Recently I purchased a different version of this HP DV6 laptop for my mother-in-law and I looked at this model during that process (all HP DV6 laptop models share a common chassis and only vary on a few components). The first thing about the DV6 line that impressed me was the build quality. It is well constructed with a metallic toned black plastic exterior. Take a good look at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone but my mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a little more individual than the usual dull grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed much in the way of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who love to "help" grandma with her computer.The specs for this model are aimed at someone focused on web browsing and office type applications who wants superb battery life:
CPU The Core 2 duo is the best performing notebook CPU on the market and the T6500 included with this computer is a mid-range Core2 Duo (2.1 GHZ w/2MB cache). It can handle two threads which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. It's not the highest performing CPU out there today but it's far above what you need for non-gaming tasks and it has a enough performance head-room to keep your computer from becoming outdated anytime soon.
RAM The 4GB of RAM is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provided more than enough memory for pretty much any application you can think of outside of extremely high end gaming.
HDD 320GB plenty is far more space than you need now but again, I like the future proofing. Some people may not like that it is 5400 RPM vs. 7200 RPM but the performance difference for home users is nearly zero and the reliability of 5400 RPM drives makes me prefer them in notebooks which are hard on hard disks (because they move around while in use notebook HDDs suffer far more failures than desktop drives)
Graphics While I am a fan of Intel CPUs their graphics performance has lagged the competition. The good news is that the integrated Intel 4500MHD graphics controller in this model is a step up from previous Intel offerings and all most home users will need. I still wouldn't recommend you try and run graphics hungry 3-D games on it but it's fine for playing videos, surfing the web, doing light gaming, and running office applications.
Display I like this 15.6" display though I got my mother-in-law the 16" version of the DV6. While a little smaller than what I settled on it is far superior to the 14-15" screens you usually see in this price range.
Sound Surprisingly good sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and deliver a good range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook.
Battery For years the retail notebook market has been plagued with cheap six cell and even four cell batteries that could barely deliver 90 minutes of real computing use. To see HP bundle a 12 cell Li-Ion battery in with this notebook is hopefully a sign the industry is recognizing that notebook users want good battery life. With a 12 cell battery you can realistically plan to go all day without plugging in. This does add slightly to the weight but few users will notice. You will be hard pressed to find another laptop in this price range with a batter this good. Most will have a 6 cell.
I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a little odd at first but we got used to them quickly and hey, they look cool when they light up.
To wrap it all up: a good computer for home users who don't plan on running high-end games and who looking for something with above average build quality and really good battery life.
CPU The T6500 is great for General usage. It's okay for gaming and HD playback too.
RAM 4GB makes multitasking a breeze
Hard Drive The main partition is 285GB with a 12.5GB recovery partition. 285GBs is a nice size to work with too it'll take long, long time to fill that up.
Graphics The 4500MHD is okay for light gaming like Counter-Strike. It also does HD playback fine.
Sound This laptop has great speakers. They don't get too loud but that's fine. The quality of the sound is great.
Battery Will last a good long while and is better than most laptops. Most laptops have 6 cell batteries, this one has a 12 cell. Also the battery sticks out from the bottom. Some people may not like it but it is also a good thing because heat won't get stuck under the laptop.
Heat This laptop will get warm from extended use. It gets slightly uncomfortable to type on because of it. It's not really that bad though.
Keyboard This laptop is easy to type on. I can type really fast on it. It is a full keyboard with a numpad so most of your keys are there.
The Home, End, Pgup, PGdown, keys are above the trackpad and delete is above the backspace.
Trackpad The trackpad may seem a little hard to move on at first but after a while it becomes smooth. You can also turn it on and off with a button conveniently placed above it if you want to use a mouse. It also has a scroll bar.
Other Thoughts This laptop has 2 head phone hacks. Both are in the front. I'd prefer one in the front then one in the side or back for speakers.
HP Logo on the cover lights up when the laptop is on. This annoys me when I leave my laptop on overnight and I have to put something over the light to cover it because it's kinda bright.
The remote it comes with is kind of small and it can be difficult to push the buttons but it still is a nice addition so I don't have to get up and pause, skip, etc. on the keyboard.
NOTE: This laptop only has the touch volume controls and a touch wifi button. There is no Play, Pause, Stop, etc. touch buttons on this model. That was kind of a disappointment because I have to press Fn+F12 if I want to change songs.
Overall this a great laptop and I am pleased with my purchase
Buy HP Pavilion DV6-1230US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop Now
I purchased this for my college bound daughter. I had it up and running for her in under 20 minutes that includes the time it took me to get the wireless internet. This laptop has a very artsy cover that will make any student look extra cool.Great Things about this laptop for your student:
Size: It's light enough to carry around but still sturdy. I suggest a targus messanger bag.
Battery: 12 cell battery will keep you going most of the day. It does stick out the back some, so your laptop is not as skinny as it would be with a smaller battery.
Power/Speed: This laptop is fast. I was impressed with how fast it would start up and run all the applications. There's lots of ram and the graphics are awesome.
Software: There is a 2 month trial version of Windows Office for students. If you want to keep it, all you have to do is enter your serial number (can be purchased online), there's no long install.
DVD : No need to have a TV too, watch your DVDs on this laptop! Even has a tiny remote control.
Huge Hard Drive: 320 gigs. You could use it for years without deleting anything.
User Input: The keyboard is great. It is a full keyboard and the keys only require a light touch. You can input a lot of information quickly. The trackpad is a little annoying, but I prefer a mouse. My daughter likes it.
Overall, this is a great buy. My daughter loves hers and it meets the requirements of all the colleges in this area.
Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion DV6-1230US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop Here
Others have posted comprehensive reviews, so I just want to add a note about the battery that I don't think any of the reviews so far have mentioned.There is a plug in the 12-cell battery which permits you to charge the battery separate from the laptop -just plug it into the charger. The very first laptop I ever owned, a WinBook, had this feature and I have been amazed that it is not standard in every laptop. The battery even has it's own flashing light to indicate the charging status.
With a second battery, this makes life a lot easier. For example, when I'm at an all-day deposition, I don't need to bring and run an extension cord from a wall socket to the conference table out of concern that my battery will die. Rather, I can just use the laptop with the battery while I charge another battery at a wall socket across the room. Get a spare power brick ($11 on ebay), and you can just plug in the battery to charge at night like you charge your cell phone, without having to pull out your laptop and charger.
Want HP Pavilion DV6-1230US 15.6-Inch Entertainment Laptop Discount?
The short version. This laptop is great. The long version. This laptop meets all the basic functions and features expected of laptop today.Pro's: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T6500 2.10GHz, (ANY GHz AT 2.0 OR ABOVE IS EXCELLENT)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (GOOD FOR WATCHING HD VIDEOS AND CAN HANDLE MOST GAMES REQUIRING HD GRAPHICS)
4 GB DDR2 RAM (2 Dimm) (8 GB Maximum) (THE IMPORTANT NUMBER IF {4GB}. THIS MEANS YOU COMPUTER SHOULD HANDLE GAMES WITH LOTS OF ACTION AND
GRAPHICS)
320GB (5400RPM) Hard Drive (SATA) (YOU HAVE TO TRY REALLY HARD TO FILL THIS UP. If you have 1000 dvd's and put them on your machine you
will have space left to download songs and install games)***1gb mp3 player can hold about 500 songs,
do the math***
SuperMulti 8X DVD±R/RW with LightScribe and Double Layer Support (burn cd's and make your own label)
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition with Service Pack 1 (THE IMPORTANT NUMBER HERE IS 64-bit. This means you have a really fast
operating system. Put it this way. 32 bit is better than 64-bit.)
15.6 inch Diagonal High Definition HP BrightView Display (1366x768) (NICE BRIGHT SCREEN THAT IS VISIBLE IN LOW LIGHT OR BRIGHT LIGHT)
SD Card Reader
Tv tuner with remote
Cool touch volume interface (no actual buttons to turn volume up and down)
Webcam with microphone.
Larger battery provides longer battery life and helps keep vents free so the laptop stays relatively cool on your lap or whichever surface you put
it on.
Comfortable keyboard for it's size.
Great for a teen, college student or someone that wants a laptop that looks unique out the box.
Con's: 2 usb ports
attracts dust easily
Bigger battery makes the machine a little heavy.
Finish is a fingerprint magnet. Actually, a fingerprint and smudge black hole.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Many reviews do not tell you this but be sure to run an update within the first week of using the laptop. Be be sure to but some blank
dvd's and make your own recovery cd's. Amazon does not provide one with the computer so if your laptop crashes and you did not do it then
you have to fork OUT AT LEAST $50 to get the right recovery discs. BE SURE TO AT LEAST RUN THE UPDATE BECAUSE THE ARE MANY.
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