HP Pavilion dv 6000 Notebook

Like all the laptops in the HP Pavilion line, the dv6000's sleek design and shiny finish hold their own next to systems from style-conscious manufacturers such as Apple and Sony.

Aside from its good looks, the dv6000 also provides a solid set of entertainment features and high-end components for a fair price. Those components didn't result in record-breaking performance, and its battery life was below average. For these reasons we recommend the Pavilion dv6000 for home users who want a laptop with basic entertainment features and who don't plan to spend a lot of time away from the power outlet.

The HP Pavilion dv6000 measures 14 inches wide, 10.1 inches deep, and 1 inch thick--about the same size as the Dell Inspiron E1505 and the PC Club Enpower ENP680. However, at 6.2 pounds, the Pavilion dv6000 is the lightest of the three; its AC adapter brings the total travel weight to a still portable 7.2 pounds.

LUSTROUS FINISH

We like the HP Pavilion dv6000's 15.4-inch wide-screen display; its native resolution of 1280x800 provides ample real estate for work or play. The screen's glossy finish makes colors pop and look brighter, though we noticed a distracting glare when working next to a window on a sunny day; there is an option to bypass the glossy coating if you intend to use the dv6000 in bright environments. Above the display sits a 1.3-megapixel Webcam that's useful for videoconferencing; two built-in microphones on the display bezel eliminate the need for an external microphone.

Like all Pavilion laptops, the dv6000 includes a row of light-touch buttons above the keyboard that launch the media player and provide volume and playback controls. We like the sleek look of the keys, but we hate the beeping that indicates you've pressed a button; the sound can be disabled, but doing so is rather complicated. The Altec Lansing stereo speakers, located above those controls, deliver decent-quality sound, but unfortunately the sound becomes muffled if you close the laptop lid. The Pavilion dv6000's keyboard is ample and comfortable to type on for long periods, and both touch pad and mouse buttons are entirely usable. We love the Pavilion dv6000's touch pad on/off button, which keeps you from accidentally misplacing the cursor while typing and makes it easy to use an external mouse.

The HP Pavilion dv6000 offers an average mix of ports for a laptop its size. There are four-pin FireWire, VGA, S-Video, and three USB 2.0 ports, as well as a microphone jack and--for those who like to share movies and music with friends--two headphone jacks, one of which supports S/PDIF output. Card slots on the dv6000 read the latest ExpressCards, plus Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, and xD formats. Networking options include Ethernet, modem, and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi; Bluetooth is available as an option. The laptop's double-layer DVD burner includes LightScribe, which lets you burn your own labels onto compatible discs.

Specifications:

• Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
• Model: HP Pavilion dv6000t (Core 2 Duo T7400)
• Screen Size: 15.4 inches
• Weight: 6.1 lb
  
• Processor Name and Options: Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 (2.16 GHz/4MB L2 Cache)
• Choices:
  - Intel(R) Celeron(R) M Processor 420 (1.60 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Celeron(R) M Processor 430 (1.73 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Core(TM) Solo processor T1350 (1.86 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo processor T2050 (1.60 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo processor T2250 (1.73 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5200 (1.60 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5500 (1.66 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5600 (1.83 GHz)
  - Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T7200 (2.0 GHz)
• Chipset type: Intel 940GML
• Graphics Options: Integrated, NVIDIA GeForce Go 7400, 256 MB Dedicated + Shared
• Choices:
  - Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 950 - Celeron
  - Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 950 - Core
  - 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7500
• Memory /RAM: 1GB DDR2 SDRAM @667 MHz (2 x 512MB)
• Choices:
  - 512MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
  - 512MB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
  - 1024MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
  - 2048MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• Hard Drive/Storage Capacity: 120 GB

• Choices:
  - 40GB 5400RPM SATA
  - 60GB 5400RPM SATA
  - 80GB 5400RPM SATA
  - 100GB 5400RPM SATA
  - 120GB 5400RPM SATA
  - 160GB 5400RPM SATA
  - 200GB 4200RPM SATA
• Primary Optical Drive: DVD+R DL
• Choices:
  - DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
  Super Multi 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support - LightScribe Super Multi 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
• Networking Options: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11 a/b/g
• Choices:
  - 802.11b/g WLAN
  - Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
  - Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth
• Primary Battery: 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Choices:
  - 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
  - Extra 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
  - Extra 12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

Pros:

- Great Multitasking.
- Decent Battery Life.
- Comfortable Keyboard.
- Quality Audio.
- Excellent LCD.
- Media Card Reader.

Cons:

- Max GPU is Go 7400.
- Missing a HDMI Port.
- No PCMCIA Port.
- Fingerprint Magnet.
- No Recovery DVDs.
- Easily Scratched.

The dv6000t is a great customizable notebook for all kinds of people. Whether you need just a basic laptop to surf the web and write documents, a medium range gaming machine, or something to just crunch lots of data this notebook can do it all when configured appropriately. It’s hard to find things wrong with such a beautiful and well built laptop, I can’t stop admiring its zen-type design even while I type this. Overall I think this is very balanced and priced very well comonentwise. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who needs a powerful machine, while still retaining stylish and futuristic looks.