HP HDX16t User Review

by Ed Koeller

I am a college student traveling out of state and I needed a quality notebook to replace my desktop. I am a Computer Science Engineering major, and I enjoy playing games every so often. So I needed the laptop to be more than just a web-browsing machine. I need it to be able to play games and to perform well enough to do more than my course work requires. For six months, I researched laptops and concluded that the HP HDX 16 is the highest quality for my budget (less than $1,300).

This is a new model from HP. It is their "premium series" notebook. It is very similar to the HP HDX 18. It is just the 16" version of it. It is comparable in price to the dv5 Notebooks from HP.

This is definitely a desktop replacement; it has a 16" screen and very nice hardware.

My HP HDX 16 Specs:

• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz)
• 16.0" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1366x768)
• 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm - 800MHz)
• 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
• 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
• HP Color Matching Keyboard
• Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card
• Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
• 12-Cell Lithium Ion Battery

(The HDX 16 came inside a black clothe bag.)

I bought this configuration through HP.com for $1,300 shipped plus taxes. There was a rebate at the time and I got it at $800 (40% off). That was the dealmaker for me.

Build and Design

When compared to the dv5, the same specs are roughly the same price. I decided to invest in the HDX 16 because when I saw all the laptops in the store I liked the infinity glass from HP, and I played with each of the laptop's that HP offered and found this laptop to have very sturdy construction. Out of all the other builds that I looked at (Dell XPS, HP dv5, dv4 and dv7, Lenovo IdeaPad Y530) this has the most sturdy build and design. A sheet of "infinity glass" covers and protects the screen from damage. When I push against the screen from the back side there is no indication that I am pushing against it, which means the plastic covering the screen is strong from the other side. So one side of the LCD screen has the infinity glass and the other is protected with strong plastic. There is virtually no wobble from the hinges that connect the screen to the main laptop body. It is made from really strong plastic and/or metal.

Screen

The display is of very high quality and has excellent definition. My resolution is 1366x768; it has no dead pixels and is 16". When the screen is black there is a small amount of light leak on the outside corners of the screen. The back light leak is not present with the black task bar on the bottom of the screen in Windows Vista Premium. I would recommend the 1920x1080 screen with a Blu-ray player. Sadly that is the one thing I did not do.

Screen from multiple angles with screen shot from the movie Shooter (starring Mark Walhberg).

Sound

The sound from this laptop is far better than any other laptop I have ever used! I love the built in subwoofer. The sound is very crisp and very audible for a laptop compared to my older hand me down Dell Inspiron (512MHz processor with 512MB RAM), which had very muffled audio quality. The HP HDX 16 has Altec Lansing speakers and subwoofer that make playing games very nice when you can use them. There is the media smart bar, which is located above the keyboard and below the screen. It works well if you know how to use it, but it takes some time to know how to use it, it is also very touchy. (One click really is 2-3 clicks.) You can also control the trebble and bass from the media smart bar, which is nice.

Processor and Performance

My HDX 16 takes just under a minute to boot up to the log in screen with a 5400rpm hard drive that came with this computer. I needed the 4GB of memory because I am a programmer, but the more you have the better off your computer will run, Vista premium takes about 1.5GB of your memory while its idling, so be sure you get at least 3-4GB of memory. I play Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare online, The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, Civilization 4 and pretty much anything else I want to on this laptop without anything going wrong. It does not over-heat, and runs those games at playable resolutions and with high frames per second. It does play them at the highest resolutions (everything on, and 1366x768) smoothly, I just chose to use a smaller resolution so it runs the smoothest and stays cooler than at full resolution.

Benchmarks:

3D Mark 05: (8113)	3D Mark 06: (4552)

Heat and Noise

I check the exhaust fan in the far back left corner to see if there is anything hot coming from it, I am surprised by cool air being blown by the fan. I always expect it to be hot to the touch, but to my joy this laptop disperses its heat very effectively. I do have the 12-cell battery, which lifts the laptop ~1" off of the ground, so that might be the big help with it not being hot. When I am typing on it my hands do get warm, but not hot or uncomfortable.

Input and Output Ports

The keyboard is great, there is a full number pad on the right, the arrow keys are smaller than I am used to with a desktop, but that comes with the territory, none of the keys are out of reach or in ridiculous locations. They are very well spaced even with my big hands.

Right side:

USB 2.0, IR receiver for remote, Blu-ray ROM/ DVD-ROM, USB 2.0, Laptop lock, Power adapter

Left side:

VGA, Expansion Port 3, Ethernet (10/100/1000), HDMI, eSata/USB combo, USB, IEEE Firewire, Express card slot (54/34)

Front:

SD/MMC Card Reader, one microphone input (1/8"), two headphone outputs (1/8")

Back View:

(No I/O)

Extra and Random Features

The web cam is high quality. I have a Logitech web cam for my desktop which cost me $80 and the built-in web cam from HP works just as well. There is also a built in stereo microphone, which works well, but my Logitech one works better. The HDX 16 comes with a small remote control, which I have not had the chance to use yet, but looks to have a lot of features that should work nicely. The design on this computer (color design on the back and around the touch pad) is very nice, everyone who sees it says that it is a great design and that they enjoy it and wishes they had it.

Wireless

The wireless card (Intel WiFi Link 5100 a/b/g/n 802.11) worked perfectly right out of the box with the wireless g-router in my house.

Battery

I mentioned I have the 12-cell battery, it lasts for about 3-4 hours while playing games, and it lasts between 5-6 hours while doing Internet and word based things. It also lifts the notebook ~1" off of the ground allowing more airflow, which is a great thing in a laptop and helps keep it cool. It is definitely worth it.

Operating System

Vista. I have heard many bad things about Vista and I will probably be criticized for saying that it is decent. I liked XP because it used fewer resources, but Vista runs just as well. I recommend the 64-bit so that you can use all 4GB of memory. You can order a system recovery disk or make your own (I made my own within the first few minutes of getting mine).

Customer Support

I had to call customer support to make sure my rebate went through. The operator I spoke to was very pleasant and knowledgeable while offering useful support. Overall, it was a pleasant experience with customer support. I was going to get the 1-year accidental warranty, but opted out because of the cost. I am very good at keeping my technological items safe and very clean and up to date.

Conclusion

As the first laptop I bought, the HP HDX 16 has exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes to play games but also needs more than just a video card. The HP HDX 16 is a very well rounded machine that does everything I ask of it. If you want to play games online, do video editing, program or just surf the Internet, or everything simultaneously; this laptop is definitely for you. It is more portable than the 18" HDX but not extremely portable like the HP dv4 (14"). If it is a choice between the dv5 and HDX 16, go with the HDX 16. It is well worth the cost, and you will not be disappointed

Pros:

• High Definition at all times (true 720p with 1366x768 screen, and true 1080p with 1920x1080 screen)
• Full keyboard
• Battery life for 12-cell battery
• Discrete graphics
• Replaces desktop adequately

Cons:

• Media smart bar (bar above keyboard with volume control) skips a lot at random.
• Weighs ~10 pounds
• Not super mobile (but that shouldn’t matter with a portable desktop replacement)

 

I really am digging this system. I looks extremely refreshing and has an abundance of ports expansion and media rich features that will last a lifetime. Two thumbs up for HP for making a very capable machine as this.

 

i think the dv5 is better IMO. good review

 

It will be interesting to see how the upcoming Pavilion dv6t stacks up against the HP HDX16. Look for more 16-inch notebooks coming early next year from other manufacturers, it's quickly becoming a popular size.

Thanks for the review!

 

there will be a dv6t?

 

I wonder what is taking HP so long to get ddr3 in their systems? That's what I'm waiting for.

 

Great review. Seems like a very well rounded and pretty powerful machine. At the price you got, it is a pretty solid deal

 

Thank you for the great review. It's refreshing to see an objective, positive review, and one without the ubiquitous "fanboy twist" we sometimes see. I am still debating between the HDX16t and the dv5t, portability being my big concern. HP has lowered prices but I still don't see the great rebate like you got, possibly will be offered immediately after Christmas. Will have to see. Also, I am waiting on the rumors of HP putting a BD write drive into her laptops by the end of this month Lastly, somebody mentioned ddr3, but to my understanding, that's not going to be much of an upgrade. Also, I compared HP (notably dv5t) to Dell XPS m1530, no comparison, HP has Dell beaten by lightyears (just look at the GPU). Thanks again.

 

If anyone has a costco membership or knows someone that does I highly recommend going through them to purchase this machine. you will get 90 day return full money back, fully customizable, and included two year warranty for no added cost. Also at considerably cheaper that hp.com direct. It's is just something to think about for sure. I am a costco fanatic and vouch for them, the consumer experience is fantastic. A pretty much fully loaded hdx16t runs at a little over 2 grand and standard two-year warranty and 90 day return! Check it out.

 

Nice HDX16t report -still debating here.
Sure is pretty.

 

This notebook is really nice i still think this is one of the best 16" systems

 

i envy your numberpad

 

I got this laptop during the live.com 40% off deal on black Friday.
My specs:
HP HDX16t Premium Series customizable Notebook PC
•Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
•Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)
•16.0" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
•4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
•512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
•500GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
•Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)
•HP Color Matching Keyboard
•Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
•FREE Upgrade to Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
•HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner
•12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
•No Productivity Software
•HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

This laptop ROCKS! I had a dv9000 and the quality difference between the two is very noticeable. It seems like HP has come a long way in the last few years. Mainly in the hinge design and power adapter.

Also, I was an early adopter to vista, I upgraded the dv9000 from XP the day vista came out. I only had minor issues with vista on that laptop. This one seems to work great out of the box. The OS speed is very good and the sleep mode works really well. This goes in and out of sleep in 2-3 seconds.

Another issue I had with the dv9000 was heat. You can see my specs are pretty high with the T9400 processor. I was worried about heat with this one but it does pretty good. I also have the 12 cell battery which props up the computer a bit improving air flow but even in my lap or sitting on a bed it does really well, not uncomfortable at all.

I DID get the 1080p screen and I'm glad I did for two reasons. 1. Blu ray looks great, really great. 2. The 16" screen is basically a 17" screen but not as tall. So you lose some screen real estate vertically due to the 16x9 aspect ratio. The increased resolution helps with that but it could lead to eye strain if you have vision problems. You can increase the dpi to make text bigger. Given the choice, I'd say go for the 1080p.

Edit: I wasn't done posting...

One of the coolest things about the laptop is the fingerprint reader. logging in and out of the computer is really as simple as swiping your finger. this also works for any program like yahoo messenger, outlook email, and websites, like this one! setting up the fingerprint reader is very simple.

Also, those looking for FSX performance:
I'm running at 1920x1080 with bilinear anti aliasing on, with medium to high settings on all my sliders and I'm getting 20-30fps depending on the aircraft and if I'm in VC or not. This laptop runs FSX really well.

i haven't noticed any problems with the media smart controls or the volume controls. When you adjust the volume a OSD comes up showing you volume, bass and treble settings. The bass and treble settings aren't accurate when I adjust volume. You have to adjust the bass and treble with the touch sensitive pad (just like volume) to see the real settings. Audio sounds really good. The laptop has a subwoofer on the bottom. This is the best sounding laptop I've heard, and loudest. Still not stunning audio, but I'm not dying for external speakers when I'm on the go.

Normally I get a computer and do a fresh install, but this time I think i'm going to work the other way and just remove what I don't want. HP has a lot of things integrated, like the volume controls, HDTV tuner, fingerprint reader, etc. I'm afraid of messing those up. I've run into problems with other HP laptops where the drivers don't work properly after reinstalling. Everything works so well out of the box and performance is very fast I'd rather play it safe and keep it running the way it is. I didn't use the nortons, uninstalled that right away and I'm using windows live onecare.

 

No, he said the original price was $1300. He got it 40% off, and that made it roughly $800. It's definitely not worth $2100.

Sweet looking machine, I would get one. Portability does seem to be an issue, though, but then there are other rigs that will work better if that's high on your list. I still want to see the 9800 series GPU's in some smaller laptops. Not nearly enough out there. That's my only concern with the HDX's.

 

Good review.

One thing that makes the HDX16t a better option than the dv5t is the full HD option. The HDX is available with a 1920x1080 display, while the dv5 maxes at 1680x1050.

 

i dont get this notebook... its the similar price and spec to dv5, very similar styling, if you didnt tell me its the HDX i probably wouldnt notice. why not called it a dv6?

 

Nice review,but my HDX 18t is ~9 pounds....

 

nice review.

10 pounds? Ouch... not a best option for me to bring it to office or campus...

 

At least the HDX premium lineup should have been supplied with a GDDR3 GPU....what a shame...

 

Nice review and I'm glad you were able to get great deal.

 

This is because this machine needs to be differentiated from dv5 in that is is full HD media computer. it is a completely different setup too in that it is a 16:9 ratio screen. This is market differentiation and segmentation. Plus I don't know if you remember the HDX 20" aka the Dragon? This computer and the 18" one are replacing that which also had HDX as model.

 

I agree 100 percent. I don't know what is taking so long?

 

Its not meant for that environment at all. this is a media rich computer for around the house. Desktop replacement. Not intended to reach office market.

 

i also jumped on the 40% ms live deal to get an HDX16 with really similar specs (except i opted for the 1920 full HD screen, for 3GB ram instead of 4GB, and for the 6 cell battery instead of the 12 cell) for 800 + tax on 1325. which is pretty good considering that all of those 500 off 1400 coupons after the initial release have excluded the HDX line. i've been test driving it for the past few days and i must concur that it is pretty sweet. i was originally looking at the dv5 to replace my dying dv6000, but i'm glad i chose the HDX16 instead.

 

you state you bought vista64 because you wanted to use all 4GB *and* have more memory for your comp-sci projects. it appears there are lots of misunderstandings about 64bit operating systems, programs, and memory.

vista32 will use correctly use most of 4GB. user space and kernel space are both 2GB in standard mode (although there is a /3GB switch to increase user space and decrease kernel space). in general, 32 bit processors can see 2^32 addresses, and integers, pointers, and word size is 32 bits as well.

vista64 will see > 4GB, but all program pointers, integers, and most instructions will be represented by a 64bit word. compilers can optimize some of this, but your programs effectively bloat to nearly double the size in terms of memory space requirements (i've seen estimates for some software state a 60% increase in size on average).

you probably will not see a benefit in terms of available ram for programs with vista64 unless you have > 6GB.

 

Vista 32bit does will not take advantage of 4gb of ram. You need to get 64bit if you want to take full advantage of 4gb and up. All the OEM's warn you about it and even microsoft warns you on the website. it only recognizes 3 or 3.5gb of ram on 32bit.

 

Nice review.

I was looking at this review: http://laptoplogic.com/reviews/HDX16t
How come they only got 1225 on 3dmark?

 

perhaps that's why i said "vista32 will use correctly use *most* of 4GB." it's dependent on several factors and well documented. note i did not say all.

the salient point is the reviewer believes he can fit more instructions and data with vista64 and 4GB of ram, and this is not the case.

 

if you buy 32bit you should not waste money on 4gb of ram on buy 3gb and you are fine. to put another 1gb is foolish under a 32bit system. 64bit is faster as there are more lanes of traffic vs 32bit, twice the amount of information can be processed in the same amount of time.

 

Great review.

 

eventually i will put 8 gigs of ram into my HDX16, thats the main reason i wanted a 64bit OS

plus i am dual booting it with linux for schooling purposes. or at least intend to dual boot it. and linux has no cap for memory, which is more so a reason to get to 8 gigs after it comes down considerably in price (you know... from the $725 it is now. (newegg Item=N82E16820148232))

thanks for all the positive feedback on the review, i enjoyed writing it and taking the pictures for it.

i really enjoy using it.

I have specific purposes that i needed to fill, and it fills them nicely

for weight issues go to a best buy, or a frys, or a microcenter see if they have a hdx 16 and hold it, then grab a dv5 and hold it, just to see the difference in weight. to me they were about the same, so either one was good for what i needed, but i opted for this one in the end and i love it.

If i could have built my own laptop i would have, but sadly id have to build my own MB and get a shell and find a good screen, it would be a pain to say the least.

thanks again for all the positive feedback, im glad that my review wasn't one sided.

 

That looks like a nice notebook. I've only skimmed the review so far (I have 2 exams tomorrow!), but honestly, 1366x768 for the resolution?! Aside from the aspect ratio, that resolution almost takes me back to 1998! (Our first PC was an old Dell desktop with the original Dell 1500FP LCD monitor. Native res was 1024x768).
I'm sorry, but that's just way too low (unless you have eyesight problems). Thank goodness this notebook is available with a 1920x1080 display; otherwise, HP would be shooting themselves in the foot with this one.

 

Great review.....am planning on going to Best Buy or another local retailer myself to have some hands on time w/a machine before I order, am pretty sure pictures will not do this justice

 

I own this laptop and have been using it for the last month. I have 4GB RAM, 320 MB HD, 1366×768 screen. This laptop is a replacement for my HP zv6000 series. This is truly a great laptop. I think HP hit a home run on this one! I thought the review was great. For those who are looking for even more info to make a purchasing decision, I'll add my $0.02 worth:

First, the performance is great. I will update later after I run my DVD NLE (video editing) software, Avid Liquid 7, but so far, the performance is stellar. It is fast. This comes configured with Vista Home Premium (64 bit) and it runs like a champ. I love the eye candy with the Aero interface. As someone who is highly experienced with computing, I was leery about Vista, but there do not appear any problems at all with this flavor of Vista on this machine. It's great!

The screen is gorgeous. Color, brightness, resolution all pop out. One of the last posters said that this resolution is dated. However, I do not agree. The video is simply terrific. I didn't want the 1020p because I wasn't getting the Blu-ray drive. (Didn't want to drive the cost up and if no Blu-ray, the 1020p really is meaningless.) The flush screen makes for very clean lines and a professional feel. I feel the 16" screen is a perfect size. Not too small and not humongous, either. It has the wide-screen 16:9 ratio so movies look great.

The keyboard is great. This chrome design looks great but it has a solid tactile feel and is not a cheap keyboard. There is no flex in it at all. Solid. And I love having the dedicated number keypad. Time to sell my wireless Targus number keypad. The number pad keys are slightly narrower than a standard pad, but that's quite OK. You really do not notice it too much and it is a very, very small price to pay to have a dedicated pad. No more [fn] button and pressing numbers on a QWERTY keyboard!

This leads in to the size of this laptop. It is compact, thin, and even narrower in depth than my 15" laptop was. It is also lighter. There is so much to this laptop in a medium size. Very portable even though it is my desktop replacement. The AC/DC brick is even smaller. It is one of the smaller, lighter type of bricks that you will not notice in your bag.

I am a music educator. I loved my zv6000's sound system. There was none better than it on the market. This unit's sound is also tops for a laptop system. The built-in subwoofer does make a difference and there is no tinny quality to the sound. And you can get decent volume from them also. Depending on the sound levels of what you are watching or listening to, you can hear these speakers throughout the whole house. The Altec Lansing speakers really do their job well.

I love the fingerprint reader. I no longer have to type in passwords to log on to Windows or any webpage that requires a login. After I set up the login for the webpage once, I use the fingerprint reader and it's done. I use to use Roboform autofiller and I suppose it will still have its purpose for online purchases to fill in credit card info, but for everyday logging in (like my bank or corporate email or blogs) it is just a fingerprint swipe away. Very convenient. And cool.

I really like the mouse touch pad. It has a good feel to it and good response.

I like the touch playback controls at the top of the keyboard. Yes, there are some issues with the volume control as it is a bit flaky. I avoid using it when something is booting up. For example, I've learned to wait until after the DVD player is running and at the menu to change the volume level. Otherwise it gets lost in the CPU cycles or something and you can hear it clicking and it takes forever to respond. Another thing that is helpful is to just use the really cool remote that comes with the laptop. I found that using the volume controls on the remote is easier and it responds better.

The remote control is stored in the Express Card slot. It is the newer style with a rotating ring around the select key which acts as a type of scroll wheel. For example, when you are watching a DVD and you put it in pause, moving this wheel advances or rewinds the video frame-by-frame. In certain menus like when in Windows Media Center, it scrolls the menu up or down. I haven't tested the range limits on the remote, but I do know that it still works strong at least 30' feet away, more than enough for the average living room.

Like I said at the beginning of this review, I purchased this laptop to do DVD editing and authoring. This computer has all the right ports: USB, Firewire, and eSATA. There are not many laptops that have the IEEE or Firewire port and that this also has an eSATA port is bonus. This will make dumping my DV video easy while having a fast data transfer eSATA port for my external hard drive.

I'm very satisfied with the battery life. With the standard battery, I get about 3 hours with it. That is with WiFi enabled and mostly surfing the net. I purchased the 12 cell battery and I get about 6 hours while surfing and watching a DVD. I love it. This bigger battery sticks out the bottom. I agree with the review in that it does provide a good typing angle and I find it to be somewhat of a bonus that the protrusion acts as an extra "handle" to grab when carrying it from room to room.

One battery feature of the 12 cell that is very cool is that you can charge it independently of being in the laptop. You can directly plug in the AC/DC adapter into the battery and have it charge up. Finding independent battery chargers for laptops is rare and somewhat of a pain if you have two batteries. I always wish that I could somehow be charging up my 2nd battery. Now I can. And the battery also has an indicator light showing how much charge is left in the battery. Another very useful feature if you don't want to have to boot up the laptop to find battery life.

Speaking of the fan, it is extremely quiet. And it doesn't need to run very much. My last laptop ran very warm too hot and the fan ran almost continuously. I had to get accustomed to that when using it on my lap. This laptop, however, runs very cool. No overheating.

I have no need for the webcam, but I did try it out and it seems fine.

Just burned two Lightscribe discs and that made a nice, personalized Christmas present.

I hope that this review helps you in your purchase. I feel that HP really made a great computer in this HDX. I think it is at a great price point and has tons of features (ample ports, 6 in 1 card reader, 320 MB HD, WiFi/Bluetooth, fingerprint reader, terrific screen, light weight, good battery life, graphics card with large memory, 4GB RAM). I simply find it a joy to work with. A great package.

 

Having a laptop powered up while charging your battery is nothing unusual. It's not something "cool".

 

Well, I was talking about the extra battery. It is rechargeable outside of and independent of the notebook with the AC/DC adapter. That is cool.

And you just don't have any manners.

 

bradhayashi,
I agree with all you said. Good report. Thanks.
I love mine. First laptop after many, many desktops but this is just the best. Keyboard, fingerprint reader, monitor, battery all work very well. I'm happy with mine. I came very close to getting the HDX18 but this one seems to be the right size for me.
I can't really think of anything I'd change.

 

Anyone know when we might expect led backlights in this line? I dig the chassis and the specs on the hdx line, but no led backlight. although i hear the dual lamp on the hdx 18 is pretty bright. do they have a dual lamp at least for the 16?

 

Cool air is actually not necessarily a good thing. That's actually a common misconception. The truth is expelling hot air means a laptop is doing its job of moving heat away from the internal parts. If it's blowing cool air that may mean it's not doing an adequate job of this. I'm wondering what your actual temps are, especially since the new line of 15.4" HPs have been known to run hot.

 

The 16t does run on a dual lamp and is plenty bright.

 

know if thats for both res or just for full HD?

 

I believe it is for both, but I could be mistaken.

 

Great Review! It actually influenced me in deciding on buying it. I just got mine two days ago and I like it a lot for the styling and the features. However I have few things I would like to share as a feedback.

SPECS:
HDX16t, 2.53GHz, 4GB, 250GB/7200 RPM hard disk, Full HD, BD-ROM Player, 512 MB nVIDIA card, ATSC TV Tuner, Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit.

• I too got a 12 cell battery and it only lasted me 2 hours or less - that too without any intensive processing going on, other than trying to setup a HP wireless printer on the laptop.
  
• With the 12 cell battery the back is slightly elevated. It greatly enhances the positioning of the hands/wrists and helps to see the keys better. But it did not entirely address the heat problem. The wrist resting area on the laptop does get pretty warm if not extremely hot. I am thinking of getting an external keyboard atleast while using at home.
  
• The fan continues to run from the start - right after booting up. So there is a constant fan noise if you are not listening to some other audio.
  
• There is occassionaly hesitation/freezing when switching between applications (could be a windows issue). I would have expected the Intel 2Core Duo at 2.53 GHz and 4 MB to be fast. I have also noticed that the CPU pegs at 100% when backing up data or installing software. Again, I would have expected it to multi-task by using less resources for one application and spare for the others.
  
• The TV Tuner is a disappointment. It tuned well and has good picture quality. But then the frames freeze up and the shows are choppy. Thinking that the TV Tuner may not be a good idea on this laptop, I called the HP Customer service to change my configuration to drop the tuner. This was the very next day after I placed my order and ten days before they were to ship. But they said they cannot change the configuration after its been ordered.
  
• The media bar is not very responsive and gets stuck. I am yet to figure out how to switch between the Bass and Treble controls.
  
• There is no out of the box application to use/test the builtin webcam (or may be I haven't looked around enough). If any of the others know how to use it with just the windows software, please advise.
  
• The hinge mechanism between the LCD panel and the base of the laptop is some what too tight. Any time I tried to adjust the lcd panel toward the back it lifts up the base easily. But it probably is due to the 12 cell battery.
  
• A back lit keyboard would have been a great addition.
  
• The LED access light on the BD-ROM is too faint. I couldn't tell if it is reading the disc or not.
  

Sound is good, picture quality is excellent. The Number Pad is great!

I also considered a Dell XPS Studio 16 and Sony vaio FW 16.4" laptop. But after reading several reviews and considering the price for the features, I settled on the HP HDX 16t.

 

And what is the Part Number of your battery? I'd like to purchase it in near future.
Thanks in advice.

 

There's an option for a backlit keyboard which literally made me jump into hdx16t's bandwagon. For me the dv7t's lacking of a backlit keyboard was filled with hdx16t. . The GPU's where refreshed as well. I just hated the fact that they don't offer an LCD without an infinity option I knew it'll be a dust arcadia sooner or later. dammit

btw, theedyeah, did yours came with a backlit keyboard? some pics pls? +rep

 

The backlit keyboard option is new. I got mine with it. You can see pics of it here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=300646&page=161

 

Great review! I took the plunge after finding a coupon code that ended up saving me more than $1000 off of a loaded version of this notebook. You can see my specs in my sig.

 

congratz........

 

I've reviewed and compared the dv5 and the X16 notebooks more times then i can count on my two hands and im telling you right now the dv5 is not better.

 

I just got this laptop about 3 weeks ago and am loving it! It's an excellent machine that I hope will last for a good 3 years or so. My specs are different (see sig) but nonetheless, I am pretty much in love with this laptop.

Congrats HP for coming out with such a good product.

Also, excellent review that definitely influenced me in buying the HDX16t.