Are you satisfied with your dv5z?

So, for the people that have already had their dv5z for a couple of days/weeks, what do you think about it? Are you satisfied with it, given the price at which you bought it?

I'd like to set up one of those polls I've seen elsewhere on the site but I don't know how to do that.

 

I got one for my bro and he seems to love it. I had to do a clean install on it with all the bloatware installed and removed the recovery partition. Now it runs smooth with 2GB with only 40 or so processes on. When we got it there were over 60 processes on slowing down the machine. The temperature has gotten hot max was like mid 60s but by raising the back or tilting it has brought the temps down to mid 40's.

 

I've had mine for a few weeks now and I love it. But I am partial to HP's these days since I bought a dv6000 for my wife around Christmas time and it has been running perfectly ever since. I got mine for an absolute steal, $870 shipped. I bought it online during a sales tax free weekend earlier this month, got free shipping and found a 5% off coupon online. Specs are in my sig.

With a little tweaking once I got it home, this thing flat out screams.

 

I bought mine pretty much bone stock, except for an upgrade to the ZM-80 and a modem. So far I'm very pleased with it, except for the HP/Vista bloatware. I plan on doing a clean Vista install at some point. It does run a bit warm when doing anything video related, but otherwise I rarely hear the fan kick into high. If I'm just browsing the net, doing email, etc, then it barely gets warm. Battery life is only about 2 to 2.25 hours on the standard battery, but that wasn't a concern for me as I rarely use it on-the-go.

I had originally ordered a bottom-end Compaq for about $115 less. I'm happy I upgraded to the dv5z instead. It's no gaming machine, that's for sure, but it's a nice step up from the $400 notebooks, IMO. I think of it as having been shopping for a Kia or Hyundai, and buying a Honda instead. The thing even has its own built-in web server, like a router. Neat bit of kit.

And don't forget, if you don't like it, you have a no-hassle 21 day trial to see if you want to keep it (as long as you bought it directly from HP).

BTW, if you need a printer, don't forget about the instant rebates that are available from HP when buying a PC with a printer. I got the Deskjet 6988 Wifi printer for $17-something shipped (normally $100-110). I had sworn off inkjets years ago, but I couldn't pass it up for that price. I can print from anywhere in the house via Wifi, and also from my other PC at the other end of the house over a wired ethernet connection, and the thing is built like a tank. After 5-6 years of black-only laser printers, it's nice to be able to add a bit of color when I want to.

So, long story a little longer - yes, I like my dv5z (and DJ 6988) and have no regrets. Ask me again in a year.

 

I've had mine since monday and so far i'm ahppy. Here are my thoughts in no specific order.

#1: i paid 20 bucks extra to order teh stupid remote media control, only to find out it came with it in the box. waste of 20 bucks. and the range and the buttons suck, i don't think i'll be using either one of the two i got.
#2: the keyboard is a little clicky, which i like, tactile feedback is good. however, if i were in a classroom environment, it might disturb people around me...
#3: I got the ugpraded video card the 3450 i believe it is? the one above the 3200 that you pay $100 for...I installed World of Warcraft, and i'm happy, i know WoW isn't that graphically intensive, and maybe it would look great on the 3200, but i'm happy i got the video card upgrade, even though it is only slightly better than the 3200 from what i've read on these forums.
#4: the 1680x1050 resolution - wow, i am SO happy i got this. i was thinking that i've been using a lower resolution forever, and i wouldn't probably use the higher resolution, but i got it just so i would know how it looks, and it is fantastic, it looks amazing to my eyes, everything is so fine and i dunno how to explain, it just looks amazing to me...that may also be partially because of the screen which is a wonderfull screen, great brightness and contrast, i like the screen alot.
#5: my computer feels bloated, i am definitley gonna do aclean install of vista when i get the time, maybe even xp if i can find drivers, although i feel Vista has been around long enough wehre i should start using it.
#6: the cool touch buttons above the keyboard, i read about them, thought they'd be a gimmick, i never used the buttons on my other laptops, you know what, they rock! i use the buttons to enable or disable wireless all the time, as well as the volume too!
#7 the blu ray drive - not worth the hype, watched a blue ray movie, it was cool to see more detail, but i think it's not worth the money, when it gets down to like, maybe $100 bucks extra, then it'll be worth it.
#8 HDMI port - very cool, just plugged it into my flat panel, and both video and sound went to the tv, simple, no muss or fuss, hdmi is cool.


yah, so overall i'm a happy camper and i hope this lil laptop will last me for a long time to come!

 

I have mine DV5Z for a month. I got it for a free replacement notebook because my old notebook suddenly died on me motherboard failure. When i have first received it i was pretty happy. The looks and the build quality of the DV5Z is so much better than the DV6000 series. First i was having some software issues like internet explorer keeps crashing on the home page and some of my programs wouldn't even run and 3d marks kept crashing so i did a clean install following the clean install guide here and now my notebook is running much better and a bit cooler than before so no more crashes on programs.

Overall i am very pleased with my DV5Z and i hope this laptop last for 2 years

 

I appreciate all the feedback you guys are sharing.

roninmagik1, I'm in the same boat as you as far as the remote thing goes. I ordered an extra one because the HP site didn't mention it came with one. I'm going to try to return mine, though. It's only $20, sure, but that's about enough money to buy a bag for my new laptop.

My dv5z should be arriving tomorrow or Thursday, I can't wait!

 

I love it! It offers amazing performance for its price and the build quality is very good. Only complaint I have is the touchpad, but you get used to it after a while

 

For the price, yes, I'm happy with the dv5z. There are a couple things I don't care for (high temps, "leaking" or misplaced Quicktouch key light, etc.) But in the end, it really was an unbeatable deal.

 

I absolutely love mine. I've had it for a week now, and i keep getting happier and happier with my purchase. The build quality is excellent, the keyboard is awesome. I opted for the 1680x1050 screen and I dont think Ive ever seen a better screen on a laptop. Very sharp, bright and great contrast. HD video playback is very smooth as well.

Very happy with my purchase.

 

So i received my dv5z in the mail today, and I've got to say I'm impressed.

I've been using it for a couple hours straight now and haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary...everything's working just fine.

This is the first computer I've owned with Vista and I'm impressed with it as well as the computer in general. I've got 3GB of RAM and everything runs as smooth as butter. Granted, I've got Aero turned off because I don't see the point in it, not for my purposes.

I too got the 1680x1050 screen and am really impressed. I didn't think I'd like the glossy display but it works quite well.

I'm trying not to mess with the QuickTouch buttons too much because a lot of people have been having problems...hopefully nothing crazy happens.

Minor complaint: the keyboard could be better. It's a little loud to type on (same goes for clicking the mouse buttons), and I can almost see the circuitry or whatever behind a lot of the keys. There's definitely no moisture barrier.

But yeah, I'm really happy with my purchase. Now I just have to return the extra multimedia remote I ordered...

 

Yeah, second that. The keys don't bother me too much, but the mouse buttons are really annoying.