HP Pavilion DV9930US 17-inch Laptop (2.00 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium)

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

Couldn't ask for a better desktop replacement

I've been shopping for a replacement for my 2003 Dell Dimension desktop computer for over a year now. I've been divided on whether to purchase a laptop or a desktop computer. The choice seemed simple when the Dual Core processors were released on laptops, but the choice was made difficult again by the introduction of new Quad Core processors for desktops. I realized that the battle was never going to end--by the time the Quads make it to laptops, there will be 6-Core processors in desktops. So finally I decided on mobility. The choice was great. The HP Pavilion dv9930us is simply an amazing computer. With 4 gigs of RAM this computer is lightning fast, and the brand new T5750 processor only helps to speed things up even more! I purchased a D-Link "Extreme N" router with this PC, which I recommend so that you can take advantage of the much faster wireless N technology that's included in this computer. Everything is fast; a word that sums up this computer. Video editing, via Adobe Premier Elements, was a task on my old computer, but is actually fun again on this HP. Every application launches almost immediately, everything runs smoothly and as you'd expect. What a great PC! I almost went the Mac route, but this HP is such a gem that I'll never regret my decision.

Pros:
1. Super fast with 4 GB RAM and the newest, fastest Intel processor
2. Giant, bright, vivid display
(Hint: Need help fitting large mega-pixel pictures (8MP+) on the background? Crop (NOT resize) pictures to 3312 X 2070 to fit perfect on this screen's background without cutting much of the image)
3. Battery lasts for hours, but if you let it totally die, the computer will start back up exactly where you left off (for example, even at the same point in time on a YouTube video clip)
4. For the top-of-the-line technology you get there's almost no beating the price, certainly not at this high level of quality
5. Tons of ports...favorites include 4 USB, 1 Firewire, S-Video output, etc.

Cons:
1. No Bluetooth
(Suggestion: the Logitech VX Nano Cordless Mouse has a USB connector so small that it almost totally hides in one of the 4 USB ports...no worries about no Bluetooth mouse)
2. No audio input. This is a laptop thing in general (no laptops have a standard audio input), but something to think about. There IS a Mic input on this laptop, and two 3.5mm headphone outs, but I've used the standard 3.5mm audio input in the past on my desktop to create ringtones from, for example, a TV show sound byte.

(2 out of 5)

Good computer, but beware

This laptop is a great computer for casual or novice users. The features are unbeatable for the price, and it's a gorgeous piece of hardware. The screen is razor sharp and the keyboard deck is wide and comfortable.

My unit had a defective CD/DVD drive right out of the box, but replacing the computer was fairly easy.

Beginners or casual users will enjoy the ease of setup and the wealth of software installed on the system. All the neat features work right off the bat (webcam, LightScribe disc labeling, DVD player, etc.). The computer is lightning fast and loads just about everything in seconds.

Advanced/power users will be sorely disappointed, however. As a 25-year veteran hardware/software developer, I demand a lot of my computers, especially access to all levels of configuration.

I expected to be able to wipe out Vista and install trusty Windows XP, but after days of deep research I learned this was impossible. The system is literally built for Vista, right down to the chipset. No operating system but Vista will ever run on this thing.

What's more, the installed "Premium" version of Vista is deliberately crippled, as it doesn't include the MMC (Microsoft Management Console) or Group Policy Editor; basic administrative components of XP. The only way to get these is to upgrade to Ultimate or Business editions, at a cost of at least $150.

There is also no way to reinstall a clean version of Vista from either the hard drive-based recovery partition or the recovery discs (which you must burn yourself). Meaning you are stuck with all the pre-installed "bloatware", which any experienced user knows can never be entirely removed.

The included TV tuner card and remote controls are nice touches, but again require Vista specifically (don't plan on using them with an XP machine).

The chassis is beautiful, but the glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet.

Pros:

- Well-built, comfortable to use.
- Generous extras included.
- Second hard drive bay is great (on the bottom of the computer).
- Tons of RAM, large hard drive, versatile CD/DVD burner.
- Lots of USB ports, and the memory card reader is nice.

Cons:

- You're stuck with Vista forever.
- Vista Premium edition is huge, eating a whopping 25gb of disk space (8% of the hard drive), and this 64-bit version has compatibility issues with lots of existing software.
- The keyboard volume control slider gets "stuck" frequently (on-screen volume display won't go away, and running software becomes unresponsive).
- Touchpad buttons are recessed (lower than the pad surface), making them awkward to use.
- HP phone support is appalling; very long hold times and inexperienced technicians.

Overall: Great machine for novices, awful machine for power users. I've since returned mine.

(4 out of 5)

Excellent laptop... with a horrible deffect

As you would expect from a computer with this specifications it is really fast, but it has a horrible deffect: the quick launch volume control makes all the computer to get stuck. First I thought mine was defective but when I went to the store where I bought it I checked the one on exhibition and realized it has the exact same problem.

(3 out of 5)

So far so good BUT Office 2007 is TRIAL VERSION

The only other experience with a laptop that I have was an out-of-box Thinkpad. So, I'll say that this one REALLY blows that one away /chuckle.

I'm in the process of setting this one up to use as my 'main' computer so that I can regulate my 'main' (a tower) to secondary use. And while I was doing that, I came across the Office 2007 product key input box -- and that it said I could open the program 21 more times before needing to input the key.

Well, this laptop didn't come with any recovery CD/DVDs or product keys -- "Restore Your System Without Discs: Your computer includes a new system recovery feature that does not require CDs or DVDs. ... If you need to repair your system, you can do it from the hard drive or from your own set of recovery discs."

Now, I went over to the HP site to see what I could find about the product key for Office 2007 and this is the info I found:

... "The Office software that comes pre-installed on many HP and Compaq PCs is a TRIAL VERSION. The free trial allows full feature use of Microsoft Office 2007 for a limited number of days and uses. ... Do not use currently owned Microsoft Office (such as...) software product keys... you will need to purchase a full version of the software, uninstall the trial and install the full licensed version in its place...."

Please be aware of this when you purchase the system.

Haven't come across anything else but I'm really hoping that the OS that came with it isn't a trial version (and is legal) as well. My main computer ended up having a 'multi-user' OS on it and two or three years after buying, I had to purchase a new OS for it because the multi-user license became invalid.

Good luck and have fun :)

(Three stars because: 1) it's only the second laptop I've ever worked with and 2) Office 2007 was not listed as being a trial version.)

(4 out of 5)

More than what I expected

So it didn't take me long to figure out that this was the laptop for me. The technology for the price is what sold me. Vista64, 4gigs of ram, core 2 duo processor, and an 8600m gs....all for 1099....can't beat that price. As with any laptop, there are programs installed that you will never use or just don't need. I have since deleted all of them. I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to run Warhammer Online with it, but it actually runs very fast while still looking good. All in all, very happy with this computer.