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    HP Pavilion dv6000z Review (pics, specs)

    Discussion in 'Notebook News and Reviews' started by ZaZ, Sep 11, 2006.

  1. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    HP dv6000z Review

    [​IMG]
    The HP dv6000z (view large image)

    Overview

    The HP Pavilion dv6000z is a new mid-sized 15.4" notebook from HP. It is designed to replace the dv5000z. It comes with either the AMD Sempron or Turion64 X2 Processors. It is a DTR that can occasionally travel aimed at multimedia notebook users with its glossy screen and lots of connection options. It starts with a base price of $699 at HP.com though preconfigured models are available at retailers.


    Specs of Notebook Under Review

    • Model: HP DV6000z
    • CPU: AMD Turion 64 X2 Mobile TL-56 (1.8GHz/512x2 L2)
    • Memory: 2GB PC5300 DDR2 2 DIMMs 0 Open
    • Hard Drive: 120GB 5400RPM Seagate ST9120821AS
    • Motherboard: Quanta 30B8
    • Screen: 15.4" WXGA Glossy
    • Optical Drive: LG GSA-4084N
      • 8x DVD-/+R
      • 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW
      • 4x DVD-/+R DL
      • 5x DVD-RAM
      • 24x CD-R
      • 24x CD-RW
    • GPU: 256MB Nvidia 7200 Go(64MB On Board & 192MB Shared)
    • Wireless: Broadcomm A/B/G with Bluetooth
    • Inputs: 86 Key Keyboard, Two Button Touchpad with Left Side Scroll Device
    • Buttons: Power, QuickPlay, Play/Pause, Stop, FastFoward, Reverse, Mute, Volume Slider and TouchPad On/Off
    • Ports:
      • 3 USB 2.0, Two Left-Side and One Right-Side
      • 5-in-1 Card Reader
      • Ethernet
      • Modem
      • VGA
      • S-Video
      • Microphone
      • 2 Headphone Jacks, 1 S/PDIF
      • Expansion Port 3
      • IR Port
      • AC Connector
      • Security Lock
    • Slots: ExpressCard54 Slot
    • Other: 1.3 Megapixel Webcam and Microphone
    • Speakers: Altec Lansing
    • Battery: 12 Cell
    • Dimensions:
      • Length: 14.0"
      • Width: 10.2"
      • Height: 1" or 1.5" with the 12 Cell Battery
    • Weight: 6.6 lbs. with Six Cell Battery, 7.1 lbs. with 12 Cell Battery.
    • Operating System: Windows XP Home
    • Warranty: One Year
    • Price: $1491 as configured on HP.com

    Competition

    Here are some competing notebooks in the 15.4" class you may wish to consider in your search for a notebook.

    • Dell e1505
    • Lenovo N100
    • Sony FE
    • Compal HEL30
    • Acer Aspire/TravelMate
    • Toshiba Satellite
    • Asus F3F or S96j
    • Fujtsu n3000
    • Countless others to numerous to list

    Build and Design

    The dv6000z like the newer dv2000t has a new look from HP. It is mostly dark in color with the lower keyboard area being silver. The older dv5000z it replaces had a silver exterior and a dark interior. It has the HP logo and wave pattern inlaid onto the top of the notebook using HP's new Imprint Finish technique. It gives it a classy and elegant look in my opinion. The case is very curvy and smooth. Overall I would have to say it is very aesthetically pleasing, but I have a penchant for darker notebooks.

    [​IMG]
    The dv6000z is under the V3000T for size comparisions (view large image)

    The dv6000z uses HP's new Imprint Finish which HP claims is more durable and scratch resistant. It is a glossy coating similar to coatings found on cell phones and other consumer electronics. It has a mirror like quality to it. While I was snapping photos of it for this review, I often found myself in the picture, none of which you ever will see here. The coating likes fingerprints very much, but they are easily wiped away. The build quality is good for the class, but it is not a ThinkPad or even a Latitude for that matter. It feels pretty solid, but it does creak a bit when picked up the corner most likely due to its weight. The plastic lid does not offer a lot of screen protection if you were to drop or otherwise harm it. The screen is secured using plastic hinges. It did not wobble at all when in use. I would have to say the scratch resistant claim is warranted. Every notebook I have reviewed went back with at least one scratch -- most of those I only had for a couple weeks. So far this one does not have a mark on it. My Compaq v3000t which has the Imprint Finish as well does not have any scratches either after two months of faithful service. One interesting choice is the dv6000z's lid is not secured to the base using a latch of any kind. I didn't have any issues with the screen suddenly opening, but it would not be my preferred way of securing the screen. I do not think I am surprising anyone by telling them it is a bit heavy, tipping the scales at over seven pounds. It will work better as a DTR or around the house than a on the train every day kind of notebook.

    Screen

    The dv6000z came with a glossy WXGA (1280x800) screen. There is a matte screen option as well. The fact there is no WSXGA+ option is a bit of a disappointment to me on such a large notebook screen. Two of HP's biggest competitors in this class, the Lenovo N100 and Dell e1505, both offer a WSXGA+ option. Despite the low resolution the screen quality is excellent. The screen is bright and colors are vivid. DVDs and photos looked fantastic on it. I was on occasion bothered by the glare from the glossy screen especially when the room was well lit.

    [​IMG]
    On the left the HP dv6000z and on the right the Compaq V3000T (view large image)

    There was very minimal light leakage. There are ten brightness levels which can be adjusted via the keyboard controls. I found it usable even on the lowest setting. Viewing angles were a bit narrower than I would have liked, but as long as I was looking at the screen directly, it looked good.

    Keyboard & Touchpad

    The dv6000z has a full size keyboard. The keyboard has a bit of flex to it particularly on the sides. The center is more firm. I typed the majority of this review on it using OpenOffice. I found the keystrokes to be a bit shallow and typing a little noisy. Key travel was pretty good. Periodically I found my arm hitting the touchpad when typing. It happened most often when hitting the space bar.

    [​IMG]
    The dv6000z keyboard (view large image)

    You can of course disable the touchpad, but that is not really a workable solution in my opinion.

    The touchpad is centered beneath the keyboard. It is fairly large and rectangular. It is sunken into the palm rest. On the upper left rim of the touchpad sits an On/Off button. The touchpad uses an extremely smooth material. There was very little friction when using it. On the right side lies a scroll mechanism. I on occasion found it difficult to use as there is no tactile way of knowing where it is. It feels like the rest of the touchpad. It was worst when the room was dark when I could not see where it was located. The touchpad's buttons have a very good feel to them. They are very smooth and quiet, a rare treat on a less expensive notebook. I did have some of the touchpad issue that have documented in the HP forums, though not as bad as my V3000T. When in use it would at times lock into only go up and down, but not right or left. If you lift your finger or swirl it on the touchpad it would usually go away. I updated to the latest driver and bios, but it did not solve the issue.

    This dv6000z has the optional webcam and microphone. They sit atop the screen. It is a 1.3 megapixel camera. It is not the swivel type. When the webcam is turned on, a blue light also illuminates serving as a light source. As you can see from the picture I snapped below, image quality is OK. The photo was taken at night with the lights turned on. You will probably get better images with improved lighting if that is what you want.

    [​IMG]
    Here is a picture of me showing off my new tattoo. It was either the skull and flames or Hello Kitty. I think I made the right choice (view large image)

    Drives & Storage

    This dv6000z came with the LG GSA-4084N Super-Multi DVD burner. It burns CDs, DVDs and DVD-RAM discs. A full DVD burns in 10:45 minutes. That is very good for a laptop burner. It was also impressive because I used a Verbatim disc which tend to not burn as fast in laptop drives like Taiyo Yuden discs. Burn quality was OK. I have definitely seen better quality.

    [​IMG]
    Nero's CD-DVD Speed showing the disc quality (view large image)

    It burned a full CD in about five and half minutes. That is about average for a laptop burner. On the positive side, I had no skipping issues with any of the discs I burned. The drive was a bit slow reading discs which is not uncommon for laptop drives.

    The drive also supports Lightscribe. Lightscribe uses the drive's laser to burn a black and white image onto the top of the disc. You have to flip the disc over in the tray to burn it. The discs are kind of pricey, but the image quality is pretty decent.

    [​IMG]
    A Lightscribe burned disc (view large image)

    The down side of Lightscribe is that for a full disc on best quality it takes 25-30 minutes to burn a disc. This particular disc took about 21 minutes. I did use the drive to make a gift for a friend, but as an everyday tool, I think a sharpie works better.

    [​IMG]
    (view large image)

    The dv6000z under review had the 120GB Seagate 5400RPM. It offers plenty of space for video, photo or any other files you wish to accumulate. The drive has a restore partition which takes a little over nine GB of space. After taking space for Windows and all the other stuff there was about 96GB left on the drive. The drive seemed a little slow on boot up, but otherwise performed commendably.

    The dv6000z had a generous 2GB of PC5300 memory installed it. The memory is easily accessed by removing one of the panels on the bottom of the notebook. Both slots are located underneath the panel so you won't have to go looking for the other.

    [​IMG]
    The bottom of the dv6000z with the panels and hard drive removed.(view large image)

    Sound

    The dv6000z comes equipped with a pair of Altec Lansing speakers located between the keyboard and the screen. For the world of notebooks, I thought they were well above average. They got loud and even had a bit of base. You would have no problem gathering around some friends to watch a DVD or listening to music.

    CPU & Performance

    The dv6000z has the AMD Sempron and Turion64 X2 CPUs. This specific model was furnished with the Turion64 X2 ML-56. It is a 64 bit CPU with two processing cores and has 512x2 L2 cache. It also has 2GB of memory which helped iron out any performance hiccups. It offers good performance. In absolute terms it is probably not as fast as a similarly clocked Core Duo, but in everyday use where CPU load is typically not that high, it performs quite well. Multitasking on it ran efficiently. I ran a virus scan, was burning a disk while working on my review. I noticed no lag or slowdown. When I did notice some delay it was usually due to the slower hard drive.

    [​IMG]
    CPU-Z (view large image)

    The dv6000z has the 256MB Nvidia 7200 go card. It has 64MB of discrete memory and 192MB taken from the system memory. For those who don't game, HP offers the 6150 card option. I threw Half-Life 2: Episode One on it as you can see below. There are certainly better cards out there, but the 7200 will do in a pinch.

    [​IMG]
    Getting some instructions before the action begins (view large image)

    HL2 ran at 1280x800, but the settings were fairly low. I experienced no lag or jerkiness while playing.

    Benchmarks

    SuperPi

    SuperPi measures CPU performance. The Turion64 X2 appears to lag behind the Core Duo at least by this measurement.

    Notebook

    Time to Calculate Pi to 2 Million Digits

    Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)

    1m 18s

    HP dv6000z (1.8GHz Turion64 X2 TL-56)

    1m 54s

    Compaq V3000T(1.6GHz Core Duo)

    1m 26s

    Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.00 GHz Core 2 Duo)

    1m 02s

    Toshiba A100(2.0GHz Core Duo)

    1m 18s

    Acer Aspire 5102WLMi(1.6GHz Turion64 X2 TL-50

    2m 22s

    Gateway E-100M(1.2GHz Core Solo ULV)

    2m 02s

    Dell Inspiron 600m (1.6 GHz Dothan Pentium M)

    2m 10s

    HP dv5000z(2.0GHz Sempron 3300+)

    2m 02s

    PCMark05 -- Turion64 X2 ML-56 vs. Core Duo T2050

    My personal notebook at the moment is the Compaq V3000T with the 1.6GHz Core Duo. I ran PCMark05 on both machines to show system performance for both machines. Perhaps it is not a fair test since my machine has the lowest Core Duo the T2050 and the Turion64 ML-56 is one of the faster Turions. The dv6000z also had 2GB of memory while my V3000T had only 1GB of memory. Keep those factors in mind when considering the results.

    Test

    HP dv6000z 1.8GHz Turion64 ML-56

    Compaq V3000T 1.6GHz Core Duo

    Multithreaded Test 1 -- File Compression

    6.97 MB/s

    6.80 MB/s

    Multithreaded Test 1 -- File Encryption

    37.34 MB/s

    39.37 MB/s

    Multithreaded Test 2 -- File Decompression

    53.83 MB/s

    47.49 MB/s

    Multithreaded Test 2 -- File Decryption

    15.77 MB/s

    19.62 MB/s

    Multithreaded Test 2 -- Audio Decompression

    797.46KB/s

    788.82 KB/s

    Multithreaded Test 2 -- Image Decompression

    10.43 MPixels/s

    9.59 MPixels/s

    File Compression

    6.89 MB/s

    6.76 MB/s

    File Decompression

    107.60 MB/s

    94.33 MB/s

    File Encryption

    37.04 MB/s

    40.29 MB/s

    File Decryption

    31.15 MB/s

    39.80 MB/s

    Image Decompression

    20.69 MPixels/s

    19.23 MPixels/s

    Audio Compression

    2,039.21 MPixels/s

    1889.39 KB/s

    I think the tests above shows what was pretty obvious to me after using the notebooks for a while, they offer similar performance.

    [​IMG]
    PCMark05 results from the dv6000z and the V3000T. The dv6000z is on the left.(view large image)

    HD Tune

    Below is a screen capture from HD showing the results from the Seagate hard drive on the dv6000z. Everything seems in line for a 5400RPM hard drive.

    [​IMG]
    Screen capture of HD Tune (view large image)

    3DMark06

    I think we all know the 7200 go card isn't going to play Oblivion very well. This just confirms it.

    [​IMG]
    The dv6000z 3DMarks06 score (view large image)

    Ports & Connections

    Owning to its multimedia ambitions, the dv6000z has most of the ports a typical user is going to need. The left side of the notebook has a S-Video and VGA outs, a port connector, Ethernet and modem jacks, two USB ports, four pin firewire connector and 5-in-1 card reader.

    [​IMG]
    The left side of the notebook (view large image)

    The right side of the notebooks has the ExpressCard slot, USB port and power connector.

    [​IMG]
    The right side of the notebook (view large image)

    The front of the notebook has the wireless On/Off switch, IR port, line in and out, and S/PDIF jack.

    [​IMG]
    The front of the notebook (view large image)

    Wireless & Networking

    The dv6000z sports the Broadcomm A/B/G WiFi card and Ethernet port. It has Bluetooth as well. I had no issue with either. I surfed the net and transferred files over the network with no problems. It does have a HP Wireless Assistant which I personally found to be annoying. I got rid of it and used the Windows manager.

    [​IMG]
    The Bluetooth connection wizard (view large image)

    I had no problems using my Kensington wireless Bluetooth mouse.

    Battery & AC

    There are two battery options for the dv6000z; a six or a 12 cell battery. This particular model came with the 12 cell battery. It is basically another six cell battery attached underneath the regular six cell battery. It sticks out from the bottom of the notebook, raising the back of the notebook about inch. It also adds about pound of weight to the notebook.

    [​IMG]
    The dv6000z with the larger 12 cell battery is back to back with the V3000T which the smaller six cell battery (view large image)

    Having recently purchased a Compaq V3000T I was most interested in seeing what life with the 12 cell was like since I had chosen the six cell battery. The thing I had the hardest time deciding was whether or not to get the 12 cell battery. Like most people I like a lot of battery life, but I also like to keep the weight down as well. Using the 12 cell with WiFi on and the screen set to 50%, I was able to get 5:35 minutes of battery life. As noted the 12-cell protrudes from the bottom of the notebook. It made a convenient handle when carrying around the notebook. It also raises the notebook making it easier to type on when using it on a flat surface. When using it on my lap, it seemed most of the weight of the notebook rested where the battery was in contact with my legs. I at times found it uncomfortable. I later found if I positioned the battery between my legs, which is possible since the battery does not run the length of the notebook, it was more comfortable.

    The AC adapter while small is the three pronged variety which can make finding an outlet a bit harder.

    [​IMG]
    The AC adapter (view large image)

    One nice feature is when the notebook's AC adapter is plugged, the ring around the socket lights up so you know you are getting juice.

    Heat & Noise

    The dv6000z has three vents to help remove heat from it; one on the underside, one in the rear and one on the right side. During normal use the dv6000z got warm, but was never uncomfortable to use. The left palm rest seemed to be the hot spot on the notebook. The fan came on sporadically. It was never very loud or on very long.

    [​IMG]
    Back of the dv6000z (view large image)

    Support & Warranty

    The base warranty on the dv6000z is one year. HP offers a plethora of options for upgrading you warranty -- everything from adding an additional year to three years of accidental express coverage. I would suggest checking our warranty guide before spending your hard earned money. I did not have the opportunity to use HP support. From my own personal experience with the HP notebooks I have owned and fixed, they are at least fairly decent. That is however not a scientific measurement.

    Software

    The dv6000z comes with Windows XP Home though XP Professional and Media Center Edition are optional upgrades for those who need it. The dv6000z is also Windows Vista ready, or so the sticker on it says.

    [​IMG]
    The stickers on the dv6000z.

    Let's not beat around the bush, there is a ton of bloatware on the dv6000z. It took me over an hour to remove it all; everything from the Office Trial to Norton to Vongo to all the games they put on there.

    [​IMG]
    The XP Start Menu before any changes were made (view large image)

    That said, I personally prefer that it be there. It keeps the cost down and I can always do a clean install of Windows to rid myself of it. HP does offer an OEM Windows disc for a $10 fee. The HP utilities were pretty minimalist. You can burn off the recovery discs, but you can only do it once. There is recovery software if say you accidentally delete something. There were some other applications as well like the HP Wireless Assistant, HP Help and Support, webcam software, etc. There was the other usual suspects; Sonic for burning, Microsoft Works for office productivity, and Microsoft Money for the financials to name a few. As an interesting side note, when first booted it offers you the opportunity to choose Internet Explorer or Netscape as the default browser for the machine. Firefox would have been a nice option since it is pretty much second banana to Internet Explorer, but I am not complaining.

    The dv6000z also has HP's Quickplay feature. Tapping the Quickplay button on top of the keyboard brings up Quickplay software which will allow you to play DVDs or other multi-media files.

    [​IMG]
    The HP Quickplay buttons (view large image)

    This works within Windows or by tapping the QuickPlay button while the machine is turned off. QuickPlay dedicates a small portion of the hard drive to accomplish this. I am not a huge laptop movie watcher, but I tested it out and it did work very well.

    Conclusion

    The HP dv6000z has lots to recommend about it. It has a very attractive look with HP's new Imprint Finish. The Turion64 X2 provides decent performance and multitasking. It has all the connection one could ask for and has a marvelous glossy screen. The big question for it is going to be price. Configured at a price of $1491 before tax, it is venturing into the world of the Fujitsu N3000, Compal HEL30 or even the HP's nc8430 which offer better specs or quality for near the same price. It is certainly possible to get this notebook in the $1000 range by not choosing all the upgrades. If one can keep the price down, I think it makes a very good option for a multimedia DTR that can travel bit.


    Pros

    • Attractive Look
    • Decent Performance
    • Scratch Resistant Casing
    • Good Sound
    • Bright Vivid Screen
    • A Wealth of Connection Options
    • Silky Smooth Touchpad and Buttons

    Cons

    • Poor Screen Protection
    • Malfunctioning Touchpad
    • No Screen Latch
    • Bloatware Galore
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 8, 2015
  2. Jason

    Jason Overclocker NBR Reviewer

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    Another Great Review Zaz! Now one thing that really disappoints me is the Super pi score for that Turion X2! That is very sad! That is slower than my Pentium M 1.73 by around 10 seconds, and it's 3 generations old now! The sad thing is, the X2 isn't even much better than the Semprons out there... The PCmark scores for the X2 don't look to bad, but it would be nice to see a more similar spec'ed machine to compare it with.... And perhaps another thing that would be a nice addition would be running 3dmark05, I'm curious to see how it compares to the 7300 and 7400...
     
  3. quiong

    quiong Notebook Consultant NBR Reviewer

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    I think that turion X2s are pretty comparable to core duos, except they get dominated in super pi for some reason. The PC Mark score came out similarly, considering that the 3000t's core duo is 200mhz slower.
     
  4. brianstretch

    brianstretch Notebook Virtuoso

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    SuperPI reacts very well to the massive L2 caches Intel uses. Of course, Intel needs that expensive cache to compensate for their lack of an integrated memory controller and HyperTransport. I wouldn't consider SuperPI to be a very accurate reflection of AMD vs. Intel real-world performance. The other benchmarks run bear this out.

    Nice review ZaZ.
     
  5. Andrew Baxter

    Andrew Baxter -

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    right, we know that Intel chips have an inherent advantage in Super Pi that isn't reflective of real world performance (i.e., a Core 2 Duo is not twice as fast as a Turion X2 as a Super Pi calculation benchmark might lead you to believe). As Zaz says, the Core Duo 1.67GHz and Turion X2 1.86GHz are comparable based on PCMark05 scores -- at least enough so that there's not going to be much way to tell a difference unless you're benchmarking it and coming up with hard numbers.

    agreed, very nice job on the review!
     
  6. Young Chi

    Young Chi Notebook Geek

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    I was hoping for a review of the 6000t. Are those laptops the same despite processor?
     
  7. miner

    miner Notebook Nobel Laureate

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    Yes, they are the same. The only differnence being the t's come with Intel processors and have the Go7400 as an option.

    BTW, fantastic review Zaz.
     
  8. quiong

    quiong Notebook Consultant NBR Reviewer

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    Pretty much, except the intel version has available a Geforce 7400 Go or integrated intel GMA 950, whereas the turion version has a Geforce 7200 Go or integrated Geforce 6150. So you can get a better discrete graphics card on the intel version, but the turion version has a better integrated card.
     
  9. lappyhappy

    lappyhappy Notebook Deity

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    Hey Zaz nice review! I was wondering are you some kind of child genius or something? Surely you jest.
     
  10. Young Chi

    Young Chi Notebook Geek

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    How old are you?
     
  11. yan

    yan Notebook Consultant

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    That's not him.
     
  12. wipeout

    wipeout Notebook Evangelist NBR Reviewer

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    I was getting ready to ask the same question ;)
     
  13. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    I'm 7 and 1/2. Cause at 7 that half is kinda big.
     
  14. midkhan

    midkhan Notebook Consultant

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    He is the person in the Avatar right? Just kidding. Great review. Just want to ask you one thing how do I turn of the media buttons. Meaning when the laptop is of and I touch it accidentally or use one of those screen protectors the media thing would turn on without warning. Is there a way to turn it off. Also I wanted to point out that the sticker says Windows Vista Capable and not Ready which is a big difference. Also you didnt mention how the screen frame and the speakers covers are loose. I returned mine few times and still have the same issue. Thanks.
     
  15. digitaltrav

    digitaltrav Notebook Consultant

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    On topic: I'd have liked to see 3dmark05 scores. I think that was all I was missing in terms of things I like to see in reviews. Otherwise it was an awesome read and really mirrored a lot of my own thoughts from my brief experiences playing with the machines on display.

    Off topic: What artwork are you putting on the desktop in the first screenshot? It's really quite pretty :)
     
  16. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Funny you should mention Vista. I installed both Vista and Unbuntu 6 onto the machine. I had trouble with both. I used the live CD for Linux. The first few times I booted it up, it worked fine. After that it started to hang on the graphics or ACPI driver. I am sure it is fixable, but I didn't have time. I used the 64 bit version of Vista. It had quite a few drivers that were missing that seemed to work well on other using the the 32 bit version. Hopefully they will get this worked out by the time it is released. As you can see from the pics below both are running at 1024x768 which is not the resolution of the machine. If you want to watch a DVD while the machine is off you just hit the Quickplay button and it turns on. The frame and speaker cover are not loose on the unit I have. Here is a copy of the wallpaper if you would like one.

    Link
     
  17. Ajeet

    Ajeet Notebook Enthusiast

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    Wow, that laptop look's real big and heavy... This is the laptop which I was going to order today, maybe I'll wait for a C2D...
     
  18. RabidGeek

    RabidGeek Notebook Guru

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    YOU RULE!!!! First review I've seen with a lightscribe disc. AND.......
    I'm kinda unimpressed. At the disc not ur review.

    P.S. That's a kickass tat! (good call passing on the HELLO KITTY :))
     
  19. jcee

    jcee Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hey, whats that issue about heat, noise and battery life?!

    i bought that laptop and am kind of disappointed. Though only running at 10% load on one core (word/internet browsing), the fan runs every minute for approx. 5sec, the battery lasts for 2h, this is with Wifi off and lowest brightness.. :(

    This is the only negative thing I have with this laptop, but it is a killer reason for me.. Dont know what to do now?
    Maybe return and wait for a core duo version here in germany?!

    Du you think it will run longer with Intel than with AMD?!

    The 12-cell battery looks bulky to me and ruins the whole setup.
     
  20. fdlazarte

    fdlazarte Notebook Consultant

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    i disagree... it's an inch high and much smaller than dv5000 model... not that heavy for a 15.4" notebook models... you may want to go to your nearest computer store to see it for yourself
     
  21. a1mint

    a1mint Notebook Consultant

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    FATAL FLAW in the touchpad position.

    Look at the keyboard! Normally, when you type, both your index fingers would be positioned at the F and J keys. The touchpad should be EXACTLY in the middle of your 2 palms. Not placing the touchpad extactly between the 2 palm positions, means risking the palm touch the touchpad accidentally. I just simply can not believe it! Look at it! The left edge of the pad aread of the touchpad is between the F and G keys, and the right edge is in the middle of the L key? Huh, what the heck? No QA department this year or something?

    My Jaw is on the floor, I'm flabbergasted - what am I missing? Does everyone type with the aim and shoot one finger method or something?

    Sager appears to be doing this too. They're not lining up the keypad with the F and J keys.
     
  22. JHCIV

    JHCIV Newbie

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    Cool your jets there, booster! That's why there's an off button for the touchpad - you don't type and "touchpad" at the same time. Besides, the laptop is much more stylistic and aestheticly pleasing with the touchpad (and audio ports right in front of it) centered. They would look goofy off-centered.

    These touchpads suck anyway - get an optical mouse!
     
  23. a1mint

    a1mint Notebook Consultant

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    Aestheticly over usability. You have got to be kidding me.
     
  24. sundoggy

    sundoggy Notebook Consultant

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    Dude! I was typing make check the question you said. However, I don't have a problem at all. you might touch the touchpad a little but it never really move like the issue you suggest. I guess you either have a huge thumb or a abnormal shape of hand. Totally not an issue! If there was really the problem like ppl already post the isse way before you do. and you won't be the only one complaining. If you don't like it so much... return it dumb!!!
     
  25. fdlazarte

    fdlazarte Notebook Consultant

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    the touchpad doesn't bother me at all when typing...
     
  26. sundoggy

    sundoggy Notebook Consultant

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    Need some comparison with other 6000z!
    My CPU is AMD X2 1.8Ghz some how it's idle temp is 50C and highest is 67C. I wonder if that is normal with everyone else. Also the fan will kick in around 55C. ( It is not that lound with the fan kicks in tho) Another big question.. Any one having some weird problem with the video card? (nvidia 7200 go) I was playing LOTR II in medium sometimes it will have a graphic lag, more like it is stuck at some point for 5 seconds then it is smooth again. happen fairly often. After i tone down the graphic to low it never have the problem at all.??
     
  27. a1mint

    a1mint Notebook Consultant

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    The problem with these forums, is that people don't listen. People don't read things properly or fully. I clearly pointed out the Sager. Not the dv6000z. The touchpad of the dv6000z looks like it's in the right place. On the Sager, it does not.
     
  28. JHCIV

    JHCIV Newbie

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    This is the DV6000Z forum! Why would you be whining about a different machine in this forum? It has nothing to do with people not listening.
     
  29. fdlazarte

    fdlazarte Notebook Consultant

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    i disagree... people go to forums to listen, compare, and give their opinions on notebooks and tech related stuff

    the problem with you is you dont know which forum you are! go to SAGER and discuss your problems with them!
     
  30. sundoggy

    sundoggy Notebook Consultant

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    Well his previous thread was totally talking about 6000z.
     
  31. a1mint

    a1mint Notebook Consultant

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    I can't believe the stupid reponses people give. I have a very valid point. It's about the keypad location in relation to the main keyboard area. My point is that the keypard should line up between the f and j keys as best as possible. In that respect the HP does it right, and the Sager does not. So what if I bring up the Sager? People might be looking around, and hearing that HP did it right is a good thing for HP.

    I still don't think people listen very well.
     
  32. a1mint

    a1mint Notebook Consultant

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    What the heck is wrong with the manufacturers? I'm seeing quite a few laptops where the touchpad is in the wrong location. When you type with 10 fingers on the keyboard, both your hands rest on the laptop below the keyboard. The space in between the hands is where the touchpad should be. It's important that the touchpad lies as precisely in the middle on the hands as possible. Each index finger's home key is 'f' and 'j'. This means that the touchpad should not stick out more to the left or the right of the 'F' and 'J' keys. But what does HP do? They put an extra row of keys on the right side of the keyboard, effectively shifting the main keyboard area to the left. But instead of moving the touchpad over to the left a bit, they obviously for estetic reasons leave it point blank in the middle of the laptop! Look how far it sticks out !
    The left edge of the touchpad is between the 'F' and 'G' keys, and the right edge is under the 'L' key. That's at least 1 1/2 keys too far to the right ! As a result, the right palm of your hand will very likely accidentally touch the touchpad.

    This seems very stupid to me ! Why am I the only one complaining about this? Doesn't anyone else type with 10 fingers around here?
     
  33. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    Wrong is a perception. For others it may be perfectly fine.
     
  34. camoanimal

    camoanimal Newbie

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    STOP fussing over the key board, we get your point. Now if its that BIG a deal then make your own forum or thread! Otherwise save your breath!
     
  35. camoanimal

    camoanimal Newbie

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    do u worry alot about damaging or accidently ripping off the screen? you did say it wasn't well protected...
     
  36. valley

    valley Notebook Consultant

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    I would like to know this as well (about the screen protection)

    Is it the fact there is no lock for it?
     
  37. lappy486portable

    lappy486portable Notebook Evangelist

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    If you are 7 and a half, how do you get all the money to buy all these computers and review them. Surely the company wont give out test units to a 7 year old. Just Wondering. Not trying to start anything. Man I wish I was that lucky when I was 7.
     
  38. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    NBR.com sends them to me, no age verification required.
     
  39. lappy486portable

    lappy486portable Notebook Evangelist

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    Really wow. Maybe I should sign up for that.
     
  40. ml-onbr

    ml-onbr Newbie

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    Does anyone can tell me where i can get information about this 30B8 Quanta motherboard? And give details about Quanta manufacturer? (quality, reliability....) It means nothing for me! Quanta?!!? THX
     
  41. darth_laidher

    darth_laidher Notebook Evangelist

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    when i was his age i was chillin with the big apples(the ones with the big floppy disc drives) i think it was apple 86 im not sure. loved playin oregon trail on that thing it rocked for its time!
     
  42. valley

    valley Notebook Consultant

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    What do you mean by "poor screen protection" If you are 7 years old as you say, perhaps it must be when falling from your tricycle.
     
  43. ZaZ

    ZaZ Super Model Super Moderator

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    When I say poor screen protection I mean when you press on the back of the lid the screen distorts noticeably. If you were to drop it it would not offer as much protection as a ThinkPad which uses a mag-alloy lid and will not distort when pressing on the back of the lid. Tricycle? I took the training wheels off a few years back. Thank you!
     
  44. darth_laidher

    darth_laidher Notebook Evangelist

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    i have to disagree with that i have the lid all the way back right now and it looks perfect. perhaps if you have it all the way back and look from the bottom up and not right into it, that may a effect it.
     
  45. rnbaida

    rnbaida Newbie

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    hey guys...I am thinking of buying this laptop dv6000z...Do you guys recommend it? Also is it a quiet laptop?? I mean can you hear the fan all the time or does it kick in from time to time?

    thanks