This is a great laptop for the money and I would buy it again.
Pro's:
Light compared to some other laptops (LED vs. LCD screens usually)
Screen is very bright and easy to read
HDMI allows output to HDTV (also for using Media Center on the HDTV)
4GB RAM
Good battery life (it was running for 3.5+ hours the other day)
10-Key number pad
5-1 card reader (for plopping in an SD card from a digital camera/camcorder)
Con's:
Fingerprints are highly visible on laptop cover -glossy black
Keyboard layout is cramped with certain keys (arrow keys, delete key)
Speakers do not sound as good as my 3 year old Toshiba laptop
No physical button for volume control -it's software controlled via keyboard/Windows.
Addt'l comments:
I also have a Lenovo T61p and the HP is lighter, has better battery life, and a softer keyboard (which I prefer-the Lenovo/Thinkpad line is too stiff for me). The Lenovo performs slightly better in every day tasks (faster hard drive & cpu) and a fair bit faster in graphics intensive applications (e.g. games).
I bought this to replace an older 15.6 inch laptop to be my main home computer. I just could not see investing half or more of the cost of this in a netbook. Boy am I glad I did. The 17.3 inch screen is simply incredible.
These are the ways the 17.3 inch screen helps. First the screen itself is really nice. My photos look fantastic and DVDs look superb. Netflix streaming and Hulu are so-so but that is more the limitations of software than of the screen itself. Many websites take advantage of the larger screen as well and it just feels right. It feels like my work desktop screen. Second and possibly of more value is the keyboard. BY FAR the best laptop keyboard I have ever used. It is even better than my stand alone keyboard at work. Finally a true full size, large key, awesome to type with laptop keyboard. And what I thought was a bad design aesthetically, the large blank space beneath the keyboard with just the mouse controls. Guess what? It is perfect for laying your hands down as you type. I know keyboard is not the first thing that comes to mind when buying a computer and it probably shouldn't be the first thing. BUT it should not be under-rated either.
As for the computer itself. I am really digging Windows 7. I bought this on Black Friday and so far no problems whatsoever. 4 GB is nice. The 6600 processors are nice solid performers. There are better in laptops but for me doing multimedia activities and home office activities this computer more than meets my needs. Everything worked great right out of the box. Webcam works great and not too much installed software. The student and home Office trial means if you end up buying it (Amazon usually has the best price around) it is already installed you just need the key. That was kind of nice. The 60 days of Norton gives you some time to try it, be protected, and make a decision on the security software you like so that is also helpful.
But ultimately what should make you choose this over the numerous other configurations HP offers is the screen size. Any slight added bulkiness and weight (around 6.5 odd pounds) is more than made up for me with how much fun it is to have a large laptop screen and a real full-sized comfortable, fantastic keyboard. Let others have their 10 inch products...17.3 for me from now on.
Buy HP G71-340US 17.3-Inch Black/Silver Laptop - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Now
UPDATE as of 7/4/2010 I have just recently switched over to Mac so anything PC is truly inferior in so many ways. But as Windows laptop, this is a darn good machine for the money.
How can I express how incredible this machine is? Well let me try. Two weeks earlier I bought the Vista cousin of this machine that had a Pentium and only 1400/900 display (blech!) and it was a bit sluggish. After I saw an Office Depot flyer advertising this beauty for with rebate, I returned the Pentium to Best Buy, who didn't have this machine. This machine is a tremendous value. Huge hard drive, 4 gigs of ram, WONDERFUL keyboard (all the HPs have the best-engineered keyboards I have seen on any laptops, large and small). And 1600x900 instead of 1400x900 like some of the other models. I agree that the power cable should be on the left side, in fact on the one I returned it was. And yes, the speakers are underwhelming. But this is no "gaming rig", this is a business desktop replacement, period. Battery life? It says up to 4 hours by I get between 2.5 and 3 hours, and with the powersave mode, just a bit over 3 hours. The lesser cousin didn't even get 1.5 hours.
Do not pass go, do not collect (although you will collect in rebates), just buy this machine!
Read Best Reviews of HP G71-340US 17.3-Inch Black/Silver Laptop - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Here
I'm a Mac guy normally, but my mother is PC all the way. I got this computer for her as a gift, and spent a few hours setting it up for her. Paid $650 for this before tax at Sam's Club. It's worth it. You get what you pay for. Windows 7 is impressive. I suppose W7 is Microsoft's answer to Mac OSX. They have done a great job at making all of Windows more aesthetically pleasing. It is simple and functional, and seems to run smoothly. Of course, my experience with Windows is that you can't really judge how quick it is for at least 6 months, so who knows. The processor and memory on this computer are a great value for what you pay... kudos on that.
My problem with this computer, first of all, is that it doesn't have built-in Bluetooth... I guess I was thinking that BT was sort-of standard already on notebook computers nowadays. Makes it a little inconvenient for someone like me that prefers to do everything wirelessly. Another issue I have with this notebook is that it is VERY bulky and VERY heavy. I appreciate the large widescreen, and the full numeric keypad, but the moment I opened the box I was deflated by the sheer size of this monstrosity. It is not something that a normal-sized person can comfortably fit on their lap (OMG I could not imagine trying to use this thing on an airplane). It is so large that the first two notebook bags I bought my mother would not accommodate it. The placement of buttons and control keys on the unit itself, for some reason, also seems a little confusing to me... lacking intuitiveness... but that may just be me.
This computer, despite its problems, did impress me overall. It's a cut above the expectations I had for a $650 PC laptop. I am looking to purchase an actual Windows PC to use in addition to my two Macs... I would consider HP based on my experience with this notebook, but I would not consider THIS MODEL. I travel several months out of the year... and honestly this thing is just too bulky and heavy to comfortably carry through airports. I would suggest to seriously consider the size and weight of this computer before purchasing it, and weigh the cons of those things against your intentions for this computer... if you travel a lot with your notebook, I doubt this model will make you happy camper. But if you want a portable home computer, or something to keep in your dorm... something that won't be moving around a lot... this might be a good option.
Impressive, very impressive... but not enough to turn this old Mac guru into a PC-All-The-Way guy. :)
Want HP G71-340US 17.3-Inch Black/Silver Laptop - Up to 4 Hours of Battery Life (Windows 7 Home Premium) Discount?
It's better than my G70 but not by much. The 16:9 screen is much shorter than the G70 widescreen,making it harder to read pages online-lots of scrolling. My biggest complaint is the volume. I went into every possible menu to max the vol and nothing helped. The G70 blasts it out of the water on sound. The DVD tray is very flimsy, it wouldn't burn a DVD-I tried several brands and types. It tried-burned maybe half a disc and wasted 10 discs. I was trying to burn their recommended recovery disc set off this notebook. I gave up and paid the $14 for the DVDs. The tray is moulded close to the bottom and hangs if you don't keep it near the edge of your desk or raised on that end. The power adpt cord sticks straight out the rear side and would be easy to mangle if you're not careful moving it. I'm returning it because Win7 won't work with any of my HP printers and scanners and they state on their website that they aren't going to write new drivers. These notebooks are identical in quality and appearance. The G71 is ,1 Ghz faster and 1 GB more memory plus .3 larger screen. Not a huge difference by any means. I did exhaust tech support on the hardware issue and he recommended I buy new printers and scanners. NOT I'll stick with Vista untill they write more drivers, maybe they'll have one of mine in a few ..... For the money it's a good machine but you better have Win7 approved hardware. Most of the drivers out now for Win7 are stripped of their features and use only basic functions. I wouldn't abandon Vista just yet.
I have found this computer to be excellent. However, when I purchased it despite the horror stories about windows 8. The system is slow, cumbersome and skips from one window to the other. I have contacted Microsoft and Acer. Neither of them wants to help me go back to windows 7 which was an excellent operating system. The problem is that I am 74 and the $114 to purchase windows 7 is costly. My recommendation is to stat with Windows7.
