Review of the HP Pavilion DV9730US 17.0" Entertainment Laptop

The entertainment line of notebooks from HP has seen a great deal of success. Marketing notebooks in this way give consumers the impression that they're going to get a notebook that is more powerful and capable then they may have had in the past. In this review I've gotten my hands on a 17" notebook from this line; the HP Pavilion DV9410US. I'm going to give it a once over and let you know if it truly deserves the entertainment notebook classification. First we'll start with a few of the essentials.

Hardware:

Imaging: integrated webcam

Processor: 64-bit 2.2 GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-64 dual-core

Storage Space: a 250 GB hard drive

RAM: 3 GB of RAM (upgradable to a 4 GB maximum)

Optical Drive: a CD R/RW with integrated dual-layer DVD +/- drive

Graphics Accelerator: Nvidia GeForce Go 7150M graphics (using up to 1071 MB of available system and dedicated memory)

Dimensions and weight: 15.1" x 11.2" x 1.6" and weighs about 7.7lbs.

Right out of the box the most striking thing about this notebook is the glossy wave imprinted bezel. Just be sure you are aware of the appearance of this notebook before you make the purchase so they are no surprises when you get it home. The performance of this wave encrusted machine is excellent. The AMD is a strong powerplant and I love that this notebook comes with 3GB of RAM preloaded. The hard drive has ample room at 250GB. Gamers will be happy with the graphics card and will be able to enjoy most games currently available with at excellent resolutions.

Connectivity:

Integrated Wireless

1 Ethernet port (so that this notebook can connect to wired LANs)

4 2.0 USB ports (The gold standard in peripheral connectivity use with the likes of mice, keyboards, printers, and iPods)

1 FireWire port (these ports are used for high speed data transfer typically between digital camcorders or other compatible PCs)

1 VGA port (this is a typical monitor connection)

1 S-Video port (this is used as a typical projector connection, and sometimes a compatible TV)

1 ExpressCard slot (to add temporary hardware like a Bluetooth adapter or cellular modem)

2 audio outputs, 1 microphone inputs

5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)

1 56K modem jack (so that this notebook can dial-up a network connection)

This notebook has great connectivity and makes it perfect for a desktop replacement. The notebooks very capable performance is a bargain at the online average price of $1300. This is a perfect notebook for those students looking for a desktop replacement in their dorm but still want to be able to play games watch movies and listen to music. It would do fine in the office (although employees may get too distracted from all of the capabilities I just listed). I don't foresee this notebook dropping in price anytime soon but keep a look on during the high season at the beginning of August.