Blending affordability with productivity power, the HP Pavilion dv4030us notebook PC is a great choice for both business road warriors and multimedia enthusiasts on the go. The 15.4-inch BrightView display looks good even in direct sunlight, and movies and games will look clear thanks to the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (with 128 MB of shared memory). And you'll stay productive with the battery-sipping 1.6 GHz Intel Pentium M (Centrino) processor. This notebook also features a 100 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, built-in 54g wireless connectivity, dual layer DVD+/-RW drive, and multiformat memory card reader. For a step up in price, the DV4040US offers a faster Pentium M processor and 1 GB of installed RAM.
The Basics
- Hard Drive: The 100 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is above average in size, and is befitting of such an entertainment-centric laptop. You'll be able to store a hefty digital audio library.
- Processor: The 1.6 GHz Pentium M (Centrino) Processor 730 is at the lower end of the speed spectrum for this processor class (March, 2005). It is well equipped for office productivity software tasks, from complex spreadsheets to databases. The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It also has a large 2 MB L2 cache--which will help speed up your system's performance--and a 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
- Memory: The 512 MB of installed RAM is a good start, but you'll want to take advantage of the roomy 2 GB of total RAM capacity (2 x 1 GB) for such multimedia needs as video editing and immersive 3D gaming.
- CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the dv4030us multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data.
- Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad.
Screen, Graphcs and Sound The high-definition 15.4-inch WXGA BrightView widescreen display--with 1280 x 800-pixel resolution--has 30 percent more screen information than a 15-inch XGA, providing visibility of two applications side by side for greater productivity and multi-tasking. The BrightView feature provides a 20 percent brighter screen for better definition and 33 percent wider viewing angle for more accurate, off-center viewing when sharing files files. Video and graphics are powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900, which provides 128 MB of shared video memory. It also has HP Premium audio and internal stereo speakers.
Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The dv4030us has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 54/34 card slot, which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. You get a decent offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0 and Firewire:
- 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
- 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
- 1 VGA monitor port
- 1 S-Video port for connecting to a TV
- 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
- 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
- 1 ExpressCard/54 slot
- 1 Expansion Port 2 connector
- 1 IR receiver
- 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Sticks, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, and XD Picture Cards
It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).
Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Norton Internet Security 2005 (with 60 days of complimentary updates), Microsoft Money 2005, Sonic RecordNow, Apple iTunes, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Intervideo WinDVD, Intervideo Home Theater, MuVee Autoproducer, and MSN Encarta Plus.
The included HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.
Dimensions and Weight
This notebook measures 14.1 x 10.16 x 1.67 inches and weighs 6.5 pounds.
Power
It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 3 hours (depending on usage).
What's in the Box
This package contains the dv4030us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty and 30-day free software support.
1 Great laptop but rip-off on the software
I bought this hard-to-find-in-stock laptop after doing some research and talking to friends who have HP products. I love the laptop itself--great screen and the widescreen aspect is wonderful. The keyboard has the usual laptop downfalls--i.e. likely to give you carpal tunnel syndrome with too much usage. I love the remote control and the DVD and CD burner. The 100GB hardrive is great as is the 512MB RAM and the fast processor.
I have two problems with the dv4030:
1. It comes loaded with Norton, which I have had nothing but problems with in the past. When I removed the software it took 4 reboots before the system finally stopped prompting me to accept the license agreement and to remove the software already removed. The laptop runs fine with McAfee.
2. Despite the fact that it comes with Windows XP loaded on it, it does not include rights to use Microsoft Office 2003 for more than 60 days. You get a 60 day free-trial and after that you have to buy a full copy. If you don't you cannot create new documents, etc. This is beyond ridiculous, particularly in light of the fact that Microsoft is debuting a new OS next year.
I did not bother to check the price of a full license of Microsoft Office 2003 but the fact that you will need to make this additional purchase is something to be considered when making the decision to buy this laptop. Any check of the HP website product listing for the dv4030 (or any other product listing on any other website, including Amazon) fails to mention this little fact. Had I known this I would have seriously reconsider purchasing this laptop.
2 Not perfect, but a very solid laptop.
Received this very quickly using Amazon Prime. The most notable thing to say about this laptop is that the screen is widescreen in order to play DVDs. But this is also useful if you use certain software where a wide display is important (for example, certain spreadsheets or programming tools). However, be warned that this is not a dainty little laptop. It will fit inside my briefcase all right, but it is above average in size and weight for PC laptops. On the other hand, it is somewhat reminicent of many Mac laptops I see at Starbucks.
The very first thing I wanted to do with this laptop was use the included Norton AntiVirus. That was not to be. With absolutely nothing else on this computer, the NAV failed to update properly. After wasting half an hour of my life on this, I uninstalled Norton and downloaded Macafee. No problem whatsoever; if your experience is like mine -- and I see no reason it wouldn't be -- ignore the "benefit" of the included Norton AntiVirus.
The laptop is pretty solid. In fact, that was the reason I chose HP this time around. (That and a very mediocre track record with multiple Sony VAIOs.) The other reason is that this laptop has a lot of connnectivity. But yes, I do have a wee bit of envy over those sexy skinny laptops.
Other than that, the screen is very legible; the keys seem to be in the right place (including the Control key, which is in the wrong place on some earlier HPs).
The WiFi just worked. No setup. No hassles. It seems to work quite well even when reading "Low".
(...)
Finally, I'll mention that this is a pretty quiet machine. The fan activates only occasionally, though that will depend on what you use it for.
