HP dm4t Review

I don't think a non-backlit keyboard is a huge issue. It's just something that would be nice to have.

 

There are now 2 reviews of the dm4t on the HP page for the model.

 

The first is mine and I have been trying to edit it but I don't see an edit button.

 

Link to the second review?

 

Copied and Pasted from the HP Website:

A great thin and light with lots of power
May 28, 2010
Without going into much detail I will list the pros and cons,
Pros:
- Build quality is great, especially for a thin and light
- Keyboard and touchpad are both easy to navigate
- Runs quiet and relatively cool
- i5 and 5450 pack quite a punch for the size and weight
- battery life with 9 cell is 8+ hours
- Light
Cons:
USB ports are tight
Slightly pinkish tint (maybe not a con for some)
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a powerful thin and light notebook.

 

^ that one seems like abaddon's (judging from the complaint of the tight USB ports)

does anybody know of a way to customize the F# buttons? i actually like using the F5 and F6 keys when i'm browsing.

 

My package has been enjoying a weekend rest at the FedEx hanger in Honolulu it will arrive tomorrow. I have been thinking of taking photos next to actual pink items, pink flamingos, Pink Floyd, Pink, Pink Champagne, you get the idea. Then move on to lightly tinged bronze items, I may have to go to the beach for that part...
I will report back the good and bad when I get around to it probably Friday or Saturday. I went to a political convention this weekend, many Dell, Apple Mac Pros, HP 15" laptops of various models and countless iPhones. Amazing experience, it was, it was.

 

Hey abbadon!

There's no video review on YouTube about the dm4t yet.
Do you think you could make one and post the link here?

 

Just uploaded it but I had to shoot with my previously mentioned terrible digital camera because the laptop doesn't have firewire. You can clearly see that it does not look pink, though.

YouTube - HP dm4t

 

Thanks!
The video quality isn't the best but anyway, I love the dm4t! It'd be my next laptop within the next 2 weeks.

This is what I'd get:

- 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 with Bluetooth
- One 6 Cell (standard) and One 9 Cell (over-sized) Lithium Ion Battery

at $1,055.33 including Estimated tax and LOGIC50 coupon.

I'd use it mostly for programming, watching HD movies and browsing. I'd also may play PES.

What do you think?

Just for you to know, my last laptop was an HP dv4-1283cl ( specs here).
I had it for about 8 months after somebody broke into my house and stole it.

 

I'm gonna borrow a better camera and upload a new video tonight or tomorrow.

 

I think you will love it. The processor will handle any programming easily and the GPU will help with HD movies and blow away PES. Good choice with the batteries, if you have them both you could easily get 12 or more hours of battery life.

 

If the 6 cell standard gets 5 hours what does the 6 cell high capacity able to get?

 

How do you feel about the screen resolution?

I'm used to 1680x1050 screens.. and the main reason I'm leaning towards the Envy 14 is because of it's higher resolution (1600x900).. other than that, there's no difference between to the two machines, to me.

 

Use this coupon to get $50 more off,
LOGIC50

Just picked one up for $941 with free ship. Added 2 year house call for 119 more.

 

I posted this in the owners thread, but it may be helpful to some people here too. I uploaded some pictures of mine at HP DM4 Pictures.

If I knew what to record I have a Canon T1i, so I could take 720p video.

 

Would be great if you could take 720p video, just give us a view from all angles on camera and a quick run through of the features...doesn't have to be anything fancy

 

just got mine in today and i love it so far! for those who were saying that it was pink-ish.. i have no idea what you are talking about, it's clearly silver to me. it's very well built and the design is beautiful, its thin and light, and the etching on the aluminum is a nice addition. i love holding this thing in my hand. so far from my time of using it, it's definitely smooth and fast and it just works right out of the box. i am definitely satisfied with my purchase.

 

Anyone knows if it's possible to change the factory keyboard for a backlit (light through the keys) keyboard?

That feature is the only thing that is keeping me from buying the dm4t and waiting for the envy 14. :/

 

This looks like an awesome notebook. I ordered one for my wife to mail me out here in the desert so i can video chat and play a few games with people in my down time. HP cut off the last part of my billing address and my bank wouldn't let the payment through. so i had money tied up in my bank as pending for HP for like 5 days while they tried to verify i finally was able to call and verify security questions and they tell me it will be verified by 10pm eastern time. sigh... . I told them to expidite the build process for being so slow

 

So what's the downfall on this machine? I see you are selling it rather than just returning it which I find odd.

 

No real downfall, just that I realized that I want to get more power at the expense of battery and portability. And I'm selling it rather than returning it because I bought it during the 25% BCB and I figure I can make a few bucks.

 

You crack me up abaddon!

If I ever need a new, lightly used laptop, I'll just PM you. Seems as if you always have one for sale these days. Cheers, and good luck! I think the dv6 is a better choice for you by the way.

 

Yeah, I just can't decide what I want. It the past 8 months I have had 7 laptops. I need to find something I can stay with but I'm clearly insane because what I want changes by the minute

 

I'm not one to judge. Get what you like, I say. I've been having fun in the last few months following your progress, as it's quite entertaining. You have definitely learned a lot about laptops though, which is evident in your boost in contributions lately.

 

I have been hitting the "What notebook should I buy" forum pretty hard recently. I feel liked I have researched basically every laptop available at this point

 

I would buy that in a heartbeat.. but alas I still have my MSI GX640.

 

These things are all a compromise that's for sure. I look for bang for the buck and this dm4t seems to cover the items well. I still say upgrade what you can't upgrade yourself and choose well.
Good luck.

 

what do you guys think about the reliability of these HP computers? it seems that some people get them with defects when brand new, what's stopping them from having something wrong down the road?

 

Such is modern computing. If it arrives without a problem, that's a good thing... but you're not out of the woods yet. Most companies provide a 1 year warranty.. and if something (besides the hard drive) is going to fail, it'll probably fail within that one year.

These new HP laptops seem great so far.. but only time will tell.

 

I can't speak for the newest HP laptops (I just ordered my dm4 today), but I'm currently typing on a 6-7 year old dv4000, and it's worked great ever since I got it. I think that in order to have a well-functioning laptop after about 3-4 years, it takes a combination of luck and good maintenance.

 

What do you think about this dm4t deal?

Not sure about the Targus Slipskin Peel though. Do you know any deal for a better sleeve?

Also, do you know where can I get a good cleaning kit or something like that? I'm too careful!

 

Oh jeese...

i5-430m
4gb ram
160GB SSD
ATI 5450 (512mb)
9 cell + 6 cell...

For $1059.99.. no tax in NH, and free shipping!

Want to jump.. on.. deal... I'm probably not going to be gaming on this laptop.. so this seems like a better deal than the Envy 14 could be...

 

Yes, someone give some recommendations on a sleeve.

 

I bought this one: STM Turtle Hard Shell Laptop Sleeve Case for Apple MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro & PC notebooks - RadTech Products

Fits nicely inside my backpack and provides pretty good protection. You can get it on amazon for around $20

 

Where is it on amazon for that price? I only see 13" and 15" sizes too. Which one would fit the dm4t the best in your opinion?

 

Amazon.com: STM Bags DP-0930-1 15 Inch Turtle Hardshell Laptop Case for MacBook Pro: Office Products

 

I just ordered a dm4t for my son to take back to college in the fall. He decided that he doesn't want a desktop any longer so his will go to my wife and he'll get the HP. It was $750 after the extra $200 off on the current deal. I ordered one with 4GB ram and the ATI 512MB 5450 video card, Intel wireless w/bluetooth and the high cap 6 cell battery.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

PCMag has a new review for the dm4

HP Pavilion dm4 - Full Review - Reviews by PC Magazine

CNET also has their review too

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

 

Doesn't the DM4 has the option for a discrete graphics card? The guys reviewing at PC Mag seems to not realize that this is an option.

 

The one that is sold in most retail and online stores is already put together and non-configurable. They are reviewing this, Amazon.com: HP Pavilion dm4-1060us 14.1-Inch Laptop: Computer &….

It is the same laptop, just preconfigured for retail sale.

 

Seems like the only con I see is the touchpad.

 

How come the wife gets the hand-me-down. Your poor wife.

Bronsky

 

Does anyone know what brand 160GB SSD uses in the DM4? I can't seem to find any reference on their specs. I expect it may be the Intel X25-M but want to make sure it is not some cheap knock off with firmware problems?

and great review!

 

Don't blame me, I've been wanting to get her a new computer but she's been sticking with her 6 year old Dell with the 2.66 ghz P4 with 2 GB ram. Getting my sons Quad core with 6 GB of ram will be a big upgrade. However, she still insists on keeping her 19" 1280x1024 flat panel rather than going with a 24"... go figure.

 

I came really close to pulling the trigger on the DM4 today with those coupons. But I really want to see what the specs & price are on the Envy 14 are before I make a decision.

Once you add 4gig, discrete graphics, 500gig HD the price creeps over the Envy's supposed $999 price. Granted the coupons bring it down a lot, but still pretty close.

 

I'm pretty sure it has to be.. either G1 or G2. But I'm assuming G2.

Thing's a steal right now though..

You can get:

i5 430m
4gb Ram
ATI 5450
Intel Wireless N
9 cell battery
160gb SSD

for $1050... with the $350 price cut, you're basically get the SSD for free. There's no way the Envy is going to hit this price for what you get..

 

The dm4 is highly overrated imo. It's really only worth 800$ of hardware with this HD5450 thing and without the ssd... unless it's screen is the same superbright as the envy line it's not a good deal unless you really want something in aluminium with a mbp sleeky finish.

 

How is that overrated?

It's got an low/mid-range graphics (switchable), 14" screen, low weight, long battery life, a good keyboard, nice build quality and a sleek look. It can be configured pretty cheaply right now... and with the SSD it'll be a very fast computer. Nothing else quite competes with all of that..