HP Pavilion dv2 user reviews

Pros Very lightweight, performs well, sleek-looking design, less expensive than other ultraportables with similar specs.

Cons Runs warm and can get a bit hot at times, occasionally lags when running multiple apps, smooth touch pad.

Summary I began searching for a new laptop in June. My old one was a 10lb Gateway with a 17in. screen. It was a pain to carry to class and the 70GB HD was too small for my needs. I wanted something much lighter and smaller, while still being a comfortable main computer with enough HD space for music and movies, and quick enough for my usual tasks. I bought this laptop in early July with the same configuration as the one CNET tested. It was $679+taxes with the $50 mail-in rebate I got.

Mostly, I just want to address the cons I listed:

Heat: It runs warm and at times can get a bit hot. Some people are whiny about this, but it doesn't bother me enough that it'd discourage me from buying it again.

Processor: Heavy use for me is 20 or so Firefox tabs, MS Word, and AIM. So while others have complained about the processor, it's rarely an issue for me. On the occasion that it lags, it's only a few seconds.

Touch pad: The smooth touch pad was actually the biggest con for me. It definitely takes some getting used to, but increasing the pointer speed helps. You also have to wipe it off once a day or so, or else oil buildup from your fingers will make the pointer go wonky. It does have a handy little button above it to turn it off for those occasions, though. The smooth touch pad is a small issue, but an issue nonetheless.

Overall, I really like this laptop. Other ultraportables seem to be either more expensive or have less impressive specs. It's a fully functional laptop that's light enough to take to class, but doesn't break the bank. Apparently I'm one of the middle-ground consumers CNET isn't sure exists.

Pros Not your garden variety pantsy netbook. Comes with processing power quite a bit faster than low-powered Intel and good graphics for light gaming, but not so light it looks ridiculous like all the netbooks out there (except Asus N10).

Cons Does not switch off the on-board ATI for battery consumption, thus draining battery considerably. This alone has drawn some pretty harsh criticism among people who have gotten so used to netbooks.

Summary I'm rating this a 5-star to offset the biased opinions expressed by the first two "Atom-boys" who are oblivious of users' demand. What are Atom notebooks? Atom-boys would have you believe that all you ever need from a subnotebook is web browsing, Microsoft Office, and movies. That may be true for new computer users or people who already have workstation class PCs and just want a mini for portable reading purposes. Now ask yourselves, isn't that what a PDA is for? Sure people clamor for more screen space, and that's why EeePC 1st gen did so well. But what started out as a test market for inexpensive subnotebooks gradually turned into stagnant water as the price for newer models never drop to the affordability level. What we have now is premium price for sub-par performance. For about 499 you're basically getting a text-reader (albeit in color as opposed to the Amazon slate thing) that comes without a DVD drive. What HP offers here is less than 700 bucks for hybrid solution, that is bundled with an external drive. Expensive? Maybe to some. But for about the same price the best and affordable portable in the ultra-lightweight category is a C2D with pitiful integrated graphics. For less than 700, HP/AMD decided people should have previous gen graphics--as opposed to near-zero graphics, and that is what burns the battery and register higher heat. But is it hot enough to melt down the set? Well, if you've used C2D sets like MacBook or anything new with Nvidia chips before, the DV2 is nearly as hot on load. Otherwise it is cool at idle especially with Energy Saver set to minimum. For extra battery life and lower power you are strongly encouraged to undervolt. Google for a solution.

Pros Plenty of ports, compact, beautifully finished, excellent keyboard, smooth operating.
Perfect for travel.

Cons Battery life is ok, but could be better, gets a little warm, no LCD screen.

Summary Someone reviewed this absolutely ripping HP and this product, but it's actually good for what you pay. For a compact notebook such as this one, you can't expect to get the whole nine yards. I bought this for travelling, and it's perfect for what I need it for. Granted, the battery COULD be better, but processors in laptops do a lot more than a netbook, and this dv2 will run for 3 full hours and that's doing multiple tasks while being online, which isn't bad at all. I originally was going for an Asus, but that'll be my next purchase. All in all, a great notebook, love it for travel, for a nice price. (728.00 CDN taxes in)

Pros Sleek, small, beautiful.Super bright display. Pretty good battery life.

Cons Slow performance, runs a little hot. Vista 64bit has slow boot time.

Summary I have the white model. It's an eye-catcher. My co-workers drool over it. I'm personally not crazy about the AMD chip. I think it's slow. I definitely don't like Vista 64 bit. It takes over 4 minutes to boot everything up. Also - there is only room for one 4 gig RAM. Yet, there is an open slot next to the RAM slot that isn't being used. I don't know what it's used for -- but RAM chips won't fit into it. ATC though, I love this little notebook. I own 4 notebooks. This one is used more than all of them now.