HP rolls out laptop updates aplenty

As we've seen before, HP doesn't beat around the bush when it comes to updating its laptops, and it's now gone all out once again with its latest round of updates, rolling out upgrades for no less than eight of its Pavillion models. Those include the 14.1-inch dv2700t, dv2700tbw, and dv2700tse models, the 15.4-inch dv6700z, dv6700t, and dv6700tse units, and the 17-inch dv9700t and dv9700z, each of which replace the earlier, similarly-numbered models in their respective lines. While the majority of the specs apparently remain largely unchanged, each laptop will be getting some beefed-up graphics, including a NVIDIA 8400M GS card with 128MB of RAM on the 14.1-inch models, a slightly better 256MB version on the 15.4-inch laptops, and NVIDIA 8600M GS graphics with a full 512MB of RAM on the 17-inchers. What's more, each model is also now available with a Blu-ray reader / DVD burner drive, although that can of course be left out if you're looking to save a few bucks.

[Thanks, Kevin O.]

[Flashpoint @ Dec 19th 2007 12:50PM]

I am extremely proud of HP. Their last lineup of Pavilions was great but their newest lineup is SPECTACULAR.

Circuit City, Costco, BJ's and Walmart usually have the best deals on their computers.

For just $699 (after rebate) you can get a Core 2 Duo, 2 GB of Ram and Windows vista Home Premium. The laptop has an integrated webcam in the top and a remote control (windows Media center) in its expresscard slot.

The case designs are really nice and feel of high quality.

You couldn't really ask for a better laptop at a lower price.

I just hope they get SSD drives for their laptops under $1000 within 2 years.

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2007 1:01PM]

I work at HP and I am unimpressed with their Pavilion (which is spelled incorrectly in the blog post. Hey, I'm just sayin') line. They routinely cut corners and use inferior internal parts. I'll never buy an HP PC/laptop.

Their desktop printers are, however, fairly impressive. I predict all my home printers will be HP.

[Rainier @ Dec 19th 2007 1:29PM]

Sounds like someone didn't like their VPB this year. Waaaaaaaah!

[Bombaclaat @ Dec 19th 2007 1:56PM]

mike works for hp printers sales. lol.

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2007 2:11PM]

The only "sales" related work I've ever done was pre-sales. Want to know for which company and which product line? HP Pavilion PCs.

[Rainier @ Dec 19th 2007 2:25PM]

As an employee of the group you just trashed, please STFU. If you don't work in CNB, especially at the GBU level, then you know nothing. Have fun during your forced vacation.

[Victor @ Dec 19th 2007 2:33PM]

Waiting for my FPR here with my manager. But remember, everyone has forced vacation this year.

[Vizel @ Dec 19th 2007 5:21PM]

Rainier... Even some of the tech savvy consumers can tell if they use cheap parts or not... I think someone who actually works that would know more...

[Rainier @ Dec 19th 2007 7:11PM]

Um, okay, so where are these "cut corners" I've heard so much about?

[mister XR @ Dec 19th 2007 1:01PM]

Anyone know how well these run Linux? I bet Compiz on those graphics cards would be spectacular.

[John @ Dec 19th 2007 1:09PM]

I run Fedora on my TX1218. I had to use ndiswrapper for my wireless card andhad to play with grub configurations (noapic and some usb option) to get the OS to boot, but solutions for these issues are well documented. I did note that Ubuntu 7.10didn't natively support the sound device in my machine and i was never able to get it working properly, but Fedora 8 provided proper sound support out of the box.
Over-all, not the easiest machines to Linuxify, but still easier than installing linux on even the friendliest laptops twoo years go.

[Kevin T. @ Dec 19th 2007 1:30PM]

I've got a dv9500t (bought about 3 weeks ago) - I tried installing Fedora 8 amd64 and it failed miserably, something about unable to unmount a device during installation. I tried installing Ubuntu 7.10 amd64 - I had to use 'safe graphics mode' just to get to the live cd desktop. Installation went fine, but had no audio output (looks like there may or may not be a fix in the works). Compiz worked fine after I downloaded the proprietary nVidia driver. Had to go back to Vista. I can't imagine the dv9700 series will be much different.

[mister XR @ Dec 19th 2007 1:38PM]

ouch. HP doesn't seem very Linux-friendly, but Ubuntu has serious issues with sound in its own right as I've seen. I have a laptop with the HDA-Intel onboard sound, and many people have had issues with this driver for *years*. I was close to going back to Vista, but in the eleventh hour I got my sound to work. If linux builds keep doing this "one step forward, two steps back" thing, it will always remain a niche product.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 19th 2007 1:10PM]

If you think HP uses cheap inteernal parts, wait till SSD's become the norm and every Chinese electronic company is putting out laptops preloaded with pirated versions of Windows vista (in much the same manner GPS units are flooding the market).

While I won't argue with you that some of the parts might be inferior (to what BTW?) Many consumers' bottom line is being able to surf the web, open email and use hat programs with the webcamera.

When we want high quality, we'll opt for a a $2000 XPS or SONY.

I had a "quality" G3 ibook and the hard drive completely died on me last week. I've never had an HP product fail on me. One of the computers I have is a HP Pavilion Pentium 3 450mhz with 256 MB of Ram and I've had that sucker for almost 8 years. (8570c)

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 19th 2007 1:01PM]

HP is absolute garbage. I am convinced there is not another PC manufacturer that makes computers worse than HP.

[Flashpoint @ Dec 19th 2007 1:12PM]

APPLE does...

My company's G3 ibook looked the part but the piece of sh*t's hard drive crapped out after a year of use.

I WILL NEVER EVER EVER buy an Apple/Mac anything.

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2007 1:15PM]

"I am convinced there is not another PC manufacturer that makes computers worse than HP."

There was a worse PC manufacturer than HP; Compaq. Carly Fiorina thought that buying Compaq would be a good idea for HP's PC/laptop line.

[Jason @ Dec 19th 2007 1:47PM]

How can you base the reliability of a -laptop- on the hard drive inside? It's manufactured by a totally different company and it's a completely physical motor-driven device. Sure, even the best brands are going to have less failures, but you can't guarantee no failures on a device that complex to manufacture. Unless you think Apple should be taking apart each hard drive and running them through a microscope or something to ensure they're perfect. How do we know you didn't shake it around a lot? Seagate is one of the better drive manufacturers and they chose it. If anything you should blame Seagate for the problem, not Apple.

[Jack Storm @ Dec 19th 2007 1:56PM]

@Jason

fan??

chea boy.

[homant @ Dec 19th 2007 2:35PM]

The G3 iBook came out nearly 9 years ago (July 21, 1999). That's like before Y2K, 9-11, and the rise of 50-cent. That's a damn long HD life-cycle.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Dec 19th 2007 2:38PM]

@ Flashpoint

Your argument against Apple is complete FUD. Apple stopped selling G3 (amd starting selling G4 iBooks) over 4 years ago. That means your iBook is not a new machine. So the HDD is either "at least" 4 years old or the HDD didn't come with the iBook if it's only a year old.... or you are simply making it all up.

Also, HDDs are not made my HP or Apple. They are made my other companies and are brand agnostic so long as you purchase the correct type and thickness (mm height).

[zabador @ Dec 19th 2007 1:02PM]

As a long standing HP laptop user, i must say I'm pretty disappointed with their support even if the hardware is top notch. Half the drivers on my tx1220ca are incompatible with vista. I had to download acer drivers for my web cam to get it to work and have yet to find out how to stop my wifi card from just deciding its not going to work anymore. Don't get me wrong, its a top-notch laptop with great specs and a great price, but whats the point if its only half working half the time?

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 19th 2007 1:08PM]

HP is garbage; just because you spent a lot of money on one, doesn't mean you have to stick up for them.

[zabador @ Dec 19th 2007 1:14PM]

If i was "sticking up" for them my post would have gone something like this:

I am a long standing HP customer and i derive a great amount of satisfaction in that. Ever since buying my tx1220ca I've been walking on sunshine in a magical fairyland of awesomeness.

instead I pointed out that they have severe issues
That aside, HP's fantasy world and you have one thing in common: Trolls

[Jonathan Bergeron @ Dec 19th 2007 1:28PM]

I like trolls. Their funny hair makes me laugh.

[euclid @ Dec 19th 2007 1:03PM]

where can i get that sweet sweet wallpaper?

[euclid @ Dec 19th 2007 1:08PM]

edit : found it..

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y100/dmanbluesfreak/EditedImages/vervelm8_1680.jpg

[jj1814 @ Dec 19th 2007 1:09PM]

Wow Mike....I dont know about you, but I kinda like getting bonuses @ the end of the year!

[Mike @ Dec 19th 2007 1:17PM]

The only bonus I'm getting is the "opportunity" to work-from-home during the Christmas week layoff, so that I can cash in my time-off for an extra check.

[Jeff @ Dec 19th 2007 1:17PM]

speaking of hp, i'm with an agency that recently created a series of videos for them...they're pretty funny, worth a chuckle or two. the series is called "life without hp". feel free to check them out on youtube

http://youtube.com/watch?v=PKYYWu595wY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=CS18RCCE5CI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QdLEgL7idz0

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2007 1:21PM]

I really like HP laptops, but I wish their 15.4" models at least had a WXGA+ option.

[Chris @ Dec 19th 2007 1:26PM]

Ummm. Does HP even support Blo-Ray? I thought that were backing HD-DVD.

[Kevin T. @ Dec 20th 2007 1:12AM]

I just went to customize a dv9700t on their site - You can get it with your choice of HD-DVD or Blu-Ray drives.

[Cj @ Dec 19th 2007 1:31PM]

My dad bought one of these, I cant even burn a disc from iTunes... stupid vista proprietary BS

[Flashpoint @ Dec 19th 2007 2:04PM]

I'm not claiming that the G3 sucks because of the HDD. I'm claiming it sucks because Apple didn't make it better. I've been online and A LOT of people had the same problem with the same laptop.

Apple isn't known for its benevolence in replacing defective ipods, laptops, etc until they recieve a class action lawsuit.

I never liked Apple's style and I will never buy any products from them. I avoid them when possible.

[Bombaclaat @ Dec 19th 2007 1:51PM]

When I was buying my dv9500 last week I saw the 512mb NVIDIA 8600M GS listed on the specs page. I thought it was a typo, damn it. :) Although I did get $500 off my laptop.

[Bombaclaat @ Dec 19th 2007 1:53PM]

Does a simple change in graphics memory warrant a model number change? lol

[homant @ Dec 19th 2007 2:54PM]

Your tag 'bombaclaat' means 'tampon' in Jamaican. Or more literally, butt cloth.

Yes, I know it sounds 'hip-hop' and 'hard,' but no.
lol

[Bombaclaat @ Dec 19th 2007 6:40PM]

Ask a real jamaican what it means and stop getting your info from urban dick-tionary. Don’t assume everyone is as ignorant as you. Rasclaat!

[Andrew @ Dec 19th 2007 4:21PM]

I recently purchased an HP desktop and Dell Laptop. I bought an HP laptop for the cablecard flag which must be purchased from an OEM. The Dell laptop was a gift for my wife and it only worked because it was pink. Both products have strengths and weaknesses. The HP shipped minus one key driver that made the cable card work. I found it after 2 days of searching because their tech support was useless. One of my RAID drives also failed and again HP tech support barely knows what RAID is. However, they did send me 2 extra drives to replace my RAID and didn't request one be sent back. HP seems to back up their products and I'm happy with the PC in spite of their tech support's incompetence. The Dell Laptop purchase was flawless. Aside from the obvious Vista related laptop issues, the experience was fantastic. We even bought another one for my mother in law. As long as you know what you are doing OEM PC/Laptops can be a good deal.

[Mo @ Dec 19th 2007 5:06PM]

For the DV2700-series machines I only see an option for HD-DVD drives...no Blu-Ray. :(

[Danny @ Dec 19th 2007 5:21PM]

Can one the guys who works at HP please explain why the screen rezs are so ridiculously weak? 1280 x 800? I find that weak on a 14.1" screen but on a 15.4" screen? Just terrible.

[Hany Hanna @ Dec 19th 2007 5:27PM]

I have a 14.1 inch pavillion from the last round. The physical design is wonderful, watching video is delightful with the altec lansing speakers. But the endless crapware requiring a 10 gig recovery partition shows such disdain for the customer. As a power user I have to reformat every couple months or so. You'd think a recovery partition would be faster, but removing the crap makes reformatting a longer process than it would be otherwise. And why doesn't hp make models less than 14.1 inches like so many others? Never Again! If they wanna offer trials and games, PUT THEM ON SEPERATE DISCS

[BobTurbo @ Dec 19th 2007 9:33PM]

Wouldn't a poweruser use VMWare or dual boot or something other than reformating their HDD constantly....

[Anthony @ Dec 19th 2007 5:54PM]

i dont see why everyone is dissing hp pavilion laptops, i had one for a year, and just got the dv6500se white one in october/november, and i love it,

built in webcam,

dvd burner,

remote,

720p reselution, hd-dvd's!

touch sensative controls, that light up

hd speakers

lightscribe

12 cell battery, (it sticks out, but who cares when yours lasts 4 hours, ha ha ha i laugh at you)

lcd plugin, s-video plug-in, expansion port 3 plugin thingy, firewire (i think) ethernet, 3 usb, phone jack, and a charger port that lights up blue.

200gb hard drive, (even though it says 240gb capacity, only 8gb used for the hp backup, so i dont know what to say)

2gb ram

windows vista home premuim

dual microphones





oh, and i got a new wireless printer from hp, very nice, and a 3 year warrenty, most probably a waste of 300 dollars, because i know this laptop will last longer.





thats awesome. anyways, heres what it looks like:


http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/8525/8525857_ra.jpg




my friend has that verve laptop by hp pictured above, he gave me that wallaper, and the red version, i like the red version better.

Oh, and before i forget, dell has "new" designs for their laptops, and hp had exact to very close designs, and have had them for a few years now, orginality please dell!




hp doesnt suck. apple sucks, everyone at apple points out windows flaws, but in reality, apple has more flaws, its just that they arent noticed because windows users have to dig deep for a bigger set and say something. plus apple is way too overpriced, 3,000 dollars for something that costs 850 dollars for me is a waste. because its from a colorful friut doesnt give them the right to slapp on thousands in price extra.



well, i've had my word.

oh,
and i applaud the one who works at hp, for sticking up for them, and for working for them, i would want to work for them over all other companies, because hp is the coolest.

(please excuse my typing errors, im also updating my psp firmware to 3.80 [finally, streaming internet radio on psp!] and telling my sister on the phone the right recipe for cookies, yes, i am busy.)

[Gee @ Dec 20th 2007 12:52PM]

How does Macs always come into the topics? For u people who blame the hard disk fails on Macs and you won't buy from Apple again, you are lame. Apple doesn't make hard disks and they can fail on any computer.

[tony @ Dec 21st 2007 2:20PM]

Hey mike,

If you think that hp pavilions are so inferior, why are you working for the company? Sounds like you need to find a different employer to work for. I forwarded this link to my boss at the hp home and home office store. It is employees like you that make my job more difficult. Thanks for being a team player.

[david @ Jan 27th 2008 7:55AM]

Hello all. Mike inferior or not tell me a company that can compare with hp's laptop prices. Dell, Toshiba, Sony ect.. for what hp offers with there laptops your saveing big. Iv seen and tested a coupon worth $400 "HP for the win" And for everyone else haveing software issues no pc-laptop is without its flaws you guys know this. granted there support could be better and driver database bigger. you people are smart enough to know what your getting "Do your research" later guys
-My 2 Cents-

[michael @ Jul 28th 2008 10:33AM]

-my two cents-

does anyone realize that mike doesnt work for hp... hes just some nobody wanna be that thinks hes the next big thing and wants publicity through forum slander... however... I will say this... as a pavillion owner, and as a complete tech junkie, having built multiple personal pc's (7) and two laptops from scratch (just to see if i can) that easily overpower anything on the market, i pay close attention to what is available. I am a software engineer for a game design company... (you all know of it, but im not saying which XD) and as much as I love my job, one of the biggest... and i mean biggest parts of my job is making sure that any programs and games we create run on most standard computers... The hp pavillion (as set up) is well above what other companies are asking, but by comparison if you want a laptop build for you, they really are fantastic and for the price, they simply cannot be beat... My company has a partnership with dell... and thats all fine, but everyone I work with bought an HP once they saw mine...

JUST SAYING...
HP is an amazing computer company, and Mke is just wrong.

[A.J. @ Aug 17th 2008 11:11AM]

I have an H.P. Pavilion dv5220 lap top, I've had it for about a year and I freaking love it!!!
I had a sony v lap top before this,,, that was a damn good system too.
I researched my options and found that HP featured the same quality as the top end lap top pc, they just have more bang for the buck.....hands down.