*HP dm3 (1XXX series) Owners Lounge*

4GB should be enough, no? I'm using 1.4GB of the 4GB I have running only firefox, seesmic (twitter app), word and onenote 2010.

I have 3GB free for the VM, and it's setup to use 1.5GB for itself.
I've heard that the chips with Virtualization Technology help greatly with running VMs. If so I'd really like to go ahead and swap out the CPUs if that was the case. But replacing the whole motherboard isn't an option right now.
Especially after trying to reflow my free DV9000 today, I've shorted out something and burned out the power circuit on it.

@Phil, I remember with my Dell 1520, it had a C2D T7250 which had the Virtualization Technology on the chip, with 2GB of ram, I was working with VMs comfortably.

 

Hey guys, the Intel dm3 is coming back!
Engadget-New HP Laptops

Edit:
The dm3 has a whole new design. Very different.
link to review video
No more brushed metal?
Just read on another site that it's going to have optional back-lit keyboard.

 

"Cool to the touch" sounds interesting but the aluminum looks better

 

Ahhhh man, I hate it when a newer better version of a product that I currently own comes out.

It looks like a neat notebook, but the screen hinges look really ugly, but other than that, a bigger touchpad, a core i3, and the cooling technology sounds great.

 

Good video by Laptopmag about the new DM3: http://blog.laptopmag.com/hp-pavilion-dm3-debuts-with-coolsense-technology-sweet-soft-touch-finish

Oh yeah I forgot that the SU4100 doesn't support VT.

 

My "old" DM3 looks nicer (2 weeks old!)
He talks about the new finish being fingerprint resistant, and you can see fingerprints all over it.

Why not name it something new, if they are changing everything, I wonder.

 

Lol, yeah I noticed the same thing in the video. On the laptop cover on the side close to the battery you can see his fingerprints all over it. Too bad they couldn't keep the metal design, I liked that one better, but then again metal is a good conductor (of heat), so that maybe why they changed it.

 

why?????? I thought my dm3-2010us is a new model I got it for about a month and opened it only twice.

 

The metal case should conduct heat away from the machine to the air, so be a positive thing.

 

Yup true, but it would make the body of the laptop hotter to touch right? Well at least I think so, I'm not a physics professor..I am just making assumptions

I am just speculating here..but I assume they feel that the larger air vents will get rid of the heat from inside the machine and the new soft touch material will insulate the body from from becoming hot to the touch.

But I do prefer the look of the metal chassis.

 

I am so gonna get the new dm3t

Anyone want my dm3t-1000 CTO with SU7300/ 72k RPM 320GB HDD/ w anti-glare screen protector and keyboard protector for around $700 (negotiable)? Also come with Windows 7 Ultimate and Office 2010 Professional Plus. All genuine obtained through TechNet. It's in mint condition, the chrome still has all of its paint.

 

Bleh.... minimalism is what won me over with the old DM3 and the new DM3 is still somewhat minimalistic, but looks a lot more consumerish. It doesn't look ugly and I like it, but I prefer the old DM3 design by far, plus Metal > Plastic. It looks thicker too? Is this true?

If you could take that trackpad, and put it on the old DM3, it would be the perfect notebook.

 

Please use the market place forum for that.

 

The dm3t is now available on HP.com
I'm not a huge fan of the design either. The outside looks okay (no chrome trim, ftw!) but the inside is too monochrome (if the keyboard was black, it'd be better). And the plastic on the top of the lid makes it look kinda cheap..
The inside is still metal. If you zoom in on HP's pics, you can see the brushed metal.

 

The DM3 line is a year old.

 

Alright, this chrome trimming peeling off is pissing me off.

Do you think if I just scraped it all off while it's still on the laptop it would look ok? What would you recommend I scrape it off with?

 

I know that, but the dm3 2010us is a newer model like a refresh model with the new AMD Athlon II Neo K325 + newer Radeon 4225. It runs cooler and the battery lasts longer.

 

They are probably waiting for Ontario to roll out for the next amd dm3 refresh.

 

Other than everything else, I like how software and hardware work together in order cool the machine down. I'd love to pay attention and see how fast the fan is running and for it to detect where the laptop is placed.

 

I think it could look really good. Normally there are three colors: the alu parts, black bezel and key and the chrome trim.

If you take away the chrome, there are only two colors left.

 

I've wondered about that myself.
I think getting it all off and uniform would be difficult while still assembled.
Also, I wonder what color the plastic is under the chrome. It might not be black or gray as you hope.
People who have done it would know.
To do it, I would try some fine sandpaper. You would probably need a small fine sanding wheel on a dremel to get all the edges etc, and even that would be tough.
Taking everything apart might sound like more work, but might save a lot of time in the long run and reduce the risk of failure.

Also, what about chrome touch up paint?

 

It looks very black on mine.

 

the new dm3t is $649 for the base configureation on the hp site (not $549 like most of the reviews say). Howz that? Anyway I also still liked the brushed aluminium better. Why do these companies always add one good thing and then take out another good thing. Can't they put it all in one? Anyway, I guess thats what they call marketing....

 

Maybe they didn't want to have such a good looking DM3, not good for Envy sales.

 

My guess is that HP hasn't instated a $100 instant discount yet. They will sooner or later

 

Also, I don't think all the options are available yet. I think I heard a guy from a review video saying his dm3 had a Core i5 processor.

 

Not bad

 

Not bad at all. For someone like me though, the ULV Core i3 is inadequate. According to Passmark, it's less powerful than the SP9300.

 

That battery life is disappointing. I get around 5 browsing the web(Full voltage processor + non-switchable graphics), but an Asus UL laptop can get 10+ hours with the same config+same price.

 

A question for the experts: Is it recommended to download drivers from each component manufacturer's website? HP seems to have installed a custom driver for the Intel GMA, so I don't know if it's wise to use a generic (but newer) driver.

 

Looks great Wanderermy - I just configured about like this yesterday and it was $50 more! BTW, where did you get the coupon / what is the code?

 

I personally prefer the latest Intel.com driver over the one on the HP website. In the past I got better Youtube 1080p performance with it, although it also gave me some HDMI problems.

For the audio, network, wireless, touchpad and card reader I use the default MS drivers that Windows 7 installs by itself. I haven't had any issues with them.

Installing third party drivers often leads to more background processes running. If there's no specific reason for it I'd rather not.

 

Crap! Not even 3 weeks old and I just noticed the black edge exposed where the chrome rubbed off near my headphone jack!
I thought I could avoid it if I took good care of it, but its hardly even been used.
Crappy design.

 

Hmm... I wonder if having dual graphics complicates things at all.

 

Good idea. I might try that.

 

I would be interested in what it looks like afterwards Phil. If that doesn't turn out good I'm just going to sand the paint off. I think the black trimming might actually look pretty decent.

I sooooo wish the DM3 had a 9-cell battery... ;_;

 

Yea I also wish they came out with a higher capacity battery.

As for graphic drivers I usually get them from the company (Nvidia/Ati) rather than waiting for HP to come out with the newer ones. Although sometimes you have to roll back your drivers because of issues with the new release. (ati 10.8 has a hdmi scaling problem )

 

Can't a third party make a 9 cell? Would it have to be bigger or heavier I presume?

 

Yeah a third party could make one and yes it would be heavier and stick out a little more. It would be kind of hard to do with the DM3's battery design but it wouldn't be that hard.

 

I don't think there are many 3d party battery companies that would actually build a new battery for a laptop, especially one with such a small marketshare(my guess why HP never release 6cell high capacity or 8/9 cell options). It really is a shame, because running a 9 cell on this would give ~8 hours battery life on a full voltage processor+graphics card, and I can't even imagine what a SU7300 would get, other than a specially place in many road warrior's hearts.

 

You can buy the new dm3 for $549 with a backlit keyboard at that price.

Link with coupon

--

 

Hey guys, BestBuy Canada is selling a refurb version of the dm3 (DM3-1039WM - AMD version) for $399 +tax CAD. Just wondering if this is a good pricepoint for the dm3 these days?

The warranty only lasts for 90 days and it's been noted that the dm3 does produce considerable heat... should I be wary of hardware failures in the future? Also, for anyone with experience with BB refurbished goods, can I expect good quality? Specifically the battery life... hoping to squeeze 4-5 hrs out of it.

Thanks in advance.

 

What processor does it come with? And i believe the new Ati drivers quelled any heating issues.

 

It's the 1.6 AMD Athlon Neo X2 Dual-Core version.

I'm trying to decide between the dm3 and the acer aspire one 721 (a 11.6 netbook with amd k125 single core and ati 4225) which both meet my needs (smallish form factor, hdmi, 4-5 hrs of battery). Specs wise, the dm3 beats the acer (dual core, bigger/faster hdd) so the only worry for me is reliability, as the acer comes with 2 years warranty.

Is it realistic to expect this refurb to last for 2 years?

 

I rate the build quality of the DM3 quite a bit higher than the AAO 721.

 

I see, thanks for the assurance. I think I'll jump on the dm3 and play around with it for a week to see how it feels.

As for battery life, would I be safe in expecting 4-5 hrs on normal usage? (browsing, office, youtube)

 

I think about 3-4 hours without tinkering around with anything with 50% brightness.

I can hit a little over 5 hours with my computer undervolted, running only one core at 800mhz, 30% brightness, wifi on, bluetooth off, Adobe Flash disabled running Opera and Microsoft Word.

 

Thanks for the response. Hmm.. I think I'll have to reconsider. Battery life is pretty disappointing.

 

I just paid $449 USD for the same machine at Best Buy 3 weeks ago , so it is a good price.
I have no issue with heat, and overall I am happy with the machine. I can't comment on battery life, as I usually use it plugged in, or near a charger, so I haven't noticed.

 

If you use any flash while away from an outlet your battery life will suffer. I'm not sure if anyone is selling Asus UL series new or refurb near you, but I've seen refurb UL's with C2D SU7300 that get around 9 hours of real world use