*HP dm4t (1XXX series) Owners Lounge!*

Hmm.. well, there are other apps out there you might want to try.
(like, TouchpadPal Decreases Errors by Disabling the Touchpad While You Type)

 

question for you gizmodian.

I assume that the intel i5 430m and 450m perform at the same level in real world situations? Is it even worth upgrading to the 450m for $40 more?

 

That's one of the reasons why I bought my dm4 from costco: 90-day return policy, plus a 2-year warranty. (And, if the one I got had too many bad pixels or a bad display/trackpad, I can just return it and pick up a replacement in the store.)

 

You are correct. Assuming "real world situations", the 450m will perform marginally better. Personally, I don't think that justifies spending an additional $40.

 

Alright! After nearly 3 weeks of usage here are my observations.

1. The color of the lid is not pink which is the good news. The bad news is, it is not silver either - it is a sort of shiny - dark beige color one would find in women's cosmetics. Show it to a woman and ask if the color reminds them of nail paint.

2. There is a wide variation in touchpad quality. I have seen nearly half a dozen of these in shops or belonging to friends and in all of them one corner is raised higher than others. In 2 cases including mine it is the right corner towards the edge. In 2 others it was the corner with the light.

The stiffness varies - mine is above average stiffness on "button" presses. Prolonged use hurt my fingers. My friend's copy has perfect stiffness.

3. The keyboard, while nice to the touch and responsive, has sunken keys in the middle. Tilt up the base to your eye line and check the middle 3 rows from U to ], J to " and M to ?. These keys are lower than the adjoining keys.

4. If your palm accidentally touches the fingerprint reader, the software window pops up.

5. The screen quality while watching DVDs is not great, on dark backgrounds colored squarish patches were visible.

I don't much care about 1 and 4 and these are small problems really but I am put off by them and really struggling whether to ask for an exchange based on 2 and 3. Today is my 20th day so need to decide fast.

Any questions, comments and suggestions are welcome.

 

I've noticed the screen is pretty bad. blacks look more gray than normal.

 

I guess the touchpad quality really does vary -- mine is flat, and does not have any corners that are higher or lower. It is a bit stiff, though. That said, the trackpad is an abomination; even after turning off just about every feature, and making it just about as insensitive as possible, it's still barely usable. My biggest remaining issue is that, since the "buttons" are an active part of the trackpad, I'll often accidentally move the mouse cursor away from whatever I'm trying to click, merely by trying to click the touchpad button. Your finger must come down squarely on the trackpad button, and not move when you push down (my problem is that my finger might move slightly when I push down). As bad as this is, I can live with it, because I normally use an external bluetooth mouse.

My keyboard is pretty flat. It certainly looks flat to the eye. However, if I put a ruler across the keys, the "o" key is maybe a hair's thickness low, and the "k" and "l" keys are maybe 0.5-1.0 mm low. I'm not going to care about this.

I don't have that fingerprint sensor problem, because I drop-kicked the awful fingerprint software that came with the dm4, and installed the old digital persona software available from HP's website (sorry, I've forgotten the link, but it's somewhere on HP's site).

 

It is possible that you are one of the lucky ones with the flat touchpad but on the other hand I have seen two of them with a touchpad which had its whole keyboard side edge raised and just looked totally flat. It was not easily discernible till you traced the outline with the finger.

I am siding on not asking for an exchange because the keys and the touchpad are off by a couple of mm at most but I don't feel good about paying for a product and seeing these problems - minor as they may be. I have bought Sonys and Dells and never had any complaints. I am somewhat disappointed by HPs QC.

 

Part of the reason I bought this was to process photos. The screwed up colors of the screen are another reason I am upset.

 

Are there any laptops with decent color reproduction? I've heard that most (?) LCD monitors (and laptops?) can't reproduce color accurately (for photographic purposes), due to limited color range. I think I've seen articles where some professional photographers have even gone back to CRT monitors because of this.

Edit: I'm currently sitting next to an old Dell 2407WFPb 24" LCD monitor, and the blacks on the dm4 look slightly darker than the blacks on the Dell.

 

I am not a professional photographer so I do not require the best panels out there. I have been happily processing photos on my Dell Vostro for the last few years. The problem is the color patches I mentioned in a previous post. I would have liked the laptop to produce a similar image quality at a similar price point. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

It is really sad since with it's light weight and petite form, this laptop is a photographer's dream.

 

Ah, that's different -- earlier, you mentioned raised corners, and I don't have those. The whole trackpad looks fine, though (as you've said).

If you feel around my touchpad, I do have a slightly raised keyboard edge -- raised by maybe the thickness of a human hair.

Seriously, if this bothers you, you need to return the laptop and get something that does not have a touchpad of this design. In my (unprofessional and lay) opinion, this is an artifact of the touchpad design. Basically, the far (keyboard) edge is glued down (or somehow otherwise attached), a single mechanical button appears to be near the center, and the front edge -- along with the left and right corners -- appears to be floating (flexes up and down a bit). When you press a button, the touchpad knows which button you're pressing because, well, the entire surface is a touchpad and so it knows where your finger is. As you push downwards, eventually the single button in the middle gets depressed, and the computer knows which button you've pressed by where your finger is.

While this is a simple and elegant design, I don't think it works out all that well in reality.

 

Seems like those points bother you; exchange it.

 

Macbook Pros seem to be popular with photographers.
The Envy also has a better lcd panel.

 

No, I am not returning the laptop. Not at the price I paid. There are a lot of positives like the low weight, metal build etc which I like. I had hoped that my problems were in the nature of production defects but my informal QC checks on the half dozen machines proved otherwise. Even if I were to ask for an exchange, there is no guarantee I would get these issues fixed.

BTW, my touchpad is raised to the extent I can feel its top edge above the palm rest level. Also, HP has this type of touchpad across its lines. I checked for the problem on a few dv6 SEs too. No problems there.

 

Sorry, I missed this gem.

The color is, as everyone says, really hard to describe. In bright light, I'd describe the color as, well, " champange", with perhaps a bit more beige. Note that the color will appear to darken as the light darkens or as you get near shadows.

I can understand where the "pink" comes from; in just the right light, you can certainly imagine that there is a subtle hint of pink in the color. However, most people will probably not notice or see that. I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't gone looking for it.

 

IPS panels reproduce color more accurately than TN panels. Most (all?) laptops have TN panels because they are cheaper to produce.

 

Just a heads up for current and future dm4 Intel owners:

I've added support for the dm4 to one of the existing NBR HP driver threads.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...-dm4-dv5-gen-2-envy-14-compaq-cq32-intel.html

I encourage your feedback, suggestions, and other comments there!

 

Now that I look at it, mine has the same issue. You can try just pushing that area down further and see if it stays, but I honestly don't think it's a big deal. My touchpad still works fine despite the odd tilt it seems to be in (the bottom right is lower, the top left is higher); I mean, I didn't even notice this slight defect until tracing my finger along the edges of the touchpad.

 

Thank you very much! This looks helpful. I added it to my favorites.

 

Thank you for the help, I went with the 430m. Maybe I'll put the 40 bucks towards paying for a new ssd!

 

I have a quick question, I hope someone can help...if you have your switchable graphics settings on high performance GPU, does that mean its fully using my 5450 graphics card? Or is there something else I need to do to optimize my graphics?

Also, is there a driver I should download to optimize the graphics (mostly so I can play starcraft 2...)? I used the windows driver search thing but it couldnt find any, but maybe 1 exists somewhere online?

Thanks for the help!!

 

The graphics driver plays a big part in making sure that your ATI 5450 is being utilized properly. You should be able to handle graphics switching through the ATI Catalyst software provided with the driver.

I've posted the stock ATI graphics driver up on the driver thread (it's not the newest of the new but is the most compatible version known to work) -- http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-...-dm4-dv5-gen-2-envy-14-compaq-cq32-intel.html

 

ok, I uninstalled the old dirver, and im downloading the 1 on your link...I hope it works out ok, thanks!!

 

I opened the file and installed it, but for some reason I still don't have the driver, and it won't let me switch to the 5450 card...please help!

 

Also make sure in the Power settings of Windows that your card and CPU get maximum performance over battery life.

I wonder, does anyone else get a black screen after returning from hibernation in about 25-30% of the cases (you need to restart or re-hibernate to get the screen on again)? It seems a regular HP problem, also with older models, when I google it, but I can't really find a proper solution. I suppose it's some driver issue (maybe the ATI card?). It doesn't happen always, just often enough for it to be annoying, as I use Hibernate all the time...

 

Good idea. An SSD will definitely speed up things more than upgrading the cpu.

 

I was finally able to return my laptop. I also received a complete refund. I really liked the dm4t but after all that, I couldn't bring myself to get a replacement unit at the risk of getting another defective unit and waiting weeks for it. I think I'll save up for an Envy.

 

Nevermind justin I think I got it figured out, thanks! Installing starcraft now, hopefully it works

 

Okay, so I got Starcraft2 running...only got to play a little bit, but it worked fine on up to High settings and High textures (didn't get to try ultra). My only concern is that the far left area (under the ESC key) gets REALLY hot. As in when I put my finger in that area, I have to remove it withing 5 secs or I will literally get burned. Is this normal? Is it safe to be playing starcraft2? I'm not talking about a possibility of a fire, but is it safe for the laptop?

 

Well, that is where the vents are. Under load, it's bound to get hot, but if you're concerned it'd probably be wise to invest in a notebook cooler :3.

 

Does anyone know any good deals for this lately? Can't seem to find much.

 

Well, I think that I've pretty much decided on getting the dm4 for college. Does anyone know of a good cooler and backpack to use with this laptop?

 

HP Pavilion dm4 1060us 14 LED Backlit Widescreen Laptop Computer With Intel Core i5 430M Processor With Turbo Boost Technology by Office Depot

A few places have a decent model without discrete graphics for $679 after a $50 rebate.

 

Yes, this happens to me. I don't ever restart or re-hibernate, simply shutting the lid and reopening it has worked for me, probably puts the laptop in standby and takes it out of standby.

 

Just got my new dm4. Happy except I have the same problem. My wife has a new Acer and there is no problem getting the full 300 mbps speed on her system. I have verified that the computer has the Broadcom 4313 adapter. Also, this is the dm4-1063cl from Costco. All the router config stuff is right and just to be sure, I shut hers down to try and figure our if there was a channel issue. I have read that the adapter must have and support both 20/40 mzh bonding. I have just recently moved to Win 7, and am still learning my way around, but have not found anywhere to tell the Broadcom additonal config stuff that might pertain to this issue. I also checked the HP site, and the drivers installed are current. Anyone know if this adapter really does not support the higher speeds. It is hard to imagine.... Any help is thankful.

 

Watch out if you're going to use that rebate. The fine print says:

 

The link goes to Office Depot =].
The mail-in rebate applies.

 

Office Depot != Office Max. Whoops

 

You should check your temperatures (HWMonitor is a good program for that).

 

I keep debating between this and the dm3....sigh..
In other news, the manager at my local Office Depot
hinted at a price decrease for next week.
Here's hoping ...

 

Based on description on Broadcom's site it works only in 2.4GHz range, to reach 300mpbs adapter has to work in 5HGz range. Edit: scratch that, after some reading turned out it is possible to reach 300mbps on 2.4 GHz. End of edit. I have the same problem with my Intel 1000 (and it is the highest option , my old Dell XPS M1330 had 2.4/5 HGz Intel card). Looking forward to buy Intel 6200 now...

 

I bought a USB 2.4ghz N 300 MBPS adapter. Works great. At this point, it seems to really be a case of either one of two options, since issues with Win 7 are eliminated. My take is:

HP markets this laptop and sells it to support 802.11N. Whether 150 or 300 MBPS, the least should be 150 MBPS, not 72 MBPS. I am contacting HP Monday morning and also Costco to determine what their response will be. It is absurd that such a great laptop should come with a crippled wireless adapter. I stopped by Best Buy and ran the problem by the Geek Squad (there are some smart people there) and they already know about the problem with the Broadcome 4313 in this laptop. No oe is sure right now whether it is bad boards or firmware, but the consensus thought is that the hardware batch is actually bad. HP needs to replace the WIFI module or not market this as 802.22N. 72MBPS is not even one half of the two channel bonding to get 300. One channel should at least get 150. That is what I have come up with unless someone else has better info.....

 

If you do a google search for:

broadcom 4313 "72 mbps" site:hp.com​

You'll see a match on an HP pdf file:

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13616_div/13616_div.PDF​

Which has the interesting text (color emphasis is mine):

Broadcom 4313GN
802.11b/g/n
WiFi Adapter
Integrated support for 802.11 b, g, and n
Up to 72 mbps data rate
​

Yes, this data is for a different laptop, but it wouldn't surprise me if this was a limitation of the particular Broadcom chipset used.

I hate to say this, but HP doesn't appear to be wrong, here. The dm4 does support wireless N, but only at the lower speeds (with this particular Broadcom chipset). I've never seen any dm4 specs that claimed any particular wireless N speed.

Skydiverjack, I'm sorry to say this, but you probably need to return the laptop to costco if you're unhappy, because I don't think there's any way for that laptop to support higher speeds.

(Well, it should be possible to swap out the wifi module, but costco certainly won't do that, and HP probably isn't set up to do that. It's probably easier for HP to just order up a new, differently-configured dm4t laptop, but I doubt they'll do that for you. Props to you if you can get HP to do it, though. )

Yow, just checked, you can buy some parts from HP. There's an "Atheros AR9285 802.11 a/b/g/n 2x2 WiFi adapter - HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth 2.1 wireless technology" available for $33 -- plus some unholy amount in shipping & tax, I assume. I wonder if this will really work with the dm4 (I got the part number from the dm4 maintenance and service guide). I wonder if it's worth paying, oh, $60 to take a gamble ...

Edit: note: the above Atheros chipset supports up to 150mbps, not 300: http://www.atheros.com/pt/AR9285.html

 

If you look at the network card configuration page on the HP website and click on "Help me decide", the pop-up box describes the Wireless-N Card by saying

This looks to me like some sort of false advertising on HP's part.

 

HI!

Well, you are right. I checked your links and sure enough, it really is only rated to 72. What I find kind of crazy, is if I get the Atheros module and install it myself, that one is only rated to 150. Oh well, I have actually been happy with the little USB adapter from Netgear, and can get to just about anything out there today. By the way, it is the "WNDA3100". 72mbps will be ok if I need to be in a place where the dongle might get snagged. By the way, I learned something else the yesterday. I had recently upgraded my wife"s Acer Aspire 5535 from XP to Windows 7, and prior to the upgrade, she was connecting at 300mbps. After the upgrade, it dropped to 150mbps. It uses an Atheros AR5B91 wifi module. What I learned after waaaay to many hours in front of the computer, is that in Windows 7, if the driver does not have the ability to enable the channel bonding, then it just won't ever provide the higher rates. It is interesting that under the older XP driver, it was able to, but the driver that comes from Microsoft in the install (plus an updated one after the install) does not turn this function on, as well as no place in the advanced device settings to enable. I have learned a lot in the last few days, and appreciate your help and information. This is obviously a moving target for getting both adapters that can actualy provide full 300mbps speeds, as well as the drivers and software to enabe the functions to work when there. Thanks again. I am going to give it a rest for a while. Have a great weekend.

 

skydiverjack,

From what I've read, Verizon FiOs Internet offers the fastest internet speed:
Verizon | FiOS Internet | Plans

Today, Verizon's "fastest" is 50Mbps. So, you can definitely rest easy knowing that even the "slow" Broadcom 4313GN at 72Mbps should meet your needs.

Marty

 

Actually, the top speed offered by my ISP (100Mbps) beats that, but your point still stands I believe, unless the router is, by default, a bottleneck.

 

WOW!

Hate to admit I'm still using DSL.

 

Do not forget that besides internet there are local/home networks too