HP Pavilion dv5-1250us Entertainment Notebook PC, Bronze Technical Info and review

The 2.1 GHz AMD Turion X2 ZM-80 processor offers a dual-core architecture, which delivers additional computing resources to help expand your PC’s capabilities by providing higher throughput and simultaneous computing–increasing your performance by up to 80 percent. You’ll be able to perform multiple tasks such as digital rendering and gaming all while running virus scan or other background tasks seamlessly thanks to the innovative Direct Connect Architecture. And it’s designed to handle simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing with no degradation in performance. You’ll enjoy long battery life thanks to the AMD PowerNow! power management technology, which delivers performance on demand and can extend system battery life up to 65 percent. And the AMD Digital Media XPress technology delivers stellar multimedia performance and playback on digital entertainment such as games, streaming video and audio, DVDs, and music.
It has a 2 MB L2 cache, and this processor can deliver up to 4400 MT/sec. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system’s performance.)

The large 400 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data–akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.
You’ll enjoy enhanced hard drive protection with HP’s Protectsmart, which includes a 3D accelerometer that safeguards your data by parking your hard drive if your notebook detects any range of motion, such as being knocked off your desk, falling or taking abuse.

The 4 GB of installed RAM helps boost the amount of available video RAM that’s shared with this notebook’s video card. This notebook has an amazing 8 GB maximum RAM capacity (4 x 2 GB). To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed

This multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with writing both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD-R DL Write Once, 2.4x DVD+R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CD-R, 24x CD-RW, and 40x CD-ROM speeds.
This LightScribe DVD±RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text and images on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no-hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label–anything from a simple title to a full-disc work of art.

This notebook has a 101-key keyboard and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad. It also includes two quick-launch buttons (HP QuickPlay Music and DVD).

You’ll enjoy razor-sharp graphics and widescreen movies with the 15.4-inch WXGA high-definition screen, which has a widescreen resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels–perfect for watching DVD movies the way they were meant to be seen. Video is powered by the ATI Radeon HD 3450 with RS780M chipset, which features 512 MB of dedicated video memory and up to 2302 MB total graphics memory (as allocated by the operating system). The AMD 780 Chipset series lets you connect to a wide range of the latest HD panels by supporting numerous display technologies. Take advantage of ATI SurroundView to support up to four monitors. It also offers support for Microsoft DirectX 10, providing compatibility with today’s most advanced and graphic-intensive games and applications.
The Altec Lansing speakers provide exceptional sound, and it also includes SRS Premium Sound. You’ll be able to privately share enjoyment of multimedia with a friend via the dual headphone jacks.

Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated quad-mode Wi-Fi chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It’s also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range–great for closed office environments).It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. It comes with the following external connectors:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals–from digital cameras to MP3 players (with 1 eSATA + USB 2.0 combo port)
• 1 HDMI output (for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable)
• Analog video output: 1 VGA
• 1 ExpressCard/54 slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
• 2 headphone jacks
• 1 microphone jack
• 1 Expansion Port 3 connector (for use with the HP xb3000 Expansion Base or the HP Notebook QuickDock)
• 1 IR receiver
• 5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)
• 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet networking
• 56K modem (V.90)

The 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium (with SP1) is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.
Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family’s use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.

• HP MediaSmart Software Suite: Your one-stop multimedia and entertainment center to create photo slideshows, share personal videos, listen to your favorite music playlists and watch DVD movies.
• muvee autoProducer Basic: Automatically create professional looking home videos and burn to DVD.
• Cyberlink DVD Suite Deluxe: Automatically fix and edit videos and create CDs and DVDs. Edit, burn and archive data to discs.
• Microsoft Works 9: Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database and calendar.
• Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 (60-day trial version).
• Adobe Reader 8: Read and print PDF files.
• Norton Internet Security 2009 protects your PC and your identity when you email, bank and shop online; 60 days of protection updates included.

Dimensions & Weight:
This notebook measures 14.05 x 10.2 x 1.65 inches (WxHxD) and weighs 5.84 pounds.
Power:
It’s powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 2 hours (depending on usage).
Awesome entertainment:

• Watch movies using the double-layer DVD±R/RW SuperMulti drive
• Enhance your entertainment with the remote control, premium audio, and dual headphone jacks
• Get one-click access with HP MediaSmart to DVDs, videos, photos, music, games, and Internet TV⁴
• Enhance multimedia with the ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics with M82-SCE
• Enjoy amazing audio with the SRS Premium sound
• Chat face to face, or take pictures and video clips with the webcam and integrated microphone

Elegant and powerful:

• Experience genuine Windows Vista Home Premium^†† 64-bit with Service Pack 1
• Get everything done with the 2.1GHz AMD Turion X2 ZM-80 Dual-Core Mobile Processor
• Enjoy the view on the 15.4″ (diagonal) BrightView WXGA high-definition widescreen (1280 x 800)
• Show your style with the HP “Intersect” imprint finish in bronze
• Connect to an external monitor or HD TV via the HDMI port
• Protect your data: if the PC is dropped, it automatically locks to guard against damage
• Run several apps at once with the 4096MB DDR2 SDRAM (2 DIMM)
• Go wireless with the 802.11a/b/g/n WLAN
• Label discs: use HP LightScribe to apply silkscreen-quality text, photos, and graphics
• Store data on the 400GB (5400 rpm) SATA hard drive

User Ratings:

• Features: 4.9/5
• Performance: 4.7/5
• Design: 4.5/5
• Total: 4.7/5