One of HP's GREATEST Laptops to Date.
Written: Nov 30 '06 (Updated Dec 14 '06)
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Pros: Built in Webcamera. Powerful processor and maxed out 2048MB of RAM. MEDIA CENTER
Cons: Webcamera isn't adjustable enough. Battery Life!?!
No PCMCIA, No TV-input
The Bottom Line: An excellent laptop for travel or home use, but, due to its text-book like weight, it may prove a bit on the heavy side for continuously mobile students.
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| bigtruckseries's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv6149us PC Notebook |
I recently purchased the HEWLETT PACKARD DVD6149 from Circuit City as a replacement for my aging IBM Thinkpad which had a Centrino processor, outdated looks, and recently stopped working due to what I feel was a Hard Drive failure.
The system cost me $1299 at Circuit City – yet includes a rebate for $50 and $150 off instantly at the register. At first I had a tough decision to make. For just a few hundred dollars more, I could have gotten the HP9030US which featured a 17 inch LCD widescreen, a dedicated Video GPU and HDMI out (for my SONY Plasma TV). However, when I actually saw the 9030 in person, I realized that it was absolutely too big to carry around – a true desktop replacement – and the 6149 would be a more logical choice. I travel a lot overseas every now and then so I wanted something that was relatively compact for less than $1500.
What truly sold me on this computer was the built in webcamera and my own HP brand loyalty.
TECHNOLOGY
Firstly, the HP 6149US is a mid-weight laptop with a 15 inch widescreen that comes packaged in one of Hewlett Packard’s nicest laptop cases ever. The whole system is a mix of Black and grey hardened plastics with a hard cover in a Black matte finish. The HP design strategy has always been to keep button LED lighting color variations at a minimum so basically, all of the lighting on the unit is blue. The laptop has a very attractive, case that looks technologically opulent for us Gadget Freaks.
Many of the buttons are touch sensitive soft keys such as the volume and media control buttons on the unit’s keypad. They are highly responsive and I found them very attractive. I was also happy that the keyboard is soft and quiet like many of the new “quiet key” keyboards.
As far as weight goes, the system is a bit on the heavy side (between 4 and 5 pounds) which is understandable since it is not one of those ultraportable SONY’s which costs $2500. Its weight in one hand is akin to holding an old History textbook. If you are a student who needs to carry a laptop back and forth and you don’t have a car, you may want to check the weight before buying it. For many of us, it wont be a problem but some people may find it to be a little too big.
The HP 6149US comes equipped with a Centrino CORE 2 DUO T550 processor.
The C2D is a marginal improvement over the first Core Duo which only allowed a maximum of 2048 MB (2GB) of Ram and had a lower maximum clock speed as well as a slower memory bus.
If you shop for a laptop with these new processors under Interl's new naming strategy, you need to be aware of the model number of the processor and/or the processor speed (in GHZ).
Otherwise, you'll have a very hard time figuring out which laptop is best to buy. Centrinos for the most part are designed for wireless internet use instead of portable gaming or the Celerons and AMD Turions which are designed for tight budget wireless internet use.
The Centrino Core Duo needs to be plugged in to get the higher processing power out of the system due to the fact that Centrino processors are designed to “step down” their power usage in order to maximize battery life.
Centrino processors are mainly for internet and business/work use. You aren’t playing any video games such as Halo or Half Life 2 on here simply because the system does not have the video memory to run those games. Older games that required less than 1 Gigahertz of CPU and no video acceleration will work fine.
HP also offers the DV9030 model {the top model} which includes a built in Nvidia Geforce video Graphics Processing Unit as well as HDMI out (for your Plasma TV), 200 GB hard drive and a 17 inch Widescreen.. This model can handle games such as Halo ok, but, it costs about $400 more than the DV6149US.
I find the Core 2 Duo processor to be more than adequate for browsing the internet and using applications but I see no major speed differences between this system and a Centrino (which my Mother has), Pentium 4 (which my Girlfriend has) or AMD Turion laptop (which my sister has). A laptop tends to access information slightly slower than a desktop on average because of the hard drive size and bottlenecks between the processor and the memory – having this new Core 2 Duo feels good since it is top of the line, but I have still experienced some system hang when using Windows Media Player and the Internet simultaneously in between accessing information.
In order to really see the system at work, you need to run a processor intensive program (such as video editing software). If you are just using the basic internet, this PC is a bit overkill.
As I purchased it, the system was also equipped with a maxed out configuration of 2048 MB of DDR2 memory and a 120 Gigabyte Hard Disk Drive. The system also contains a Dual Layer, Dual Format Super Multi Drive DVD-RW with Lightscribe technology. This means that you can use almost any DVD-RW disks sold in Best Buy and Circuit City that go on sale, or you may buy Hewlett Packard’s Lightscribe disks that allow you to burn images on the top of your disks for a more professional looking DVD collection. This is accomplished by having a layer of light sensitive dye on the top of the disk which can be lased with monochromatic images. You may also use DVD-RAM disks
The system includes an 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN antennae built in which allows you to readily connect to any wireless LAN in range. This is controlled by a slide button on the unit’s front underside. Some programs will not allow you to install them if the Wireless LAN is active so this switch comes in handy a lot. When de-activated, the LED light turns orange. Since the regular functioning LED lights are all blue, it is easy to notice if you have wireless connected or offline.
As far as expandability goes, the DV6149US offers one FireWire, one S-video and three USB ports let you connect to cameras or other peripherals. There is also a special connector that allows you to purchase a Desktop base and use the laptop as if it was a larger computer. The Base kit comes with integrated speakers, a full-sized Keyboard and Mouse for about $250 – but, it is really better used if you are buying the 17” screened models in this series.
FUN TECHNOLOGY
The main reason why I bought this laptop model, specifically, is because it had an integrated 1.3 Megapixel web camera in the bridge of its screen frame. Nobody wants to add attachments to a laptop so it is refreshing to see HP build this series with this coveted feature. The camera is centered at the top of the frame and when you activate it through the desktop, a blue LED illuminates to let you know that you are live. The only downside is that this camera is fixed and the computer’s included hardware only allows the camera to see what is directly in front of it – it is impossible to have the camera digitally scan. So that you can change the angle. This might be a problem if you tilt the screen at odd angles when you type or if you use the camera with the EXPANSION BASE. I’m a tad disappointed that the included software can’t adjust the viewing angles and I’m a little surprised HP didn’t do what SONY and ACER did and make the camera manually adjustable. On the other hand, the HP model does not have extra moving parts so that means there is less possibility of breaking it, getting it sticky or wearing it out.
You will need to rely on programs that already have things like Gamma, contrast and brightness built into them in order to fine tune the camera.
I’m also a little disappointed that HP didn’t see fit to build a floodlight LED into the camera instead of the blue power on indicator. If you are in a dark place, the camera cannot adjust. You need to be under or next to a light source pointed directly in your face.
Since this computer comes with Windows XP MEDIA CENTER EDITION, the system includes a small remote that can be stored away in the front right hand side of the case, next to the DVD-R drive and under the keypad – completely out of sight until you for some reason wish to use it. The remote can control playback of DVD’s, viewing of photos and playback of music. It uses a single button cell lithium battery (included) but, I just wish it was possible to create a remote that recharged through the computer. Of course – computer manufacturers don’t want anything charging inside the computer due to the possibility of a battery leakage or, more recently, battery explosions such as those in DELL laptops using faulty batteries.
You may also connect the laptop to a television with the S-Video output so you can enjoy DVD’s, Internet or Photo viewing on the Television when family comes over.
I was marginally disappointed that the computer does not feature a TV input. HP’S Media Center edition PC’s come with television inputs so you can record Live TV to your Hard Drive. Of course, HP is currently offering a plug-in TV tuner input that you can buy so that you get full media center abilities. Unfortunately, it costs over $100. Why couldn't it have simply been built into the system? I hate add-ons.
Software bundle
Out of the box, the DV6149 comes with pre-loaded software. You basically get the typical HP services such as tours and demos – where you simply push play to see the computer demonstrate functions for you as well as some Microsoft services such as Windows Media Player, Media Center and Microsoft Office 2003 trial edition.
The one thing I absolutely suggest you do not do is activate Norton Antivirus before you actually have the computer up and running. When first starting up your new laptop, the computer needs to constantly load new programs from the partition on the hard drive where those programs are permanently stored. When Norton is activated, it blocks every single program that the computer is trying to install. If you are new to computers, this program – which is supposed to make using the computer safer and easier – totally ruins your experience. I am a 10 year computer veteran and I found Norton Anti Virus so annoying that I had to keep temporarily disabling it just to install all my online software updates.
The computer, when first booted up asks you if you would like to create CDR’s or DVDR’s as backup disks. The system claims it needs 3 DVD’s to backup the hard drive’s installed programs so you need to set aside 3 hours to do this on the first day. It didn’t used to be this way. Computers used to come with recovery disks. Now, most computer manufacturers have decided to cut costs by giving you a hard drive that is preloaded with all the laptop’s programs and a part of the Hard Drive specifically designed to allow you to reinstall every program in case a virus wipes your system clean.
The computer comes with:
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition, Works, Money, MSN Encarta Plus and Office 2003 Student and Teacher Edition (60-day trial)
Norton® Internet Security 2006™ (with 60 days of live updates)
Muvee AutoProducer DVD Edition with Burning
Sonic Digital Media Plus
HP PhotoSmart Premier and Quick Play
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®
RealRhapsody
Vongo
As you begin using the system, the first things you should do are get it connected to the internet, download Internet Explorer’s latest version and then restart the system when prompted. I got my system up and running on my new D-Link wireless router in less than an hour.
MAJOR DISSAPOINTMENTS !?!
I’m very happy with this laptop besides a few little squabbles I have already pointed out.
-The camera cannot be digitally aimed.
-There is no video-input for recording Television
- It’s a little on the heavy side
The only other major disappointment I had is that the system does not feature a PCMCIA card slot. This is a special slot that you would need if you intended to use a CELLULAR MODEM which is a special modem that allows you to connect to cellphone companies like Sprint or Verizon so you can have internet access virtually anywhere.
What the system does have however, is ExpressCard, an emerging standard that is smaller and faster than PCMCIA and can be used to add memory, graphic upgrades, security devices, sound cards and pretty much anything specifically made for it. Right now however, the PC market is geared towards PCMCIA so many devices you might want to use, like that Cellular Modem, can’t fit here.
Worse yet, the media center remote control uses the exact same slot area that the Expresscard would require if it was installed. That means that you cannot simultaenously have an expresscard device and the remote installed!
This was done to reduce the size of the laptop but, it is annoying if you are on vacation and want to carry everything together without having to swap parts around.
Battery Life is a little on the weak end. You’ve got to understand that a high end processor and high end DDR2 RAM is going to burn through batteries no matter how efficient the system attempts to be. You are likely to get approximately 2 and a half hours out of each charge. If you use a downloadable energy managing program such as Notebook Hardware Control to step down the processor you will be able to get slightly better than 3 hours. If you need maximum battery life, consider the DV 2120US with its Turion 64 X2. The 2120 is also a couple hundred dollars cheaper than the 6149.
On a final note, the computer claims to be WINDOWS VISTA READY. Windows Vista is the next installment of Microsoft Windows operating systems which will take advantage of extra CPU power by offering transparent windows, faster more reliable web browsing and a plethora of the most oppressive restrictions and digital media rights block that Microsoft can think of. Unfortunately the computer’s information does not state which form of Vista it is ready to accept and since Vista isn’t finalized yet for distribution, it is possible some of the built in features may not work properly when upgraded. This is way down the road however and for right now I can appreciate this computer for what it is:
In my FINAL ANALYSIS this is a great laptop built for worldclass travel. You just can’t say no to a Media Center Laptop with a web camera built in. Once you connect to a WiFi Lan, every feature including video chat is at your fingertips and there is no clutter at all. Simply plug in the power cord and the DV6149US will make you quite a happy owner.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1300
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Other
Processor speed: over 1000
Screen Size: 15 inches
RAM: More than 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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