DV5t - Is it for me?

Here's the low-down. I've had a desktop for the longest time, along with my laptop. I'm a freshman in college, and have quickly realized that my desktop at home is getting almost no use, and is just sitting there for 8 months out of the year (assuming 3 months during summer and one during winter), and I was really thinking about just selling it along with my 20" wide screen monitor for around $450.

I just picked up a Dell Mini 9 which has become my ultra-portable, and just isn't making sense to have 3 computers anymore.

My current laptop is a Dell Vostro 1400 - Core 2 Duo, 1.6GHz, 2GB RAM, 120GB HD, GeForce 8400, 14.1" WXGA+

I would be using this for typing papers and primarily photo editing, thus I would get the 1680x1050 (WSXGA+) screen and the x4500MHD

Probably specs:
Core2 T5800
4GB RAM
250GB HD
Vista 64
15.4" WSXGA+
6 cell enhanced or 12 cell (whats the battery life on the 6 cell with integrated vs the 12 cell?)

also, how loud is the thing?

 

That DV5T would be more than sufficient for you. The 4500 would do fine with photo editing and even video editing. However, to ensure compatibility with your printers and extra peripherals I would grab 3GB of ram and Home Premium 32bit. I currently use the 64 bit OS and it may screw you over with device drivers. 3GB would be way more than enough memory. I usually use about 2 and a half GB of ram at most when I multi-task the heaviest.

The 12 cell will have more battery life, but not sure if it's worth the pain of having to remove the battery every time you want to store it in your bag. The 12 cell is like 2 batteries mashed together (literally).

As for the fan, you could disable "Fan Always On" in the bios. I have the DV7T and it is usually silent, except for when I decide to load up a late night craving of Vegas 2.

Anyways, I hope that helps. Just make sure you get the HP extended warranty within the first year. HP will stick with you through good and bad. They'd rush you a part OVERNIGHT if something became defective.

 

I recently had the same realization about my desktop (DELL XPS 420, barely one year old). I've used it three times that I can recall in the last six months or so. It's starting to look like a great Christmas gift for my 11-yr old nephew!

As for the HP...I ordered a new dv7t about four months ago. I chose the 2.26GHz P8400 processor, nVIDIA 9600M GT graphics card, 17" WSXGA+ Infinity Brightview display and Vista Home Premium 64-bit.

After using it for five days, I decided to return it for a refund! The primary reason was the amount of heat caused by the 9600M GT. Areas of the keyboard, wrist rest and touchpad would often become uncomfortably hot to the touch.

The fan was originally set to run non-stop and it was louder than in any other laptop I've even used. It was incredibly annoying and I changed the BIOS setting that caused it to run constantly. After that, it would still run at least 75% of the time (because of the heat issues above) and was still very audible when running.

The design and materials used by HP are great looking, but the Onyx lid and chrome wrist rest and touchpad are almost impossible to keep clean. They include a polishing cloth with all the HP Pavilions and you will be using it EVERY day! In addition to the heat and fan issues, the high-maintenance surfaces were the final deal-breaker for me.

It was a great performer, though. The WSXGA+ display is top-notch, but skip the "Infinity" option. I'd save the $50 and go with the non-Infinity display if I had it to do it over. It slightly distorts the image quality and dimishes viewing angles.

With the Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics, some of the issues I experienced probably won't be a concern. The battery life is questionable, though. A recent review with the T5800 and Intel graphics only managed 1:54 out of the standard 6-cell battery. Despite that, the dv5t was generally praised otherwise in that review- http://computershopper.com/laptops/reviews/hp-pavilion-dv5-1140us-entertainment-notebook-pc

You might also want to consider the DELL Studio 15, if you haven't already. All models have an LED-backlit WXGA (1280x800) display standard, which is unique among 15.4" mainstream models...as is the optional backlit keyboard. It also has the option of a WXGA+ (1440x900) LED or WUXGA (1920x1200) display, but doesn't offer a WSXGA+.