HP Pavillion DV9000 laptop

Rating 9.5 out of 10.


Features:

• AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core 1.8GHz
• 120 GB hard drive
• 1GB RAM
• Integrated 802.11b/g wireless LAN
• High speed 56k modem
• 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN
  
• Lightscribe super multi 8x DVD±R/RW with Double Layer Support
• NVIDIA GeForce with up to 128MB (shared)
• Altec Lansing speakers
• 17" High definition , BrightView, Widescreen monitor
• Built in 1.3MP Web CAM
• Built in microphone
• 4-in-1 memory stick reader (SD, MS/Pro, MMC, XD)
  

Pro:

• 17" wide screen monitor
• Ligthscribe DVD writer
• Built in web cam
• Built in microphone
• Remote control (for windows media player)
• S-Video out
• S/PDIF audio out
• Full keyboard with num pad
  

Cons:

• A bit heavy at 7.8lbs (to be expected for a 17" laptop)
• Right shift key not in the proper place, the UP arrow takes its place (really annoying at the beginning). The Shift key is moved a bit to the left
  

I wanted a replacement for my desktop PC and I wanted a dual core laptop for video editing. When I bought this laptop I was impressed with all the gadgets that came with it; In the box there was a pair of good headphones and a remote control. When I first powered it up I noticed the built in web cam, it is really neat. Then I tried the DVD burner and noticed that it was Lightscribe enabled. I had never tried Lightscribe before and I was impressed by the results - see my Lightscribe review here.

The built-in web cam has a very good image quality even in dark rooms and with little light. The built-in microphone is really good as well and there is no feedback loop between the speakers and the microphone. The Atlec Lansing speakers are good but not excellent, though they are probably one of the best for a laptop. If the speakers aren't good enough for the application, HP was kind enough to provide us with free good quality headphones. The remote control, the S-Video and S/PDIF outputs make movie or slideshow playback on a regular TV easy and enjoyable.

The laptop is a bit heavier compared to an equivalent 15" laptop so if you are a frequent traveler who uses the laptop on the road, the extra pound or two might become a burden, but for the average home user looking for power and flexibility, it is a great little machine.