product has problems.

Product looks good and functions ok for a while.

The battery life is extremely short. I had to dim the screen just to get a decent amount of battery life.

After 11 months, the battery went bad - fine, under warranty

After 13 months, the hard drive crashed and i lost data since my last backup (my fault for not backing up more often) - HP did not care that it was just out of warranty and that another part had just failed. They didn't offer anything to me, not even the restore disk that they no longer provide in the box.

After 16 months, the screen starts to flicker to the point that i can barely see whats on the screen.

Not that i'm going to switch to MAC but HP and their poor computer and service will not get another penny from me.

DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT