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HP Pavilion dv2 Series

The HP Pavillion dv2 Series is an entertainment laptop from HP's 2009 lineup.  The laptop features a 1.6GHz AMD Athlon Neo processor and can be customized to include up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM and an up to 500GB hard drive.  It is designed ultra-thin and lightweight at less than 1" thick and only 3.8 lbs and has a 12.1" LED BrightView WXGA display and a nearly full-sized keyboard.  The dv2 Series is loaded with entertainment features including a dedicated ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 graphics card, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, a 5:1 memory card reader, and an HDMI port for connection to an HDTV.  The laptop is Energy Star qualified and is available in an Expresso or Moonlight finish.  It is expected to be released in April 2009.

Where to Buy

HP Pavilion dv2 Series
MSRP $700.00
Release date April, 2009
Brand HP
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Pros & Cons13
Reviews3
Details
Buy It
Competitors6
Comments2
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
3 reviews
62
negative
mixed
positive
2 positive
1 mixed
0 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
1280 x 800px resolution on a 12.1" monitor
+3agreedisagree

•
HDMI output
+3agreedisagree

•
high end model includes dedicated graphics card (ATI Radeon HD 3410 with 256MB of dedicated VRAM)
+3agreedisagree

•
LED backlit
+2agreedisagree

•
can playback 720p high definition and output full 1080p (high end model only)
+2agreedisagree

•
lighter than the majority of full sized notebooks (3.8 pounds)
+1agreedisagree

•
optional external optical drive
+1agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
the weight and cost of a low end notebook
+2agreedisagree

•
poor performance compared to similarly priced devices
+2agreedisagree

•
glossy finish
+2agreedisagree

•
single core 1.6GHz Neo MV-40 processor
+1agreedisagree

•
not competitive with netbooks, ultraportables or mainstream 13.3" notebooks
+1agreedisagree

•
no internal optical drive
+1agreedisagree


3 people added to this review by submitting or voting on pros and cons. Add your say!
See individual votes »

Details

Features/Specs

  • 12.1" LED BrightView WXGA display
  • 1280 x 800 pixel resolution
  • 1.6Ghz AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor
  • Up to 4GB RAM DDR2 SDRAM, 533MHz
  • ATI Mobility Radeon HD3410 dedicated graphics card
  • Up to 500GB HDD
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • External LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD±RW
  • 802.11b/g WLAN
  • Optional Gobi WWAN module
  • HDMI port
  • 5:1 memory card reader
  • Windows Vista Basic or Home Premium Included
  • Less than 1" thick
  • Weight: 3.8 lbs
  • Energy Star qualified
  • Nearly full-sized keyboard
  • Available in Expresso or Moonlight finish
  • 1 year limited warranty

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This report was started January 28, 2009 at 5:35 pm by ralli
with the last edit occurring September 30, 2009 at 1:04 am by Yale
This page has been viewed 1235 times, with 41 edits by 4 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Competitors

HP Pavilion dv2 Series is ranked 3rd among it's competitors.  See the top picks in Laptops »
Apple Macbook (2008)

Apple Macbook (2008)

MSRP  $1,299.00    Released  October, 2008
Pros
  • full aluminum body, LED backlighting, NVIDIA graphics
  • runs OSX and Windows and Linux and...
  • half a pound lighter than any previous MacBook
Cons
  • costs more than the previous MacBooks
  • student discount has been reduced from $100 to $50
  • no HDMI or Blu-ray options
ProSCORE
21 reviews
64
Vote! (2 votes)
vote HP Pavilion dv2 Series 0% vs. vote Apple Macbook (2008) 100%
Asus Eee PC 1000HE

Asus Eee PC 1000HE

MSRP  $399.00    Released  February, 2009
Pros
  • affordable price
  • improved keyboard with proper key locations
  • includes wireless N and Bluetooth standard
Cons
  • older 945GSE chipset - better battery life, but no 720p
  • standard disk drive creates more noise, heat, draws more power and is more prone to physical damage than solid state alternatives
  • for jealousy reasons your friends will want to snatch it from you
ProSCORE
10 reviews
71
Vote! (2 votes)
vote HP Pavilion dv2 Series 0% vs. vote Asus Eee PC 1000HE 100%
MSi X-Slim X410

MSi X-Slim X410

MSRP  $735.00    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • lightweight and compact - weighs around 3.3 pounds, 1" thick
  • optional external DVD / Bluray drives
  • 720p capable display resolution
Cons
  • slower AMD Neo single core processor, DDR2 667MHz RAM, and older onboard ATI graphics
  • high price compared to comparable ultra-portables
  • no discrete graphics option
ProSCORE
2 reviews
47
Vote! (0 votes)
vote HP Pavilion dv2 Series   vs. vote MSi X-Slim X410  
Asus UL30A

Asus UL30A

MSRP  $699.99    Released  August, 2009
Pros
  • lightweight - 3.74 pounds
  • great battery life for all day computing (up to 12-hours claimed)
  • affordable compared to previous generation ultra-portables
Cons
  • Intel GMA 4500MHD - superior to the common netbook chip, however still poor compared to other onboard and discrete options from Nvidia and ATI
  • ULV Intel Core 2 Solo is designed for power savings, single core and lower clockspeed will mean slower operation for intensive tasks - not suited as a dedicated desktop replacement device
  • no optical drive
ProSCORE
2 reviews
80
Vote! (0 votes)
vote HP Pavilion dv2 Series   vs. vote Asus UL30A  
Dell Inspiron 14z

Dell Inspiron 14z

MSRP  $650.00    Released  September, 2009
Pros
  • lightweight for a 14" notebook (4.4 pounds)
  • dual core processor
  • HDMI output
  • affordable price
Cons
  • Dell build quality can't match the that of laptops from higher end manufacturers such as Apple or Lenovo
  • Intel GMA graphics only - extremely limited, best for 2D applications and media only
ProSCORE
1 review
80
Vote! (0 votes)
vote HP Pavilion dv2 Series   vs. vote Dell Inspiron 14z  
Sony VAIO CS Series

Sony VAIO CS Series

MSRP  $749.99    Released  June, 2009
Pros
  • powerful components - speed Core 2 Duo, lots of memory, drive space
  • quality touchpad and keyboard
  • great build quality
Cons
  • a lot of pre-installed bloatware
  • standard battery life
  • Intel graphics - worst of the worst when it comes to gaming, 3D rendering, media...
ProSCORE
2 reviews
56
Vote! (0 votes)
vote HP Pavilion dv2 Series   vs. vote Sony VAIO CS Series  

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Comments

1.  avatar Yale said:

The DV2 presents an interesting option somewhere between netbook and full sized laptop. Not quite sure if it just suffers from an identity crisis or if it truly presents a viable middle ground people would actually want. A larger keyboard, higher resolution screen, and a dedicated graphics card for full 1080p playback and light gaming .... at the expense of a full $800 laptop price tag, weight and size (a hefty 3.8 pounds, ouch), poor battery life (probably 3-4 hours at best?) and an under performing single core CPU.

I'll pass on this HP, to me the cons outweigh the pros, but I'm interested in what (if anything) will come of the Neo platform and other middle-of-the-road options from the likes of Nvidia,VIA and maybe Intel...

Apr 01, 2009 3:32pm
2.  avatar Omar said:

Ya, I agree that this offering by HP is a bit of a Frankenstein middle-of-the-road approach. But I feel it's also the beginning of the true convergence in the laptop world.

12" is about the smallest you can get while still providing a full laptop experience from a usability/keyboard perspective. And 12" is also extremely portable, vastly more-so than the 15" behemoths, and only slightly less portable than the smaller 10" netbooks. The problem with this particular machine is the underpowered CPU which makes it poor from a gaming/performance standpoint.

I think the 12" category will be the one that wins it. They just need to be more powerful, cheaper, and thinner than this HP dv2.

2-pounds, low-wattage dual-core CPU capable of Half-Life 2 at 30FPS, 5 hours of battery life for around $500 is the perfect sweet spot for me.

For now, it's just not there yet.
Apr 02, 2009 2:47pm
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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

Yale

avatar
April 29, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
54
negative
mixed
positive
7 pros
6 cons
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • 1280 x 800px resolution on a 12.1" monitor
  • HDMI output
  • high end model includes dedicated graphics card (ATI Radeon HD 3410 with 256MB of dedicated VRAM)
  • LED backlit
  • can playback 720p high definition and output full 1080p (high end model only)
  • lighter than the majority of full sized notebooks (3.8 pounds)
  • optional external optical drive

Cons

  • the weight and cost of a low end notebook
  • poor performance compared to similarly priced devices
  • glossy finish
  • single core 1.6GHz Neo MV-40 processor
  • not competitive with netbooks, ultraportables or mainstream 13.3" notebooks
  • no internal optical drive

Comments

"

The DV2 presents an interesting option somewhere between netbook and full sized laptop. Not quite sure if it just suffers from an identity crisis or if it truly presents a viable middle ground people would actually want. A larger keyboard, higher resolution screen, and a dedicated graphics card for full 1080p playback and light gaming .... at the expense of a full $800 laptop price tag, weight and size (a hefty 3.8 pounds, ouch), poor battery life (probably 3-4 hours at best?) and an under performing single core CPU.

I'll pass on this HP, to me the cons outweigh the pros, but I'm interested in what (if anything) will come of the Neo platform and other middle-of-the-road options from the likes of Nvidia,VIA and maybe Intel...

"

Competitors

Yale prefers Asus Eee PC 1000HE, Apple Macbook (2008) over HP Pavilion dv2 Series
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Omar

avatar
April 2, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
71
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
2 cons
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • 1280 x 800px resolution on a 12.1" monitor
  • HDMI output
  • high end model includes dedicated graphics card (ATI Radeon HD 3410 with 256MB of dedicated VRAM)
  • LED backlit
  • can playback 720p high definition and output full 1080p (high end model only)

Cons

  • the weight and cost of a low end notebook
  • poor performance compared to similarly priced devices

Comments

"Ya, I agree that this offering by HP is a bit of a Frankenstein middle-of-the-road approach. But I feel it's also the beginning of the true convergence in the laptop world.

12" is about the smallest you can get while still providing a full laptop experience from a usability/keyboard perspective. And 12" is also extremely portable, vastly more-so than the 15" behemoths, and only slightly less portable than the smaller 10" netbooks. The problem with this particular machine is the underpowered CPU which makes it poor from a gaming/performance standpoint.

I think the 12" category will be the one that wins it. They just need to be more powerful, cheaper, and thinner than this HP dv2.

2-pounds, low-wattage dual-core CPU capable of Half-Life 2 at 30FPS, 5 hours of battery life for around $500 is the perfect sweet spot for me.

For now, it's just not there yet."

Competitors

Omar prefers Apple Macbook (2008), Asus Eee PC 1000HE over HP Pavilion dv2 Series
Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

kslkguard

avatar
August 8, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
75
negative
mixed
positive
3 pros
1 con

Pros

  • 1280 x 800px resolution on a 12.1" monitor
  • HDMI output
  • high end model includes dedicated graphics card (ATI Radeon HD 3410 with 256MB of dedicated VRAM)

Cons

  • glossy finish

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

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This product is also known as:

dv, 2, dv2