Compare laptop computers: HP DV1040us Laptop Comparison Review

HP DV1040us Review:

With all of its entertaining abilities, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that dv1040us is a very capable notebook for work. It isn't nearly as fast as more expensive thin-and-lights powered by1.8-GHz Pentium M's, but the system will keep up nicely with multiple applications open at once.

Powered by a 1.5-GHz Pentium M processor, this isn't the fastest notebook around, but you"ll have no trouble using Microsoft Word and surfing while ripping some MP3s. The DV1000 also features Intel's PRO/Wireless 2200BG connection, enabling you to connect to the Net at high speeds through your home wireless network or at any number of hotspots on the road. A dedicated wireless button lets you turn the Wi-Fi connection on and off to save battery life.

If you don't feel like hunching over your notebook to be entertained, HP includes a credit-card-sized remote, which conveniently slips into the notebook's PC Card slot. In addition to mirroring the QuickPlay, media, and menu controls found on the notebook, the remote has an instant-print button, a button that launches HP's Image Zone software for your digital camera, and a video-output button that works with the S-Video port. This last one comes in handy when you want the dv1040us to double as a DVD player for a TV.

There are ten black buttons just above the keyboard, all of which have a blue backlight. The two most interesting are the QuickPlay buttons, marked with a DVD logo and music note, which enable you to watch movies or listen to CDs without having to boot up Windows. There are also seven Media Control buttons for controlling playback (Play/Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward, Stop) and adjusting or muting the volume.

When you press the Music button, it takes less than 10 seconds for the HP DV1040us to launch a playback interface, quickly pulling up your music CD. It takes about the same amount of time to load a movie when you press the DVD button. To navigate menus for either music or movies, you press the plump, oval-shaped menu control buttons that HP designed to replace the traditional arrow keys. There are two small OK and Back buttons just to the left with which you can select options and back out of menus.

The Harmon/Kardon speakers deliver more volume than what you'll find from other notebooks. In a well-designed move, HP also includes two headphone jacks, should you want to share a movie with a friend on a long flight, or let the kids watch a movie in the back seat of your vehicle. Capsulas ecologicas

As the white icons that line the left and right side of the dv1040us constantly remind you, this notebook has nearly every connection you can think of. In addition to the S-Video port, you'll find three USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire port, a six-in-one memory card reader, plus the traditional VGA, Ethernet, and modem.

HP has done a magnificent job redesigning how a multimedia notebook should look, feel, and function. The dv1040us delivers all your entertainment in a hurry, with a design that raises the bar for portable computer performance and mobile computing styling.