Review Of HP DV6000T Laptop

The HP Pavilion dv6000t is a full-featured multimedia notebook with a highly appealing look. Like all notebook computers, it is an exercise in compromise. What sets it apart from other machines, however, and goes a long way to explaining its popularity, is its impressive blend of looks, performance, comfort and price. At current prices, the dv6000t offers a fine mix of components and performance in the $800 to $1200 range. On top of that, it looks good and provides an exceedingly comfortable computing experience. I know that I, for one, would not have used it nearly as much as I did if it hadn’t given me excellent performance and first-rate comfort during our two weeks together. As I said at the outset, I really did look for something wrong with the dv6000t, but in the end I came up with only three “cons.” Of these, one, the screen resolution, is really a matter of personal preference and won’t make any difference unless a high-resolution LCD is desired; another, the issue of fingerprints, is rather trivial and may actually inspire the owner to keep the notebook nice and clean; and the third problem may be the rather short battery life.

The HP Pavilion dv6000 has a nice sized screen (15.4 inches, with a wide screen display) it has a screen resolution of 1,280×800 pixels and provides plenty of room for all of your display needs. The screen has a glossy finish which I didn’t really like but it has a crystal clear look and really makes colors vibrant. The glossy finish can cause a glare if there is sunlight coming through a window or you are working outside, this is annoying but you can always buy the dv6000 without the glossy finish if you want. Another cool feature of the dv6000 is the 1.3 mega-pixel webcam that is built into the screen; this can be used for fun or in video conferencing. The webcam combined with two built-in microphones make it a perfect way to chat with friends or have video phone calls.

When it came to performance, the dv6000 proves to be nearly as slick as it looks. In WorldBench 6, it received an overall score of 81, which is certainly nothing to sniff at; even in this unseasonably chilly weather. It should confidentially get by in all but the most graphically intensive situations, whereas everyday use, such as Internet use and business applications, will be an absolute breeze.

In 3DMark06, which assesses a notebook's gaming capabilities, the dv6000 scored a slightly underwhelming 1324. While this isn't an awful score for an all-purpose notebook, the latest DirectX 10 behemoths -- such as Crysis and Unreal Tournament 3 -- are unlikely to be playable. If its score of 11,621 in 3DMark 2001 is anything to go by, older games should run like silk however.

Above the roomy, responsive keyboard is a row of touch-sensitive buttons that control not only the PC's Media Center features when the PC is on, but also HP's QuickPlay 3.0 software, which lets you view photos and play movies or music without booting up.

I occasionally noticed the fan running somewhat aggressively, though the dv6000t never seemed all that noisy. As for heat, the left side of the machine, both top and bottom, got warm compared to the right side, but never to the point of being uncomfortable, even during protracted usage in my lap. All in all, the dv6000t performed exceedingly well under various conditions and never generated what I considered excessive heat or noise.

After regular use, the 6-cell battery gave out at just short of two hours, with wireless on and the LCD at maximum brightness. Not great, by any means, but more time could certainly be obtained by taking a couple of minor power-saving measures, and a 12-cell battery, which slightly elevates the back of the notebook, is available.