Alright, so by now you guys probably get the hint that we are HP freaks lovers and we just so happen to have a little thing going on with the HP fairies. As part of an extensive blogger review program, HP sent us the Moonlight White HP DV2. In this long term review program, we will be offering our honest feedback to you, our readers, and the HP tech team from the perspective of a mom and dad. We do not claim to be tech experts, but being parents doesn’t make us any less of tech enthusiasts.
(Note: Greg’s comments will be in black and Sheena’s comments will be in magenta.)
I really like the sleekness and shininess of the DV2, which is a huge step up from my previous laptop which was bulky and looked and felt like cheap plastic. The DV2 features pinstriping design on the palmrests and is outlined with a chrome trim (the touchpad is also in chrome) which gives it a sleek, modern look. The DV2 has a glossy finish which unfortunately leaves all traces of fingerprints. There are currently traces of small handprints all over the screen and frame. I wonder who they belong to!
I also love the DV2′s keyboard. They keys are nice and flat, and feel comfortable against my fingertips. The keys also have quiet clicks, which is a big deal for those who have experienced typing on loud, clunky keyboards. The keys are 92% of standard size and I have no problem typing even though I have big hands.
The DV2 is less than 1″ thick and weighs less than 4 lbs., which makes it easy to travel with. Like the HP Mini, the DV2 slips right in to a purse. It is about 2lbs. heavier and 2″ larger in width than the Mini. So it is also a perfect machine to have around at those omg.i.must.blog/tweet moments!
The DV2 has a HD LED widescreen which is very pleasing on the eyes. This, along with the external Blu-ray DVD drive that comes with the DV2, is a big plus for me since I’m a big movie watcher. I can’t wait to see the quality of the movies on the DV2.
The DV2 comes with SRS Premium Sound, but since the speakers are located on the bottom of the laptop, my crotch will be enjoying more of the premium sound than my ears will. The sound isn’t all that bad though, actually it’s pretty good compared to my past laptops. But, I just think that it would be even better if the speakers were located on top of the keyboard frame rather than the bottom of the laptop.
There is a built in webcam and microphone. I look forward to using it to chat on Skype and HP Gabble. So far, I’ve done a sound and video test with Skype and it works perfect.
The DV2 has a huge 320GB hard drive, which I didn’t even know was possible for laptops since I’m used to hard drive space amounts in the double digits from my previous laptops. We have loads of videos of Jayden that we’d never upload to our previous laptops because of the amount of space they would take up. But, that’s a thing of the past with the DV2!
The DV2 has 4GB of RAM… all I can say is wow! That’s twice as much as we have on our desktop computer. Although I doubt we’ll ever even exceed 3GB on the DV2, it’s good to know it can handle Firefox, Vista, some occasional gaming, and the multiple applications we usually have open all at once.
There is also a built in 5-n-1 media card reader which is compatible with SD, MS Pro Duo, MMC, and XD cards. I use a collection of digital cameras, all of which take different memory cards. It’s so convenient to be able to pop in a memory card versus having to connect via USB cord. I do however, have to connect to my Canon Rebel via USB since the 5-n-1 media card reader doesn’t support CF cards. It’s not that big of a deal because I know that the memory cards supported are not in the same “family” as CF cards. On SD, MS Pro Duo, MMC, and XD cards, the metal contacts are exposed on the backside of the card and the contacts on the CF card are internal.
Another feature that I like about the DV2 is that it automatically locks to guard against internal damage when dropped. This definitely comes in handy when there’s a wild soon-to-be-toddler running around the house! You never know!
The DV2′s battery life is said to be between 3 and 4 hours, depending on the settings, which isn’t too bad. I frequently use laptops without the AC adapter plugged in, so I like to know that I can comfortably work on the DV2 while unplugged without worrying about it shutting off on me an hour later.
The DV2 comes equipped with Windows Vista Home Premium. We also received Microsoft Office 2007 as an added bonus. I’m a frequent Word and Excel user, and I just love the interface of Office 2007. It’s a big step up from previous versions.
We are enjoying the DV2 thus far and are very excited about seeing what this baby can do! So stay tuned for the next part of our review where we’ll be cracking open the DV2 and sharing our experience with the programs and performance!
{ 3 comments }
Cool. I wish I can review (or own, yeah) an HP laptop too. I think they make nice notebooks, both internally and externally. And cool specs…
Thanks for sharing the review.
Thanks for posting this review. I’m needing to upgrade and I am unhappy with my Dells, of which I had been loyal to for years. I’m looking to go with a brand that is innovative, powerful, looks good and feels good in my wallet. I’ve heard alot about HP in the last year, mostly from blogs. I am liking it alot, especially that they are reaching out to the public in alot of interesting ways. BTW, the moonlight white color is HAWT! I had only read about/seen pics of the espresso finish and black colors. I am most definately looking forward to the next part of your review.
The entire HP DV series rocks, as far as I’m concerned. I bought an HP dv5 last September, then sold it and upgraded to a HP dv7 this May. I have it in moonlight white, and I LOVE IT!