Initial Impressions of the new Dv4000

Initial impressions:
1. Clean looking machine, fairly light weight
2. Bright Clear Display
3. Runs quiet and cool
4. Handles Call of Duty game with some minor stuttering and delay (at default settings), but really not badly.
5. Nice keyboard, with no flex or give I like the feel
6. Plays DVDs well
7. The WiFi picks up public networks quickly works well, with
no drops in my few tests.

I spent yesterday trying to get the machine to recognize my old IBM optical mouse without unplugging and reinserting the USB connection at each reboot, without success. BTW, I spent a long time with Tech Support and they were helpful, understandable and willing to troubleshoot a number of methods to run down the problem (even going so far as to call
IBM tech support and do a conference call with them and me to see if we could solve the problem together), this was a relief after reading so many negitive opinions about HP support. Finally I needed to brake down and buy a new Microsoft wireless notebook mouse, which works very well.

I'm disappointed with the amount of flex in the lid. When it is flexed, visible distortion on the screen is seen; also the screen distorts when one presses on the back of the lid with some amount of pressure(especially toward the top of the lid). I hope this doesn't become a problem later. The bottom part of the case seems much stronger with a minimum of give when flexed side to side. I think HP put a lot in this machine for the price, but I wish they had built the case a bit more ruggedly.

I wanted a machine with dedicated graphic resources and on a par with the X700 or Go 6600, that narrows the field and drives up the price. I've looked at what I consider reasonable alternatives with similar capability and function and in fairness, it should be noted that every one of these options will cost substantially more than the HP and that the Dv4000 represents a bargain price as it's equipped. Only time will tell if the build quality is adequate.
All things considered, I'll happily keep this machine instead of paying approximately 400 to 1,000 more for a Sony BX, IBM Z60 or ASUS Z70Au.

 

For the price you pay, I think its an excellent machine. While I got the older DV4000 with the Intel GMA 900 graphics, , I really love my machine. It has one of the best keyboards and speakers I've ever used in a notebook. Plus, the screen is great too.

 

almost a week with my machine, and no problems. so far i'm very happy with the purchase. after running it over this past weekend to make sure everything was in working order, i decided to reformat and reinstall the os and drivers. worked like a charm and i got rid of all the crap i didn't want. i also did'nt have to reinstall quickplay. after doing this it cut boot up time by half! i think the build quality is pretty good. there is a little chasis and keyboard flex but i don't make a habit of twisting my laptop or pounding on the keyboard. i was a bit concerned about the screen res. but i have to say i'm very happy with it. imo everything is to small on higher res. screens. the screen is very bright and sharp with no dead pixels. it runs cool and the fan does not kick on alot and is fairly quit. dvd playback is great and the speakers imo are very good for a laptop. no problems connecting with the 2200bg. it is a very quick machine, i ran super pi at 2m digits in 1m48s (740, 1.25gb) battery life is horrible. just over 2hrs on fully charged battery but this wasn't a priorty for me. i'll definetly be keeping my machine if it can make it thru the 21 day return period.

 

I'm just wondering, is there like a glossy black finish outline on your keyboard and around the media buttons. Mine with the older GMA 900 graphics isn't glossy but I've heard these newer DV4000's have this glossy outline.

 

Yes it is glossy. Similar to the DV1000.

 

jim-

what version of XP did you reinstall with, HP's or a Microsoft OEM/Retail copy? I'm thinking about reformatting and using an OEM XP Pro disk I have. I'm just curious as to how everything works after doing that.

 

Funny, I have a 740 with 512 in one stick and ran Pi to 2m repeatedly at 1:44 on AC and 1:45 on battery...do you suppose it's that very few seconds quicker because I'm only using RAM in one Dimm?

 

1) yes mine does have the black gloss finish and its spectacular!

2) i used the oem xp pro disc from hp. install was cake. no problems at all. after os install i used the drivers/app disc to install only what i wanted.

i was concerned that i might have to reinstall the quickplay program but did not have to. everything is working 100%.

 

Yeah, I've seen that black gloss around the keyboard of the DV1000, so I guess the new DV4000's with the Radeon X700 have it too. Well, it looks pretty, but I would hate it quickly because it would get scratched and have fingerprints all over it just like the Sony PSP and Black Ipod Nano.

 

togus,
i ran super pi over my home network, the program itself was installed on another machine. i think i should have installed it on my dv4000 then ran it. maybe thats why yours was quicker. i'll test it again later after installing and post results.

 

togus,
i installed superpi on my dv4000 and got 1m42s on ac and 1m43s on fully charged bat.

 

My superpi time is 1m24s.

PM 770
2GB ram

 

I guess it doesn't really mean anything,but I find it interesting to note the differences assocated with the various configurations people have purchased. For looking at the thread below it looks like these dv4000s are relitively fast in the Pi department.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=2657

 

Hmmm I ran this superpi thing and I have yet to install my 1gb ram that is in the mail to me. So I only have 256mb ram and I got 1min 38s.

 

From that number I'm guessin' you have a PM 760... is that right?