Note: since I wrote a few reviews for some very simliar DV6 models Amazon has cross posted all those reviews.
I posted a long review of the current crop of DV6-21xx series of notebooks here: HP Pavilion DV6-2170US. The models are mostly the same with different CPUs (one has a discrete graphics chip). All include the newest mobile processors from Intel which eclipse the older Core2 line in terms of performance. Those with integrated graphics include Intel's new HD graphics which are also a big improvement over Intel's old 4500HD graphics (which are still inferior to discrete graphics chips from AMD/ATI and Nvidia when it come to 3D gaming). I would suggest avoiding the older DV6 13xx and 12xx series unless you can get a really good price (which may happen as HP discontinues them).
Here is the summary of models I posted in that review:
If you're staring at the various DV6 models trying to decide which one to buy my advice is (based on the models available when I wrote this):
For home users who aren't gamers you can save about $100 if you go with the HP Pavilion DV6-2150US 15.6-Inch Laptop which combines a Core i3 with Win 7 Premium and a 6 cell battery. The performance for non-gaming software will be very close to the more expensive i5 models and you'll save money by going with Win 7 Premium and a smaller battery.
If you need good battery life, run higher end software, or like to game a bit go for the HP Pavilion DV6-2170US which combines the Core i5 with the 12 cell battery. The Intel graphics aren't the best but it's a big improvement over past products. This is the model I think has the best balance of features.
If gaming matters more than battery life you should probably look at other laptop lines but if you are sold on the DV6 go for the HP Pavilion DV6-2190US which has a quad CPU Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GT 230M graphics. It's only got a 6 cell battery and that CPU and graphics are going to drain it quickly. You'll pay about $200 over this model.
If you have a lot of older software consider the HP Pavilion DV6-2157SB Small Business Edition which comes with Windows 7 Pro (which can run older software on a WinXP kernel). It has a Core i3 and a 6 cell battery. It also has a different finish ("Plaid Mocha") but I haven't seen it so I can't comment on it.
Been shopping for a new computer for over a year now as I could no longer put up with my slow-as-molasses 2003 Gateway. Shoulda' tossed it long ago, except I'm on a budget. I saw this HP Pavilion DV6 1250us at a huge (nearly 20%!!) discount at one of the chain office supply stores so I jumped on it. I'm completely knocked-out by how fast this thing is runs like its hair's on fire! I timed it at 1 min 20 seconds to completely start-up, connect to wi-fi and be ready to go. My 20GB+ library of iTunes opens in about 5 seconds flat.
My favorite features are; the jaw-dropping sharp, bright, vivid display, next generation faster memory (4GB DDR3), faster than usual 7200rpm hard drive (320GB), and the excellent integrated graphics card (with 1.6 GB memory!!) for watching smoooth on-line video (hulu etc.). I find Windows 7 to be not so different from XP. It has wireless N glad I thought ahead when I replaced my router a year ago. Lots of USB ports (3 + 1 combo actually), and a little remote control that stores in the expansion slot, though I'm not sure how useful that will be... Battery life was good (2-1/2 hrs without economizing, after running it down to 5% & recharging it a few times to break it in).
Did some research and found that this brand new i3 processor (released Jan 10, 2010) operates similar to a quad-core, so it's not too easily bogged down. Now the Norton Security Suite that I get free from my cable company runs in the background and I don't even know it's there. My old computer would sputter and fuss for 20 minutes or so just getting an update.
So far, it runs like a champ with anti-virus going, burning a dvd, multiple tabs in Firefox open, and torrent down & uploads going all at once. Also easily handles Word documents with lots of artwork, which used to be a problem for me. Took me awhile to connect to my home wi-fi because I didn't realize you first have to turn on the wireless via a touch-switch above the keyboard. Set-up wizard and on-screen prompts did not make that clear, but I figured it out before long. Wasn't crazy about the case design but it's not so bad... looks like rings left by a glass on a wood table. HP even includes a little polishing cloth to keep it shiny a nice touch.
Overall, I'm thrilled with it. Cost half of what I payed for my Gateway in 2003 and I feel like I finally have a REAL computer that I'm confident will be current for at least a few years. I highly recommend you pick one up if you have the means!
Buy HP Pavilion DV6-2150US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Now
I'm a big fan of HP products. I've owned 4 HP notebooks and 3 printers over the last 10 years. I've also owned a Dell, Averatec, and Toshiba laptop over the same time period.
Pros:
1) Numeric keypad. The keys are a little slimmer than keypads on other notebooks (i.e. Toshiba and Sony models) but it isn't too hard to get used to. I use this a lot.
2) Good battery life. I haven't fully drained it yet, but it looks like it's at least 3 hours/.
3) Runs cool. I can use it for hours on my lap and it doesn't experience the heating issue my previous HP and Averatec laptops ran into.
4) Overall, for a budget laptop, the overall build feels like a good quality.
5) eSATA
6) Remote I never use these, but I may this time since it also has a HDMI output.
Cons:
1) The BIOS is locked. This is kind of annoying. I don't mean you can't get into it, but merely, some of the features or options aren't made available. I've never seen a BIOS this limited (and I've owned a lot of notebooks [see above] and desktop systems. This probably won't matter to most people though.
2) As odd as it sounds, HP technical support told me it won't support a SATA SSD. I've read some laptops have problems with this.. I haven't actually tried this myself but I probably will. I'm hoping HP support just doesn't know what they're talking about and just don't see it in the supported hardware list.
3) When the notebook goes into sleep mode, I get weird horizontal lines that forces me to reboot. I've tried refreshing the display, having it output to an external display, changing resolution, etc but those methods don't work. This may just be my laptop or a driver issue.
4) Easy to get fingerprints all over it (probably due to HP's finish).
5) Dust seems to be very noticeable on HP's finish
Notes/Neutral:
1) Doesn't utilize a latch on the lid to lock it in place. The lid close tightly though.
2) No USB or other I/O ports on back of laptop. It only has 3 USB ports.
3) Power cable is on the right side of the laptop towards the back.
4) Audio ports are on the front right and there are two headphone jacks. This seems fairly typical of a lot of HP notebooks but I've never had to use it. Still nice to have.
5) There is a docking station expansion port on the left. Haven't tried it yet (don't own a dock), but at least you know it's compatible with a docking station.
6) No modem. This doesn't bother me but for those of you who still use dial-up might want to know this.
7) Does come with 802.11n and works as expected.
Overall, I think this is a good notebook for a student or someone like me who doesn't do much with his notebook but tosses and abuses it a lot during travel.
UPDATE: 14 June 2010
Okay, so I bought a OCZ 60GB SSD. I didn't think it seemed right that I couldn't upgrade to it, so I figured it was a calculated risk. Anyway, the SSD works fine. There are a few issues to consider though... The recovery DVD you made will not install to a smaller drive, so you'll need something like Norton Ghost to do it. I looked into using free utilities and couldn't find any (i.e. Clonezilla, Partition Wizard, etc). Or, you need to buy a regular copy of Windows 7 and install it from scratch.
The boot times do improve significantly. I don't know if it's worth it, but my laptop now completely boots up in about 30 seconds. Applications start almost immediately. However, I would probably avoid the upgrade again only because I miss having the drive space.
Also keep in mind, if you do upgrade to a SSD to optimize it. There are a few tutorials online that tell you how to edit your registry to get the most out of it.
This also means HP tech support loses a star since they told me it wasn't possible.
While I was reloading the factory install, I did notice that there is a minimal install of the OS. It does come with some HP utilities, but a lot less. So I definitely recommend that you re-install if you don't like having too many applications preloaded. It takes about an hour.
Read Best Reviews of HP Pavilion DV6-2150US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Here
I just got this and it booted right up, the screen quality is very nice, much better than the older style of laptops with the satin finish. This high glass finish really makes the screen stand out. I've used laptops by dell, lenovo and gateway in the past so my first impressions are below.
The laptop is not heavy, very reasonable and despite the 6 cell battery, most times I'm plugged in so it's not a big deal to me. I haven't timed out the battery yet but so far as with any new laptop is seems to do just fine. I wish it came with a cover or bag of some sort until I get my laptop bag, but I guess I'll be careful.
The side connectors are well laid out, I don't see issues with too much in a spot, it all seems pretty nice. My version did not have a modem (which I hope we don't need much longer). The one thing I'm trying to determine and it may be my misunderstanding but this should have "N" network wireless ability but when I booted it up, my dual band router only showed the regular G.
The big thing I like is the touch controls of the keyboard layout, everything is touch sensor, no buttons to break. The other thing that I really like is the pc does not get hot like older laptops do. It has no "side vents" for the cpu so it's clearly a much cooler operations than its earlier laptops. I always had to make sure I powered down the laptops in the bag or they'd overheat. With this style I'd be surprised if I had an issue. It comes with a little video remote that is nice if you are watching movies on a flight or don't want to mess with the keyboard. The hdmi on the side probably would be of good use if showing videos that way.
I personally don't care for the "bubble" design on the black finish, it could have been left alone without that stuff but oh well. As I work with it more I'll be able to post more but it's a very nice laptop and they even have a 50 dollar rebate on some locations.
As far as gaming, I haven't tried it so far but I'd suspect in most average games this I3 should do fine. I'm sure on call of duty versions it probably will not work well but I have a home desktop pc for that kind of gaming.
Want HP Pavilion DV6-2150US 15.6-Inch Laptop (Black) Discount?
A less expensive laptop with a more dated dual core processor would have nicely served my business needs, but when a sale price brings this puppy closer to $650 or less, it really justifies going with this HP's Intel i3 processor for the enhanced processing power, especially when dabbling in personal multi-media. It's a feature rich machine that offers some ability to grow with your needs because it is so well ported. It comes with 4-USB, an external eSATA to attach a speedy external backup/storage drive, an HDMI port and companion laptop remote control, external monitor, 5-in one card reader (ooops, not Compact Flash, regrettably), ExpressCard 54 slot, 100-mbps RJ45 and Wireless N Draft networking, Bluetooth, and capped by a double-layer DVD/CD read/write drive.
Where the rubber meets the road, I was nicely impressed with how well the N-Draft wireless adapter downloaded a 311-MB printer driver software suite file ... less than 10-minutes ... and I finally get wireless service anywhere in our single story home through several walls. Hot dog, Cat5 is now dead. I have since teamed it up with a Seagate BlackArmor external backup/storage drive that promises up to 3-GB/S eSATA transfer. However, I'm using it via USB at this writing and am greatly pleased at how fast that connection works, as it is, for basic backup and off-machine file storage. I likely won't go eSATA, but can.
I'm not a 'touch-pad' fan, using it only when a wireless mouse isn't possible. This one is like any other and I find the right-side touch-scroll bar to work when I don't want it to and to not work when I do. No doubt that's a combination of me and the nature of that annoying little beasty.
The 15-inch class screen on this version is just right for these 60-year old eyes that have worn glasses since dirt was made, but I have a hit or two. First, it was dramatically bright out of the box with blacks washed out and the light-blue text so prevalent on websites very washed out and difficult to read. The good news is that the Intel graphics driver offered the needed adjustments to bring the brightness and contrasts under control and it even includes a text enhancement routine that capably took the harshness out of black text as delivered. It still displays digital photos with way too much brightness and I have not been able to get it under control. For basic multimedia / DVD movies and such the display is still serviceable with sharp imaging. Other versions of this model can be equipped with cable/satellite/off-air TV tuners and connections.
HP's bloat-ware was within reason and largely ranted on with on-line backup offers. Windows 7 Home Premium now comes with scheduled system image and data file backup routines, but one must upgrade to PRO in order to back up over a network. It will work with an attached external drive, so the on-line vendors are now relegated to those worried about fire and theft. Win 7 networking is much improved and connected to all our shared resources within our home network without complaint. However, it now comes configured with a 'Homegroup' system that has yet to make any sense to me over the "workgroup" method, which is now somewhat buried in the operating system.
HP's included MediaSmart software also doesn't make intuitive sense especially with the photo display/editing features for basic snapshots. Picasa is still hard to beat and the serious photos still go through Canon's Digital Photo Pro. I also have a problem with an HP 'Web Printing' plug-in for Internet Explorer. This piece allows for selecting a partial section of a web page screen for printing. However, an HP update for this module has fully and fatally crashed Internet Explorer 8 within a week of buying the laptop. This appears to be limited for reasons unknown since neither HP nor Microsoft has rushed to get it fixed and I didn't shed much of a tear over losing it as a bloated, boat-anchor browser in favor of Google Chrome. But, for IE8 fans, get this ... Microsoft says that IE8 is now an integrated part of the operating system and does NOT offer an IE8 download for WIN 7. As a result, it shall now stay banished.
Windows 7 also provides a relative performance rating routine for computer hardware. At this writing, it is on a scale of 1-to-7.9 with design for future updating. It rates individual hardware areas for performance and gives a score based on the single lowest scoring area ... it is NOT an average. I don't see why you can't review this score on the store shelves in order to pick a laptop that meets your individual performance needs. This HP rates 4.2 for its "Desktop Graphics" system, which speaks pretty darn well for the rest of the machine. For a gaming screamer laptop, there are different DV6 derivations that score higher, but for a good, well equipped, feature rich system I think it's fair to say that the DV-2150 is a 'mainstream' screamer that does a ton of things exceptionally well under the hyperthread Intel i3 core.
I've been looking for something like this for years to chronicle my motorcycle trips.
