5. HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Notebook PC

by Ed Tittel

When we reviewed the HP HDX notebook last October, we were struck by three outstanding characteristics: its outrageous size and weight, its huge and bright 20.1" LCD, and its way-cool screen hinge that lifts the display above the keyboard and lets you adjust the viewing angle so very nicely. Nicknamed "the Dragon" because of the striking calligraphic brushstroke design on the top and the keyboard decks-which do look something like a fanciful Chinese dragon-this is a big, powerful, and capable PC. HP positions this product properly as a "desktop replacement," something an X7900 processor, ATI 2600 XT Mobility Radeon HD graphics circuitry, and 4 GB of DDR2-800 memory underscores. The HDX is on a respectable par with all but the latest and greatest desktop rigs.

It’s easy to get a sense of how big, sleek, and usable the HP HDX is as a desktop replacement from this snap with Sarah.

Where the HP HDX really excels is with media handling and computing capabilities. On the media side, the HP comes equipped with 64-bit Windows Vista Ultimate, which brings Media Center capabilities into play. And media is something that this notebook can handle with aplomb, thanks to a built-in HD-DVD player, hybrid SDTV/HDTV tuner, four integrated Altec Lansing speakers plus subwoofer that deliver listenable sound, and outputs galore to feed HDTV or entertainment centers for even better picture and audio.

On the desktop computing side, the HDX is a respectable performer, easily scoring well enough on all PCMark05 metrics to make a dent in general office work. Just be sure to install the 7,200 RPM SATA hard disks; our review model included 5,400 RPM models, which were far too slow to fit with the rest of this system’s accoutrement. To our way of thinking, the HP HDX is an ideal coffee-table notebook, ready to act as a personal media or productivity machine, and quite ready to hook up to the entertainment center to manage music, movies, and TV for the whole family.

Of course, at prices that start around $2,500 and easily get into the $4,500 range (like the one we reviewed), this is a present that Santa will bestow neither easily nor in great numbers. But for that truly special someone, those with big budgets to burn can make a serious dent therein with this sleek, attractive, and entirely capable HP notebook PC.