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

Just ordered mine. Stoked!

 

specs?

10chars

 

The $200 coupon code "does not apply to items in cart" now.

 

Really? Are you going through the regular HP store (not the academic discount)?

EDIT: The coupon code (NBA738749) still works for me. Make sure your configuration does not include an academic discount, and is at least $1,099 (before notebook instant rebate).

 

I've just had the worst experience dealing with a company ever, and that includes the cable company and certain other laptop manufacturers. My laptop arrived today and despite the fact that I had ordered the 'Wireless-N' adapter, it came with a standard b/g card.

I called up HP to complain and ending up talking with them for over 3 hours during which time they frequently transferred me to the wrong departments and hung up. They finally agreed to give me a $50 refund so I could 'buy my own wireless card'. Apparently they're incapable of sending parts only for service and can only take the entire laptop back for repair. They said they would have it for at least 2 weeks.

Initially, I was fine with this but after installing Linux on the box I found the touch-pad to be almost unusable. The cursor likes to jump while clicking, and I've found that if your thumb is resting on one of the buttons the rest of the pad stops responding. In addition, it's impossible to do a left and right simultaneous click.

After this afternoon's adventure, I figured I'd just call it a loss and return it to HP. I've been on the phone with them for the last two hours in an effort to get the thing returned, and it looks like they might be keeping $240.

This is mainly due to an issue I had when trying to buy the laptop the first time. I was trying to use two credit cards during the checkout, but whenever I entered the second card's information the site refused to allow me to finish the order. I tried it in both Firefox and IE and it was doing the same thing. I had called HP and asked for advise and they said to order a gift card and send it to myself since that's 'processed differently'. That did go though, but now they're claiming that all gift card's cannot be refunded regardless of the reason.

I've tried disputing the charge with PayPal, but they've said that it's up to HP and they can't do anything about it since I actually received something. Apparently as long as you receive something, you're excluded from their buyer protection.

I'll try giving HP another call tomorrow, but I suspect I'm going to be stuck with a $240 gift card I have no intention of ever using. Buyer beware, I guess. Looks like I'll be getting another Dell.

Edit: Oh, and it IS pink.

 

That sounds really unfortunate. I'm sorry it happened to you, but I hope my laptop arrives in pristine condition!

 

HP Pavilion dm4t Entertainment PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-520M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93GHz
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
• 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768) -For HP Mobile Broadband WWAN
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Full-size island-style keyboard
• 50% OFF! One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

Sorry to hear this. You can probably sell that $240 gift card in the market place of this forum for $200-220.

 

I just placed my order for the dm4t..but i'm already experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse. Based on early reviews so far, the majority have claimed the multitouch touchpad to be unusable. For those of you who have already received the laptop, what's your take on it and how does it compare to the touchpad on the Macbook Pro.
Also, any idea how long it takes to ship out to California?

 

There are so many laptop choices, it is really mind boggling. I got this dm4t yesterday. I use a wireless mouse normally but I used the touchpad on this to see how it worked. I feel there is nothin deficient about it. It may take some getting used to the device but taking the time it will be ok.
I just sent an HDMI signal to my TV from the laptop a Hulu stream. The laptops screen could be better the TV had a better picture.
Remember everyone you have 21 days from receipt to return the laptop. You don't need a flaw or damage or anything. Go through the hours on the phone and keep insisting that you want a refund not a repair, not a replacement. For the guy who put linux on it, restore the origina lwin7 and send it back. You have to be able to prove your order was wrong. HP has a quality control issue but their laptops are actually good units. They sell thousands of them all over the world.
I like mine and will be keeping it.

 

One more thing, it will probably arrive 2 or 3 days earlier than the date they say it will be built by.

 

I agree with most of you and really like this machine. It's the best blend of portability and power I could fine. They keyboard is much better than the VAIO I was considering. For those of you who are worried about returns and warranties, why not get it through Costco. You have 90 days. No hassle. And the warranty is two years.

I just have the following questions issues with the machine....mostly minor. Please let me know what you think...

1. the laptop is generally cool. Mine does seem to get a bit warm though, under the left palmrest. Not hot I would say but definitely warmer than the right side. Anyone else notice this?

2. How do you keep the cursor from jumping all over the place when the track pad is enabled? Most of the pad is under the right hand and it activates when you type. I mostly use the mouse but I would like to use the pad more.

3. I know the graphics are switchable but why does the video card not even show up in the device manager or anywhere on the computer while I am on battery power. I get the full ATI menu while plugged in.

Thanks. Good luck with your machines....

 

I don't actually have mine yet, but I can attempt to answer your questions with the knowledge that I've gained from reading other people's experiences.

1.) Sorry, don't know.
2.) One solution is to simply turn the trackpad off while you're typing (by double-tapping the upper-left corner, I think?)
3.) I'm fairly sure that the graphics card is set to fully turn off when the laptop is operating on battery power. This means that because the card is actually turned off, the OS will not be able to recognize it until it is turned back on.

 

1. It feels a little warmer under full load but still not hot.

2. I have never had this problem, I type with my hands about an inch above the laptop itself

3. Right click the desktop and go to "Configure Switchable Graphics". You can change it so you fully control it or it automatically switches on battery/plugged in

 

What about when typing a word document or surfing the web? How's the palm rest then? And the underside of the laptop on your lap?

These were my biggest pet peeves with the Envy 15, and are mine with the GX640 too. Even when doing a simple task, I found the Envy to be hot on the bottom and the palm rests warm.

I want something I can use on my lap and type a paper with low temps

 

Order shipped! Estimated to be delivered on the original shipment date (June 8th). I'm pretty excited and I hope everything works out flawlessly with this laptop.

Assuming everything works out fine, any suggestions on what to do with my old laptop? Its a Dell e1405 with pretty standard specs (windows xp media center, 2.0ghz dual-core intel processor, 2gb ram, 250gb @7200rpm hard drive, standard graphics, etc.) and I was wondering if any laptop buying services existed. I have seen the online companies who offer to buy your laptop and send you a check after you send it to them, but that seems like a scam to me. I was thinking MicroCenter or some type of computer store may be interested in buying and refurbishing it to sell again...thanks for the help!

 

Even when under full load the only parts that are a little warm are by the vent and the left palmrest. They aren't hot, though. Under normal use the laptop itself stays as cool as the ambient temps

 

I just ordered mine, now I just can't wait to get it. Thanks for all of your information and help.

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 320GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
• 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
• Intel Wireless-N Card with Bluetooth
• Full-size island-style keyboard
• 50% OFF! One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery

 

Thanks for the replies all. Very helpful.

<M

 

Same configuration as my order (except I got one high-capacity 6-cell battery)!

 

Just ordered for 6/14, using $200 (NBA738749) coupon plus $150 instant rebate totalling $874.99, $350 off:

HP Pavilion dm4t Entertainment PC
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-520M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93GHz
• 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
• 14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768) -For HP Mobile Broadband WWAN
• SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
• HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
• Intel Wireless-N Card
• Full-size island-style keyboard
• High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
• Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

PCMag has a new review for the dm4 ...

HP Pavilion dm4 - Full Review - Reviews by PC Magazine

CNET also has their review up

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/hp-pavilion-dm4/4505-3121_7-34113120.html?tag=latestReviews

 

The reviews are all positive but that is now 3 reviews where they ordered a machince without discrete graphics and then complained that there was no discrete graphics. Perhaps we should look for the computer brand advertised most on these sites. If there was a Lenovo add, perhaps it's in the interest of the site to have something to complain about. Other than that and a few trackpad issues....they didn't find much to complain about anyway.

 

I had same build, except 430M, I used that coupon and the BCB, and I have money pending for BCB, I wonder if that will go through...

 

to get that extra 200.00 off i need to build a laptop thats 1099.00+

to make it to the price requirement i have two options...a bigger HD or more ram...i dont need more HD space...but will 6 gigs of ram make a huge difference on this laptop..


here are my two choices:
$830.00 w/ 4 gigs ram|500gig HD

$883.00 w/ 6 gigs ram|320 gig HD


or should i step up the processor one notch to:
i5-520M Dual Core processor (2.40GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.93GHz for $883.00
_____________________

hard drive space isnt important to me..but will the extra 2 gigs of ram make a huge difference?...its only 53.00 more



heres the rest of my config:

Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz
?GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
?GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768) -For HP Mobile Broadband WWAN
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
Intel Wireless-N Card
Full-size island-style keyboard
High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

I would go for the processor over either hdd or ram

 

I would suggest upgrading the CPU because that is something you will never do after you get it. Also (for everyone else) get the ATI graphics card.
The RAM and harddrive are two things you can actually upgrade.
I have had this laptop for a full 48 hours and still like it, a lot. I looked at it today under the bright Hawaiian sun and still don't get the pink thing, it has tints, but to me pink is pink and this laptops surface is a light bronze, champagne color depending on the light. It is beautiful actually.

 

i ended up getting the 500 gig HD....it kept me closer to my 800.00 budget for a new laptop

$829.24 shipped to FL
_______________________________
specs:
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-430M Dual Core processor (2.26GHz, 3MB L2 Cache) with Turbo Boost up to 2.53GHz
4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD 5450 switchable graphics
14.0" diagonal High-Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768) -For HP Mobile Broadband WWAN
SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-R/RW with Double Layer Support
HP TrueVision Webcam + Fingerprint Reader + Digital Microphone
Intel Wireless-N Card
Full-size island-style keyboard
High Capacity 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery (standard)
Microsoft(R) Office Starter 2010
HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
__________________________________________________

 

Did you do the 10% BCB?

 

^ coupons invalidate BCB

 

Even when it's pending? that means it wont go through right

 

After a few days, sometimes even longer, it will just disappear from your Bing account.

 

Hi y’all,

I received my laptop early this week. While I agree with most comments that were posted here, HP has serious quality control issues. I looks like a sharp machine but I didn’t even get to boot it. As soon as I took it out of the box I noticed that the keyboard was loose. I called tech supported and sent it back to get a replacement. I was pretty pissed because I won’t end up getting the new one for another week or two. I called back yesterday to cancel the replacement order and will get a replacement. The reason for this is that I found a $200 discount coupon on top of the $150 instant rebate. So I ended up placing a new order for the same machine but upgraded the graphics card from my initial order and am still paying $100 less.

HP Pavilion dm4t Intel Core i5-430M 2.26GHz 14in Laptop (3GB/160GB SSD) $849.99 Deal - Reviews and Compare Prices

Cheers,
Dertef

 

For anyone that is interested, after spending a few days with my DM4 I decided to send it back for the following reasons:

1 ~ The trackpad was a pain in the neck. Sometimes it would scroll, other times it wouldn't. I even changed the sensitivity on it but it didn't make much difference.

2 ~ The fan, although fairly quiet seemed to run all the time, even if I was just browsing the web and it irritated me as I used it in a quiet room mostly.

3 ~ The keyboard on mine seemed to be wavy, like some keys weren't aligned with others.

4 ~ The pink / champagne color

I replaced it with a macbook pro 13" and after a day with that, I couldn't be happier. I'm no fan boy but the difference in build quality and having a trackpad that works flawlessly counts for a lot when I use it 8 hours a day.

 

One last nitpick. Everything else is great about this machine. The more i use it the more Ilike it. I particularly love the fingerpint login....

At the bottom of the screen, right over the HP logo, I have a bit of torn what looks to be, Plastic wrap? Anyone else notice this or have something similar. I have taken some of it off with tweezers but a bit remains. It doesn't bother me but if its some of the screen coating coming off or something else not sealed, it could be an issue. It seems to arise from the gap between the edge arond the monitor and the screen. Perhaps they just wrapped it during production and this didn't come out all the way.

I agree with the other post about color. This is bronze. It looks great!!! I hardly think all the macbooks I am surrounded by look any better.

 

I have actually decided not to sell, after going back and forth for the past two days, but would anyone possibly be interested in trading their 6 cell for my 9 cell, straight up? I realized that I do not need all this battery life and that portability is a bigger concern. I'd call HP and just get them to switch it out and get the difference but I am worried it will void my BCB.

 

it will stay pending until the very last day. then it will be rejected, i guarantee it *men's wearhouse*

 

hey im new here. im thinking about getting a dm4 but im kinda worried about the pinkish tint everyone's talking about. does anyone know about any stores where i can check out the laptop my self before i actually decide to buy it?

 

Someone here said that Costco is selling them.

 

Costco does have them. I went into a costco nearby to check it out before I purchased mine online.

 

So you thought it actually wasn't (too) pink?

 

I took my DM4 for a road trip yesterday and found the 9 cell battery while installed to be the perfect grip inside the slip case.
I'm liking this laptop more and more as time goes on. I recommend it.

 

I am naive to computers. When I ordered mine ATI Mobility 5450 graphics card was costing me $100 more, so I kept the default Intel HD. But now there is a $200 coupon deal going on and I can afford ATI Mobility 5450 graphics card. But my laptop is hipped and I have to return it and re-order to get that graphics card. Is there a major difference between ATI Mobility 5450 Vs Intel HD graphics card? I am not gonna play any high end games on it. Please advise

 

Ati 5450
Intel Graphics

I got a score of 4073 in 3dmark06 with my 5450, (abaddon received 4080) which is a much higher score than the integrated graphics score. Run a test on your system, or refer to some of the comparable scores on notebook check. Average score for them was 1633, so expect around that maybe more.

You will still be able to play some games on low settings, older games on medium to high depending on the game. Starcraft II will be playable on your integrated graphics, how well I don't know. Maybe medium settings...?

I guess it all depends on what you'll be using it for. I only use the 5450 when it's plugged in, otherwise I'm on the integrated for better battery life. This includes my time watching hd movies.

 

There is a pretty big difference. Even low end games will look a lot better and run faster.

 

CNET's review (with video)

 

When will the dm4 do this?

 

What exactly are you referring to?

 

the only thing keeping me from buying this laptop is the lack of a backlit keyboard besides that, it has EVERYTHING i could possibly want

 

Hi guys so far saw 2 reviews of dm4t ( apart from abaddon's )
pcmag's and cnet's. both looked a bit off the chart. dont know why
while pcmag's review guy had no idea that it can have dedicated GPU. Cnet's Dan was more worried on the price saying its expencive ... (abaddon's is the best you can get so far ) ordered mine ysterday
so i spend 200 bucks for 1gig GPU any idea if that was right decesion. i will do occasional gaming ..but was thingking if i coudlhave saved 100 bucks and upgreaded cpu to i5-520 any suggestions ?