he HP Pavilion dv5 is a member of the company's
new Pavilion lineup, introduced in June. The ID of the product doesn't
differ very much from previous models; aside from a now standard HDMI
port, the biggest change to the new Pavilions are their simplified model
names, which a hardware reviewer probably appreciates more than the
average consumer. The Pavilion dv5 is a 15-inch model, and it features
the typically polished Pavilion fit and finish. This model is available
at Best Buy (you'll likely find similar units at other big box
electronics outlets). It comes draped in a glossy, black lid with a
subtle crosshatch pattern, with a silver keyboard and keyboard tray
decked out in chrome edging, and backlit touch-sensitive media controls.
We're not fans of this AMD-based model at its $849 list
price--Intel-based models at this price perform better--but Best Buy is
currently offering a sizable $250 discount that brings the price down to
a very reasonable $599. Its performance suddenly becomes competitive at
this price point. Its battery life, however, does not.
The
Pavilion dv5 is a solid machine. It feels very well built; the lid and
wrist rest possess little of the flex found on other low-price laptops.
The laptop's single, long hinge keeps the display firmly rooted in
place. Weighing at 6.4 pounds, the Pavilion dv5 is a bit on the portly
side for a 15-inch, mainstream laptop; by comparison, the Dell Inspiron
1525 weighs 6.1 and the Sony VAIO NR430 weighs 6.2 pounds. A 14-inch
model, like the Gateway T-6836 or the Sony VAIO CR510, which each weigh
closer to 5 pounds, might make a better bet for daily campus travel.
Should you be willing to lug the Pavilion dv5 around, you'll find a rich
feature set at your disposal.
The standout feature of the
Pavilion dv5 is its strip of lighted, touch-sensitive media controls
above the keyboard. In addition to the standard media transport buttons,
there is a volume slider, a mute button, a Wi-Fi on/off switch, and a
QuickPlay button. The buttons glow a pleasing white, and the mute and
Wi-Fi buttons turn orange when you cut the volume or Wi-Fi signal.
Though attractive and modern-looking, we still prefer a volume dial, as
found on the Toshiba Satellite L305, because on more than one occasion
the touch-sensitive volume control failed to respond to our touch.
Perhaps
it's the humidity, but I don't enjoy the glossy finish on the touch
pad. Sure, it improves the overall design of the laptop, lending it yet
another chrome accent, but most laptop touch pads feature matte finish
material, which allows your finger to move across the surface with
little friction. The glossy finish here feels "grabby," a sentiment my
wife also shares (I asked her to use it to remove the possibility of me
having sweaty palms or fingertips). In the plus column for the touch pad
are the wide and quiet mouse buttons below it, the vertical scroll area
along its right edge, and a tiny on/off button above it.
The
keyboard is roomy, but similar to the touch pad, the keys feature a
glossy finish that aid the overall look but detract from actually
typing. To these fingertips (and those of my wife), the keys felt a bit
too slick (though they do feature good travel and are very quiet, as
opposed to clacky). Still, this reviewer's favorite keyboard among
15-inch laptops remains that found on the Sony VAIO NR430 and NR498
models. Prior to purchase, take a few minutes in the laptop aisle of
your local electronics retailer to get a sense for the keyboard and
touch pad of any laptop you're considering.
The 15.4-inch
wide-screen display on the HP Pavilion dv5 has a 1,280x800p native
resolution--standard for a screen this size. The screen's glossy finish
produces rich colors and contrast; we found it minimally distracting
while surfing the Web and typing e-mail, but quite enjoyable for
watching movies. A 1.3-megapixel Webcam above the display lets users
conduct video chats. The Altec Lansing stereo speakers won't fill a
room, but we did find that they produced less muddied sound at higher
volumes compared with other laptops in this price range. They'll suffice
for movie dialogue and effects, but you'll want to use the headphone
jacks (there are two) for music.
An HDMI port lets you easily
export audio and video to an HDTV (which we doubt is found in many dorm
rooms or off-campus apartments), and an eSATA port allows for fast
throughput to an external hard drive. Features absent in the Pavilion
dv5 that you'll find on many mainstream laptops currently include a
FireWire port, Bluetooth, and Draft N Wi-Fi.
RSS