HP Pavilion dv1000 Review pics, specs

After my old notebook started having issues I decided to do my research and look for a notebook that filled my needs and didn’t break my pocketbook. I was mainly looking for a notebook that was thin, light and ran quiet. My last Compaq 2100 had heat issues which made the fan run about 90% of the time the computer was on. I wanted a notebook with a widescreen and BriteView (glossy screen) that was quiet and light and could do basic tasks like browse the internet, use Adobe Photoshop, do some work in Flash and use Microsoft Word. I also wanted built-in Bluetooth and wireless.

Buying

I decided to purchase my dv1000 direct from HP. My reasoning for this was to be able to customize it just the way I wanted it. I downgraded things I didn’t need and purchased the minimum amount of RAM and a smaller hard drive, things that I could upgrade myself at a discounted price. With my customization was still able to get better specs for a cheaper price than the retail stores were selling the dv1000 for. If you are interested, do the math and you will see that by buying direct and customizing a dv1000 yourself you get much better specs at a discounted or similar price to say Best Buy or Circuit City. My final cost was $1100.00 minus a $50.00 mail in rebate, free shipping and a basic HP DeskJet printer free! It took twelve days from the day I ordered the notebook online and to the day I received it.

Build and Design

At first glance the dv1000 looks a lot more expensive that it really is. The outer shell is made of silver colored plastic. The inside of the notebook is all black with a sort of textured feel to it. I would have preferred all silver rather than the two tones, but the look seems to work for this model. The laptop is sturdy, but I do have problems carrying it from the side, it seems a bit fragile and creaky when I am grasping it. The screen has very little or no flex to it, you would have to push very hard on it to see a ripple. The hinges seem very sturdy, there’s no wobbling to the screen at all, when you put the screen in place it stays there. I have a problem with the latch that closes the notebook though. With just a slight push on the latch the screen releases and I don’t like the placement of it, it is right below the touchpad and I find myself pressing it with my thumb when using the pad. I feel they could have made the latch a bit sturdier.

HP dv1000 above view of lid (view larger image)

HP dv1000 front side view lid up (view larger image)

HP dv1000 front side view lid closed (view larger image)

HP dv1000 left side view (view larger image)

HP dv1000 back side view (view larger image)

HP dv1000 under side view (view larger image)

HP dv1000 right side, screen open (view larger image)

Screen

The dv1000 only comes in one screen size, a 14 inch widescreen. I chose the Brite-View option for my screen and I must say I love it. It’s bright, crisp and clear and it’s a pleasure working on it. I love working in Photoshop and watching DVD’s. Many people don’t like the glare that the glossy screens produce, but I don’t mind, and when it seems very noticeable I just adjust the screen angle and that usually does it for me. It seems the more I work on it the less I notice the glare and to me the benefits outweigh the glare. The screen has even backlighting and no screen leakage as far as I can tell. Thankfully my screen had no dead pixels!

The HP dv1000 next to a Sony desktop LCD for brightness comparison (view larger image)

HP dv1000 screen brightness stands out even more in the dark (view larger image)

Speakers

My model came with the Altec Lansing speakers, last years model had Harman Kardon speakers installed on it. Nothing spectacular to say about them, basic laptop speakers mounted on the front of the notebook. I have yet to hear any notebook speakers that really sound great, so I would rate these as average.

Processor and Performance

The laptop has a Pentium M 1.73 GHz processor with 768 MB DDR memory installed (2 slots), 60 gig 5400 HD, and Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900 — Pentium shared video graphics card. Performance is snappy; my startup time from the push of the button is about 45 seconds. Programs startup fast and everything is very responsive no lagging on anything I use except for a few extra seconds starting up Photoshop because of the plug-ins and fonts I have installed. I have not done any gaming so I can’t report on that, but I do wish there was an upgrade option for the graphics card.

Benchmarks

Results for calculating Pi to 2 million digits in Super Pi: 1m 50s

NotebookTimeHP Pavilion dv1000 (1.73 GHz Pentium M)1m 50sFujitsu S6231 (1.6 GHz Pentium M)2m 6sSony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)1m 53sIBM ThinkPad T43 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)1m 45sAsus Z70A (1.6GHz Pentium M)1m 53sFujitsu LifeBook N3510 (1.73 GHz Pentium M)1m 48sDell Inspiron 6000D (1.6 GHz Pentium M)1m 52sDell Inspiron 600M (1.6 GHz Pentium M)2m 10sSony VAIO S360 (1.7 GHz Pentium M)1m 57sHP DV4170us (Pentium M 1.73 GHz)1m 53sSony VAIO S380 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)1m 45s

PCMARK: 2950 PCMarks

3DMark05: 196

HD Tune ResultsMin Transfer Rate 16.1 MB/secMax Transfer Rate 33.6 MB/secAvg Transfer Rate27.0 MB/secAccess Time18.9 msBurst Rate59.3 MB/secCPU Usage5.4%

HDTune graphical benchmark results

Fan and Heat

A big reason I chose the dv1000 was because the notebook seems pretty quiet. Coming from a computer that sounded like a leaf blower and that ran very hot this computer is awesome. I must say the dv1000 does run a bit hot, both processor and HD run around 50 degrees idle. I usually keep my notebook on a Targus Podium Cool Pad which allows the computer to get better airflow and usually reduces the fan from turning on and off. This was a big point in my notebook buying happiness and the dv1000 is quiet and cool enough for me.

Keyboard and Touchpad

HP dv1000 keyboard and touchpad (view larger image)

The dv1000’s keyboard is nice and responsive; it’s relatively quiet and springy. The keyboard was actually a deciding factor in choosing this notebook. The keyboard does have a slight flex on the right side from the enter key down to the arrows. The touchpad was another thing that I liked about this notebook, it’s very responsive and I love the textured feel of the pad, it makes me feel like I have more control. The buttons are a bit hard to press but I have a feeling this is something that will change with use. As I stated earlier I don’t like that the screen latch button is close to the touchpad because I find myself pressing it while using the touchpad.

Input and Output Ports

The dv1000 notebook is equipped with:

• 1 Type I/II PCMCIA card slot. I store my Media Remote control. (left side)
• 1 IEEE-1394(Firewire) (right side)
• 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) (Two on the right side and one on the left)
• 1 Built in 6-in-1 digital media reader (No Compact Flash)(Right Side)
• 2 headphone-out (front)
• 1 microphone-in (front)
• 1 TV-Out (S-video) (right side)
• 1 RJ-11 (modem) (left side)
• 1 RJ -45 (LAN) (left side)
• 1 External VGA monitor port (left side)
• 1 expansion port for use with HP Expansion Base(sold separately). Available only with Intel Extreme graphics with productivity port (left side)
• Power jack (in the back)
• CD/DVD drive (right side)

Wireless

I chose the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200BG with Bluetooth. Wireless worked great right out of the box. The laptop picked up my router right away and I connected with no problems. I also get better range than my other laptop, as I am picking up 3 of my neighbors connections and seem to always have an excellent connection through my house. I use Bluetooth with my Motorola E815 cell phone and it works wonderfully, I am able to transfer pictures and my phonebook entries to and from my phone seamlessly.

Battery

I opted for the standard 6 cell battery. I stay plugged in and don’t use it often, but I did test it out for the review and a got about 3 hours out of it using only my mail program and browsing with Firefox.

Operating System and Software

The notebook came with Windows XP Home service pack 2 installed. I was happy to find an XP CD and a separate driver and program backup disc. I find myself doing clean installs every so often so this is a major plus. The basic junk software comes with the notebook, nothing special to report in this department.

Customer Support

Fortunately I have not had to call customer service so I can’t report on this right now.

Media Options

The dv1000 comes with extra media features that allow you to play CD’s and DVD’s without starting windows. You can use the remote control or the media buttons at the top of the keyboard to control playback and volume. I also opted to get a drive with LightScribe. It wasn’t something I was looking for, but at the time it was just a $25 dollar upgrade so I decided to add it. Media for it is pretty pricey right now but I am sure that will go down soon. It takes about 20 minutes to label the CD with LightScribe but I found the software they have included very limiting when labeling, so I use Nero Burning Rom a great all in one burning package.

Included media remote control (view larger image)

A CD created using LightScribe (view larger image)

Complaints

Not many complaints here. I don’t like where the latch is placed and that it’s easy to open and gets in the way when I am using the touchpad. I also think that the headphone jack’s placement should have been more thought out, although I like that they give you two jacks I think that one of them should be located in the back or the sides because anyone hooking up their notebook to speakers will have a cord sticking out of the front of the computer.

Praises

The screen is great and luckily I had no dead pixels. It’s thin and light weighing in at a little over 5 pounds. The extra media option and buttons are a plus. Overall it’s a great notebook for the price.

Conclusion

The HP dv1000 is a great lightweight widescreen notebook at a great price. It travels easily has a great keyboard and does all the things it’s supposed to with a few added features. It has a few design shortcomings but the pros outweigh the cons in my opinion.

Pricing and Availability HP DV1000

Other Reviews of the HP dv1000 from NotebookReview.com:

• HP dv1000 Review by Mitch Gates
• HP dv1000 and Compaq v2000 Comparison by Mitch Gates