Dubbed "the best-looking 20-inch laptop on the market" by
PC Mag, HP's monolithic
HDX-9000 was recently hoisted onto the test bench and put through a number of paces to see if it really was worth the fortunes it demands. The stunning 1080p display and LED-backlit keyboard were both highly praised, and while one wouldn't expect a 15-pound rig to excel in the battery life department, it did manage to stay alive for 2.5 hours on a full charge. Unfortunately, the crew was a bit disappointed by the Penryn's performance, but to be fair, it did play back Blu-ray Discs beautifully and handled most everything that was thrown at it with ease. But hey, it's not like we can't understand the lofty expectations given the extraordinarily high price tag. Overall, the newest HDX-9000 didn't seem to blow any minds, but if money ain't a thang, you aren't likely to find a brick more lovable than this.
Read - PC Mag review (3.5 out of 5 glistening stars)
Read - CNET review (8.2 out of 10 golden hoops)
posted January 30th 2008 11:23AM
f i f t e e n p o u n d s ? ! ! ! !
I really don't understand people buying a laptop that you can't easily carry around. IMO even a 17" is too large for a laptop. And why on earth would you need a 1080p screen on a 20" laptop.
A laptop of that size can be counted into the same market as any all-in-one PCs. I wouldn't expect anyone to buy one of these so that they can carry them around often.
But say for students living in accommodation halls, it is rather useful to have a machine that takes up very little space, yet providing plenty of power and is easy to pack when moving out or going back home.
Then again, I wouldn't have the money for this. I'm quite happy to run dual screen on my Asus laptop. :D
Well, the idea is that some people need a desktop replacement. You aren't going to carry it around everywhere, but you might need to every now and then. You need the power of a desktop, but occasionally you need to take it with you.
Obviously not for everyone. Not for me, maybe not for you, but someone needs it.
Richard's right. It's just a portable computer, no-one would use this on their laps.
I have no idea why there is a market for this. I would've thought having a smaller screen and connecting it to a bigger display when needed would be a better call for most people.
If this thing can play CRYSIS - I'm in.
I'd use this as a desktop replacement if it works with the HP Expansion Dock.
Needs change. 2 and a half years ago, I purchased my 17" widescreen monster of a machine HP Pavillion. I carried it back and forth to a hospital every day for five months so I could work while my daughter recuperated from heart surgery. I needed a portable machine that had enough power to run photoshop and various other things. I quickly realized the thing was too heavy, but didn't have many choices then and it was a small sacrifice since it was only moved one or twice a day.
Today... I honestly just want a 4" x 6" or 8.5" x 11" machine to mimic a notebook. :D I want it light! I want it to fit in my purse! Needs change and well... the technology wasn't there when I purchased mine. I wanted a tablet PC, but they cost almost twice as much at the time.
Syke: I'm sure there are plenty of choices within reasonable prices for you today, and I also hope your daughter is well.
Very nice...i'm loving the direction they're taking with their new designs...very glossy and sexy.
HP FTW!
But seriously, it seems like HP took the old designs they had and just redid everything. I love how all the laptops look. Kinda psychedelic.
The HP laptops IMHO look great, but that's about it. Having recently bought an HP laptop (based on specs, not looks), I'm wishing I hadn't. The specs were good, but what I didn't expect were all the usability issues. It seems like the HP laptop designers are more concerned with looks than with function. I wish they would remember that these are first and foremost *productivity tools*, not fashion statements.
They use ALPS touchpads (low bidder? because they can make them glossy?) as opposed to the Synaptics ones I've always used in the past on other makes. The feel on these glossy touchpads is absolutely horrible. I've gone from using a touchpad without ever thinking about it to having to always be conscious of the thing and constantly fight with it. It freaks out all the time, the behavior changes randomly and it doesn't recognize taps properly. I've tried every setting on the driver control panel there is and nothing has helped. Additionally, the touchpad buttons have an incredibly long throw. They're very spongy and react slowly. If you do a lot of clicking, you'll quickly learn to hate them.
Another extraordinarily annoying thing about the HP laptop I have (the dv2620us) is the wireless on/off slider on the front edge of the laptop. Even being as careful as I can, this thing gets bumped at least a couple times a week while I'm using it and shuts off the wireless radio. Sure this is an important feature, but does it really need to be prominently placed on the front edge of the thing and so easily switched? It doesn't take a genius to realize something like this should be out of the way and protected from inadvertent triggering.
It was an $800 lesson that I won't forget. No more HP laptops for me.
Blimey, that's a big screen. Nice looking laptop though. 3GB RAM and a 2.5 hr battery life is right on the money.
Its a better value than the Mac Book Air.
Actually, most laptops are...
That's the way to beat a dead horse!
The notebooks are for two different markets... so... you're actually wrong.
i think a woman designed this laptop so us men can feel what being pregnant is like.
And what about the graphics card? What is the point of this if its using the HD2600XT? That card is bottlenecking the processor at that point.
"Hey I have a great idea, I use the suspension from the Porsche GT2, the engine from the Enzo Ferrari, and then stuff it all under a Hummer H1! Brilliant!"
No. Its not.
You would have a point if it wasn't upgradeable when you purchase it, which it is. The CNET review model had a Geforce 8800m GTS in it and they even put on their review that at the time the online configuration at HP's site didn't have that gpu listed but that it would be added shortly.
It's more expensive than a desktop. And the same weight. And no faster. It's too large to be portable or be a laptop. So it took me a while to figure out what users would want this. The answer I came up with is pharmaceutical salesmen. Only they would have the $$, and would need a portable huge screen like this. They'd lug it in and set it up to give presentations to doctors about the latest greatest drug that costs $1500/pill. Other than that, nobody needs this--it doesn't fit a desktop user's needs, it doesn't fit a portable user's needs.
I love how everyone always gets down on a laptop for being too big or being too heavy. Yes something like this is not meant to be pulled out on an airplane and worked on, its for people like me who need an all in one package that still has the capabilities of their desktop, but make it much easier to transport. Its not an ultra portable. Get over it. I have no use for something like the Macbook Air, it just doesn't have the power I need. And if your complaining about it being too heavy or big, then just don't buy one.
@kurt.tappe : Yes its more expensive and no more powerful than a standard desktop, but it is portable. Its still a laptop form factor and therefore 100x easier to transport than a desktop for those of us who need that much power to come with us wherever we go. Its not just for pharmaceutical salesmen. How about a 3D artist who wants the big screen and power to do work while their at a conference, or visiting relatives? Or how about someone who works on video games and wants to show off their latest build somewhere other than the office or at home? Just because you have no use for it doesn't mean the rest of the world doesn't either.
Umm... laptop? I wouldn't want this on my lap any day, period.
I have the HP ZD8000 and it weighs in at 9.5lbs. At 1st it seemed like a lot compared to my dell inspiron 5100 but I quickly got used to it. Although it is much bigger and can be awkward to lug out of the house I don't mind simply because I don't take it out much. I bought it to replace my desktop, due to a few physical disabilities I have sitting at a desk all day is very painful, so having the laptop allows me to sit with my feet up in bed or in a recliner.
This however is something I don't think people would use much as a laptop, especially if you are watching a movie. It is a sweet laptop but I wouldn't pay that kind of money for it.
You could buy a large screen tv and blu-ray player for that price.
HD DVD optical drive? Epic fail
Without reading all the comments, I'd like to say that big screen laptops are amazing. I have an old widescreen 17" pavilion.. too heavy to carry everywhere, but it worked well in my dorm room, and was portable enough to carry if I needed to, which was not very often. It was comparable in power to the mid-level desktops of the day, played most current games decently, and had a lot of nice features.
It has since been joined by a HP tablet, which goes with me everywhere, but the old laptop still sits on my desk at my apartment, where it is used occasionally for gaming (the computer is 4 years old, and keeps up with my 1 year old tablet, graphics wise), svideo output movies to my TV, etc..
There is a verygood amrket for these: college undergrads. They don't need to carry a computer to all their classes, but its usually jhelpful having something a little mroe space-efficient.
Not to mention that a 20" 1080p display would work well, too, because it can be a TV replacement. You can replace a 20" TV and a desktop computer with a laptop.. not a bad deal if space is an issue.
I am not buying an HP ever again. See here for why
http://forums12.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447627+1201717723402+28353475&threadId=1104931
Damn that's gorgeous.
My hard-on from looking at those pictures knocked my current Pavilion off my lap.
I like the Acer notebooks better.
CNET points out the lack of an HD-DVD combo drive as a "con."
Are they fucking serious? They should list the other cons too, like no cassette player. Or maybe no 5 1/4 floppy drive.
I have a DV9000 17" laptop, and I do think it's a little heavy, but it's a great machine that does what I need it to. I think there is definitely a market for this laptop, unlike what some people here have been saying. Also, I know it would be nice to have a 12" ultra portable tablet, but I don't exactly need it, and I can still bring my laptop everywhere, I would even lug around this 15-pounder everyday if I needed to.
"You aren't likely to find a brick more lovable than this."
W.C.C?, anyone?
wish i had seen this one before i got my 17" hp. the screen is amazing, its worth the weight lifting every once in a while.
More like 'the best looking 20" laptop on the market BY FAR'. I really really love HP's designs, especially this one.
For those people who don't understand the point of this kinda of laptop, I'll try to explain, since I am one who really wants a laptop like this. I think the term "desktop replacement" describes why I want this laptop so well. I am sick of a desktop because I can't move it around. So, I can't use it while lying on my bed or bring it from my workspace to my bedroom. That's why I want a laptop. Yet, I still want all the powers of a desktop. I want to be able to play all those games just fine and use softwares that take a lot of memory (like Adobe's). If I get a normal laptop, I'd have to sacrifice so much... I wouldn't even move my laptop that often. In essence, I want something with desktop's power that can be moved around easily. This is just perfect for me.