HP Pavilion dv6t gets reviewed: nice for the price, but full of crapware
It's not a bad time to be a budget-minded shopper on the hunt for a full-size laptop -- you've got a tons of nice options in the $600 - $1,000 range, and it sounds like HP's recently-revised dv6t is a strong competitor. PC Mag just took the 16-inch machine for a spin and came back favorably impressed, with cheers for great keyboard and included numeric keypad, light weight, and HDMI output. Sadly, a host of bundled crapware put a significant load on the 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo and the integrated graphics were expectedly lame, but for $750 after rebate, you might want to add this one to your list. Full review at the read link.
























you wanna cookie now or something
A cousin of mine baught it with a few changes,
Intel Processor 2.4 Dual
4GB of RAM
Nvid Geforce 9600
Its damn beautiful fast and the colors are just gorgeous, don't even listen to engadget lol.. it costed like 950.. but it is worth it.
Engadget: would you please tell me why do you put HP and DELL systems with very bad specs loool.. ? whats wrong with you.. seriously hehehe.
you must be new here...
crapware aka no i in front of name?
What laptops have an 'i' in front of them?
Do you mean "iBook" man your still in 2005 aren't you? This HP is 10,000X better than an "iBook".
no, HP's tend to come with a ton of software pre-installed, the vast majority of which is useless and just slows down your computer.
Tons of crapware..... yeah so what??
Its called disabling!!!
disable them apps and garbage u dont need and u got 1 heck of a laptop... way better than apples "air"
@Kamil
Maybe but won't hear MS talk about the crapware installed on new PC's in their value for money adverts, I wonder why.
I had a hell of a time getting XP on one of these models with the AMD cpu. HP leaves you flailing in the wind and you gotta be a freakin' sherlock holmes to figure out which combo of XP boot disk and drivers will do the trick.
ಠ_ಠ
Full of crapware?
ಠ_ಠ
Reformat
Clean fresh install of windows
...
PROFIT!
Crapware is annoying, but most of us here would probably just reformat it and load Windows XP or Ubuntu or Windows 7.
What's the big deal with crapware? I don't mind them one bit. In fact, I actually enjoy uninstalling each and every one of them as I play around with a new laptop! It's also a good chance to get your new system even better; it makes you more aware of the background processes and start-up programs.
Or you could just reformat and have a fully functioning machine in a 100% known state in about 20-25 minutes.
Yep.
The reason I don't always format is I might not find the right drivers, or the OEM disk isn't given.
Okay, I have a question for someone who knows:
If I get a laptop with Vista Home Premium and the OEM sticker, can I format it, install Vista Home Premium from another, retail DVD and use the OEM key just like I would use the retail key?
@superhobo
Yes.
The crapware doesn't really matter...most of us would take out vista and clean install windows 7 on it anyways
"arcticpenguins @ May 1st 2009 7:01PM
Why is everyone trying to be subtle in their failing these days?
Back in the god old days it was simple:
Person A: "FIRST!!!11!!!1"
Person B: Insert witty sarcastic comment becoming highly ranked here
.........*Sigh*"
I see what you did there. +1
We got some of these in at the staples where I work and all and all their not to bad. I personaly am a mac guy but would recogmend it to any one looking for a cheap full sized laptop.
They call crapware anything with no "i" in front of it, the problem with Engadget is that is "pro" mapple so they have a nice tendency to use the "c" word attached to anything when is in regards of non "i" products.
Oh, give me a fucking break. You don't have to start some silly bullshit just to bring apple into this. You're really comparing those apps to the demo garbage that comes on most pcs? Really? I just bought a new HP. You know what it had on the desktop? Netscape. Yes, Netscape. In 2009. Of all the web browsers out there, it had Netscape installed. It also had A bunch of Wildtangent garbage spyware, Norton software that slowed the system to a crap, Microsoft Works (Really? Works?) 10 other icons on the desktop that were some shitty ISP promos, a couple installed toolbars in internet explorer, and God knows what else, as well as all the shitty HP branded software installed (Yeah, because I really need HP wireless network software, in addition to the built in windows one, to do the exact same thing) You dont call that crapware? Yes, I formatted it to wipe it all clean. Uninstalling all that bullshit would ahve been alot more hassle.
But guess what? 95% of people who buy this computer would not format it, as they wouldn't have the knowledge to do so, nor would they know why they should do so. They'll just have a laptop that bothers them with numerous pop-ups everyday, and shitty extra, useless software that sucks up cpu cycles, memory, and slows the computer to a crawl. It's completely unacceptable, and its utterly shameful of these companies to include all their random bullshit to the detriment of the user experience. Anyone who argues that this crapware is fine is either on some payroll, or completely insane.
I didn't mean it for the real crapware added on the laptop, ur rt about that part but I was pointing to a general perspective, I also have an HP and what ur saying is the complete true, I had to also uninstall all that BS, I'm also a firm believer that if not by all this sh** pre-bundled most Win pc's will work amazingly and ppl will stop bashing about their pc's being slow, but not everyone is as techy or savvy as we are and will keep their machines as they got them, in short words I hope MS takes note and does something about this, yet the other problem is what makers are willing to do.
For the lazy asses at PC Mag: pcdecrapifier.com
Yeah, but companies really shouldn't be including all this crap anyways. At the very least it ought to be optional.
You do know that it's put on there to make the laptop cheaper, right? The software companies pay the OEMs to put trial software on their machines, and that translates into savings for you. I don't mind uninstalling it if it saves me some money.
It's a Windows machine. What do you expect it to be full of? Useful Mac software?
format and install XP, be a great machine
wipe that shit and install windows 7. never look back. easy peasie lemon squeezy, or htf you say it.
Poor-looking display? Why are you complaining? Everyone knows you can go to www.replacemydisplay.com and in seven easy steps, replace that crappy lcd with a much nicer 1440x900. Why would you even mention it -- Apple bias, maybe? -- when surely that is what every self-respecting Engadget reader would do first thing upon buying this awesome laptop. Replace that screen and bam, a great machine, right out of the box.
your sarcastic and poorly made analogy is incorrect in several incredibly blatant ways.
I'd just install Ubuntu on it immediately anyway so I could actually utilize the hardware in the machine instead of watching it slowly wither away into a landfill.
Grrrrrrr! I Hate Crapware On New Laptops.
Why do you do this to us HP.
Why do people reformat just to remove crapware? I don't understand it. My guess is that they don't know how to easily remove it possibly. It takes me a whole 5 minutes.
I own an HP and it's not bad, but I don't like the shiny black plastic on them. The keyboard has had a few buttons break on me too. They definitely need to upgrade the keyboard. Other than that it's been pretty solid and it was priced well. Getting XP on it was a major pain, but what VISTA machine lets you easily install XP? Not many.
I
it's not just to remove crapware...most of us agree that windows 7 altough not RTM yet, is a better OS than vista.
lol i think people who re-format their drives have a *vague* understanding on how to use the uninstall button :-P
They do it because not everything removes properly. Files are left behind and it just feels nice to start off on a clean slate.
There aren't details on the "crapware," but from the article:
"I'd recommend that as soon as you turn on the system, you get rid of most of the numerous third-party and HP-branded applications that reside under Programs and Features in the Control Panel. Many of these programs have no purpose and can potentially grind your system to a halt after a couple of months of use."
"As for speeding up this machine, the best place to start is by removing software that you don't plan to use."
What's the problem?
I got mine with a p7450 2.13 ghz, 4 gigs of ram, and an ati hd 4650 for 800 after rebates and an online coupon. Amazing deal for this much machine.
am I the only one who thought the screen was cracked?
(and if its like the other 'new' HP I worked on - I wouldn't want to break that screen anyway because the front is plastic - you'd have to remove two screws on the bottom, then slide the rear cover off and get to the screen backwards - very time consuming)
Screw this just get a sweet ass mac haha
Yeah, and what a great Mac you get for $750!
oh gnoes not crapware. How annoying that including it lowers the price of the laptop for me and it is a minor one-time inconvenience to uninstall it.
what a stupid complaint.
YUCK, the only thing HP can make is printers. Stop making computers, suckers.
Yeah that's why the sell more of them than anyone else, clown.
Oh, shut up, little fanboi.
You shouldn't be dumb enough to think that HP has great products just because they sell well. HP is a strong brand, but seriously, its consumer products suck.
... you mean "doesn't sell well because it has great products."
Last time I checked, it's printers were consumer products.
Not a fanboy, sparky, just a realist.
HP make a range of products - some of them suck, most of them are good and soem of them are excellent. That's why they sell shedloads of them.
HP? Crapware? Am I meant to be surprised?
Here is a solution people....REFORMAT THE DAMN COMPUTER WHEN YOU GET IT.