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- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
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15 out of 16 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"This is what a computer should be."
Pros: Options, performance, pricing protection, functionality.
Cons: Touchpad is a little narrow, undersized right shift button, fingerprint-magnet top.
Summary: First, my configuration:
Genuine Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5600 (1.83 GHz)
17.0" WXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1440x900)
256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7600
HP IMPRINT Finish + Microphone
1.0GB DDR2 SDRAM (2x512MB)
100 GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth
High Capacity 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
System Recovery DVD w/Windows XP Media Center
Let me go ahead and preface this by saying that I originally ordered a Dell Inspiron E1705 with a nearly identical set up (the Dell had the Core Duo, not Core 2 Duo, and an 80 gig drive) and for almost exactly the same price. The Dell crashed four times the first night - in addition to horrible light leak on the screen - so the day after I received it, I ordered the HP and sent the Dell back. I placed the HP order on 10.13, with an estimated built-by date of 10.23. The unit shipped on 10.24, and was here by 10.26. Before I even received the comp, HP had already impressed me with their pricing protection policy. The policy says that if the price of your comp goes down within 30 days of ordering it, call them for a credit. I was dubious, but about a week after I placed my order (before I received it), I re-priced my computer, and they were offering a free upgrade to XP Media Center and free upgrade to 1.0 GB memory that wasn't available when I ordered it. I called HP, and about an hour later, I had a $140 credit on my HP account, which meant that I paid under $1600 after my EPP discount and $150 instant savings (not including the $50 rebate). I'm not sure if other companies do that, but I was amazed at how easily and quickly it was to get that adjusted. Be sure that you re-price your order with the exact same build within those thirty days to see if you can get a better deal.
This thing is a just a phenomenal DTR. It's sturdy - but not heavy - beautiful (although that glossy top is frustrating), powerful, fast, and fun. My main usage is for net surfing, downloading music/movies/TV shows, and some light gaming (Civ, Final Fantasy, Magic Online), as well as some miscellaneous other stuff like downloading concerts and converting from FLAC and SHN to WAV. This thing will do it all. I love that I can transfer files to my mp3 player while downloading music and watching vids with no noticeable lag. I love the media controls, and that beeping really isn't as annoying as I expected, although I can see where it could be. The dual-headphone jacks are great since my girlfriend likes to listen to music while I'm watching TV, or when we're at our friends' house and the guys wanna watch one thing, while the girls wanna watch something else. Seriously, this thing is just exactly what you want. There a few personal preference things that I've encountered that you might want to note:
I hate the undersized right Shift key. Two weeks of using it, and I'm still trying to get used to it. Along the same lines, the touch pad is a little narrow. I frequently find myself in the scroll-bar part of the pad when playing games (although that built-in scroll bar is AWESOME). As stated, the glossy top shows fingerprints, and the protective sheet that came on it would detract so much from the sleekness of it, that I decided not to continue using it (The included cloth works great to wipe away the fingerprints). Additionally, the open button is located right in the middle, making it a little cumbersome to open. The keyboard is nicely arranged, although the placement of the Home, Delete, etc. keys take some getting used to. But the numberpad is a HUGE benefit. Only getting 80 or so usable gigs kind of irked me at first, but I bought an external hard drive to store my non-essential stuff on, so now it doesn't really bother me. There are a few programs you'll want to uninstall, but there's really not too much to worry about as far as bloatware. The speaker quality also isn't the best at louder volumes, although it is above average (I'm picky about sound, though).
Overall, if you're looking for solid desktop replacement that can handle anything you throw at it, you should seriously consider buying this one. It's high-end at a reasonable price. There's lots of room for customization, it's sleek, the screen is beautiful, and with the dual-core chip, it's wicked fast. The pricing protection policy should alleviate any buyer's remorse. What more could you want?
On a final note, I take a little issue with Cnet's review. Yeah, if you're a hardcore gamer, you're going to want to max out your comp for the best gaming experience possible. But for everyday applications, you don't need a beast of a computer. In my opinion, this computer has everything that the everyday user could want. I didn't want to end up with too much computer, but I didn't want to have to start looking for another one in the next year. I didn't need a webcam or TV tuner, but the options were there, which was cool. It's Vista-ready, it's got a dual-core processor (even though Intel just released its quad-core, dual-core still hasn't even realized its full potential), so it's viable for at least the next couple of years, and you can get it at an incredible price. I really think, when compared to computers that aren't gaming machines, the Pavilion 9000 belongs at the top of the list.
- 2 replies to this review
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I agree. Spectacular. My comment is to Vista's Ultimate operating system. Currently, there are no drivers available for my Canon Multifunction printer. Of interest, my dv9000t was purchased from Hp. The "free all-in-one printer" from Hp also has no Vista drivers. I am currently unable to print.
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Thanks for writing that review. Makes my decision easier as I am interested in getting a dv9000 (customized of course). At first I wasn't sure whether I really needed a 512 MB graphics card as I am not a "hard core" gamer and the 256 MB graphics card would do just fine for everyday work and not too heavy games. I am looking to use this comp as an entertainment notebook rather than a super gaming machine.
Think you can answer this question for me?
Q: Does the screen rotate the full 180 degrees back?
