In the HP Pavilion DV4T, with its 14″ display and Intel Core i3 processor, you get a decent general-use laptop that won’t wow your friends or colleagues, but will help you with the basics at work and has just enough chops to entertain you a little on your off time. Starting at around $500, you get a budget all-rounder with just a few compromises.

I used this laptop for about a month and wasn’t blown away, yet it quietly impressed me. For someone with basic needs who wants enough horsepower to occasionally tackle more demanding tasks — like making movies, working on family vacation pictures or playing a few causal games at a great price — the DV4T is your computer.

Pros and Cons

Video Review

Design

In the day of MacBook Air or Samsung Series 9 styling, a small machine like the DV4T actually seems chunky, but pick it up and you realize you have a decent mobile machine with a screen large enough for older eyes. The dark lid with a subtle diagonally crossed patter would have grabbed attention ten years ago, but today looks more business than consumer. The metallic accents add a little to the design, making it stand out a tad more than the run-of-the-mill budget laptop.

Despite the glossy finish on the lid and wrist rest, the computer doesn’t show as many fingerprints as some machines. I have naturally oily skin so almost all laptops attract my fingerprints, but this one doesn’t collect them as badly as some.

The DV4T has all the ports you’d expect on a budget all-rounder. Along the right side (below) you get a DVD burner, mic/audio ports, USB 2.0 port and charging connector.

On the left (below) there is a Kensington lock, the air vent , VGA out, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI and 2 USB 2.0 ports. Closest to the front left corner you have two LEDs for power and disk activity.

The front only sports an SD card reader on the left side (below) with the rest taken up by decent Altec Lansing speakers with Dolby Home Theatre 4 sound.

The back features nothing but the hinges and HP’s name.

Keyboard

The island or chiclet style keyboard gives the user a full-sized feel and keys are spaced well. After awhile you to get used to the feel and I was banging away on it without much trouble. I’d say the DV4T keyboard is middling at best.

The fn/F-keys along the top row give the user a typical set of features like brightness and volume control among others. You can get a nice upgrade over the baseline configuration with a backlit keyboard, something that makes typing in lower light a dream. At just $25 more I’d jump on it if you’re configuring your own system at HP.

Touchpad

The DV4T has a typical under-sized Synaptics touchpad with split keys for right/left click. Touch was responsive but the two finger scrolling gesture needs to be smoother. Also, why can’t PC makers learn from Apple? They have great trackpads on MacBooks.

The HP trackpad had a textured feel that seemed grimy. It’s not dust, since I cleaned it. I didn’t like the feel.

Display

For a budget laptop, the DV4′s 14″ inch display with a 1366 x 768 resolution provided a decently bright image. I prefer brighter screens and am willing to sacrifice battery life to get it. Few laptops give me a bright enough screen at a frugal 50%, but this one was plenty bright enough with enough contrast to make it very usable at half brightness. The resulting battery life was a pleasure, giving me over 6 hours most of the time.

The wide viewing angle makes the DV4T  useful for working with a some coworkers flanking you on either side without either missing out.

Text and color both looked good. Text was crisp enough for long typing or reading sessions, and colors were faithful. Pictures and videos looked nice.

Sadly, it still has a glossy finish, making it hard to view in direct light. While not as bad as some laptops I’ve tested, I won’t be using it out on the porch at my favorite local coffee shop, something I can do with better screens. However, in a normally lit room it works fine.

Audio

The Altec Lansing speakers with Dolby Sound may not have the richest sound, but they do provide ample volume for use in the average work environment. Headphones or external speakers are better still. Most budget laptops skimp on sound, but not HP. These speakers create a good listening experience compared to other budget laptops. Music, movies, and video all sounded fine.

Performance

The DV4T provides enough power for simple tasks and a little headroom for occasionally performing more demanding tasks. I am the kind of user that HP had in mind when configuring this machine. I seldom play graphics-intensive games and mostly do office work or Internet browsing. While I do like to do some visually creative tasks like photo and video editing, I don’t fault this computer for not measuring up in those area at this price point. You don’t buy a $500 laptop and get mad because it takes a little longer to encode video.

Still, I do wish the video card was beefier. An Intel HD Graphics 3000 handles most of my tasks but I do have one application that takes most computers to their knees if they don’t measure up in hard drive speed, processor speed and graphics power. Soon after launching it the fans started whirring and everything slowed down.

If you have powerful software that needs a lot of high-end specs thrown at it, then look elsewhere. If you type papers, work in an office, or just need a basic computer for around the house but not for serious gaming, then the DV4 has enough power without making you tear your hair out.

Battery Life

With the basic 6-cell battery HP promised 7.25 hours. In my real-world test I was able to get a little over 6 hours. In our battery drain test using it still hit the 5:45.

The HP power brick is standard. I’m spoiled by the Apple Magsafe power cords, which are small with great cord management. Why can PC manufacturers get a little imaginative in the little things, like power bricks. With the decent battery life, you may not need to carry it.

Value

For the average Windows 7 user, the HP Pavilion DV4T will serve you well. At $500 it competes with netbooks and low-end laptops. With a machine like this available I’d never get a netbook, since I can have a little more screen real estate at just $100-$150 more. With some customizations at HP’s web site, you can overcome a few of the limitations by adding a faster 7200 rpm hard drive or jumping to a 750GB 7200 rpm hard drive without adding too much expense. As I suggested above the backlit keyboard only adds another $25. With the upgrades you still have a decently priced computer with just a little more power and function at around $700. And remember that just after shipping me this review unit HP updated the processor to a faster Core i5.

With my oldest son going off to college soon, this would be a great machine for him. I might just get him one to replace his 5-year-old HP DV5T, which died only recently.

Function trumps specs every time, so, I can say that I’d recommend this system to friends and family if they were looking for an inexpensive computer to get some basic work done at home or while on the road. So long as you are not a creative type or a gamer, you should be happy with it.

Head on over to HP to configure yours starting at $479.99 or check out the deals at Amazon.

Pros

• Decent value for the price
• Nicely spaced keyboard
• Decent display with good viewing angle
• Good battery life
• Better than average sound
• Glossy cover and wrist rest don’t attract fingerprints

Cons

• Under-powered graphics card
• Grimy feeling touchpad that’s too small

HP DV4 Gallery

HP Pavilion DV4T Review: A Decent All-round Laptop for a Good Price is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

The HP Pavilion dv4 follows the design elements of the HP Pavilion dv6, but adds some color to the line. The 14-inch dv4 features either a Pacific Blue or Expresso Black colors, and the color is found on both the top of the lid as well as on the surface housing the keyboard and on the trackpad as well.

HP Pavilion dv4 Quick Specs

The consumer-oriented dv4 features HP CoolSense 2.0 to help keep the laptop cool, Dolby Home Theater support with Altec Lansing speakers, and HP TrueVision HD webcam. The notebook is configurable with either AMD or Intel processors and comes with AMD Radeon graphics and an optional integrated Blu-ray optical drive. Additionally, the dv4 can be configured with up to 1 TB of on-board storage.

HP Pavilion dv4 Hands On Video

With HP CoolSense 2.0, the HP Pavilion dv4 can sense whether you’re using the laptop on your desk or on your lap to adjust the cooling accordingly. This way, the laptop will be optimized for either environments, depending on your usage, and you won’t end up with scorched legs if you’re using the dv4 on your lap. The HP Pavilion dv4 will also feature HP SimplePass 2 which allows you to take better control of your passwords, though we hope the service gets greater adoption from banks and stores.

HP Pavilion dv4 Pricing and Availability

The Pavilion dv4 is available in the U.S. starting on May 18th starting at $599.99.

HP Pavilion dv4 Gallery

HP Pavilion dv4 Anounced With Pacific Blue Hue – Hands On Video is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Notebooks.com.

HP has officially launched the new HP Pavilion G Series budget notebooks, offering shoppers a collection of colors and premium audio standard in a line of notebooks that start at $449.

The HP G Series notebooks include several models, the 14″ HP g4, 15.6″ HP g6 and 17.3″ HP g7. These budget notebooks bring more to the table than most entry level notebooks and replace the 42, G62 and G72 notebooks which were a huge part of last Black Friday.

The HP Pavilion G series notebooks are available at HP, at your local Best Buy or Walmart and from other retailers and as part of the Pavilion line you’ll find basic computing power, essentially a good enough notebook, thanks to a dual core Pentium processor and options for first generation Intel Core i3 processors.

HP Pavilion g6:

The cheapest HP Pavilion G Series is the 15.6″ HP g6 which has a 15.6″ screen and Altec Lansing speakers as well as SRS Premium Audio. The HP Pavilion g6 notebooks will come in a variety of models and will vary from store to store, but they will all start with either HP Pavilion g6t or HP Pavilion g6x. The HP Pavilion g6t will have a dual core Intel Pentium processor, and the Pavilion g6x will have the faster Intel Core i3 processor. All of these HP Pavilion g6 notebooks will have wireless connectivity, webcams and come in a variety of colors.

HP Pavilion G6 Hands on Video:

HP Pavilion g4 and Pavilion g7:

THe HP Pavilion g4 and Pavilion g7 notebooks start at $499 and $529 respectively and come with the  dual core and Core i3 processor options. The HP Pavilion g4t and Pavilion g7t notebooks can be found at HP.com and various models will also appear on store shelves with a similar focus on connectivity, color options and SRS Premium Audio.

How the Pavilion G Series is Different:

The HP Pavilion G series sets itself apart from many budget notebook lines by including a collection of colors and premium audio options and making a webcam standard. Many notebooks in this price range make sacrifices including single core processors, bottom of the barrel speakers and no webcam, but with the Pavilion G Series users will get a more full featured notebook.

HP G Series Budget Notebooks Now Available w/ SRS Audio, Colors and More is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

As part of the Winter 2011 HP pavilion notebook refresh HP has announced that the HP G series laptops are now part of the Pavilion family and will be known as the HP Pavilion G Series notebooks. The Pavilion G Series will be composed of the Pavilion G4, Pavilion G6 and Pavilion G7.

These notebooks offer consumers a budget notebook option from HP and as part of the new G series consumers will be able to get the Pavilion G Series in a wide variety of colors.

Who are the HP Pavilion G Series Laptops For?

The HP Pavilion G series notebooks are designed for users who need basic computing power such as access to the web, office work, email and watching videos. Given the current processor options the base  HP Pavilion g4 and Pavilion G6 will be good for these basic tasks and the HP Pavilion G7 will be more powerful with the ability to handle light photo editing and video editing. These notebooks won’t be powering much gaming, but should meet the needs of most home office users and students who need an affordable and reliable laptop.

We expect to see the HP Pavilion G Series laptops on the shelves of retailers like Walmart and to b e the go-to laptop for Black Friday 2011 later this year.

HP Pavilion G Series Processor Options:

The HP Pavilion G series is a budget line of notebooks so don’t expect to see the latest processors, but they do have decent starting specs. The HP Pavilion G4 and G6 notebooks start with an Intel Pentium Dual Core processor and the HP Pavilion G7 will have a 1st generation Intel Core i3 processor.

HP Pavilion G Series Screen and Graphics Options:

The HP Pavilion G Family of laptops come in a variety of sizes, offering users a choice of portability or a large screen. All of these models use HP Brightview HD displays.

• HP Pavilion G4 – 14″ – 1366 x768 resolution
• HP Pavilion G6 – 15.6″ – 1366 x768 resolution
• HP Pavilion G7 – 17.3″ – 1600×900 resolution

HP hasn’t announced the graphics options for the Pavilion G laptops, but we expect the base models to use integrated Intel graphics, with the ability to upgrade to AMD or NVIDIA powered GPUs on select models.

HP Pavilion G Series Audio:

The Pavilion G4, G6, and G7 notebooks are equipped Altec Lansing speakers and SRS Premium Audio for a multimedia experience that should be a step up from the budget notebooks you find on many store shelves.

HP Pavilion G6 Hands On Video:

HP Pavilion G Series Connectivity:

The Pavilion G4, G6 and G7 laptops are able to connect to the Internet through the built in Ethernet port or with the included WiFi connections and allow you to video chat with the built in webcam.

HP Pavilion G Series Pricing and availability:

The HP Pavilion g4, g6 and g7 will be available on March 13 starting at $499.99, $449.99 and $599.99, respectively.

HP Pavilion G Series Gallery:

HP Pavilion G Series Announced: G4, G6 and G7 Notebooks Arrive (video) is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

HP announced a collection of upgrades to the Pavilion line of laptops today including a refresh of the popular HP Pavilion dv6 laptop. The Pavilion dv6 refresh takes styling cues from the HP ENVY line with a new dark umber metal finish and comes with many new features to enhance the user experience and multimedia experience.

HP Pavilion dv6 Processor and Graphics Options:

The HP Pavilion dv6 notebook comes with a 15.6″ display and can be configured with 2nd Generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors which will provide users with a much improved out of the box experience for multimedia and gaming. For users who want to play more demanding games, the dv6 can also be configured with AMD Radeon 6000M graphics options. The dv6 can be configured with up to 1TB of internal storage and features 2 USB 3.0 ports.

HP Pavilion dv6 Entertainment Features:

Additionally the Pavilion dv6 gains Beats Audio for a much enhanced audio experience that is designed with input from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine to deliver music in the way the artist wanted their music to be heard.  The HP dv6 also has built-in quad speakers to fill out your on-the-go entertaining.

The quad speaker solution features two speakers at the front of the laptop and two at near the hinge. The two near the hinge are aided by a slight elevation, to deliver a better audio experience.

HP Pavilion dv6 hands on video:

HP Pavilion dv6 Keyboard upgrades:

The dv6 also gains improvements to the keyboard with a new layout and coating additions to deliver a better user experience. The HP Pavilion dv6 now has a number pad built into the keyboard, a feature which was found on earlier models but absent for at least the last year.

The number pad is a feature favored by accountants and students who want an easy way to enter numbers without an external keyboard. Additionally the keys are finished with a HP duracoat coating that improves the life of the lettering by 50% over standard keys. This feature is brought over from the business lines at HP and if the coating remains the same, in addition to protecting, it also offers a nice feel.

HP Pavilion dv6 Cooling and Usability:

The Pavilion dv6 uses HP CoolSense technology to keep your notebook cooler during heavy use. By combining hardware and software the CoolSense tech can automatically adjust cooling to fit the user’s preferences. When we were able to get hands on with a CoolSense laptop at CES it was cooler than those around it, all of which had been running for some time at the demo booth.

A big part of this refresh is a continuance of the focus on the materials and usability of the laptop that was incorporated into the last update in May 2010. With a new look and emphasis on the user experience the Pavilion dv6 is a premium notebook with extra attention paid to how you will interact with laptop.

This is reflected in the movement of the LED indicator lights to the right side so that they don’t bother you while watching a movie and the way the hinge angle makes the dv6 easier to carry.

HP Pavilion dv6 Security Features:

From a security standpoint the HP dv6 includes HP SimplePass to keep your computer secure with the built in fingerprint reader and HP ProtectSmart to lock your hard drive in the event of a fall.

HP Pavilion dv6 Pricing and Availability:

The HP pavilion dv6 will be available in Spring 2011 with pricing to be determined.

HP Pavilion dv6 Gallery:

HP Pavilion dv6 Gains New Metal Finish, New Processors, Beats Audio and More (video) is a post by Josh Smith from Notebooks.com.

Today, HP announced the new HP Pavilion dm3. This 13.3-inch notebook features HP’s CoolSense Technology for better heat management and is available now.

The HP dm3 is a Intel Pentium-powered thin and light notebook that features HP’s black Imprint soft-touch finish, metal alloy chassis, and an etched aluminum bezel. It comes standard with 4GB of DDR3 RAM, a 320GB HDD, Intel HD Graphics, Bluetooth, and WiFi. It features a full-size island-style keyboard with one-touch action keys and an HP Clickpad with an On/Off button.

HP says that the dm3 is its coolest notebook to date. Aside from the complete redesign with changes in component and vent locations, the dm3 also includes HP CoolSense Technology which senses whether you have the notebook on a desk or in your lap. When in use away from a desk, HP claims that the notebook operates noticeably cooler. The user has ultimate control of the notebook’s cooling features using the HP Thermal Assistant app, which allows you to override the automatic cooling function.

The HP Pavilion dm3 weighs just 3.99 pounds and measures less than 1-inch thick. Unfortunately, due to the small form factor, it does not include a DVD drive. Its 6-cell battery offers up to 7 hours and 30 minutes of battery life. This is due in part to the low-voltage dual-core Intel Pentium processor and Intel HD Graphics. HP also added Dolby Advanced Audio with Altec Lansing speakers, which are also found on the HP Pavilion dm4. The HP Pavilion dm3 includes an HP TrueVision webcam with integrated digital microphone. Additionally, the dm3 features HP’s new Fences software, which keeps the desktop clean and clutter-free, and comes preloaded with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit. The HP Pavilion dm3 is currently available from HP Direct, starting at $549.99.

HP Pavilion dm3 Updated With CoolSense Cooling Technology is a post by Carter Sprunger from Notebooks.com.

I love my iPad. I’ve been using it for more than two months, and I take it almost everywhere. I use it for a ton of different things – everything from work to play to gathering quick bits of information. I use it to preach my sermons at church and to occasionally prepare them. I use my iPad to play games and write email messages. And occasionally I use my iPad to write articles. I love my iPad.

I love my notebook computer. I have a pretty humble HP DV5T-1235DX. It is not anything fancy and I’d be lucky if anyone paid me more than a couple hundred bucks for it on eBay if I wanted to sell it. But I’m not selling because I love it. The keyboard is nice and responsive. The display is a little low on the resolution side, but at least it is a decent 15+ inches. And it has a big huge battery that often gives me five hours of life despite the fact that it is more than 14 months old. I used to get about six hours. I love my notebook computer.

But, I hate my iPad and my notebook too!

Now before you think I’m suffering from split personality disorder or that one of my colleagues hijacked this post, it’s me and only me writing this and the previous paragraphs. I’m not a technological manic depressive either. I just suffer from a little cognitive dissonance. Yes, both my iPad and my notebook can find Google and Wikipedia.

I love my iPad and Notebook for the reasons above. But I also hate them at times. Case in point: I took off Father’s Day after finishing our morning worship time and went for a visit with my in-laws. We dropped off my son for a visit, stayed overnight and returned Monday. I decided to do something I haven’t done in years take an overnight trip without my notebook. I had my iPad, after all. But when I got to the in-laws, I remembered that I promised to post an article before the end of the day Sunday. Not wanting to go back on a promise, and really enjoying writing, I started to put it together on my iPad using BlogPress, an nice little app that lets you post to a blog, like this one, from any iOS device. It’s great for typing out the text part of the post. But formatting with pictures and video is not easy. I could just use the WordPress posting window and Safari, but Apple’s browser doesn’t handle WordPress’s editing window very well in WYSIWYG mode. You really need to work in the HTML mode. I prefer not to do that, not being an HTML guru. So the iPad is just not a really great tool for creating such content. In fact it’s not great for creating hardly any content. I hate my iPad.

I love my notebook, but it is not as light and mobile as my iPad. It’s great sitting on a table or desk. The beefy battery even raises the back of the computer to a comfortable typing angle. But if you are in the car or in bed it is just too big and heavy. Carrying it around is okay for a little while, but on occasion I have to haul it around for longer than just a short trip from the car to the coffee shop or my office. My bag gets heavy with the computer and all the other stuff, including my iPad and Apple keyboard.

As you can see, the iPad is great for what it was meant for web surfing and watching video. I like it for checking my email or getting quick directions. And reading books on it is a treat. But creating content is a pain. It is so good in so many ways that I want to use it for content creation, but even with my Bluetooth keyboard, the process is miserable. Multi-tasking may help when it finally comes to the iPad later this year. I think Apple made a big mistake in waiting on delaying iOS4 for the iPad.   iOS4 on my phone makes the iPad OS feel dated less than three months after I bought it.

The real problem I have in using the iPad for the work I’m doing is the weaknesses in Safari. Apple won’t allow another web browser to become the default so I don’t bother with them despite the fact that some of the alternative browsers are good. Until Safari is good for editing online, it will be frustrating to use for posting articles here on Notebooks.com. Others are having the same problem I am.

I love the iPad, but I really hate my iPad too. I really hate my notebook, but I love it too. The iPad is not going to kill the notebook computer anytime soon. And I’m actually quite okay with that since I love mine.

iPad Makes Me Both Love and Hate My Notebook is a post by Kevin Purcell from Notebooks.com.

With the new Windows 7 Operating System release date just several days away, now may be a good time to snag a low priced computer. In most cases, you’ll be eligible for a free upgrade to the new OS and will be able to save money by purchasing “older stock.” Combine this situation with a nice coupon or two and you can score some serious savings.

If you’re in the market for an HP Pavilion Notebook, you can save an extra $200 off your purchase, provided it’s priced at $1199 or more. HP’s Pavilion Notebook offers a diverse collection of computers; you’ll be able to find a slim notebook, a high-powered workstation, or a mini-notebook without any trouble. When you pick the one that’s perfect for you, add it to your cart and input coupon code NBSC314243 for 200 bucks off your total cost!

This coupon code is only active until it’s used 1900, so place your order quickly! You’ll maximize your savings and still get a free copy of Windows 7 (with most notebooks). If you’re a little nervous about the new operating system, check our detailed tour of Windows 7!

Serious Savings on HP Pavilion Notebook PCs is a post by Bogdan Semida from Notebooks.com.

The HP Pavilion dv2z is a relatively low-cost 12″ device that comes with a dedicated graphics card. The base configuration of the dv2z comes with a single-core AMD Neo processor and ATI Radeon x1250 graphics with 64MB of memory, but the review unit HP sent over is highly configured with a dual-core AMD Turion 1.6GHz processor, ATI Radeon HD3410 graphics with 512MB of memory and 4GB of RAM.

The Pavilion dv2z I’m reviewing came with an external Blu-ray disc drive, which is a $130 option on build-to-order systems. Watching Blu-ray movies on a 12″ display is less than ideal, but fortunately the dv2z has an HDMI port.

The dual-core processor really livens up the Pavilion dv2z compared to the single-core versions. Multi-tasking becomes a reality and high-def content plays smoother.

In this video I demonstrate how the dv2z can play a Blu-ray disc movie smoothly on my 46″ HDTV while I stream the Daily Show via Hulu.com.

Of course I wouldn’t normally watch two videos at once, but this demonstrates the advantages of having a GPU. The processor utilization bounced between 18% to 38% with just The Dark Night playing on the HDTV, leaving plenty of horsepower for web surfing, running office apps and even watching a second movie full screen.

HP Pavilion dv2z Playing Blu-ray + Streaming Hulu Content is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.

HP’s unveiled the Pavilion dv3t, a 13″ notebook that starts at $799 before any discounts or incentives. The dv3t is built for mainstream consumers and can be customized to fit the needs of most students and home users. It can be configured with NVIDIA graphics, up to 8GB of RAM and a Blu-ray Disc drive.

The dv3t weighs in at just under five pounds and measures 1.25″ thick. It’s not the thinnest or lightest 13″ notebook HP sells, but users get a lot for their money.

The Pavilion dv3t is one of three 13″ notebooks that HP currently offers. The 13″ dv3z runs on AMD processors and has a magnesium lid, which makes it much thinner. The dv3500t 13″ comes in a bronze finish and is sold exclusively through Best Buy.

The base $799 dv3t comes with a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 250GB hard drive, DVD burner, and Intel GMA 4500MHD graphics. It runs on Windows Vista Home Premium and Microsoft Works 9.0 is pre-installed. A webcam is included on all models. The standard dv3t has a black plastic shell, with white and gray imprint design.

For $25 more, buyers can opt for the Moonlight White finish, which has a different pattern on the lid and palm rest.

HP offers a full range of Intel Core 2 Duo processors, all the way up to the T9550, 2.66GHz. If you want a faster processor I recommend skipping over the 2.2GHz T6600 and straight to the P-series processor.

HP’s currently offering a free upgrade to 3GB of memory, which is all most people need. If you opt for a 64-bit version of Windows Vista you can upgrade to 4GB of RAM. The 8GB upgrade is $450, an complete overkill for most users. The Pavilion dv3t is also available with a free upgrade to a 320GB hard drive. A 500GB hard drive is available for $50.

The Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD is preferable for users that want longer battery life. For those that plan on using the dv3t for enjoying a lot of multimedia content or video games I recommend the NVIDIA GeForce G105M GPU, which is a $150 option.

There are two Blu-ray drives options. The more affordable Blu-ray drive plays Blu-ray Discs, DVDs and CDs. The slightly more expensive Lightscribe Blu-ray drive handles the discs in the same way, but can also etch text or graphics onto specially-coated discs.

A fingerprint reader is available for $25. It can be used to easily login to your computer, applications and secure Web sites.

Bluetooth and Wireless-N are two other options I highly recommend. Wireless-N (802.11n) WiFi offers superior range and transfer speeds compared to Wireless-G (802.11g). Each is a $25 upgrade. The Pavilion dv3t can be ordered with a mobile broadband modem that works with Verizon’s and AT&T’s network. The subscriptions are pricey and I recommend getting an external modem from the carrier of your choice so you can use it on multiple devices.

The Pavilion dv3t has a full compliment of ports and plugs, including a 34mm ExpressCard slot, memory card slot, HDMI, VGA and three USB ports, one of which doubles as an eSATA port.

One thing missing from the HP dv3t is an illuminated keyboard. Both the HP Pavilion dv3500t series and dv3z can be ordered with backlit keyboards, which make them easier to use in the dark.

A high capacity six-cell battery has 16% more energy than the standard six-cell battery. An optional nine-cell battery is a $39 upgrade and is rated to last for up to seven hours. Real-world battery life will be less than seven hours and the nine-cell battery does add considerable bulk to the dv3t.

As of today, HP isn’t offering any rebates on the dv3t, but you can use HP Coupons to save hundreds of dollars off a well-configured dv3t.  Check our deals page for current HP offers.

HP Pavilion dv3t Notebook: Pricing, Specs and Details is a post by Xavier Lanier from Notebooks.com.