Though there's considerable overlap in features and specs between Pavilion and Presario models, Pavilions generally offer more in the multimedia department, with features such as QuickPlay, which lets you play DVDs and CDs without booting Windows; media card readers and TV tuners; and double-layer DVD burners with HP's LightScribe technology (which laser-etches labels on discs). If you can do without these kinds of perks, check out the Presario family models, which are otherwise similar and start at lower price points.

The Pavilion line's main attractions are the thin-and-light dv1000, the first HP laptop to feature an Intel Core Duo processor; the midsize dv4000 and dv5000; and the desktop-replacement dv8000, which features options such as Windows XP Media Center, a PCI Express card TV tuner, and a dual-lamp display. We expect the lone Pentium 4-based model, the zd8000, to be phased out sometime in 2006. The HP dv family has some significant differences among components and processors options: The dv5000 and the dv8000 feature the AMD Turion, whereas the dv4000 and the dv1000 go with Intel's Celeron and Pentiums. Also, there's no option for a discrete GPU on the dv1000. Otherwise, you can expect the assortment of multimedia features described above. As a group, the dv series is competitively priced and appropriate for basic productivity and multimedia use.

The remainder of the Pavilion line includes HP's "value" models. Design-wise, the zv6000 is something of a compromise between the dv4000 and dv8000--it's only slightly chunkier than the dv4000, but at 8 pounds, heavy enough to be called a desktop replacement. You can configure it with an AMD Athlon 64 or Sempron processor, and there's an option for a low-end ATI GPU. Though it has a 15.4-inch wide-screen display, it's quite similar to a Presario in its lack of other multimedia extras. The Pavilion with the lowest starting price, the 6.5-pound ze2000, sits between the dv4000 and dv1000 on the size and weight spectrum; it features a standard-aspect 15-inch display and can accommodate both Intel and AMD processors and an integrated or discrete GPU.

While high-end configurations can reach $2,000 or more, Presario models generally have the lowest starting prices of any HP laptop. If you're looking for a laptop to use for straightforward productivity and communication tasks, such as word processing and e-mail, a Presario laptop is usually HP's most cost-efficient option.

Like the Pavilion dv5000, dv4000, and dv1000, the Presario V5000, V4000, and V2000 models are quite similar in terms of looks, features, and component options. Starting at around $500, the V2000 weighs just more than 5 pounds and has a 14-inch wide-screen display--specs that are virtually identical to the dv1000's. Likewise, the V4000 starts at $750, weighs about 6.3 pounds, and has a 15.4-inch wide-screen display--just like the dv4000. And the V5000 is almost a replica of the V4000, only with AMD processor options, and as a result, a lower starting price.

The Presario M2000 is an older model, one of the few remaining laptops in HP's lineup with a standard-aspect display. It's a close relative of the Pavilion ze2000 value model and starts for $100 less. The Presario M4000 series, an analog of the Pavilion zv6000, features only AMD processors and at almost 8 pounds, is the heaviest of the Presario models.

HP's business lineup includes an array of black-and-gray laptops that come in a variety of sizes and form factors. Like the Pavilion and Presario lines, HP's business laptops are highly configurable; unlike the others, they come standard with a long, three-year warranty that places them among the leaders for service and support terms.

The logic of how HP parcels its business laptops into its three subcategories--Performance, Thin-and-light, and High Mobility--is far from clear. Nevertheless, the HP nx models are targeted toward the small-business customer and have much lower starting prices, while the pricier HP nc models have more enterprise-level features, such as security, support for common docking and accessories, superior durability, and more comprehensive warranties.

The Performance category contains two basic designs. The 9-pound-plus nx9600 is a true-blue desktop replacement; with its curved edges, it bears a striking resemblance to a number of Presario models, though its feature set makes it most like a sibling of the Pavilion zd8000 model. Quite configurable, the nx9600 features the Pentium 4 processor (increasingly rare on laptops); a 17-inch wide-screen display; up to 2GB of RAM; and a decidedly entertainment-friendly group of features, including a low-end ATI GPU. The other model in the Performance group, the 5.8-pound nc8230, is also sold as the nw8240 Mobile Workstation. Though they're extremely similar--15.4-inch wide-screen display, Pentium M processor, fairly portable case--the nw8240 has some different OS options, a stronger video processor, and a much higher starting price. Size-wise, they are similar to the HP Compaq nx6125.

HP's Thin-and-light category also encompasses two basic form factors. The heavier of the two designs incorporates the nx6110, the nc6120 and the nc6140, and the nx6125, each of which feature a 15-inch standard-aspect display and a 6-pound weight. The nc6140 is the first HP laptop to feature built-in cellular networking.

Though they share a common design, a 14.1-inch display, and processor options, the nc6220 and nc6230 feature different chipsets and graphics subsystems. The nc6220 ships with Intel's 915GM chipset with an integrated graphics engine, and the nc6230 has the ATI Mobility Radeon X300 GPU.

The nc4200 is the sole member of HP's High Mobility category. At less than 4 pounds, it's the lightest member of HP's entire laptop lineup--consumer models included--and also a bit less configurable than the rest. It lacks the integrated optical drive found on many other comparably sized laptops from other vendors and has a somewhat high starting price. That said, the nc42000 offers a 12.1-inch standard aspect display, up to 1GB of RAM, a choice of Pentium M processors, and a decent array of ports and connections.

The lone remaining tablet in HP's lineup, the convertible tc4200 is a close sibling to the ultraportable nc4200. The $2,099 tc4200 unit that CNET tested had good performance and battery life, a responsive keyboard, and a standard three-year warranty. On the downside, at 4.7 pounds, we found it a bit heavy for a tablet, especially one that lacks an optical drive.

Until recently, HP's lineup also included the slate tc1100 model.