HP Pavilion DV4000 Review (pics, specs)

by Bob Jones, California USA

HP DV4000 Overview

HP Pavilion DV4000

This review is for the Hewlett Packard DV4000 laptop. The unit is a multimedia notebook in a medium sized form factor. For several months I have been looking for a portable computerthat I could use to surf the internet while sitting in my easy chair. I looked at the Dell Inspiron 6000, Toshiba SatelliteM35-S311 and the Sony VAIOFS550. The Toshiba didn't have a glossy screen and the Sony's audio system was barely audible. I thought the Dell was clunky looking. I always liked HP's DV1000 but thought its 14-inch screen too small. When the dv4000 came out with a beautiful 15.4 inch screen, it was just the ticket I had been looking for. I purchased this configure-to-build unit from HPShopping.com for $1191 after rebate (before taxes) . I saved a little by going through theEPP (employee purchase program)site which gives modest discounts to employees of large companies. It only took 8 days from placing my order to being delivered at my home after being built and shipped fromChina. When I placed the order, HP estimated it would take a month for delivery. I understand from others who have ordered from HP, they are often this conservative and give you a ship date further out than what is actual.

My configuration for the HP Pavilion dv4000 customizable Notebook PC:

• Microsoft(R) Windows(R) XP Home Edition with SP2
• Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor 740 (1.73 GHz)
• 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
• Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900
• 512MB DDR SDRAM (2x256MB)
• 60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
• FREE Upgrade to 8X DVD +/- RW/R & CD-RW Combo!!
• 54g(TM) Integ. Broadcom 802.11b/g WLAN & Bluetooth
• 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Works/Money
• Remote control (purchased separately)

Upgrades

As you can see, I upgraded the drive to 5400RPM , added Bluetooth and a 12-cell battery. This is one of the reasons I didn't buy a retail version like the dv4030us ($1399-$50 rebate)....you are stuck with a4200RPM harddrive,Wi-Fi but no Bluetooth and only a 6 cell battery. If you ordered the 12 cell battery as an extrait would cost you $179. When I configured my dv4000 it was only $25 more than the 6 cell battery. If you do the math you can see the customized laptop was a better deal for me even though you can sometimes buy a retail unit for $1199 when CompUSA or Office Depot is running a promotion.

Screen

The screen was one of the main reasons I bought the dv4000...it is stunning. When I play DVD's on it, my friends can't believe how clear and bright it is. Similar to the DV1000 (as was pointed out in the excellent review of the dv1000), theDV4000 LCD has a limited vertical viewing angle. You have to tilt it just right to get the best contrast and brightness. This is mostly an issue when playing DVDsand less ofa problem when running typical applications for web surfing and word processing. The glossy screen can introduce a lot of glare, especially in a bright office, but in a dimly lit home it is not as bad. I want to stress this glossy screen can looklike a mirror under some lighting conditions. Here is a photo showing the screen reflecting my backyard:

Notice with the glossy enhanced screen you do get a lot of reflectionwhen bright light is hitting the screen (view larger image)

None the less, I think the advantages of the brightview screen is worth the glare, but some people using this computer in a classroom might not agree. I'm happy to report myscreen has no dead pixels.

When in a darker roomsetting the DV4000 screen really comes to life with the vibrant colors it displays (view larger image)

Audio and Build Quality

Besides the nice screen I picked the dv4000 for its audio. Those front firing speakers are very impressive for a laptop. Few other notebooks are as loud and clear. The fit and finish seems first rate. Build quality also seems pretty good too for a unit in this price range. Let's be clear, it's no bullet proof IBM ThinkPad, but it isn't bad. The keyboard has very little flex and the keyboard travel is good. I have noticed that the shift keyssometimes make a plastic rubbing plastic sound. I hope this does not become a problem. I suspect since the shift key is so large it may not be supported as well as the smaller keys. The only other key issue is over the up/down arrow keys. Sometimes it doesn't want to scroll a page. I have had to click a few times on the page before the arrow buttons work. I tend to use the up/down keys instead of the scroll bar as it is much faster. The scroll bar is located on the right side of the touchpad. It takes a while getting used to, I would prefer a scroll wheel like they have on a mouse (I don't know of any laptop with a built-in scroll wheel though!). TheLCD hinges are sufficiently strong to hold the screenat any angle. TheLCD frame does appear to be a weak spot. Don't get me wrong, theLCD doesn't distort when you move it like some cheap notebooks, but when you press on the back of theLCD (the top of the notebook) it creates distortions. I shudder to think what would happen if you dropped a heavy book on the top of the closed laptop. Speaking of closed....when you close the cover it is quiet...no loud clicks. It appears to latch well.

A look at the keyboard of the DV4000 (view larger image)

A close up of the keyboard and QuickPlay buttons (view larger image)

Hard drive

I was concerned that the 60GB 5400RPM (Hitachi) hard drive would be noisy. It is not. You can hear some little ticking sounds if you are in a quiet room. In a normal room with TV or music you won't hear the drive. Another thing you won't hear is the fan. It rarely comes on- almost never when just web surfing. When it does come on it sounds like an ocean breeze that is rather pleasant. It must not be a highRPM fan because it is nearly silent. Once again in an average room with background sounds you won't hear a thing.

Hard drive Benchmark:

HD Tune: Drive model # HTS541060G9AT00 Benchmark

Transfer Rate Minimum : 18.2 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Maximum : 36.0 MB/sec
Transfer Rate Average : 28.9 MB/sec
Access Time: 16.3 ms
Burst Rate: 73.9 MB/sec
CPU Usage: 5.7%

Battery

I got the extended battery because I wasn't concerned about the extra weight it added, but with the 12 cell battery this sucker is heavy. HP says it is 6.5 pounds with a 6 cell battery so with the big battery it's about 7 pounds, this is not terrible but not light either. I wouldn't want to carry it from class to class. As you can see in the picture the battery bulges out of the bottom giving the unit a nice slant for ergonomic purposes. Air circulation is improved with this raising of the notebook also. It ruins the sleekness of the laptop, but I don't care. I don't plan on moving the laptop too much so the extra weight is no big deal. Battery life has been impressive, about 7.5 hours under light use.

Notice how the extended life battery sticks out and also causes the back of the notebook to be elevated when upright (view larger image)

Performance

As mentioned previously, the notebook has a 1.73 MHz PentiumM processor. With 512MB of memory the performance has been very good. Starting Internet Explorer only takes a second. MS works only 3-4 seconds.

We use the program Super Pi to get a benchmark of processor speed. The Super Pi program simply forces the processor to calculate Pi to a selected number of digits of accuracy. Calculating to 2 million digits is our benchmark. Below is a comparison chart of how the dv4000 with it's 1.73GHz processor stacked up to other similar notebooks when running this calculation:

Notebook	Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits
HP DV4000(1.73 GHz Alviso Pentium M)	1m 51s
Dell Inspiron 6000(1.60GHz Alviso Pentium M)	1m 52s
IBM ThinkPad T43(1.86GHzAlviso Pentium M)	1m 45s
Fujitsu LifeBook N3510 (1.73 GHz Alviso Pentium M)	1m 48s
IBM ThinkPad T41 (1.6GHz Banias Pentium M)	2m 23s
Compaq R3000T (Celeron 2.8GHz)	3m 3s
Dell Inspiron 600m(1.6 GHz Dothan Pentium M)	2m 10s
Dell Inspiron 8600 (1.7GHz Banias Pentium M)	2m 28s

QuickPlay and DVD

HP has hyped the QuickPlay feature, but it is well deserved. This feature allows you to play a movie without having to boot up the operating system. So pop in a DVD, hit theDVD button and in about 20 seconds you are watching a movie. Considering the fact that this computer boots windows up in 40 seconds, the speed is not that much of an issue. What is nice with QuickPlay is that it immediately fills the screen with the movie. At first I thought this was not the case in Windows, but under the WinDVD configuration you can configure it to start in full screen mode. I can not tell any difference in video quality between the QuickPlay and the WinDVD applications. The credit card sized remote works with both applications.

Software

Unlike some computer manufacturers HP gives you a WindowsCD so you can re-install your operating system. I see an I386 folder on the drive so you probably can reinstall from there also.

They also give you all the disks to reinstall the preinstalled software. What they don't give you, at least with this custom built unit, is decent documentation. They give you several pamphlets, but they are all very generic and not specific to the dv4000. A user guide onCD is included, but that too is pretty worthless. I could find no instructions for theDVD burner. The average joe wouldn't know which software package to use or even what types of blank disks to use. After installing theDVD burner software and a few other things I had used 8GB of the 60GB drive. It appears there is a 250MB hidden partition on the drive. I assume that is for QuickPlay feature.

I/O Ports

A strong suit for the dv4000 is its number of ports. Everything from firewire to S-Video out. Many new units are not including the S-Video port. The media card reader works great. Pop a memory card into this slot from your digital camera and Windows asks if you want to see a slide show....bingo you are watching your digital pictures. Keep in mind this card readerwill notaccept the larger and thicker compact flash cards.

HP DV4000 Left Side (view larger image)

HP DV4000 Right Side (view larger image)

HP DV4000 Back Side (view larger image)

Wireless

I accidentally ordered the Broadcom 802.11 g plus Bluetooth option. I really wanted the Intel version because I assumed it would be better. I can't complain about the Broadcom wireless card though, it has never dropped my wireless internet connection. A lot of people in the forums have been complaining about the Intel version so maybe I made the right choice. Also the range appears to be good as I am picking up two of my neighbors routers. There is a switch at the top of the keyboard to turn off wireless and conserve power. I have not tried the bluetooth and currently have it disabled for security reasons.

DVD Burner

I ordered the DV4000withaDVD burner. I had wanted the dual layer burner but it wasn't being offered when I ordered the unit. The DVD-RW/CDRW unit vibrates a little when burning or installing programs. When playing DVD's it is nearly silent and vibration free. Ihave onlytried burning oneCD so far and it took nearly 7 minutes. I am not sure why it took so long. I have included dvdinfo's report on the properties of the drive. As for burning software, HP gives you several....Sonic RecordNow and intervideo WinDVD Creator . They are not as extensive as Nero but they work fine. They also give you a video editing program called muvee AutoProducer. Btw, playing dvd's is very smooth with no glitches.

Conclusion

While I have had my dv4000 for only a short period of time, so far I am very impressed. HP has crammed everything you need into a nice stylish package. I wrote this review while relaxing in my barcalounger -- what a treat -- no more stiff neck while hunched over a desktopPC,life is good!

Positives

• Big beautiful display
• Quickplay feature
• Battery life
• Has S-video out
• Loud and clear audio
• Good wireless range
• Quiet drives and fan

Negatives:

• WeakLCD cover
• NoCompactFlash card reader
• No dedicated graphics card
• Limited documenation
• The DVD/CD burner vibrates a little when installing programs from it but when playing DVD's it is silent.

Pricing and Availability

 

Thx for the review. I'm trying to decide between the DV4000 and DV1000. Are the BrightVue screens the same quality only different sizes? Are the non Harman Kardon speakers on the DV4000 as good as the Harman Kardon speakers on the DV1000? Can you turn off the touchpad on the DV4000 as you can on the DV1000? Is the new Intel chipset that important to a recrational, non gamer user?

 

If this machine had the X600 or even the X300, i would have snatched it up straight away.

 

It really is disappointing that there's no option for dedicated graphics in this machine, I guess HP wants you to buy the zv6000/zv5000 for that (?). The DV1000 and DV4000 screens are the same, except for the size. The DV4000 really can be thought of as a DV1000 that's been expanded in size and a couple more features such as Express Card slot and extra USB 2.0 port. The touchpad is slightly improved actually, the mouse buttons are raised up a bit making it easier to "feel" them. I hear that the speakers are actually better/bigger in the DV4000 too...but I can't confirm that from personal experience.

DigitalCameraReview.com | BargainPDA.com | TabletPCReviewSpot.com

 

I wonder how stable the laptop is?? The 12 cell battery does not cover the entire back area and also does not seem to be centered.[?]

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Compaq Presario R3340US AMD Athlon 64 3200+, 512MB, 80GB 5400rpm
15.4" Brightview WXGA.
------------------------

 

Thank you for the excellent review. I like all the "Positives" and don't think the "Negatives" are that important. No CF reader is not a problem with a USB cable (to the digital camera) or a USB CF reader. Besides CF is being displaced by SD. No dedicated graphics card is not that important either because machines in this category wouldn't be capable of playing power games anyway - at least not without considerable fan noise. Besides, I'm not a gamer.
The only problem I have with it is its size - also relative to the screen resolution. The screen is 1280x800-15.4" and the laptop 14.2" wide. I like the 10:16 format. But other laptops provide 1280x800 on 12.1" and 13.3" screens allowing for much smaller laptops without sacrificing readability of the screen (I like LCD's where I can't see the dots - just like on a good CRT. Also, MS has proclaimed that small and poor scaling of icons is fixed in Longhorn). For example, Dells 700m is only 11.7" wide. If this laptop was say only 12.5" wide (by eliminating the "wide" edges on each side of the keyboard) then I'd already have purchased one. Now I'm waiting to checkout the Fujitsu S7020 to be released in a month or 2. It has a 1400x1050-14.1" screen but is only 12.1" wide! And from what I have see and hear then Fujitsu's LCD's are (also) topnotch. But unfortunately it may not include a quickplay/remote (not sure). But then again, it does come with a DVI port to drive an external monitor. I want my new (and first) laptop to also replace my noisy, bulky and ugly desktop computer.

 

Thanks for the comments on the review. Btw, most of the negatives I mentioned are of no concern to me. I am not a gamer so the on board graphics are fine. Dedicated graphics cards add heat and suck power. The CF card issue is of no concern to me either as my camera (canon sd300) uses sd. Most new cameras use sd. The hard documentation is poor but a user guide is on a cd. The weak lcd cover is the only thing that concerns me. I listed these negatives because some people (like gamers and with cf card cameras) might have issues.

What about the off center extended battery? Well it is true that it doesn't run all the way across the bottom of the unit but it runs long enough so there a no stability issues when you place it on a hard surface. If you place it on your lap it does make it harder to balance. I made my own laptop tray by cutting a piece of masonite and attaching some carpet to the bottom. The masonite give better air circulation since your pants are not blocking the air vents. It also keeps my lap cooler too.

As for the difference between the dv1000 and the dv4000. The dv1000 has a smaller screen and footprint. It also weighs about a pound less. The dv4000 has a newer chipset with faster on board graphics. The addition of an express card slot. I believe it has a slightly better lcd as I don't have the negative video problem that has been mentioned by dv1000 users. Both provide excellent quality sound.

If the lcd was any smaller I wouldn't be able to read the 1280 by 800 text.

If you have any other questions I would be happy to answer them.

 

"If the lcd was any smaller I wouldn't be able to read the 1280 by 800 text."
The screen resolution is certainly great. According to this
http://www.qg.fi/screeninformation.html
it is 98 dpi which is the same as what good desktop CRT's and LCD's come with. And HP has done it right in not spending space on the bezel as many other laptops do.
But I haven't seen any complaints that text on Dell's Inspiron 700m (which is now getting old because tech moves so fast) is too small to be readable. It comes with 1280x800-12.1" which is 125 dpi according to the link. On the other hand, I have seen such complaints about Dell's Inspiron 6000 at 15.4" with the 1920x1200 option which is 147 dpi (and great for movie watching) but not with the 1680x1050 option which is 129 dpi. Maybe it is a matter of personal preference.
A curiosity and off-topic. The new wide format - 16:10 - happens also to be the golden ratio alias divine number (as also mentioned in the book "The Da Vinci Code"). I wonder where 16:10 came from. And why HDTV which is 16:9 and computer screens did not settle on a same size format but are now different and by so little.

"If you have any other questions I would be happy to answer them."
Have you tried an external monitor with the laptop? How's the display quality? What does the laptop's LCD do when an external monitor is connected? Does it turn off? Show the same? Can the 2 screens be operated independently? Probably not. I'm waiting for a good coupon on Dell's 2405FPW 24-inch 1920x1200 LCD. Does the DV4000 support this resolution?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by abaxter

 

i must say that the major reason i did not buy the dv1000 was the screen. it suffers from horrible angle issues, and it quite frankly doesn't look nice. the dv4000 is a lot better. not only is it bigger, it is brighter and has awesome viewing angles! she's sexy. =)

 

i really prefer the size of the dv1000 but don't want to compromise on the screen. i also really want a dvi port. i might try and wait for the fujitsu s7020 or opt for the sony s360 at circuit city for $350 with rebates.

 

sorry. $1350 for sony s360 with rebates at circuit city website.

 

I too am debating between the dv1000 or dv4000. I like the look of the dv1000 better, but then from reading the review I liked the battery life of the 12 cell on the dv4000. The overall placement of ports is proably somewhat better on the dv1000 I think (They put the headphone jack behind the CD drive for instance on the dv4000). The USB ports are better placed on the dv1000 also there is 2 headphone jacks, that would come in handy for me. Also the harman kardon speakers on the dv1000 are probably better. But then there is the lcd screen, dv4000 sounds better as far as that goes. I really don't care about the graphics card because all the stuff I want to use on it will work on my desktop PC (It has integrated graphics). And I heard that the dv1000 comes with one stick of 512 MB RAM while the dv4000 comes with 2 sticks of 256MB. The dv1000 has more room for upgrading RAM with that. I'm not worried about wireless cards(we have dialup).
I guess that's about all the comparisons.
Nathan C.

 

Hey newz, i just got my dv4000, but your saying in your review that it comes with the remote control, and quickplay, and the folks at hp told me that the remote control was not available for the dv4000, and that it did not come with quickplay....can you help me out here, how did u do to get those things then?

 

Here are some answers to some questions that have been posted.

External monitor- You can select to have either an external monitor or the laptop lcd or to have both on at the same time. The quality looks excellent. There is also an option to use an extended desktop when using two monitors....so the display spans both monitors.

Higher resolution- The lcd is designed for 1280 by 800. That is what the pixels are made to deliver. You can kick it up to 1600 and it looks surprising good. Normally when you leave the inherent display resolution they get fuzzy but this looked good...but the fonts are way to small for my eyes.

Quickplay- The dv4000 comes with quickplay, the compaq v4000 does not. The retail versions dv4030 and dv4020 come with the remote, the configure to build units do not. As the review states , I ordered the remote seperately. Go to notebook accessories. It is listed as remote control for the dv1000 but it works for the dv4000. I confirmed that with HP.

 

Hey, I actually had a few questions for you, I was wondering if you could help me out. First was the brightview option. I am primarily going to be using this laptop for college, mostly in the dorm, but will be taking it to the library, classroom, etc. Do you think the brightview option is a good choice? Ive heard that it gets hard to look at the screen after a long period of time, and i dont know if the brightness will be too much to handle in a darker room, and writng a large paper on Word. What would be your opinion, to get the brightview or not, does it make that much of a difference? Also, you wrote how you got the broadcom 802.11g. Is this a card that you put into the side of the laptop, or is it already built into the computer?? Lastly, do you like the 12 cell battery, or do you think it sticks out too much, and is too big. Thanks alot.

 

I got the 1.6Ghz dv4015 model. Incidentally that snazzy 20 seconds to DVD movie is a Linux partition, type 88 (linux uses 82 or 83 usually... odd) in Partition Magic and other tools, 215-250MB depending on 40xx model you have (mine is smaller than 250MB). Just create a 250MB type 88 partition at the end of the drive. So if you want Quickplay on any laptop that might be an option. The Quickplay CD (bootable I believe) will look for the partition and install itself there.

It's quite a cool feature.

My question is does anyone know how to get the wireless features working in linux, especially to turn it on with the RF switch. I used the ipw2200 source which builds just fine but I get an eth1 no wireless extensions message.

 

Good review!

The HP's have been getting much better as they've been moving away from the Pentium 4's, I find.

Dell Inspiron 700m
Pentium M, 1.8 Ghz
1024 mb ram
80 gb HD
Dell Axim x50v
iPod 3G 20 GB

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by pjn5000

 

Excellent Notebook!

I love the specs and the features espcially the quickplay where you can watch DVD and listen to music with a single button without running windows.[ ]

The Reviews are very helpful thats why i bought this notebook.

 

Hi!
Call me stupid, but here is a quick question for all you dv4000 owners out there.... how the hell do you reset the laptop if it freezes while "Windows is shutting down" ???
For the hell of me, i can't find a reset button anywhere...
stupid i know but please help?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by billtcherno

 

The brightview looks great for playing movies but can cause a lot of reflections in a classroom setting. I am not a student so I can only guess. If you read my review you saw the photo of my laptop screen with the clear reflection of my backyard. Very mirror like. I love the extended battery, I like how it kicks up the rear of the unit and provides better airflow....but I wouldn't want to carry this thing around from class to class. Too heavy. If you can get by with under 4 hours of battery life you should get the standard battery. I bought the big battery for those long airplane trips.
I believe the broadcom wireless option is a mini pc card...not built-in like the intel version. As others have noted...the broadcom card is much more stable than the intel. Go figure.




<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by pjn5000

 

i just received my compaq v4000. i am a little disappointed by a few things, compared to my presario x1000 i had before this. my biggest issue is the screen resolution. by default, it is set at 1280x800. Newz- you said you kicked yours up to 1600 without a problem. I found out how to get my screen resolution choices by going through graphic properties...advanced...adapters....and unchecking the hide unsupported resoution box. However, when I choose any resolution greater than the 1280 x 800, the screen is too big for the monitor! In other words, I have to drag my mouse to either the bottom or right hand side of the screen so that the screen shifts over and I can see my start menu and additional screen space. I was wonder how you (Newz or anyone else) was able increase the screen resolution and keep it so that the screen actually stays on the monitor. Thanks in advance for your help!!

 

I didn't recommend changing the screen resolution because unlike a crt monitor an lcd is made for a certain resolution. You can kick it up or down but it often doesn't look as good. Make sure 'extend my desktop to this monitor" is checked under your resolution settings. What other issues d o you have. I am sure others would be interested in hearing.

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by tkeoffalluryodas

 

I am very much leaning toward buying this laptop very soon.

What do you think of the service packages they are offering? Are they just rip-offs or should I invest the extra $$. BTW, this laptop just stays at home, no real traveing, itll be safe and all. But I dont know what to expect eing my first laptop, and want to be safe.

 

Great review

I'm in Australia and can not custom build a dv4000 from hpshopping.com
if i could i would i upgrade to the 5600 rpm drive since it does not cost that much extra.

Is there a noticeable performance difference between the 4200rpm and 5600rpm drives?

 

Service packs are always a gamble. Since companies make money on these upgrades it is clear the odds are in their favor that you will not need to use the agreement. If notebooks often needed repair, companies would go out of business. Mechanical things like hard drives and cd rom drives can go bad but they can be replaced for under 100 dollars if you install the new drive. But motherboards have been known to go out and even lcd's. To replace an lcd is very expensive. If the notebook were for a kid at school where it would get banged around, I probably would recommend the service agreement. If the laptop stays at home you probably increase your odds of having long lasting notebook that wouldn't need a service pack.
As for the question about drive speeds....I am not expert but the drive speeds mostly affect load times....boot times and loading of programs. The speed of applications wouldn't change very much between a 4200 and 5400 drive.




<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by wazen

 

Thanks for the reply.

I went ahead and purchased the DV4000 on the 18th. Reciept says "ready by 28th".

I spent $1350 total with some upgrades.

Pentium M 1.73
WXGA bright view
1.0GB memory
60GB 54000 hardrive
12 cell battery
54g Integ broadcom w/ bluetooth
cd-rw

I just wish I got the dvd burner instead...

 

Anyone else have an issue with the fan staying on most of the time on the DV4000?

Mine turns on even when hardly doing anything then it never really seems to shut off. HP support says its normal but the DV4000 reviewer on this site said his fan almost never comes on which makes me wonder. The specs on my laptop are identical except I have an 80gig 5400 RPM drive.

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Scott

 

the fan noise and the screen would wobble when i typed were the 2 reasons I returned my DV4000. A guy here at work actually just bought the DV4000 and I noticed his fan has been on everytime I've seen it.
Scott

 

Great review! I have been considering buying a "cheap" laptop for some time now. The QuickPlay feature in the dv1000 and dv4000 got me interested.

Since I would mostly use the laptop plugged into an outlet, you've convinced me not to bother with the 12 cell battery upgrade.

The main question I have is about the "shared" memory. If I configured the laptop with 512 MB RAM, will I notice a performance hit if I run several apps. at once? An example would be 6 Firefox pages, Microsoft Office, and possibly a graphics program such as Paint Shop Pro.

Second, will the integrated graphics play simple games like SimCity 3000 and older games like Age of Empires II?

Thanks again for the great review.

 

thanks for the great review! i just ordered my DV4007AP (1.7ghz, 1gig memory (512x2) from singapore and will be arriving in my place 3rd week of this month. i also included the xb2000 which is under promotion for additional US$60. i am hoping that i will have no problems with my notebook when it arrives .. no dead pixels and hope that the fan is alright despite i've red in reviews that some of their dv4000's fan are always on and noisy.. whew!

im new to this forum and hope i can participate regularly. keep it up guys!

 

I currently have a HP ze5700 with a loud fan that stays on most of the time. I have only seen a couple of posts regarding loud or constantly running fans for the dv4000. Honestly, if it weren't for the quickplay feature, I wouldn't have ever considered buying another HP again. Their Indian "support" was poor beyond belief. So, I'm very interested in hearing honest answers to the fan problem as this will be the deciding factor. Any help is appreciated!

:noisyfan:

 

I am currently a college student and am looking for a very specific laptop to fit my needs. I have a desktop in my dorm so I don't wan't something that is a Desktop Replacement. What I do want is something that I can take with my to class and still has enough horsepower to play a game or two (mainly play World of Warcraft) or watch a movie in downtime between clasess.

I have configured a DV4000 on the HP website and it now looks like you can opt for an X700 over the intel graphics accelerator. With that being said, is this a good laptop to use to take notes and do school work on and also play games and watch movies with?

 

Are you kidding me??? Just a month ago, my laptop fan has been starting to CONSTANTLY stay loud. Before I could not hear a thing, and with regular use, it has gotten SO ANNOYING. I don't know what's wrong with this thing and I have asked my friend who also has the same model as I do. He said that his laptop is just getting worse. I am not doing anything bad with this laptop. I just take it to school or leave it at home in an expensive laptop case (to handle to ride to school).

But this harddrive noise is SO ANNOYING.....I can't study with this noise in the background.

Could someone please tell me what is wrong with it? Should I elevate it or tell Best Buy to clean it out for me? I have their 3 yr warrantee.

I also want to say that Best Buy's service sucks!! They couldn't do a thing about my laptop problem but to shove me away to the 1800 HP number. Stupid best buy

 

YESSSSSSSSSS I AGREEEEEEE
why is it happening?!?