HP Pavilion dv6-3040us 15.6-Inch Laptop Review

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(More customer reviews)My take on this experience is: 1) Don't buy computers from Amazon. 2) If you think customer service should fix a problem on a brand new computer to your satisfaction, don't buy HP.
The story: My son was heading off to college, so we wanted to get him a good computer that would withstand all that college could dish out. We thought the HP Pavilion was the one. We ordered it from Amazon which was our first mistake. Once you open the box, Amazon will only refund 85% of the purchase price. Therefore, if something is wrong, you can't send it back to Amazon without losing money - even on a defective computer. There was a problem with the monitor immediately upon taking it out of the box. Since we couldn't send it back to Amazon, we called HP customer service. I asked for a new computer since the one that was defective was received less than 10 minutes prior. Customer service told us they were sending us a box to return the defective computer -- they sent it to the wrong address delaying the return (my son started college without a computer for the first two weeks). Then they told me they would fix the defective computer rather than replacing it. Full price for a fixed defective computer? I argued the point to no avail (don't get me started on how bad customer service is at listening to what you are saying; they have canned responses to what they think you mean and it is extremely frustrating). I finally sent an e-mail to HP and got a case manager in the US. They still refused to replace it; only fix it. Good thing I have a two year warranty!
After 1 week of use, the computer seems fine. Let's see how I feel after a few months.

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HP Pavilion dv6-3040us Notebook - Phenom II N830 2.10 GHz - 15.6" - Brushed Aluminum WQ676UA#ABA Laptops & Notebooks

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Acer Aspire AS7745G-6214 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)My first Acer (owned IBM, Dell, HP). Decided to go big with a desktop replacement laptop and use something else for mobile needs. Amazon delivered it fairly quickly given it was free delivery and it was re-packaged and camouflaged in an Amazon box which made me feel a bit better. Acer does a good job of packaging (box inside box for 3 boxes in total) and everything is well covered to avoid scratches. When it was finally unpacked, my first impression was "my ain't she shiny and pretty" which was followed by "my ain't she heavy and bulky." This isn't a slim, petite machine. It has a BIG footprint as the dimensions imply and after installing the battery (which seems mighty small in comparison), the entire thing is...well...a beast. But so far, this beast is super fast and super quiet (kinda of like a strong, stealthy vampire if I can use a contemporary cliche). Okay, let's go to the evaluation list...
Features' evaluation:
* Attractive package. Piano black outer top-shell and screen frame with faint lines on the outside piece. Yeah, it's plastic unlike some that are using metal these days but you have to try to keep the weight within reason. But the downside is of course fingerprints all over the case. I'm not crazy fussy about such things so I can ignore it.
* Nice keyboard. Though not back-lit, the keys are nicely arranged and have a very good feel to them. As a long-time Windows user, I appreciate that the function keys and arrow keys (wish they were bigger) are the dominant named/colored keys in their rightful places and the little special functions (like turning features on and off) are the subsidiary keys.
* Beautiful, big screen. The 17.3" screen is a very nice size and I really like the 1600x900 resolution which is better than many laptops of a similar size. There's a small issue with the vertical viewing angle which is very narrow. You will find yourself adjusting the screen a bit back and forth each time you start it up to get the right viewing angle depending on how you're sitting.
* Decent sound. I wouldn't rave about the external sound but it's not horrible. It required some tweaking in the settings to get a reasonable, non-muffled quality. Granted, we usually use headphones when playing music or games so the external sound is not the primary way we experience it. When cranked up, there's plenty of external volume (even a sub-woofer that fires out the bottom) to watch video or play basic games but you'll want to use headphones to fully experience richer, more complex sound.
* Ports aplenty. For my own purposes, there's enough ports. HDMI and VGA are available on the left along with the sound related jacks (kind of prefer these on the front edge but still better than on the right). Only one USB 2.0 port on the left and the other 3 are on the right. This is a tiny bit problematic in that if you use an external mouse (like I do) and are right-handed (like me) then you'll ideally want the IR transmitter in the left port. Then if you want digital sound and go with a USB headset, where do you go? Right side where you mouse? Hmm. Well I solved the problem by getting a mouse with a mini IR port plug and put it in a right-side USB jack freeing up the left one for USB headphones. And use the left side analog sound jack for basic listening. And of course, I wish the USB ports were 3.0 compliant but that's really future-proofing beyond what I think is truly necessary (you'll probably need a new laptop for other reasons by the time 3.0 is the dominant standard).
* Blu-Ray is the way. Great having a BD combo drive and everything so far has worked perfectly. Watched a B-R disc (Terminator TV show which looked and sounded terrific) and it came out in a beautiful 720p resolution (which given the size of this screen is just fine). I outputted the video to my 42" 1080p TV and that came out beautiful (in 1080p too!) without any tweaking (ATI is getting better at this). Burned some DVD backup discs and loaded some software. All without a hitch. I'm not crazy about the tray popping out as it's a bit flimsy hanging out there and would have preferred a slot loader like how the Macs do it but it works.
* Battery life? Given it's a 6 cell battery, you can't stray too far from an outlet. If I wanted to take this on the road, I'd look to upgrade to at least a 9 cell. You can barely squeak 60-90 minutes out of this tiny little battery (more if you dial way back on the brightness). Also, the power brick is a decent size but not what I would call mammoth. There is a strange aspect to the power port which makes for plugging and unplugging a bit tricky. It fits kind of like a key in that there's little slots that have to line up as well as connecting to the pin. Why Acer chose this type of connection is beyond me.
* Heat dissipation & Quiet! Probably the two biggest "positive" surprises are how well this machine handles heat and how amazingly quiet it is. There's a nice sized blower vent and fan on the left side actively gets rid of most of the heat and it is extremely (scary) quiet especially given that there's an i7 chip and a decent 1 GB ATI graphics card inside. Some machines can be hard to even talk over or the external sound gets muffled by fan noise which is simply not the case here. I've never once had this machine lock up while running and I play some MMO's like Lord of the Rings Online and Guild Wars.
* Graphics power horse. The 1 GB ATI 5650 is really a sweet-spot card. Big enough to run most games on high settings while dialing back just a bit for only the MOST graphically intensive, new stuff. Yeah, it isn't a 58xx card but it doesn't take a massive cooling fan to cool the thing either. And laptops with the 58xx cards are even bigger and heavier than this machine. I think it's a highly functional (DX 11 compatible) card for a high-end laptop.
* Miscellaneous. The web cam is pretty good and I actually had a reasonable conversation using the built-in microphone over a Steam module connection. The touch pad has a kind of Teflon coating like on a Calphalon pan and is pretty easy to use in comparison to other pads. A single larger rocker button on the touch pad works well. There's some bloatware installed (McAfee trial the most annoying) but it's not hard to uninstall what bothers you. Windows 7 64-bit is snappy on this machine given its 8 GB of RAM. 500 GB of hard disk space is more than enough for my needs and though maybe the 5400rpm HD is slower than some, it also consumes less energy than the speedier 7200rpm drives. But there's plenty of guts-access easily available under the machine if you want to put in a bigger, faster HD. I'd like to go solid-state in the future and I don't see a problem making that upgrade after pricing and disk size reach my buy-point. Haven't used it's Bluetooth ability yet but I don't have any of those devices. It has strong and fast wi-fi signal acquisition.
Finally, I'd rate her 4.5 stars if I had that option as there's a few small quirks preventing me from going all the way to 5 stars. The price was right here (below $1200) and the 12 month financing was a real bonus and what kicked me to the buy point. So overall, I'm extremely pleased with this purchase and expect years of good use from it.

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Acer Aspire 7745G: Immersive Entertainment
Take your media enjoyment to a new level with the Acer Aspire 7745G (AS7745G-6214) PC laptop, which features a 17.3-inch LED-backlit CineCrystal display with a fast response time so that fast action moves seamlessly across the screen and a 16:9 aspect ratio--perfect for viewing content created for the widescreen. And it combines best-in-class Intel Core i7 processing power and stunning ATI Radeon HD graphics with a Blu-ray Disc drive for viewing movies in crystal-clear HD resolution and a Dolby-optimized surround-sound system for an immersive on-the-go cinema experience. And the Blu-ray Disc drive includes an integrated SuperMulti drive for creating your own DVDs and CDs.

You'll be able to burn through the hottest new digital media, content creation and advanced 3D gaming with the breakthrough performance of the Intel Core i7 processor thanks to the combination of Intel Turbo Boost technology and Intel Hyper-Threading technology, which maximizes performance to match your workload.

Enjoy the next generation of video playback with the HDMI output, which allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video and audio to your digital TV or capable external monitor. The 1.3-megapixel HD webcam presents vivid images even in low-light situations so you can go face-to-face in online chats and easily take still pictures and videos to share. A Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of web sites. And the 8 GB of DDR3 memory helps power through tasks.

This Aspire laptop comes pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version).

Key Features
17.3-inch CineCrystal LED-backlit widescreen display with 1600 x 900-pixel resolution (native 720p for high-definition viewing). Its widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio is designed to present websites without lots of left-right scrolling, as well as with a smoother line of sight. Specs include a 220-nit high brightness rating, 8ms response time, and 60 percent color gamut.
1.6 GHz Intel Core i7-720QM processor (with Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.80 GHz) delivers maximum processing power in response to peak demands. Intel's Turbo Boost technology maximizes speed for demanding applications, dynamically accelerating performance to match your workload--providing more performance when you need it the most. It also comes equipped with Intel HD Graphics--an advanced video engine that delivers smooth, high-quality HD video playback, and advanced 3D capabilities, providing an ideal graphics solution for everyday computing.
500 GB SATA hard drive (5400 RPM)
8 GB of installed DDR3 RAM (1066 MHz; expandable to 16 GB)
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics deliver advanced technology to deliver cinema-quality audio and video with 1 GB of DDR3 discrete graphics memory. Using ATI Stream technology, it helps accelerate even the most demanding applications, enabling you to do more than ever with your notebook. It's compatible with the latest DirectX 11 games
Watch Blu-ray Disc movies in crystal clear resolution with the read-only Blu-ray drive; this notebook also includes an integrated 4x DVD±R/RW SuperMulti drive capable of reading/writing of CD-R/RW, DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD±R DL, and DVD-RAM.
Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites such as Google Earth. It also enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more. (Learn more)
1.3-megapixel Crystal Eye webcam with a built-in digital microphone that helps keep background noise levels low and minimizes echoes. Acer Video Conference Manager software supports 1280 x 1024 resolution online video calls.
2 integrated stereo speakers and 1 subwoofer supporting low-frequency effects
Dolby Home Theater suite of technologies delivers virtual surround sound from stereo speakers or any pair of headphones.
Headphones/speaker/line-out with SPDIF support for true 5.1-channel surround-sound output
Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking capability provides up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range using 802.11n-compatible routers as you would with 802.11g networks. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found at Wi-Fi hotspots and in older home routers). This laptop uses Acer InviLink Nplify technology that enables multi-stream input or output for faster and more reliable bandwidth, and it also offers Acer SignalUp technology for enhanced antenna efficiency.
Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity enables you to communicate and synchronize wirelessly with Bluetooth-enabled peripherals such as printers and cell phones.
Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000)
Multi-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard (MMC), Memory Stick (MS), Memory Stick PRO (MS PRO), xD-Picture Card (xD)
Four USB 2.0 ports
HDMI high-definition audio/video output allows a single cable to transmit uncompressed high-definition video to your digital TV or LCD. It also includes a standard VGA video output.
Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. And you can watch shows for free when and where you want with Internet TV on Windows Media Center. Get the best entertainment experience with Windows 7 Home Premium.
Get more features with Windows Anytime Upgrade. It's the best way to add features to Windows 7, takes as few as ten minutes, requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process.(Learn more)
Pre-loaded software includes Microsoft Works SE 9.0 for word processing and spreadsheet work. Enjoy a 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007.
Up to 2.5 hours of battery life (6-cell, 4400 mAh battery)
Dimensions: 16.1 x 11.3 x 1.6 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 7.2 pounds
Warranty: One-year parts and labor limited warranty with concurrent International Traveler's Warranty

What's in the Box This package contains the Acer Aspire AS7745G-6214 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions
It also comes with the following software: McAfee Internet Security Suite (trial version); NTI Media Maker; Google Toolbar; Acer Recovery Management; Acer GridVista; Microsoft Works; Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 Trial (60 days); Norton Online Backup

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The Acer Multi-Gesture Touchpad
A Multi-Gesture Touchpad allows you to pinch, flick and swirl your fingers across the touchpad for more natural photo and video viewing as well as intuitive navigation of websites. The Multi-Gesture Touchpad enables you to scroll, zoom in and out and flip through Web pages, photos, spreadsheets and more.

The TouchPad can also be disabled with a one-touch button, eliminating accidental cursor movement with palms and wrists when using an external mouse.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium
Pre-installed with the Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system (64-bit version), you'll be able to easily create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. Windows 7 is the easiest, fastest, and most engaging version of Windows yet. Better ways to find and manage files, like Jump Lists and improved taskbar previews, help you speed through everyday tasks. Windows 7 is designed for faster and more reliable performance, so your PC just works the way you want it to.

And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll be able to add new features to your PC in as little as 10 minutes. Windows will walk you through the simple upgrade process, it requires no software or downloads, and you'll keep your existing programs, files, and settings

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HP Pavilion dv7-4060us 17.3-Inch Laptop Review

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(More customer reviews)I just purchased the HP dv7-4060us on Tuesday. There are so few reviews right now on this because it is such a new system. Right out of the box, this is ready to go. East step-by-step setup will guide you through personal settings, and setting up your wireless network.
The dv7 starts up very quickly. With the Quick Web feature, which I haven't tried to use yet, allows the user to access the Internet without having to start up Windows! This can be set up as the default setting when the unit is initially turned on. Since it doesn't have to boot up Windows, you can literally get online in 1/3 the time. Nice time saver.
Windows 7 took a little bit getting used to. I am switching from an XP Pentium M laptop, so it will take a little time to get acclimated. Should be no trouble, however, for most people. I like the feel of the chicklet style keys, with the full number pad too. 1GB of dedicated graphics, which supports DirectX 11, makes this machine good to great for most mid-to-high levels of graphic intense programs. I should be able to run AutoCAD with shading on this machine flawlessly. The high-performance ATI 5650 GPU can be switched off when operating on battery power, or when there isn't the need for the dedicated graphics. This saves battery usage and overall power consumption. HDD speed is 7200. Often, this is an upgraded charge in many laptops. 4GB DDR3 memory, expandable up to 8GB, should fulfill most needs. The display is brilliant, although not up to 1080P, but for a 17.3", you probably won't notice any issues. The screen does attract fingerprints. It has a large touchpad, however, I use a USB mouse. Use the fingerprint reader if you need the extra security. The webcam is easily viewable, and is very fluid in motion. Wireless card can be enabled/disabled by pressing a button on the keyboard. There are 4 USB ports (2 on either side) and an HDMI port too. The power cord plug is on the right side. This may get in the way slightly if you use a mouse. I didn't have any issue with that in the short time I have owned it. Also has a 9-cell battery, which for some systems, is an up-charge as well.
The specifications and rankings of this dv7-4060us Triple Core processor with 1GB of dedicated graphics, for the low price of $699 really can't be beat. Yes, you can spend another $200-300/minimum and get a little bit beefier machine if you are into heavy duty gaming and whatnot, but for the average to advanced user, this will certainly suit your purposes. For me, I couldn't justify paying the extra amount for more power that I wouldn't even use, for the most part, and I think you will find that to be the same.

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Get the notebook that's made for the way you play and work. Access the music and movies you love using the HP Pavilion dv7-4060us Entertainment Notebook PC. Play your favorite tunes in superior sound, plus edit slideshows and watch DVDs on the large 17.3-inch diagonal High-Definition LED display. Count on fast data entry using the backlit keyboard with numeric keypad and manage your passwords easily using the integrated fingerprint reader and exclusive HP SimplePass software. Discover the HP laptop that delivers style and substance. The sleek, sophisticated HP Pavilion dv7-4060us Entertainment Notebook PC has a brushed aluminum finish with the stream design in argento. Video chat with family and friends across the globe using the integrated HP webcam designed for low-light environments. Burn custom labels onto CDs and DVDs using LightScribe Technology and transfer photos from a digital camera to your HP laptop using the digital media reader. Browse the Web from any room using built-in Wi-Fi, plus enjoy up to 5.5 hours of battery life when you're on the go. IDEAL FOR

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ASUS MT276HE - 27" Wide LCD Monitors - Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this monitor to use specifically for gaming as my current PC monitor just wasn't fast enough for gaming. My main monitor is designed for photography, graphic design or similar uses where color accuracy is more important than speed. Before I go into detail, let me just explain why I gave four stars instead of 5. I feel perfection should be hard to get. Now back to the review. The monitor is well packaged. When I received the monitor, I first tested my PS3 games and no surprise, games look fantastic. I do not really see any ghosting which I do see in my Dell U2410. Contrast and colors look great. Blu-ray movies also looked great. I was surprised at the audio as it was louder and cleaner than I expected for a 3 watt speaker. You can not turn the bass all the way up to the highest setting because the audio starts to distort but it does provide decent bass a couple of notches down. Fortunately my monitor arrived without any dead pixels. The mesh covering the speakers are an interesting choice. Nice if you like flowers but you don't really notice it unless you are paying attention to the detail.
Now the next test was connecting it to my PC. This monitor has three inputs, two digital (HDMI) and one analog (VGA). I tried the HDMI input and no surprise, the colors don't look as great as my Dell U2410 but that is to be expected since this panel is a TN 6-bit panel. It doesn't look bad but it is definitely IPS quality. The screen is a matte screen and not glossy which helps if you work in a room with direct sunlight. Glare sucks on glossy screens and so I avoid them at all cost. Glossy screens do add more contrast but in my opinion, the contrast on this monitor looks amazing.
The monitor runs pretty cool. I used to own a Dell 30" monitor and in the summertime, it made my office get really hot. Since this monitor also has an LED panel, it should use less electricity than a traditional CCFL panel.
The game I play most often is Street Fighter IV (but in a month, that will change when Super Street Fighter IV comes out). I just love how clean and smooth it looks on this screen. There is literally no lag on this monitor. I also tried Unreal Tournament 3 on my PC and wow, the game looks terrific on this monitor. This monitor is definitely my favorite monitor for gaming.
Keep in mind that since the two digital inputs on this monitor are HDMI, you may have a problem initially when you connect your PC to this monitor as it may detect it as an HDTV instead of a PC monitor. You will need to turn off overscan correction on your graphics card settings. This will get rid of the black bars on the side of the screen
The bezel on this monitor is a bit big which means those with ATI graphics cards who want to try out Eyefinity may not want to go with this monitor.
The monitor includes a handy little remote. I am personally not a fan of the credit card sized remote controls which the Asus monitor includes as they tend to get lost easily and due to its size, you can not put a great description of what each of the buttons do. The HDTV does have a slot to hide the remote but I would have rather preferred a slightly larger remote. I sometimes forget what each symbol means but I am sure after a while, I'll get over that.
The monitor includes a 3 year warranty which is rare for computer LCD monitors. Hopefully I won't have to use it but its good to know its there if I need it.
Now for some cons. First of all, I generally like to view my Blu-ray movies at 24 frames per second since that is what movies are generally filmed at. This monitor does not support 24P, or at least when I set it to 24P on my Sony Playstation 3, it loses sync when I play a Blu-ray movie. Since this monitor came out in late 2009, I was expecting it to support 24P. Also the monitor stand can not be tilted. Since I use this as a second monitor, it doesn't line up with my Dell 24" so tilting would have been nice. For the price this monitor goes for, I was hoping it would allow tilting. The volume also does not go low enough. This is a problem because it is in my office and my walls are not thick enough and so I have to wear headphones to make sure I don't wake up my 2 year old son when he is napping. All of the buttons are on the top of the Asus monitor except for the power button. All of the HDTVs in my house have the buttons located in the same section so when I want to power on or off the Asus monitor, I sometimes accidentally reach for the top. I know this is a minor detail but I just wanted to point this out.
Overall I really like this monitor a lot and am happy with my purchase. There are some other features to this monitor which I haven't mentioned yet but its nice that it has a headphone jack for when you want to game at night when everyone in your house is asleep. It has SPDIF output for when you need thumping audio through an audio receiver or a sound bar. I don't expect I'll ever use that but its good to know its there. It is not a very portable monitor but since it doesn't weigh much, you could technically use it for lan parties and such. This monitor is a keeper and I hope it lasts me a long time. If you have any questions, feel free to comment and I will do my best to answer them. If I could give a more accurate score for this monitor, I would rate it a 4.5.


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HP Pavilion dv7-4080us 17.3-Inch Laptop Review

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(More customer reviews)So I bought this laptop yesterday and it arrived today. I only got to use it for an hour before I packed it up and sent it back. My caps lock button would turn on with each button press. Its rather annoying but Amazon is sending me a new one. Overall this laptop is very nice. Beware though, the touchpad is bad. Do yourself a favor and buy a mouse with this. On a very positive note, this laptop is fast and the screen is gorgeous!!! Buy it and a mouse, but beware of the broken caps lock.
Update!: Well my new on was delivered yesterday so I have had a little over a day with it. Its very nice. Like I said before, this puppy is fast. It runs MW2 perfectly. Although it does get rather hot. The keyboard is sweet and it feels perfect. The trackpad on the other hand is ehhhhhh, Its hit or moss most of the time. Overall I would highly recommend this to anyone in need of a cheap high-powered laptop. Buy this.

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HP Pavilion dv7-4180us 17.3-Inch Laptop PC - Up to 7.75 Hours of Battery Life (Argento) Review

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(More customer reviews)I would have given this a 2-star review because of the very bad stock switchable video ATI drivers (which are HP's fault since they force ATI to go through them and not release drivers separately) but that has changed very recently.
First off, trying to find a 17+" screen on any laptop for less than a grand is a hard search - it's mostly Vaios and gaming Acers which are not cheap. Not to mention a real graphics card, an I5, 4 gigs of ram, and Win7. It's also got a pretty decent stock battery, which is large as stated in the other review but it's large in the right way, because it pushes the back up off the surface so it can cool without you having to suspend it over something. It's also surprisingly light: with a 17" screen and a full keyboard with numpad I thought it would be a brick but it's not bad at all.
Initially I was very annoyed at the switchable graphics driver which lets you go between the onboard Intel GMA chip and the separate ATI HD4560 because it was very flaky. For example if you let it sleep while ATI was selected, the switchable driver would no longer work until you rebooted, switching took a long time, and about half the time when you came back from sleep on the Intel GMA chip it would flash red green and you would have to put it back to sleep and try again.
That just recently changed however as they finally updated the driver, now it's quick to change and all the issues seem to have disappeared.
I would probably stick to the Intel GMA as much as possible because it heats up quick with the ATI card and most people don't do anything that requires the ATI card, I can watch full HD movies on the Intel GMA chip because the i5 is optimized to work for it and onboard graphics aren't as terrible as they used to be.
I doubt it would actually overheat if you left ATI on all the time but if you're on Intel GMA it's pushing out a slightly warm breeze whereas with the ATI switched on its definitely hot to the point where it will get uncomfortable if you're anywhere near the vents. Why make it work extra hard to cool down if you don't need to? I would say it's not a failing of the laptop it's just the way things work, graphics cards get hot and it's in a tiny enclosed space, on the onboard graphics it's actually much cooler than my old laptop which had a tiny fraction of the power this does.
As far as performance capabilities go I develop on it etc the heaviest test I have given it is Fallout: New Vegas and switched on the ATI card and it works as well as a desktop, much to my surprise. So the power is there if you need it but you usually don't.
Summary: very good laptop for the money, wipe the HP stuff off (my own personal preference since HP stuff is notoriously hard to root out completely, preferably with a format/reinstall) and update the video driver and you will have a very good deal.
If you want an even better deal grab the AMD one for $100-$150 cheaper which makes changes it from a good deal to an incredibly good deal as it's almost exactly the same performance-wise.

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Watch Blu-ray DVDs at home and on the go. It's simple with the Blu-ray player and large 17.3-inch diagonal High-Definition LED display on the HP Pavilion dv7-4180us Entertainment Notebook PC. Plus, stream content wirelessly from your laptop display to an HDTV using a WiDi adapter (sold separately). Play music the way it's meant to be heard with integrated Beats Audio and count on fast data entry using the numeric keypad. You can also manage your passwords effortlessly on this HP laptop using the integrated fingerprint reader. The HP Pavilion dv7-4180us Entertainment Notebook PC has everything you want, including style and substance.

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Panasonic Viera TH-50PZ800U 50-Inch 1080p Plasma HDTV Review

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(More customer reviews)My hope is that this review will come across as credible after a brief introduction revealing my technical background. I have been a home theater enthusiast since 1995 and ran a small video and independent film business from 1996 - 2001. This review and check list are based on both personal research and professional experience. If you do not wish to read this entire review, feel free to scroll to the bottom where I have created a systematic checklist that will enable any Panasonic 800 series HDTV to maximize its fullest potential. More specifically, I will attempt to draw upon the televisions abilities when viewing Blu-ray movies which, to date, offer the best HD image quality and upgradeable potential.
If you factor tax and delivery, I bought the TH-50pz800U Plasma for about $700 less than retail and it performs great. The best-upgraded features on 2008/09's Panasonic 800 series include the 24p playback for Blu-ray movies and 100,000-hour lifespan of the display itself.
Why the 100,000-hour lifespan is important
This feature was a major selling point for me because I wanted a Plasma due to LCD's poor dark color reproduction but was worried about the shorter lifespan of most Plasma's which is typically only 30,000 to 70,000 hours. However, this baby specs out at 100,000, which is equal to 8 hours per day for over 34 years. Unheard of for Plasma displays until the 800 series arrived in April.
Why 24p is important
Although this HDTV supports a variety of features that will be better utilized in the next stage of HD technology 24p is here now. Currently only Blu-ray and a variety of high-end camcorders are capable of outputting 24p content. What is 24p? In a nutshell 24p is the frame rate in which images are displayed on your TV or Computer screens. A 24p capable system can display video at 24 frames per second rather than succumbing to display a converted video signal at 30 frames per second. This is important because all Hollywood films are shot and later projected in theaters at 24 frames per second. After theatrical release, studios then convert their films to 30 frames per second and ship them to the home video markets as well as television broadcast networks. This conversion process is known as 3:2 pull down and it means that you ultimately lose several frames as they are blended together to display at 30 frames per second. This is why you sometimes will not see smooth motion when you fast forward or rewind DVD's. Once a Blu-ray begins, be sure to use your TV remote to enter the advanced custom picture options and select 48Hz (a factor of 24) rather than 60Hz under the "24p Direct In" field. The instructions to set this up are included in the checklist at the end of this article. At first, you may notice a slight flicker but after your eyes adjust, you will feel as though a State of the Art film projector is rolling your favorite movies right in your living room. When you are done with 24p content, the TV will switch back to 30 frames per second (60Hz) automatically.
Future Proof
The other features available with the 800 series Panasonic's are intriguing but will not be able to dazzle you until media technology catches up. For example, this TV supports Deep Color, which is technically the next step up from True Color. True Color is the color depth standard that has been output to computer displays for years. Deep Color enables many more variations of color. Unfortunately, nothing on the market except for a few high-end camcorders output images utilizing this advanced color pallet. It is safe to assume that Blu-ray movies will do so in the future because of there massive storage capabilities. For PS3 owners you will need to turn on the "Super-White" feature under "Display Settings" to enable this functionality. It took a bit of research but essentially "Super-White" is Sony's name for Deep Color. Again, detailed instructions for setting up this feature can be found at the end of this review.

Many websites and message boards claim that Deep Color will not be a big deal when it finally arrives because its full potential is impossible to detect. What this means is that although Deep Color will offer several thousand additional color variations the human eye will only be able to differentiate about 360 of them. Still, further research will reveal that those 360 additional shades essentially push the entire color pallet of the human eye to its limits. In other words, all the real time color data that went into establishing the next shot of a film appears in front of you exactly as it did for the director. No visible shade of color gets lost or fades when put through the eventual electronic transfer process.
Do you remember when HDTV first came out? The early reviews claimed that the picture was so clear it was like looking through a window. Well, theoretically Deep Color will bring this statement to life because for the first time in history an electronic image will be able to reproduce every single color that is recognizable to the human eye.
Conclusion
The 800 series of Panasonic displays are the perfect solution for consumers looking to add a long-term home theater display to their arsenal. The set is ready for features that have potential to become more of an HD standard in the years to come. The product line is truly future proof and ready to adjust to the rapidly evolving HD industry. If you are like me, you may also be considering the only other real competition in the high-end Plasma HDTV market, Pioneer. If so, consider this; beginning next year Pioneer will no longer continue developing their HD product line from scratch. Instead, they will be outsourcing for raw plasma displays and then tweaking them. Where will they get these raw displays? You guessed it, Panasonic.
Checklist to maximize this TV's Performance
If you wish to enable feature 5 you may need to toggle between "Size 1" and "Size 2" for maximum visuals during Blu-ray Screenings/Video Gaming (Size 2) and all other viewing (Size 1)
1.Connect your Blu-ray player or PS3 using a Category 2 HDMI cable to ensure that you are ready for future Deep Color support as well as current support for a broader color space through x.v.Color. Be sure to connect this device to the first HDMI port labeled "HDMI 1" in the input menu. If you search Amazon by entering: Category 2 HDMI, you will find several affordable options.
a.HINT: Expensive name brand cables make no difference when transferring a digital signal and do not improve picture quality. Digital signals are either present or not present. There is no such thing as a weak digital signal. That is why the world is moving away from analog and switching to digital. All data that travels through an HDMI cable is 100% digital.
b.You want to use the first HDMI port because it is possible that the HDTV bases its HDMI compatibility for future devices on the first port. In other words if you do not install the device with the most compatibility into the first HDMI port then your Blu-ray player may be limited to the specifications of whatever device ends up getting plugged into the first HDMI port.
2.Set the television's picture mode to "Custom" from the display menu.
a.HINT: If you use the other picture modes (i.e. "Game," "THX") you will not be able to turn 24p and other advanced features specific to Blu-ray. However, you can always manually adjust the "Custom" levels (i.e. brightness, color, and tint) to match the other picture modes and you will get identical results. You may even wish to have the "Custom" levels professionally calibrated although these options are often a matter of personal taste. I find the default "Custom" display levels to be sufficient with a slight tint level adjustment towards the green end of the spectrum.
3.Turn on your PS3 or Blu-ray player and enable Deep Color support. You will only need to enable this on the initial setup.
a.HINT: Deep Color support may also be labeled "Super White," "x.v. color," "RGB Full or Wide," and "xvYCC." Although x.v.color, xvYCC, and RGB Full settings are not technically the same as Deep Color they do increase the color spectrum and can most easily be thought of as a stepping-stone towards the realism of Deep Color. In addition, when Deep Color becomes available most players will automatically support Deep Color when these options are on.
4.Leave your PS3 or Blu-ray player on and prepare to adjust a couple settings within the "Custom" picture mode you enabled during step 2. You will only need to make the following adjustments on the initial setup:
a.Set the "x.v. color" option to "Auto."
i.HINT: This option requires you to scroll to the second page within the "Custom" picture mode settings
b.While your Blu-ray player is turned on with any title playing select the "advanced picture" option from the "Custom" picture mode menu and select "48Hz" from the "24p Direct In" field. The TV will automatically adjust you back to "60Hz" when you finish watching a Blu-ray movie. In addition, it will automatically go back to "48Hz" when you put back in a Blu-ray movie.
i.HINT: If 48Hz is not available to select make sure that your Blu-ray player or PS3 has the most recent firmware update and that the movie is playing beyond the previews and preliminary copyright warnings. If your player is connected to the internet, the most recent firmware update should be installed automatically by selecting the players "check for update" option. For Blu-ray devices not connected to the internet or those that do not include and "update" option search the manufacturers website for a downloadable update which can be burnt to a CD and installed manually. Although most players, PS3 included,...Read more›

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NEW SIZE! 50-inchClass Widescreen VIERA Plasma 1080p HDTV with New Anti-Reflective Filter, Deep Color Technology, Game Mode, Built-In SD Card Slot/GalleryPlayer(R) Ready to View, 3 HDMI Inputs and VIERA Link(R) HDAVI Control

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