Product Description

UNSURPASSED STYLE: Expanding on the sophisticated elegance of the current line, the new dv series is defined by fluid, modern lines and metalized finishes with surprising innovations inside and out. The dv4 series Imprint pattern provides interesting contrast to the liquid appearance of the metallic finish. And touch media controls light up and become visible only when the system is powered on further enhancing the clean appearance. HP¿s mobile products have won coveted International Red Dot, iF and CES Innovation design awards and been recognized by other leading design institutions. MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT: Providing more choices than ever, HP MediaSmart enables access to DVDs, videos, photos, music, and nternet TV at the touch of a button. Get access to watch the best video clips from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV. Built-in demos show you how to add music to your slide shows or videos with drag-and-drop functionality ¿ and much more. An HDMI port enables you to watch films on an HD TV. Muvee Reveal makes creating films complete with effects and transitions a snap! Extras include dual headphone jacks and an HP Mobile Remote Control. It¿s time to play! What's in the box: dv4-1430us laptop, 65W AC Adapter, 6-Cell Lithium-Ion battery, Symantec Norton Internet Security 2009 with 60 days complimentary live update, Microsoft Works, HP MediaSmart. Muvee Reveal, Cyberlink DVD Suite, Adobe Acrobat Reader and HP Games Powered by Wild Tangent.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #509 in Personal Computers
• Color: White
• Brand: Hewlett-Packard
• Model: NU985UA#ABA
• Dimensions: 1.57" h x 9.45" w x 13.15" l, 5.08 pounds
• CPU: Intel Core Duo 2.1 Hz
• Memory: 4000MB DDR2 SDRAM
• Hard Disk: 320GB
• Processors: 2
• Native resolution: 14.1
• Display size: 14.1

Features

• Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6500, Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
• 4 GB DDR2 RAM (2 Dimm) (8 GB Maximum)
• 320GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA), SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe and Double Layer Support
• Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1
• 14.1 inch Diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)

From the Manufacturer
Want a notebook PC that lets you lighten the load? Buy an HP Pavilion dv4 series Entertainment Notebook PC. Remove the multimedia drive and put the included weight saver in its place. Watch slide shows and videos on a 14.1-inch diagonal widescreen display. Also, you and a friend can listen at the same time using dual headphone jacks. Plus, show off your sense of style with the metallic HP Imprint finish.

 

SPECIFICATIONS:

Processor:
2.10GHz Intel^® Core^™2 Duo Processor T6500

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Operating System:
Genuine Windows Vista^® Home Premium 64-bit with Service Pack 1

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Display:
14.1" Diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP BrightView Widescreen Display

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Hard Drive:
320 GB

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Memory (RAM):
4 GB

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Graphics Card:
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (shared) with up to 1759MB total available graphics memory

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Wireless:
Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN

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Battery:
6-cell Lithium-Ion Battery

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Weight & Dimensions (w x d x h):
5.08lbs; 13.15" x 9.45" x 1.34"/1.57"

 

UNSURPASSED STYLE
Expanding on the sophisticated elegance of the current line, the new dv series is defined by fluid, modern lines and metalized finishes with surprising innovations inside and out. The dv4 series Imprint pattern provides interesting contrast to the liquid appearance of the metallic finish. And touch media controls light up and become visible only when the system is powered on further enhancing the clean appearance. HP’s mobile products have won coveted International Red Dot, iF and CES Innovation design awards and been recognized by other leading design institutions.

 

MOBILE ENTERTAINMENT
Providing more choices than ever, HP MediaSmart enables access to DVDs, videos, photos, music, Internet⁽¹⁾ TV, and streamed or recorded TV (with an optional TV Tuner) at the touch of a button. Get access to watch the best video clips from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and MTV. Built-in demos show you how to add music to your slide shows or videos with drag-and-drop functionality – and much more. An HDMI port enables you to watch films on an HD TV. Muvee Reveal makes creating films complete with effects and transitions a snap! Extras include dual headphone jacks and an HP Mobile Remote Control. It’s time to play!

DESIGNED FOR YOUR LIFE
For those who want digital entertainment features and the latest mobile technologies in a stunning design that travels well, the HP Pavilion dv4 series Entertainment Notebook PC delivers! Its elegant Imprint finish helps protect your system while on the go.

HP Pavilion notebook PCs help you work faster, connect in new ways and play more.

• Connect with the HP Webcam. Turn your next instant message into a live video chat with the integrated webcam, omni directional microphone and an IM solution. Optimized for low-light environments, it's great for capturing short videos to share on your favorite social networking site. Personalize your videos with included YouCam software from Cyberlink.⁽¹⁾
• Enhanced security with hard drive protection. HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection locks your hard drive into place when it senses abrupt motion to help prevent data loss. The built-in eSATA/USB Combo port enables fast backup to an external hard drive.
• Personalized disc labels with LightScribe. Create custom laser-etched disc labels right in the drive with LightScribe and preinstalled Cyberlink DVD Suite. Just burn data on the disc, flip it over and burn the cover image using any scanned image and/or text. Visit the LightScribe Web site for more information.⁽²⁾
• Photo-ready with 5-in-1 media card reader. Transfer photos from your digital camera in seconds.
• Full-memory access. Windows Vista^®(3) 64-bit operating systems are able to fully access system memory to support 3D games and complex applications.

 

⁽¹⁾ Internet access required and sold separately.
⁽²⁾ Actual speeds may vary. Don’t copy copyright-protected materials. Double Layer is a new technology. Double Layer media compatibility will widely vary with some home DVD players and DVD-ROM drives. LightScribe creates a monochrome image. LightScribe media required and sold separately.
⁽³⁾ Certain Windows Vista product features require advanced or additional hardware. See www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/hardwarereqs.mspx and www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/capable.mspx for details. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can help you determine which features of Windows Vista will run on your computer. To download the tool, visit www.windowsvista.com/upgradeadvisor.

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Customer Reviews

Amazing!
Before buying this laptop I had bought one from Gateway and it gave me so many problems that I couldn't stand it. I returned it to the store and my only other option for the same price was this laptop. I absolutely love it! Its 100x sturdier than the Gateway and much better looking with its lightup "HP" symbol and cool design. Also, the performance is just as good.

PROS
-durability
-style
-speed
-price
-hardware
-audio quality(high definition)
-ports (HDMI, eSATA, VGA, USB)
-comes with a remote
-battery life (over 2 hours of heavy use)

CONS
-runs hot
-seems to be a little buggy (video card driver crashes every once in a while but recovers itself after a few seconds. Reinstalling driver didn't fix the problem)
-there is no program that comes with the computer or from HP that allows the webcam settings to be changed (resolution, quality, etc)


Overall I LOVE this laptop though and I'm glad that I bought it regardless of its flaws. The value is amazing!
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Good value - basic laptop
My sister needed a basic laptop to run Powerpoint and use web based apps like gmail, google docs, etc. And take it on the road while making presentations to customers. A netbook was tempting but she needed the DVD unit so we chose this one instead. It is slow, but that was fixed by turning off many unnecessary Windows Vista services that just consume too much CPU power. After tweaking Vista (it took about 2 hours, you can google the term "Tweak Windows Vista" and get to a great site with the proper info) we manage to run it very fast. We also did a clean install of Windows XP and it works even better. At that point we got what we wanted: a Netbook with god battery life and a DVD unit all for less that $499 after rebates. For $499 a good value. For $700 it is a bit overpriced as at that price point the basic Macbook at $999 is a better option hardware wise.

Excellent Value
I purchased this laptop about a month ago to be used primarily at home, but needed something that was highly portable for trips, as well as something I could use for remote work logins. Since it is a Vista unit, we've not yet gotten all of the RDP/VPN kinks worked out, but it's just a matter or time.

THE GOOD:
The size and weight of the unit is perfect for portability, and while the color (white) is not my all-time favorite, it is not an unappealing color scheme. The built-in mic and camera work flawlessly with any of the messenger-type applications I've tried. Goodbye, plug-in webcams! The image, too, is better than I thought it would be. I was also concerned that the battery would jut out in the back, as many of the newer laptops do--this one does not. I actually use it as a lap top PC--it rests on my lap as I type--so I did not want a battery configuration that would prove to be uncomfortable. Plus, it came with *almost* all of the features I was looking for--a wealth of USB ports, webcam and mic, DVD player (with lightscribe). Slingbox software also comes preinstalled on this unit, though you will have to purchase a slingbox if you want to use that functionality. It also runs DVDs well. If desired, you can use it with the included remote control (I have not).

THE BAD:
The biggest drawback to this unit is its battery life. I charged the battery up fully before disconnecting the power supply initially, and have run it down fully before recharging each time, and even on "power saver" mode, the battery life does not reach 3 hours, though it is rated for 5+. That is pretty disappointing, but I recognize that using the Internet with multiple applications open simultaneously does drain the battery faster. The other thing I had hoped to find on the unit was a full version of MS Office 2007. It, like many, comes with a trial version--though there are units out there now with full versions of this product at comparable price points.

THE UGLY:
Aside from the issues of Vista compatibility (particularly with the RDP/VPN issue above and the "run as administrator" idiocy), there's not much about this laptop that falls in this category. Plus, since this unit came with a free upgrade to Windows 7, it is hoped that that sordid Vista tale will have a happy ending.

CONCLUSION:
This is a compact, full-featured laptop that is very well priced.