*HP dv8 Owners Lounge*

Congrats! Awesome that you love it so much. Random question for surveying purposes, when did you place your order, and did you get the bluetooth upgrade with your dv8? Thanks, enjoy, and keep posting!

 

thanks man ... i maxed all the settings like an 8gb memory and
the i7-820qm hoping it would make a difference in gaming
cuz i heard that a better cpu with more ram
can increase the frame rate is that true ????

 

a question to RAMz please can u tell me how long would the hp dv8t battery last ??
and did u order the long life battery or just the default one

 

The cpu won't really make a difference in gaming. The GPU in the DV8 is heavily bottlenecked. Also when it comes to gaming (and just gaming) Dual cores are way better then quad cores.

 

UPDATE 11/24/09: GO HERE FOR THE LATEST ON THIS MOD!

Got my backlit keyboard. I was appauled at how they shipped it. The box was not long enough so the let the keyboard stick out the end with only bubble wrap protecting it! One of the tabs that screws the keyboard down was broken off too. The keys were in good shape but the frame had to bent straight... did it with my fingers.


Anyway. I applied 2v,3v,4v, 5v to the + and - on the small fpc cable and got NO lights.

So I don't know what's going on. We REALLY need someone with an HDX to pop up the keyboard and probe those four points with a DC voltmeter while the backlight is ON. I need to know the voltage between the two outer pins and the voltage between the left most and the one of the two middle pins and the voltage between the right most pin and the two middle pins and then each of them relative to ground.

I did a little dismanteling on the keyboard too. Looks like the back light is a whole separate layer than the actual keys. Looks like they took a regualar keyboard, put transpartent keys on it and glued a thin layer (white) to the back of it. Where the thin layer is where the small cable goes into and the large cable goes into the regular keyboard....so the backlight is completely separate from the keyboard keys.

For all I know, my keyboard may be busted.

 

johnriba you said you talked to a sales rep through a chat window? I cant seem to find the option for that the only options i have showing are these:



Sales —

for HP Home & Home Office products

I want a sales agent to call me right now 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST

I want to talk to a sales agent 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. EST
1 (800) 892-6609


for HP Home & Home Office products (United States only)
I want to e-mail a customer service agent Anytime; response will be within 24 hours Service e-mail
Technical support —

for HP Home & Home Office products (United States only)
I want to text chat with a technical support agent Anytime Chat support
I want to email a technical support agent Anytime E-mail support
I want to talk to a technical support agent Anytime 1 (800) HP INVENT
(1-800-474-6836)


Can you or anyone else help me find this chat option to the sales reps.

 

Good work. But still...damn. No luck finding anyone with an HDX here. I'm gonna try to stop in Best Buy tomorrow; I uses to work there so Im cool with the geek squad guys. Maybe they have an HDX backlit in their pile of misc parts that they'll let me play with. But from what you've found so far, I just hope your keyboard is broken lol. For the sake of the community, nothing against you, of course.

 

UPDATE 11/24/09: GO HERE FOR THE LATEST ON THIS MOD!

Here's my first correction to my assumptions....

The small cable is not labeled with a + and - sign. It's a "1" and a "4" printed sideways.



So applying voltage to those two contacts didn't mean squat.

I REALLY need to know the voltage. EVEN IF THEY HAVE A HDX (or whatever) without a backlit keyboard but still could have had one as an option.... you could still check the voltages at the terminals. Leave the keyboard plugged in because you will have to hit the fn-spacebar keys to toggle the juice to that connector (if that's how it works).

There's only three wire 1,4 2-3 which are connected (see pic) ,

NEED VOLTAGES!!!!

 

I finally got ahold of a HP tech via chat -- they said that there is no keyboard with a Japanese layout that is compatible with the DV8T, and there is no keyboard with a Japanese layout for the HDX18. So whoever said there was, could you please source it or give me a part number for it? :-/

 

Not true, depends on the game itself. if the game is multi-threading up to 4 (or more) threads, a quad core is better than a dual core.

 

Description Spare part number
For use in Belgium 496878-A41
For use in Brazil 496878-201
For use in the Czech Republic 496878-221
For use in Denmark, Finland, and Norway 509474DH1
For use in France 496878-051
For use in French Canada 509474121
For use in Germany 496878-041
For use in Greece 496878-DJ1
For use in Italy 496878-061
For use in Japan 509474291
For use in Latin America 496878-161
For use in the Netherlands 496878-B31
For use in Portugal 496878-131
For use in Russia 496878-251
For use in Saudi Arabia 509474-171
For use in South Korea 509474-AD1
For use in Spain 496878-071
For use in Switzerland 496878-111
For use in Taiwan 496878-AB1
For use in Thailand 509474-281
For use in Turkey 496878-141
For use in the United Kingdom 496878-031
For use in the United States 496878-001

I assume that would be a Japanese layout.

 

Thanks, I really appreciate it.

Does anyone know if the HDX18 keyboards work fine in the DV8T /without/ the backlight? Whether they fit, screws match up, the keys work normally, etc.?

 

I think the poster above just got a HDX backlit keyboard and the only thing he couldn't get to work was the Backlit.

So yeah, the keyboard should work. If HP will or still has the Japan Keyboard is another thing.

 

Just got my email from HP giving the $50 coupon for a single item at the HP store because of the delay.

Mine was supposed to be shipped on the 19th of Nov.

I did also receive an email stating the new ship date was 11/21/09, so maybe it will be shipped Monday. I just checked order status and it still has not shipped.

 

I placed my order November 9th. I did not get the bluetooth simply because I just won't use it for anything. Thanks and I will continue to post.

I did a test today but keep in mind that the battery is still new.

Doing normal tasks with wifi on and the power set to high performance I got a bit over 2 hours. I did order the extended life battery, but that does not change the amount of life in the battery it only speeds up recharges and gives me a nice 3 year battery warranty. I would recommend the long life option though.

Speaking of power, I am still trying to figure out what to do with the power brick, it really is difficult to wrap and transport...but that could be because I have not gotten a nice bag yet. I'm sure it won't be an issue once I do.

Although this laptop is big and the battery life is pretty average, I like it mainly because of all you get in a pretty portable package. I bought this laptop for college next year and my friends who already in school have told me I'm going to have a terrible time using it in class...But I say HECK WITH IT!! I want desktop power everywhere I go, so I'm perfectly willing to carry around a beast-especially when it looks as good as it does.

I used to have a little Dell 700m and I always had to put my knees together to have it rest on my lap...but now that I have the dv8 I can relax. I am fairly tall and this laptop actually fits me well.

Two things which justify my purchase are performance and cost. If you look at a 17" MBP and compare its feature set to what I have right now...you just cannot beat the price. It may not have all the cool aluminum and high end screen...but I do have a Core i7 and best of all Windows 7. I absolutely despise Leopard and I would never use it in a million years.

If you need something with more battery life, go with the dv6t Quad and see if you can get a 12 cell or something.

 

srothroc, do they have that keyboard layout in stock?

 

No clue; I can't get the chat to work. I just keep getting a bunch of errors now.

 

Can you call them??

 

I could, but it would cost me a fortune. I live in Japan.

 

Skype it.

 

UPDATE 11/24/09: GO HERE FOR THE LATEST ON THIS MOD!



Here's another correction:

The thin cable used to power the keyboards backlight is not the traditional copper conductor, but a carbon paste/silver paste combination. I don't know if there is some trick troubleshooting this stuff but I can't even get continuity across the 2nd and 3rd pins and !they're supposed to be connected!.


Too many weird things going on with this kb backlight. I don't think I can proceed till I get some help/info from other members. Primarily some voltages at the pins on the motherboard from an HDX or some HP that could have a backlight keyboard.

 

Hi,

I wonder if any of you have edited AVCHD video with the dv8?

I am planning to buy one with i7-720QM, 6 or 8 gb ram, and use Premiere Pro CS4 taking advantage of the GeForce GT 230M. I understand a plug in should be used to take the most of the CUDA feature.

if you have and it works, would you say 6GB ram is fine, because there's a $250 difference between 6 and 8 GB ram and I am not sure if it is worth it.

Thank you in advance!

 

thanks ramz for the information, my dv8t should ship via 2 business days
on 27 november i cant wait
i maxed it with i7-820qm and 8gm memory plus dual hard drive (320x2)
wanted 2 ask u about the performance of the machine
is it actually very fast !?!?
lets say compared to core 2 duo processors with like 3gb ram etc etc
and what do u thinki of the performance of the nvidia gt230 m
the hp agent described it 2 me as a super powerfull video card
well i doubt but lets hear from u

 

I have some experience with building desktops, so I will compare the performance to my new desktop which has a Core 2 Quad Q9550 and a GTX 285.

I would say that the performance is the best I have seen in a laptop considering we are using 64-bit Windows 7.

You should be able to play most games including GTA 4 on maybe medium settings. I normally using photoshop and other Adobe products, they open faster than my desktop (strange I know but I assume the Core i7 takes advantage of the 64-bit OS well.)

What exactly are you using it for? I would say that the GT 230m is a good graphics card for a notebook, although it could be better, it has a perfect balance of performance and portability.

 

I saw your post earlier about the Backlit Keyboard only having 3 screws and one was broken off. Well that would be the screw on the right side of the keyboard right, next to the numeric keys? That is normal.

When I got mine off eBay I noticed that too and didn't know what to think. Then when I took my HDX18 apart and tried to remove the original keyboard, I could not get that same screw off the original keyboard and literally had to break the keyboard off, leaving that screw still connected to the HDX. Then when I put the Backlit on, it fit perfect because that too didn't have the screw and it's plate on it. So, perfect fit.

It's like they solderd (spelling) that screw in there. It was not budging. And who ever is selling these on eBay (I assume they take them off HDX's) had to break them off as well. If they didn't break them off the Backlit keyboards, we would have to ourselves because that screw was not budging on the original keyboard.

Hope that made sense.

 

Blu-ray Burner workin real good, fellas. Burned 2 BD-R's successfully. Damn expensive media but nice condensing all my raw HD footage onto 1 BD.

 

How big where the BD's you burned? How long did it take to burn them?

 

Thinking of getting one of these bad boys, 2 questions;

- Do they ship to Canada?
- Is the best current deal the "NBTY349821" for an extra $200 off?

 

Both BD disks that I burned were at 23-24gig marks. The first one took about 1:20 minutes, second oddly 45minutes. Both were burned at 2x speed. I'm guessing the 1st one took longer bcause it was raw m2t vid files and the 2nd was all digital photos. <shrug>


I did fudge up one BD due to the fact that something was up with Nero 9 and I got impatient.

FYI First burn was using Nero 9's main Data Disk section, after that even after rebooting I would get the hourglass bullcrap for a LONG time while trying to burn my 2nd BD. I ended up burning EASILY using the Nero 9 Express. Simpler interface, zero problems. Strange eh?

Although I don't have the documentation, I'm assuming that I cannot burn the big ol' 50gig BD since my bd burner is not a dual layer type. Does that sound right?

 

no more leaving my laptop on overnight just to download from my camcorder !!!!

oh, WHEN will they ship MINE ??????

 

Cool, that's not bad at all! Thanks.

 

Not sure on Canada.

Yeah the coupon right now is for $200 off BUT in addition to most of us have as setups are concerned you'll get a 500g HD vs what most of us have 320.

I'd wait for another $500 coupon. Good chance you'd get the free HD upgrade to 500 gig too.

This is from HP's site:
- $200 instant savings
- FREE 4GB of memory upgrade from 3GB ($50 value)
- Save 25% Off 6GB ($50 value)
- Save 50% Off 8GB ($100 value)
- FREE Double hard drive upgrade to 500GB 7200rpm from 250GB 7200rpm ( $90 value)
- FREE shipping ($29 value)


Aloha

 

I've got the 500GB HDD, so you're saying just wait until they offer another $500 off? What are the chances of that happening / est. when? And how did that deal work, was it $500 off total (including the instant rebate, with a $300 coupon), or was it another $500 off on top of the $200 instant rebate?

Oh, and would that happen again with the freebies they have right now? Mine's configured as:

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB)
• FREE Upgrade to 4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• FREE Upgrade to 500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive from 250GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
• 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M
• 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)
• Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
• Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Espresso Black)
• Intel Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth
• No TV Tuner w/remote control
• HP Color Matching Keyboard
• 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
• Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
• HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

Coming out to 1,074. (Which is a bit pricey after converted to Canadian and tax is applied - $1,322.)

EDIT:Two more questions; is there a subwoofer? And what stores are these being sold at? I might take a small roadtrip down to the US to see what this thing is like.

 

For what seems to be the last year (at least since I've been eying the HDX - bought in April) they come out every month. That or the 30% off coupon, which is about the same as the $500 coupon.

Check check the HP Coupons sites daily.

FYI: HP will price match for either 21 days or 30 days. So if you get you computer now, and 3 weeks later HP comes out w/ another $500 off coupon you can call them and they will credit your credit card the difference.

I did this and got over $100 back while I was still waiting for my HDX18 to be shipped.

If you go this route, I recommend calling them and verifying that they will price match and ordering over the phone.

 

Yeah, there is a Sub. It's not a true Sub but it's nice and sounds great. What I mean is there are still mids and highs coming out of it, not just Bass.

Check out Best Buy. They should have them. WalMart might as well.

 

Interesting I didn't know that they price matched. There is this current offer http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=436609 that would probably save me another $100. I'll have to give them a call. Thanks!

 

Where are these being manufactured? If I buy from the US, there isn't a duty charge if it's manufactured in the US or Mexico, but otherwise, there is.

 

Shanghai. ......

 

Anyone know what they are spending their $50 gift card on? Besides the laptops/desktops all the accessories kind of seem like a rip off so i am having a little trouble picking something.

 

Hey Guys.

Just wanted to share my setup of the Pavilion Dv8-1099eo. I should recieve mine today, i ordered it friday. so the waiting this weekend was used to get wasted The best way to wait

The price for this laptop in Denmark, is 13.600kroner / 2737$ / 1827€
And my setup is:

Disk: 1000 GB / 2 x 500 GB- 7200rpm
Memory: 4GB / 2 x 2048 MB DDR3
OS: WINDOWS 7 HP
Cpu: Intel® Core™ processor i7-720QM
Integrated 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN
Gfx card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M / 1gig dedicated
CD drive: Lightscribe Blu-Ray rom w/ SuperMulti dvd±r/rw Double Layer

This setup is standard in Denmark, cannot be changed. YET..

Uhh, the waiting time is harsh, i fell for you guys that was promised 2days delivery and was decieved

see ya guys, Jesper

 

You could get a nice bag. The 18" Targus bag is what I have for my HDX18 and it's perfect. If you go back some pages you'll see my post w/ a coupon and everything on it.

Also, a Bluetooth mouse is always a good option.

 

Good News!!
I got the email that mine shipped this morning! It's not in the Fedex system yet so I can't track it yet. But it looks like it's on it's way finally!

I suspect that many of you who have been waiting, will get your email this morning too.

 

Has anyone got a recommendation for a bag to fit this that has wheels?

[ note to HP shipping department ... uh, it's Monday already .... ]


nevermind, I see the HP store has 2 of them.

but I didn't get my email yet ......

 

Yes, you can, several people here have the HDX18T. Ragman can help you.

Larry (Ocean)

 

Can anyone comment on the new Norton anti-virus? It appears to be much improved. Are there any others that you recommend and why?

Has anyone used trend micro-tech?

Thank you for any information.

Larry (Ocean)

 

i'm struggling with that as well. i have an hp color laser printer, so i'll probably just buy some toner.

the part that sucks about that $50 gift card is that is treated like a coupon, so, as far as I can tell, you can't use that and a coupon. at least not online... there is no option for it. maybe if i were to call and try to use it over the phone... I'd like to pair the $50 gift card with a 20% off coupon... that would bring their prices on their accessories down to normal prices.

 

Larry,
Microsoft Security Essentials.

Best Antivirus I've ever used (smallest program, smallest footprint, super minimal, catches everything)

Nortan, Symatec has always been FULL of bloat and crap. If not MSE use AVG free

Ben

 

UPDATE 11/24/09: GO HERE FOR THE LATEST ON THIS MOD!

I don't think there is enough enthusiasm or motivation on behalf of the HDXer's to crack open their computer and poke it with a voltmeter probe. There is really no upside for them.

Only an HDXer who wants to return their HDX for a dv8 and wants the BACKLIT KEYBOARD is going to motivated.

But I get the feeling there aren't alot of soldering iron wielding, voltage probing techies around. If I'm right about the circuitry not being there for the BACKLIT KEYBOARD, then the solution is going to be too HARDCORE for the average gamer who isn't going to be willing to take apart their brand new computer (possibly down to the motherboard), solder it, rewire it and possibly drill it to get a BACKLIT KEYBOARD and possibly void the warranty. Yep, looks like the solution is going too be to REAL WORLD for those who are only brave in the VIRTUAL WORLD.

If you're dv8 user and you want a simple solution to light up you're keyboard, you can get one of these

Well, it's pretty lonely sitting here with my probe in my hand (voltage probe that is) . If you're enthusiatic about a backlit keyboard on your dv8, give me shout to let me know you're interested in the solution.

 

I see you have 4 GB 1333 ram. Mine is 1066 from hp, did you upgrade? If you what's your performance score for the ram?

(I second your opinion on Microsoft Security Essentials. You forgot to mention it's FREE)

 

3 days ago I ordered my dv8- free upgrade to 320gb included. Today I checked the website and the free upgrade went to a 500 gb, and the price went down about 50.00. I called HP and this is what they offered- they lowered the price 50.00, and are sending me a 250gb Pocket Drive that fits in the Pocket drive bay. What is a Pocket drive?? Is this the same thing as a second hard drive frame?. Did I make the right decision??