dv2500t owners, please chime in

Hi, I had my heart set on one of these... until I started reading these forums. In the "what notebook to buy", most people write off the dv2500t for the Inspiron 1420 or a comparable Asus/Sony/etc.

I've read the build quality is cheap. The touchpad sucks. The system gets very hot. The keyboard is poorly designed. Poor resolution. Weak nVidia graphics card (only 64 MB built in vs 128). And a few other things here and there.

Are these common issues or are they over exaggerated issues that are either uncommon or not as bad as they're made out to be.

Thanks!

 

Erm, not sure what those people are smoking, but a lot of that is just dumb. The build quality is awesome, the touchpad is just as good as any I've used, the system gets less hot than my last laptop (slightly hot around the left palm area, but most laptops are), keyboard seemed fine -- what else could they fit in?, resolution is standard for a laptop of its size and the screen looks awesome, and the graphics are surprisingly powerful (memory is not a big factor in graphics cards).

I'm very pleased with my purchase.

 

LOL, just check the other posts. there are at least 4 people who shared their "experiences" with the build quality of the dv series laptops.

 

Mind sharing? I tried searching for negative reviews on here to no avail.

Thanks

 

It's the "Has HP Gone Sour" thread. The new Pavilions are clearly more delicate than previous models. It really depends on how well you take care of your laptop. If you think it may be dropped a few times, get a good case or a different laptop.

 

With a thread entitled "Has HP Gone Sour" you can obviously tell what kind of responses you're primarily going to get

 

This is my first hp, the dv2500t. I love it. The laptop is fast, looks sexy. I use to work for dell have had owned 5 different dell laptops. I sold each one after a few months because I could never get all the specs I wanted. I had to always compromise. The build quailty is great, it runs cool. I use to own a macbook pro also, this runs sooo much coooler. First time in a while I could leave it on my lap. I was considering purchasing a dell xps 1330, but matched with the same specs as my hp, the dell was $1900 while the hp was $1290.

 

I'll address all your points.

1)
The build quality is what you would expect from a consumer notebook. If you really care about build quality, start looking for business models. There's some flex, but not anything I feel worried about since it is plastic.

2)
The touchpad is different. Not worse, not better, just different. Go to your local computer store and test it out yourself to see if you like it or not. It uses a glossy finish rather then the more normal matte.

3)
I can leave it on my lap and feel some warmth, but I woudln't say scorching. I like having a warm laptop in the winter.

4)
Keyboard is what you would expect. The placement of the home, insert, and pg up and keys like that are in a different location then most laptops, but they don't rely on the fn key.

5)
1280 X 800 seems normal on a 14.1 inch to me. I don't know what more to expect.

6)
I game fairly well on this. It plays any game 1 year old and beyond on high settings without the AA/AF. If you're a serious gamer, you should be looking in a whole different league of notebooks... and price range.

Hope that helped.

 

Great post. Thanks!

I don't want a business notebook because they either come with Vista Business or are just too damn ugly.

I've played with the touchpad in the store. I had no problem with it. I just didn't know if over time it wears down or something.

The resolution on some of them 14.1" screens is 1440x900. Then again, I get that on my 19" widescreen, so I'm sure 1280x800 is fine.

If I game at all, it's Warcraft III, and we know that can run on just about anything.

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How do you feel about the 12 cell battery protruding out the back? I obviously would like the extra battery life, but I also want this thing to be as portable as possible. Do you find the 12 cell makes it too cumbersome?

How is the TV tuner? Worth the $130? Is it actually built in?

 

I feel the build quality on the dv2500t is great and I would take it over the dell 1420 anytime

 

What laptop at 14" has 1440 x 900? I would not want whatever laptop that is, personally.

12 cell was too thick and heavy for me. I went with the extended 6 cell.

 

haha.. the Inspiron 1420 for one. I think a couple others. I agree though, it's certainly unnecessary for a 14.1" screen.

How much life on average do you get with the extended 6 cell? That's prob what I'd go with.

 

i would suggest to buy one in Costco, not only you get good deal you'll also can return and get your money back if you don't like it within 3 month

 

Only problem there is I want the T7300, bluetooth and a few other things that most pre-configured models don't all have. If you happen to know of one that does, please do share. Thanks!

 

Costco has the same configuration system as hp including any discounts and Free upgrades.

 

I see now. Interesting. It's about $75 less though through HP education store...

 

You'll get at least 2 hours. More like 2 and a half at least, doing realistic things (read: not gaming, video editing, etc).

 

Costco is cheaper then regular hp, but slightly more then epp/educational. However, with 90 days return policy it makes it worth paying extra in Costco. On top of that it comes with 2 years of warranty (you get additional year free)