Friday, October 30, 2009 | 
 | HP Pavilion DV7-1240US 17.0-Inch Laptop Brand : Hewlett-Packard Model : DV7-1240US Overall Rating :  From : 63 Reviews Color : / Size : |
- 2.1 GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-72 dual-core processor
- 4 GB RAM (8 GB max)
- 320 GB hard drive, LightScribe dual-layer DVD Drive
- Windows Vista Home Premium with SP1 (64-bit version)
- Widescreen 17-inch LCD display, ATI Radeon HD 3200 Graphics (up to 1918 MB total)
It offers dual-core productivity from its 2.1 GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-72 processor. HP's ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection locks your 320 GB hard drive into place when it senses abrupt motion to help prevent data loss. The built-in eSATA/USB combo port enables fast backup to an external hard drive. Other features include 4 GB of installed RAM (8 GB maximum), ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics with up to 1918 MB of available memory, dual-layer Lightscribe DVD±RW drive (which also burns CDs), ExpressCard 54 slot, quad-mode Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n), and 5-in-1 memory card reader.
High Style
Expanding on the sophisticated elegance of HP's notebook design from the past few years, the new DV series is defined by fluid, modern lines and metalized finishes. The HP Intersect Imprint finish in bronze and chrome encases all surfaces visible during normal use for greater durability. And the Intersect Imprint features an argyle-like pattern for subtle contrast to the liquid appearance of the metallic finish. The streamlined look is enhanced with a color-matched keyboard and touchpad. And touch media controls light up and become visible only when the system is powered on further enhancing the clean appearance.
The Basics
- Processor: The 2.1 GHz AMD Turion X2 RM-72 processor offers a dual-core architecture, which delivers additional computing resources to help expand your PC's capabilities by providing higher throughput and simultaneous computing--increasing your performance by up to 80 percent. You'll be able to perform multiple tasks such as digital rendering and gaming all while running virus scan or other background tasks seamlessly thanks to the innovative Direct Connect Architecture. And it's designed to handle simultaneous 32- and 64-bit computing with no degradation in performance. You'll enjoy long battery life thanks to the AMD PowerNow! power management technology, which delivers performance on demand and can extend system battery life up to 65 percent. And the AMD Digital Media XPress technology delivers stellar multimedia performance and playback on digital entertainment such as games, streaming video and audio, DVDs, and music.
It has a 1 MB L2 cache, and this processor can deliver up to 4.0 GT/sec. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)
- Hard Drive: The large 320 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0.
You'll enjoy enhanced hard drive protection with HP's Protectsmart, which includes a 3D accelerometer that safeguards your data by parking your hard drive if your notebook detects any range of motion, such as being knocked off your desk, falling or taking abuse.
- Memory: The 4 GB of installed RAM helps boost the amount of available video RAM that's shared with this notebook's video card. This notebook has an amazing 8 GB maximum RAM capacity (4 x 2 GB). To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of same capacity and clockspeed.
- DVD/CD Drive: This multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with writing both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer (DL) DVD+/-R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. It features 4x DVD-R DL Write Once, 2.4x DVD+R DL Write Once, 8x DVD+R, 4x DVD+RW, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD-RW, 16x DVD-ROM, 40x CD-R, 24x CD-RW, and 40x CD-ROM speeds.
This LightScribe DVD±RW drive lets you laser-etch silkscreen quality text and images on to CDs and DVDs . Your software, PC and discs work together for a no-hassle way to burn just the labels you want. After you burn content, just flip the disc over, reinsert and burn your label--anything from a simple title to a full-disc work of art.
- Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard (with integrated numeric keypad) and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad. It also includes two quick-launch buttons (HP QuickPlay Music and DVD).
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You'll enjoy razor-sharp graphics and widescreen movies with the 17-inch WXGA high-definition screen, which has a widescreen resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels--perfect for watching DVD movies the way they were meant to be seen. Video is powered by the ATI Radeon HD 3200 with RS780M chipset, which features 64 MB of DDR2 sideport memory and up to 1918 MB total graphics memory (as allocated by the operating system). The AMD 780 Chipset series lets you connect to a wide range of the latest HD panels by supporting numerous display technologies. Take advantage of ATI SurroundView to support up to four monitors. It also offers support for Microsoft DirectX 10, providing compatibility with today's most advanced and graphic-intensive games and applications.
The Altec Lansing speakers provide exceptional sound, and it also includes SRS Premium Sound. You'll be able to privately share enjoyment of multimedia with a friend via the dual headphone jacks.
Networking, Connectivity & Expansion
Be ready for the next platform in wireless connectivity with the integrated quad-mode Wi-Fi chip. Based on the draft 802.11n Wi-Fi specification, it offers up to five times the performance and twice the wireless range as existing 802.11g wireless. It's also backward compatible with 802.11b/g networks (commonly found in home routers and Wi-Fi hotspots) as well as 802.11a networks (which has a higher throughput, but more limited range--great for closed office environments).
It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 34 card slot (replacing the PCMCIA slot), which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. It comes with the following external connectors:
- 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players (with 1 eSATA + USB 2.0 combo port)
- 1 HDMI output (for connecting to a compatible HDTV or home theater receiver for uncompressed digital audio and video via a single cable)
- Analog video output: 1 VGA
- 1 ExpressCard/54 slot (also supports ExpressCard/34)
- 2 headphone jacks
- 1 microphone jack
- 1 Expansion Port 3 connector (for use with the HP xb3000 Expansion Base or the HP Notebook QuickDock)
- 1 IR receiver
- 5-in-1 memory card reader (Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD Picture Card)
- 10/100 Fast Ethernet networking
- 56K modem (V.90)
Operating System
The 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium (with SP1) is the operating system for users with advanced computer needs, and it includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center for watching DVD movies and accessing your digital audio library. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. It is also easier than ever to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect via Wi-Fi.
Every edition of Windows Vista provides the essential tools and technologies to help protect you whether you are browsing the Internet, connecting to a wireless network, or just reading e-mail. All editions of Windows Vista include new tools that can warn you of impending hardware failures long before you have lost any important personal data. And, all Windows Vista editions include parental control features that allow you to manage and monitor your family's use of games, the Internet, instant messaging, and other activities.
Preloaded Software
- HP MediaSmart Software Suite: Your one-stop multimedia and entertainment center to create photo slideshows, share personal videos, listen to your favorite music playlists and watch DVD movies.
- muvee autoProducer Basic: Automatically create professional looking home videos and burn to DVD.
- Cyberlink DVD Suite Deluxe: Automatically fix and edit videos and create CDs and DVDs. Edit, burn and archive data to discs.
- Microsoft Works 9: Includes a word processor, spreadsheet, database and calendar.
- Microsoft Office Home and Student Edition 2007 (60-day trial version).
- Adobe Reader 8: Read and print PDF files.
- Norton Internet Security 2009 protects your PC and your identity when you email, bank and shop online; 60 days of protection updates included.
Dimensions & Weight
This notebook PC measures 15.6 x 11.22 x 1.31 inches and weighs 7.64 pounds.
Power
It's powered by an 8-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 2 hours (depending on usage).
What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Pavilion dv7-1240us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, IR remote control, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase as well as technical telephone assistance for one year. Software is also covered for 30 days from date of purchase.
Reduce your impact on the environment with this Energy Star-certified system and HP's innovative take-back options, including trade-in, recycling and donation.
Rajiv Shah ( USA ) Apart from this graphics card thing..i think its an awesome laptop. totally worth the money. Bluray's work well, HD display is amazing, no problems whatsoever with the speed of applications. i dont knw why people complaint about the keyboard. works well for me! its only a problem at night with the lights off.
Karen ( California, USA ) Southern ( Louisiana ) I was jealous that it came with bluray as I have a Toshiba Qosmio and bluray has yet to be included with that model. Oh well. She definitely has an advantage with this model. I'm an IT and I was already a fan of HP so to see her smile and be excited was enough for me to be pleased with another product that they released. Definitely a great bargain.
For those parents looking for something for their college kids and still give the great power and performance then this would definitely be a great investment. Primarily because its a name you can trust.
17" screen
plenty of memory
great processor
bluray
Just buy it!
M. Whitley ( California ) Before I get into those, let me say that I took very good care of the laptop - using it only at home - not taking it anywhere or abusing it in any way. (Due to severe space constraints, I choose to use a laptop rather than a desktop computer.) Since I use an added wireless keyboard, I do not have an issue with the laptop's keyboard as expressed in other comments.
Without going into long, tedious details, the main problems consisted of the DVD player failing. I contacted HP tech support, which I personally think is very good - I got e-mail replies within a couple of hours and they continued to try to work with me. Bottom line, I never did get the DVD player to work, which in many ways makes the computer useless as you cannot play your movies or music on disk and you cannot download the software programs that come with new hardware items such as printers, etc.
The other major thing that started to happen was the computer just began shutting down for no apparent reason. I contacted HP tech support and tried many interventions without fixing the problem. The most recent thing (disaster!) which happened was all of a sudden I got a blue screen with the dreaded message: "Fatal System Failure." I have no formal training with computers; however, I have used them for years and have sort of learned along the way. So, I tried everything that I could think of and finally got the laptop to boot up. Everything looked okay, except as I checked things out further, I discovered that I had lost all of my files! I was so grateful that just 3 weeks before I had subscribed to a back-up service which daily scans and stores the contents of your computer, so I was able to successfully restore everything. (By the way, I highly recommend getting a reputable back-up service. It can prevent disaster!)
So, now everything is restored (at least for the moment) and I haven't had a shut-down in a while, but the DVD unit still does not work. Plus, I have "lost faith" in the computer. With the kind of work that I do, which includes being a webmaster, I MUST have a reliable machine that I can trust.
Rather than return the computer and go thru whatever delays that may entail, I have decided to try a different brand. I had poor luck with my last HP Pavilion, so I am ready for a brand change. The other computer also had problems with the DVD unit. In my opinion, HP does not produce the high-quality computers that they used to a while back.
My very first computer many years ago was an Acer, which I had good luck with, so I have decided to go back and give that brand a re-try. I will return this HP unit for whatever repair or replacement HP may give, but I will not use it as my primary computer.
I hope this review has been useful. I think many times a review is done before the "honeymoon" for a given product is over and in my opinion many of those early reviews are skewed towards the positive. Since I have had this computer for over 6 months, I do think this review might be a bit more accurate than those done after just a few weeks or less of product use. Wishing you the best of luck with your computer search!
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