4. HP Pavilion dv6t

HP Pavilion dv6t

$1,179.99 as configured, hp.com

Study Hard But Play In Style

We’ve been keeping an eye on the budget so far, but here it’s time to indulge a bit. Everyone knows that school isn’t all work and no play. You’re whole life can’t be spent studying, despite what Mom and Dad might wish. There are games to play, things to create, media to share, and entertainment to enjoy. For students who want a bit of the good life mixed in with the daily grind, we offer up the HP Pavilion dv6t.

We used HP’s online configurator to assemble the following set of specs: moonlight white color, Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit with free Windows 7 upgrade, Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 (2.0 GHz and a 1,066 MHz front-side bus) processor, 4 GB of DDR2 memory, a 320 GB hard drive with HP ProtectSmart, ATI Radeon HD 4530 graphics with 512 MB of memory, a 16.0" BrightView Infinity display (1366x768), Blu-ray player/DVD burner, Intel 802.11n wireless, and all other options set to their default. The total price was $1,179.99. No offense to AMD, but given the situation we have today, if you’re going to drop a grand or more on a laptop, going with AMD/ATI graphics is fine, but take the Intel processor.

We specifically picked this config to be prepared for any media you’d want to throw at it. Blu-ray? Done. Hardware-based acceleration for any major high-def codec along with 1080p HDMI output? Check. Digital 5.1 or 7.1 audio output might have been an exceptional bonus, but even the dv6t has its limitations. (Note that you can get digital 5.1 via the HDMI connection if you have a compatible amplifier.) Decoding is rock solid, and even picture-in-picture Blu-ray plays back without a hiccup.

There are more expensive Core 2 Duo options. We selected the P7350 as an affordable compromise between performance and price. In-house, we have a notebook running an X9100, and while it’s fast, you could almost cook an egg on the notebook’s belly under full load. A little moderation never hurt anyone. Figure in the 4 GB of memory backed by the second-best graphics option and this unit should handle just about any pre-graduate work outside of the engineering and modeling disciplines.

Cosmetically, HP stands above the usual PC herd, sporting a strong, lacquered finish with a metallic silver keyboard panel and silver touchpad. (All the usual fingerprint warnings apply here, but at least HP supplies a wiping cloth.) Edges are gracefully curved, and you don’t get the flexing observed in cheaper notebooks when you press or twist on its surfaces. The unit weighs around 6.3 pounds, which isn’t bad for a fully loaded 16-incher.

For expandability, HP blows many competitors out of the water. Touring around the edges, you’ll find VGA, a docking port, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, eSATA, multiple USB, FireWire, ExpressCard, 5-in-1 card reader, Kensington lock, and power input. That’s a lot of options—enough to turn this laptop into a high-def multimedia hub. Don’t forget the Webcam, too. There’s a TV tuner option, but who needs that when you’ve got broadband?

Like Gateway, HP also builds in a numeric keypad, but the slightly larger build makes the layout, complete with jumbo Shift keys, more comfortable. That said, we’d still rather make the keypad an optional USB device and free up more room for standard-sized arrow keys and not having items like the End and PgUp keys require a Function combination.

Media afficionados may have noticed a discrepancy here: the unit offers Blu-ray support but only 1366x768 resolution. That’s right. If you want 1080p, you have to output to HDMI. Mind you, 720p downsampling looks dang sharp on this unit, and the dv6t’s screen (typical of HP) is gorgeous if you don’t mind the glossy glare.

So is this a suitable student machine? If you need performance over portability, yes. Of course, hauling this baby out in a group to present files sure trumps trying to share with a netbook, but it is bulky. HP-design quality can take being bumped around over the long-term, though, so don’t worry about making it a part of your daily wanderings if necessary. Just know that the sexier looks make it a higher-profile theft target. Otherwise, the dv6t is a great choice for media, moderate gaming, and productivity. It’s fast and friendly with only a few minor drawbacks. Keep an eye out for HP promotions and you might just land this beauty for under $1,000.

• Pavilion dv6-1230us...
• • ElectronicsPLUS
  • $779.00