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CNET editors' rating:
3.5 stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating - Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 22 reviews
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Product summary
The good: Very strong overall performance; complete set of multimedia controls; attractive design; crisp display; plays CDs and DVDs without booting up.
The bad: Lacks option for Windows XP Media Center and discrete GPU; mediocre battery life.
The bottom line: When configured with Intel's Core Duo processor, the HP Pavilion dv1000t adds cutting-edge power to its strong combination of multimedia capabilities and attractive, portable design.
Specifications: Processor: Intel Core Duo (2 GHz); RAM installed: 512 MB DDR II SDRAM; Weight: 5.3 lbs; See full specs
CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 02/14/2006
- Released on: 02/20/2006
The HP Pavilion dv1000 has been a mainstay of HP's laptop lineup since 2004, and during that time has become one of CNET readers' most favored models. With the Pavilion dv1000t, HP gives its thin-and-light updated internal components (read: Intel's Core Duo processor), makes some useful tweaks to the design and the feature set, and doubles the starting price. Though HP still doesn't offer Windows XP Media Center or a discrete GPU for the Pavilion dv1000t, it serves up excellent power and multimedia functionality for the price; for more basic use, we recommend the far less expensive Pavilion dv1000 model.
Aesthetically, the black-and-silver Pavilion dv1000t is very similar to its siblings, the 6.7-pound Pavilion dv4000 and the 8.3-pound dv8000z. Just like the original Pavilion dv1000, the dv1000t weighs 5.5 pounds (6.3 pounds with its absolutely petite power brick) and measures 13.2 inches wide, 9.3 inches deep, and 1.5 inches thick. It's a bit larger and heavier than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z60t and the Sony VAIO FJ and a few ounces lighter than the Dell XPS M140.
The Pavilion dv1000t's 14.1-inch wide-aspect panel has a 1,280x768 native resolution, as do the panels on the XPS M140, the ThinkPad Z60t, and the VAIO FJ. Though we often find HP laptop displays lacking, the Pavilion dv1000t's looks crisp, clear, and bright--considerably brighter than the ThinkPad Z60t's. The Pavilion dv1000t's keyboard isn't full size, but it's responsive and comfortable enough to type on. The touch pad and the mouse buttons are of average size, and the touch pad features vertical scrolling and a convenient on/off button that lets you disable the pad when it's not in use.
Multimedia controls abound: above the keyboard, the Pavilion dv1000t has a complete row of disc-control and volume buttons, as well as two for launching HP's QuickPlay media applications, which can play CDs and DVDs and access photos without booting Windows. Our test unit included a neat built-in Webcam above the display--a feature that adds $50 to the price. The Altec Lansing speakers are loud but light on bass; we prefer the rocking set on the XPS M140.
Like the other models in the Pavilion dv family, the Pavilion dv1000t has a solid array of ports and connections for its class, which are particularly well distributed and clearly labeled. You get a PCIe slot, three USB 2.0 ports (one fewer than on the XPS M140), a four-pin FireWire port, an S-Video out, and a six-in-one media-card reader that supports XD (the XPS M140 does not). Along its front edge sit a microphone jack and two headphone jacks--rare extras. Networking connections include a 56Kbps modem, 10/100 Ethernet, and integrated Wi-Fi (for which the laptop has a handy on/off button). Also onboard is a double-layer DVD burner.
The Pavilion dv1000t's decent software package includes the usual disc-burning apps and even Microsoft Works 8, but no option for Microsoft Windows XP Media Center. That gives the XPS M140 a distinct advantage in the OS category. The Pavilion dv1000t we tested came with Windows XP Professional.
Our high-end test unit had strong components, including a 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500 processor; Intel integrated 945GM graphics, which borrow up to 128MB of main memory; 1GB of DDR2 RAM running at 533MHz; and a 100GB hard drive spinning at 5,400rpm. In CNET Labs' benchmark tests, the Pavilion dv1000t impressed us. Its MobileMark and SysMark scores were right in line with those of much larger and more expensive Core Duo machines, and nearly 70 percent ahead of those of the previous dv1000 model we tested; there's no question that the Pavilion dv1000t is up for nearly any productivity, encoding, or multitasking job. On the other hand, without a discrete GPU, it's practically useless for serious gaming, and we have our doubts about its ability to process video efficiently enough for an enthusiast. At 232 minutes, its battery life is just OK, falling short of the prior model's 246 minutes and the ThinkPad Z60t's 255 minutes, and well short of the XPS M140's battery life of just under six hours.
HP provides solid support. The Pavilion dv1000t comes with a one-year warranty, and for a reasonable fee you can extend the term to three years. While the system is under warranty, HP will also cover the cost of returning it for repairs. HP offers toll-free, 24/7 telephone support and provides free help during the warranty period. The HP support Web site includes one of our favorite support features: real-time chat with a tech rep. Of course, you can also try to troubleshoot problems yourself by searching through the site's FAQ database.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo's MobileMark 2005 performance rating |
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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BAPCo's MobileMark 2005 battery-life minutes |
System configurations:
Dell XPS M140
Windows XP Media Center; 2.13GHz Intel Pentium M 770; 1GB PC3200 DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Mobile Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 80GB 5,400rpm
HP Pavilion dv1000
Windows XP Home; 1.5GHz Intel Pentium M; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Intel 82852/82855 GM/GME up to 64MB; Fujitsu MHT2080AT PL 80GB 4,200rpm
HP Pavilion dv1000t
Windows XP Professional; 2GHz Intel Core Duo T2500; 1GB PC4300 DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Intel 945GM 128MB; Seagate Momentus 5400.2 120GB 5,400rpm
Lenovo ThinkPad Z60t
Windows XP Professional; 2GHz Intel Pentium M 760; 1GB PC4300 DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express chipset 128MB; Toshiba MK1032GSX 100GB 5,400rpm
Sony VAIO VGN-FJ170/B
Windows XP Home; 1.73GHz Intel Pentium M 740; 512MB DDR2 SDRAM PC3200 400MHz; Intel 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express 128MB; Hitachi Travelstar 5K100 100GB 5,400rpm
- See more CNET content tagged:
- HP Pavilion,
- Intel Core Duo,
- Microsoft Windows XP Media Center,
- HP,
- Media Center PC
User reviews
- Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 22 reviews
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"HP Product Reliability and Customer Support not worth the price of admission"
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