HP Pavilion DV9720US 17.0" Entertainment Laptop (AMD Athlon 64 X 2 Dual Core TL-60 Processor, 2 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, Vista Premium) Reviews

• Just bought and so far its been.... Great!

  
  By A2NCK8UJ8RASAH on 2008-02-17
  I recieved this laptop about 4 days ago and all I can say is wow! The laptop is performing beyond my expectations and the price while higher than other laptops was well worth it for this performing machine. I will admit to being biased to HP as all of my laptops have been HP and majority of my printers have been HP too. The details are as follows. Impressive screen with no dead pixels or such.
  Long lasting battery life- I had it on all during and 1hr30min class with the internet on in balanced power mode and at the end of class I still had 80% of 100% battery left. Much better than my old lappy whose total time with wireless was 2hr max. I have watched 2 full lenght films on here in power saver and was able to get through both and had 40% battery left. Games take up a little more juice of your running full screen with serious graphics. The 17 screen is gorgeous and big. For some it may be too big but I like big screens for watching movies and practicing presentations. The included remote is a big bonus.
  I despise Microsoft Works and can't afford the new Microsoft Office Student addition (even with the break through my college) So I downloaded OpenOffice 2.3 and all I can say is that I will never go back to Microsoft as long as OpenOffice keeps putting out such a quality product for free. I know I'm reviewing the lappy but this software is 150% better than MS Office. I will be upgrading the graphics card in a year or two (its good just not great). Internet over the n route is blazing fast. Have no problem picking up wireless signals. Has a handy little feature where if its going to overheat it shuts itself down. (I left it on on my bed and pillows got tossed on it while on and wonderful lappy that it is it shut down) I hate with a passion Vista but not much to do about it execpt maybe try Linux out though I haven't been a big fan of that either. Lets face it Vista is here and we are all going to have to learn to use and deal with it. Came with some decent games and the gadget side bar. Webcam and quickplay are awesome. I love that when using the webcam you get great resolution and no lag time in image (I use it to converse with the folks back home) Overall I rate this lappy a 4.7 out of 5 it only loses some due to OS and extra software junk preloaded on it.
  UPDATE 4/12/2008: So I've been using this in class and doing some moderate to heavy photo and video editing and it works great. I will say that I have never had so many updates that take for ever on any of my other laptops but I assume this to be because of Vista. Lightscribe is fun and the built in card reader works like a gem. The outside (nice shiny black) does get horribly filthy with fingerprints and such but is easily cleaned with the microfiber cloth included. The sound from the speakers is good but not great now that I have been playing tunes on it (better than my previous lappy) I will still hook up to external speaker for when I have it connected to my HD projector. Speaking of which my vid on the projector be it through the TV on my comp or dvds played is amazing. Overall I now give it a 4.6/5 only taking of .1 because of the above mentioned issues. Will update more later...
  
  

• Nice Laptop, not great, just nice.

  
  By A339XXCLVCYI0O on 2008-03-13
  Received my DV9750US yesterday. It's got some good features, big bright screen, even when running on battery power. If you know how to set the power settings in Vista. It came with 3GB memory, I wanted 4GB. Stick with the 3GB unless you are running a 64 bit OS. Laptop seems to be plenty fast enough, but I have not installed my Apps yet. Boots up fast and shuts down fast.
  
  Only three stars for the following reasons:
  
  HP's Quickplay does not display in full screen, or at least I have not found the control yet.
  
  Mine came with a Blue-Ray drive, waste of money because it would not play on my HD LCD TV via the built in HDMI port.
  Why have a HDMI output and HD DVD player if you can't watch a movie in full screen mode (Blue-Ray only plays with HP's Quickplay software) I would have gotten the model with a HD drive and 2.2 GHZ DC had I known that.
  
  Next is the keyboard, the 'Shift' Key seem too small, or the 'Enter' Key is too big. Takes getting used to.
  
  This model also came with two 250GB hard drives, one for the OS and one for Data. I have not seen any RAID options which would have been nice to have.
  
  I would give the DV9750US 4 or 4 1/2 stars, but the Blue-Ray limitations or QuickPlay limitation just pissed me off. Other than that and no RAID, this may prove to be the best laptop I've had. I'll still buy another one, without the Blue-Ray drive.
  
  Good but not Great.
  
  

• Finally upgraded!

  
  By A279GDSKDS9O0C on 2008-03-06
  I finally decided to upgrade my 8 year old Sony desktop (which still works fine). This is my first laptop! I am not a computer geek at all, but wanted something with a big screen as a home computer and take up little space. I also wanted a machine that had all the bells and whistles on it so I will hopefully last me along time and I wont need to upgrade anytime soon. Not to mention computers these days come with crazy amounts of memory compared to my old desktop. that was a plus
  
  I wanted a Sony, but didnt find a laptop style to my liking. I like the HP 17" screen, and side numerical pad on right of keyboard. This machine is not that heavy as some people say (on other sites). I mean jeez go work out if you think this is too heavy. I will be using this mainly as home PC, but great to have the option of transporting it with me. The main attraction was the blu ray player of this model. I wanted the future hd disc technology and be able to play my collection of blu ray movies.
  
  Also having the option to hook up to my TV via hdmi output port is awesome! I just got it yesterday, and figured out a little trick. Had to search all over online for solution. When you connect to hdtv with hdmi cable and want to watch a blu ray movie on hdtv....Make sure you go to your Nvidia console (your display settings program), Change to use single monitor instead of dual monitors displaying at same time because blu ray movies will not be allowed to be displayed on 2 monitors at same time for some reason. You will get a message that says "Content protected not allowed to play in this display mode". So change to single monitor as your hdtv and then you should be in business! Hope that helps anyone with the problem I encountered. I was frustrated because this was the sole purpose I wanted the blu ray player to hook up to my hdtv. Glad I found people with same problem and a solution online. So I am giving back to the online community. HP online support was no help they just said some blu ray discs will not play on HDTV only on the laptop screen because they have alot of memory on them. That is a load of bologna.
  
  So far this is a great machine, works clean, very easy to setup, easy controls, cool remotes that come with it, tv tuner need some adjusting to get clear channels but cool feature still, and getting used to Vista but dont see any show stoppers i will catch on to it soon.
  
  

• No help

  
  By A2MU2RWSUJVE8Q on 2008-03-10
  Problem- POST not recognizing memory on start-up. Computer-Pavilion still under warranty was shipped to Texas, Irving repair facility free of charge. When it was recieved back, after 45 min use stopped recognizing memory again with the same sound on start up. The paper work indicated that memory chip DDR2 PC4200 was replaced. After 3 hours with Indian technician on the phone and pulling out memory chips one by one, the defective chip was found and pulled out. The promise from the tecnician and his supervisor was given that replacement memory chip would be sent out to me. 3 days later trying to find out the status of the order case # 800892**** information from another supervisor was given that nobody is going to send me a replacement chip because it's outdated and (or) that is not in their power. After attempt to find out the name of the person we were speaking to, the phone call was disconnected.
  Original order # ***056-01.
  During the conversation I was explaned that for the reason of me buying outdated computer I will not get any repairs done by HP (unavaliability of parts) and I better to pay for additional waranty, so I at least will get their advice.
  This is the last HP product that I bought.
  Regretfully, formerly proud owner of Packard Bell and Compaq, asking forgivness for assumption that the product under the warranty should be fixed by manufacturer.
  
  
  

• I had to return it!

  
  By A5JK82ST5MF81 on 2008-02-29
  The specs on this notebook are better than any comparable ones I have found anywhere for $1500. The screen is great, its fast, powerful, has blue ray, and lots of TV tuner stuff I didnt need.
  What I didnt like..........
  I happened to get a new one with defects. The internet explorer locked up daily which is not cool. There was also a rattle inside the case on the left near one of the hard drives, that rattled when typing or using the touch pad (which was very good. Not too sensitive.)The internet explorer would lock up daily if the unit was left on in any mode for more than a few minutes. It wasnt a virus or anything I installed. It was probably a vista problem but I never could get it to stop. The screen also dims way too much when unplugged. Not a good feature! The battery could be at 100% but the screen would dim regardless as soon as it was unplugged by some 30%. Made it very difficullt to see. There was included a lot of TV tuner stuff thats really not needed. I wish they would remove all that uneccessary TV stuff and work on the screen dimming.
  
  I reaaly liked the notebook. The problems I had were immediate, streight out of the box. There was no replacement available so I had to return it. I must have gotton one of those 5% thats defective. It sucks but it happens. I havent seen any reviews that have had similar problems so maybe its an isolated problem.
  
  Overall, the notebook is a great buy......but with the screen dimming like it does (lenovos do the same thing), the problems I had with it brand new, it still gets a 3 just for the specs. and performance. Its almost a perfect comp. as long as you take along the plug.
  
  Ill probably buy another one!
  
  
  
  
• Excellent Laptop!
  By A3O9DM73HBVZ7O on 2008-03-02
  Purchased this computer just a couple of weeks ago and am very pleased. As the previous reviewer said, I too love HP. I've had a desktop HP Pavilion for over 6 years now and it still performs well. I needed a new computer and preferred a laptop this time and certainly was biased toward HP. I too very much dislike Microsoft Vista but as was expressed, what can you do about it?? I am otherwise very pleased with my purchase. Highly recommended.
  
  
  
• Excellent HP product
  By A2SMH1AB92TP00 on 2008-03-06
  I just bought this HP DV9750 laptop as an upgrade from the the HP DV6000 for school, and so far I very pleased with the construction, design and functionality. Mine has 3GB of RAM (Max 4GB), 500 GB hard drive (250x2), Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 USB Ports, Bluray/DVD R/RW drive and the built in card reader (very handy). I use it mostly for school, some of my classes include Photoshop CS3, Indesign CS3, Illustrater CS3, Adobe Premiere Elements 4, Quark, Web design and development, this thing is able to run all my programs with no problems and at acceptable rates when running multiple Adobe programs. The operating system i have is the Vista Home Premium. I agree that all the TV tuning stuff is overkill, but it did come with a REAL Remote to control the Media Center (I'm using it on my desktop though). I am very satisfied with this Laptop. I would buy it again and highlt recommend it to anyone looking for a good laptop at a reasonable price (it was worth the cost). Good Job HP.
  
  PS: With the NVIDIA graphics card it will not only handle HD movies but it can play games like Neverwinter Nights 2 (graphic intense) with no problem.
  
  
• Terrific Value
  By A2G1KKN9Y53TH9 on 2008-03-10
  Your money will not go any farther than with this laptop. I knew how many features this computer had when I bought it but I was still surprised to find so much stuff in the box when I received it yesterday. I have tried out many of the features already and everything seems to work as advertised. I was most impressed with the tv tuner. It works great and the laptop comes with a full-size remote (as well as a mini one) so you can change the channels without having to touch the notebook at all. The remote also works great with music (including I-tunes). The large widescreen 17" display is great for watching movies. Another nice feature is the amount of ports (HDMI, S-Video, 4 USB) this thing has: more than you could ever need.
  
  
• The PC that made me a Mac convert
  By A2KWMGOEY8NZYT on 2008-04-27
  This widescreen notebook offers a great feature set at an attractive price, but it's just too buggy.
  
  Part of the problem lies with Microsoft Vista rather than HP. A year-plus in, Vista still behaves like a beta in many ways, even though it's being sold at a premium price. Given all the delays in the release date, Microsoft should really have delivered a more stable product. It's a shame, because XP eventually became a very stable, low-maintenance OS. Now Microsoft is already looking forward to their next release, which will likely come out just as the kinks have been worked out of Vista.
  
  A huge thumbs-down to Nvidia, too, for their non-Vista compatible video drivers which frequently crash the system (their website passes the buck to HP as far as updates to fix the problem). From online searches I've found that this is a problem for thousands of users, especially gamers, but I find that it happens all the time just watching DVDs. It's pathetic that Nvidia, HP and Microsoft can't get on the same page after all this time.
  
  Finally, my experience with the laptop confirms that of other reviewers who believe that HP has chosen to slack off on quality control. There are several dead pixels on my screen, one of the keys on the keyboard has a bad contact, and the manual eject button on the DVD drive broke after 2 weeks -- all completely unacceptable for a multi-hundred dollar piece of merchandise.
  
  I've owned 3 computers before this one, and all were great consumer experiences. This one was a disaster, and has convinced me that Microsoft and HP don't care at all about quality control or customer satisfaction. From here on in, I'm planning to pay the extra money for Mac products and skip the aggravation.
  
  
• HP Pavilion DV9750US
  By A2UKWIDERJ8IHA on 2008-02-25
  I seem to have been a Gateway computer person all my life. Now I find I am in possession of a HP laptop. This unit is fantastic. I am still learning Vista, but once I get that taken care of I have no doubts this will be the finest computer I have ever used. I like the appearance, the versatility, the function of this unit. I highly recommend everyone take a good hard look at this unit.
  
  
• Good value with typical software bloat
  By A3NEO897GUEGOY on 2008-03-12
  I purchased the HP d9740us at a local retailer. What initially drew me to this laptop was the blu-ray drive and 17" screen. Throw in the HDMI connector and you have a winner.
  Read carefully what's in the box because you get just about everything you need including 2 remotes a tv tuner, antenna and some necessary cables.
  I don't like Vista but I'm leaving it installed as it seems that drivers for this laptop might not be easily available from HP for Windows XP.
  I'm also not a fan of HP Quick Play but it does the job. Word of caution newer Blu-ray discs may not play. I couldn't get Spiderman 3 to play at all however other discs played very well.
  Hooking this laptop up my big-screen tv provides an awesome experience. The quality of the blu-ray is amazing and having the remote makes it easy to use your laptop.
  The right side shift key is small but having a full size keyboard and numeric keypad is very handy. The DVD touch pad is also good to have. If you had a previous version of Quick Play you were able to play dvds without booting that is no longer possible.
  I don't like the placement of the power cord jack as I think it leads to problems when it is on the side rather than the back, in fact there are no connectors on the back whatsoever everything is on the sides.
  Built in speakers are ok not spectacular.
  All in all you will get a lot for your dollar and I can recommend this laptop highly.
  
  
• Bang for the buck
  By A2GGKJ318HO2GE on 2008-03-24
  I purchased the 9720US basic model because of a huge price reduction AND Rebate combination that just took place and dropped the price dramatically. This is my first 17" laptop. I spend too much time on the road and wanted to see my kids and grandkids in full screen using a built in video camera - AND it works great.
  
  Appearance: Layout is ok, beautiful shiny cover, stout hinges and overall good construction. 17" High gloss screen rendered beautiful video pictures in controlled lighting situations - but terrible headache inducing glare reflecting from overhead office lights or sunlight.
  
  Features: Screen with NVIDIA 7150M 799MB shared processor memory gave great resolution. USB ports, firewire and networking plugs are adequate and positioned conventially. DVD /R/W and DVD Etching on the superdrive is cool. 5 in 1 card reader lacks a slot for my CF memory cards from my Canon dSLR.
  
  Processing Power: As a heavy photo editor user - the processor is adequate - but using a full Photoshop package - you never have enough horse power for photo rendering. 2 GB of RAM and about 140GB of FREE disk space on a 160 GB HD are adequate. I use a powered hub and a pocket 160GB hard drive to store my photos.
  
  Ergonomics, WI-FI and Battery Life: Keyboard is full sized - with numeric keypad - the only annoyance being an undersized right Shift key that takes some getting used to. Built in WI-FI can be used at almost full strength almost anywhere in my 2400 sq ft house. Battery life is about 90 minutes depending on activity - but to be expected from a unit with a big, bright wide screen.
  
  Conclusion: As this model's project life matures - steep money discounts and rebates are coming available on an adequate machine used for normal desktop replacement. Overall - unless you need specific processing speed and capability - the AMD chipped HP 9720 remains an industry price leader. The days are short before a newer model is ready to replace it on store shelves. An OUTSTANDING value for the money. The only tangable downside is the forced replacement of all my computer luggage - that purchased for my 15.4" laptops no longer fits this wider screened beauty. If 7.7 pounds seems like too much to carry - purchase a 17" rollerbag.
  
  
• Balanced package with a good price
  By ACR6WDLPUGQL8 on 2008-03-04
  I bought this from Amazon to replace my aging HP dv5470, the prices dropped a bit after my purchase but its still a good buy. Performance aside, getting the same config in any other brand is not possible for a comparable price. And there is synergy to the configuration. Except for the graphics card, which is a bit let down for this system, everything else from Application performance to disk response is great. Battery lasts about 1:20 on average. Camera clarity, Mic response, Screen crispness meet my expectation.
  
  On the negative side, I didn't like the resistance offered by the lid on closing, feels a bit rough. The disc could have been partitioned to prevent data loss in case of a recovery.
  Overall, recommended if you don't want to go above 1.4k
  
  
• Simply Amazed
  By A1HXYL8UKEQRAQ on 2008-03-05
  This laptop is more then I bargined for. I am very happy with the clear HD screen. The screen size is a little big but it is exactly what I wanted. I love the fact the keyboard is not hard to type on. The keys are very evenly spaced. I am not crazy about the touch pad, so I bought a wireless mouse. The YouCam web cam that came installed is great. I am very pleased with the quality of it. Lots of fun little things you can do with it. As others have said, not crazy about the Vista, but it is not going away anytime soon, so we have to learn to live with it. I haven't figured out much yet, I just got it 2 days ago, so I am still learning. But so far I simply love this laptop!
  
  
• A sleek little laptop (though not quite little)
  By A3GJW7DVGBVX2O on 2008-03-25
  I have had this laptop for about a month now and this model was the one I had wanted. I'm more into entertainment instead of games as we watch movies a lot. I also wanted something that came with a tv tuner card (though I had to buy this separate, well worth it though) in which I could watch tv on my pc.
  
  First, lets get started on this little laptop. WOW, great 17 inch screen is awesome to watch dvd's on, and hdtv is awesome on it! Just amazing is no other word for it.
  
  Vista Premium is so much better then just basic Home. With the aero interface and graphics, the two gig of ram is just enough to keep you computing and enabling you to do what you need with ease.
  
  Quickplay comes loaded with your laptop and to me, is made way better then windows media center. I can't pick up many channels on wmc but quickplay is great at it and not only that, but you can get radio stations on your computer!! My daughter loves this if we are somewhere and another thing that I really like is the two headset jacks in the front. If our kids are sleeping and we go on a trip, we can both (my husband and I) a movie in silence while they sleep. Downfall, only comes with one headset but they aren't too expensive.
  
  The hard drive is great though some of it is taken up by the hidden partition in which I wish they would just do disks. But I think they are getting rid of them because most people loose them, so all in all lots of space for pictures, movies, games, whatever you need it for.
  
  
  
  Battery life is on the okay for this version, about three hours if you are on the internet and running it on full speed, but maybe up to 3.5 if you don't. It depends upon your battery version as there are better batteries out there.
  
  It is a lot bigger then most laptops but that is because of the screen and it has a full size keyboard on it (yes, it has the numpad on it, which is great for me!) Plus the remote that comes with it easily tucks into the side expansion slot for easy storage.
  
  Lightscribe is a neat technology!! I couldn't believe it until I tried it and I love how it burns pictures onto disks. Disks can be a little expensive, but they are neat when you do burn them. It can take awhile if you have a big picture to burn (up to 30 minutes) but it's worth the wait.
  
  Built in webcam! What more can I say except it works perfectly with the laptop and the image quality isn't too bad also.
  
  Overall, a great laptop! I love this little laptop and I am not a big fan of HP, but they have truly made something special here. Plus the HP Radiance Imprint finish on the laptop is just outstanding. I love the look of it on the laptop.
  
  
• Great value... if everything was working fine.
  By A2CX4UIJQUMTHA on 2008-04-15
  I badly needed a new laptop, so I did some research before opting for this one. I must say that the price is unbeatable for the configuration, and indeed it has some terrific features:
  
  - Intel Core 2 Duo 2Ghz, 800 MHz FSB, 3 Gb RAM
  - 2 250Gb hard disks
  - extremely high quality 17" (glossy) screen
  - great sound, plus s-video and HDMI outputs
  - memory card readers (all), DVD burner with lightscribe, bluray (RO)
  - Digital TV tuner
  
  Now, I was afraid I could have some problems with the hardware, considering personal experience (my brand new iPaq hw6945 had its CPU replaced because of a faulty lamp) and feedback (my parent's laptop had its CPU replaced because of the keyboard, another friend bought this very same dv9750us and had to replace several things including the CPU, etc.)
  
  I decided to risk and... was not lucky :-[. First, some key combinations were not working. I decided to give it a try myself, disassembled the keyboard (very easily), and found out a general clean-up worked fine. So far, so good.
  
  But then, after 1 week, the main HD (loaded with Windows Vista) went awry, and I didn't have time to burn the Vista DVDs, so I sent the HD back for repair (still waiting), remaining with an empty HD with no OS.
  
  It looks to me that HP is not properly burn-testing their appliances anymore. I found out on the Internet *several* complaints about the keyboard and the hard drives. Some sites say there is an average of 3 trips to repair for each faulty system.
  
  On the good side, it seems the service is fast, and I'm hoping to have my HD back soon. In the mean time, I couldn't install Windows XP on it, so I'm using Linux Ubuntu - of course, the most "aggressive" features (like the TV tuner) are still to be configured, but the rest is working pretty fine.
  
  Oh, a couple of minor complaints - the laptop is VERY noisy, since the (single) fan has to be turned on most of the time, given all the power it dissipates. I definitely recommend one of those external cooling notebook stands. Also, everybody complaints about the right-shift key, which for some reason is small (the size of a regular key), so you keep pressing the up-arrow key instead all the time.
  
  I hope nothing else breaks... This is my third week already, so I guess I should be happy!
  
  
• Full of faults and can't even run XP that well.
  By A20DZX38KRBIT8 on 2008-04-23
  My GF has one of these notbooks and I spend most of my time fixing it, this laptop always has problems and god help you if you need to call HP for help, it's a no show. When im not fixing this piece of crap im using my Macbook Pro which runs perfectly and performs wonderfully. The next laptop i get for her or my son will definalty be a Mac.
  
  
• So far, so good
  By A15W3ICV6YEYUZ on 2008-03-10
  Good tool, all expectations fulfilled. It would be great to have a choice for OS - Vistalization is not the goal for everyone.
  Would recommend this laptop for serious entertainment experience.
  
  
  
• HP Pavilion DV9730US laptop
  By A1HWL1703FIN9R on 2008-03-24
  I have been using this laptop a couple of weeks now without any problems!! The 17" widescreen is awesome. I was a little worried about the AMD processor, but since can't tell any difference between it and the intel processor "only the price". This computer is fully loaded with features. Its great for downloading your photos just slide your memory card right into the side an "wahla" download your photos. The key pad is nice, the shift key on the right side is somewhat oddly small but the number pad will make you forget all about that. I recommend this laptop over any at a matching price.
  
  
• A Big Mistake
  By A2AU8JM5L90LAQ on 2008-04-15
  Not true 1080P,no surround sound,no optical out. Very dissappointing experience, Blu-Ray discs did not work and some regular DVDs did not work. Ended up returning this particular item. Buy at your own risk.
  
  
• If it weighed more I could use it as a boat anchor.
  By AN6CE1F7ZISFX on 2008-05-10
  What a mistake! First thing, I can't even play my MP3s on Vista's WMP. I've had a codec problem from the start. When I tried to "downgrade" back to XP Pro, I found out that HP doesn't provide XP drivers for their Vista PCs. No problem, I'll just buy a sound card. Wrong! No expansion slots whatsoever. Not even 1. So I was stuck using RealPlayer. Then my external speakers starting picking up the WiFi signal, so now I hear buzzing and popping amplified through my music. This model is supposed to be an "Entertainment PC". Crappy sound and video that can't even handle a video game I tried to run on it. I wish HP would take this thing back so I could but a REAL computer. One positive thing is that it took some getting used to, but I like some of the Vista features.
  
  
  
• A piece of junk.
  By ALRRUQUYP479C on 2008-08-19
  This is the worst computer I have ever owned. I had it for a week and got so frustrated that I erased everything and put XP on it to find out they don't make the device drivers for XP. How convenient. I can't install any of my software on it. Some programs I paid hundreds of dollars for.
  
  
  
• awsome laptop
  By AMCBRVY4CM13Q on 2008-03-02
  the best thing ive bought for the price
  awsome screen everything it has is fully loaded works great \
  
  
• Very good option
  By AMTEOQD3PPBY3 on 2008-03-04
  I was a vaio fan until i meet this lap, the same hardware at less cost, and a remote, very cool by the way, just 3 words, very good purchase
  
  
• Best Bang for the Buck!
  By A2947PUN96159W on 2008-03-13
  I had been looking at custom built laptops to use for school, ministry and gaming. (pretty weird combo, huh?) Then I saw this one at Fry's and was very impressed but still did not buy it there. When I got back home and did some research, I found it here on Amazon for $250.00 cheaper plus a $50.00 rebate, I ordered it right then.
  
  Though it lacks a little in the video card with only 128mbs of on-board ram and 1 gig in virtual, it will play all my games plus produce excellent multi-media as well and comes with a presenter/remote which includes Windows Media Center.
  
  If anyone is looking for a great deal and better than expected features & performance, then this laptop should be at the top of your list for consideration.
  
  
• Buyer Beware
  By A364QFP2FN2S87 on 2008-03-18
  Before buying any HP product, do yourself a favor and check the numerous complaints against their customer service. The worst I've ever dealt with!
  
  
• One word - AWESOME !!
  By A1AEC7YFDR2AOG on 2008-03-28
  I bought this laptop for a friend's birthday / high school graduation present. Absolutely awesome machine. So fast, full of features (I almost kept it for myself!). Great buy - great price!!
  
  
• Great so far
  By AELFFREQ04J7Z on 2008-03-28
  This laptop looks great and performs well with a lot of features. The only problem I had was the AC adapter shipped with the product did not work for the laptop - after HP shipped me 2 other adapters that still didn't work, I just went to best buy and got my own for $65. Also no bluetooth is included, and disappointing that it doesn't come with a 64-bit OS installed when you have the processor capability to do so.
  
  
• Ok Laptop
  By A1S462NNSFR5F9 on 2008-03-31
  I expected to be blown away by this laptop, but I was not. I looked for this laptop to have a monitor with eyepoping brillance. This laptop in a word was just ok.
  
  
• ANOTHER GREAT PRODUCT FROM HP/COMPAQ
  By A129TJ97A3OBPA on 2008-04-02
  This is the 3rd HP/Compaq computer I've bought and I am very pleased with it. I've always had great support from HP and that influenced my decision to go with HP again. I looked far and wide before buying this one. I'm a retired "road warrior" (business traveler) and if I were still doing that, I would have bought a Fujitsu as they are lighter, smaller, 'ruggedized' and better suited to getting banged around by baggage handlers, but I wanted this one to replace my desktop computer and yet still be portable when I go on personal trips. This one fits the need perfectly. The big, beautiful high defination screen eliminates my need for a separate monitor as I've had to use on previous laptops due to the normal small screen on most laptops. The big 17" screen makes for a large 'package' but the up side of that is they can install a bigger, nicer keyboard which will eliminate my need for a separate keyboard. I love the HD TV tuner and the built in DVR capability where you can record or pause live TV just like a TIVO on your cable system at home. Since the announcement in March of '08 by Toshiba to abandon the HD-TV format of HD movies and concede Sony has won the war of competing formats with their Blu-Ray technology, it was important to me to buy a CD/DVD drive that will play the HD movies of the future, and this computer has that.
  
  I don't know what the problem was with the one reviewer of this computer who said HP wouldn't honor the warranty because it "was too old" except to speculate that he bought a bargain basement machine off of eBay or something where they sell "old, new stock" and ran afoul of the usual mfg'er policy of nearly all mfg'er's where just because something is unused doesn't mean it will still qualify for new warranty service. If you read the fine print in nearly everyone's stated warranty, they specify something to the effect of "warranty for 1 year but not to exceed 2 years from date of shipment from the factory". That's because they are constantly changing and improving the products during it's production life and mfg'er's typically "dump" old new stock at very cheap prices to rid themselves of the support problems. I went through this in the '90's where I bought a new Grid (top of the line back then) laptop from the Radio Shack Salvage store in Ft Worth at an incredible price compared to the ones selling in the regular retail Radio Shack store. Then when I went for support I found out the reason it was so cheap was that if was a left over from a run of laptops Grid made for the military and was built to US Army specifications not used in the regular production computers and support was pretty "sketchy".
  
  Yes, HP has gone to support techs in India and some are hard for a Texas guy to understand and they have trouble understanding me. The solution is to choose the "chat" option where you communicate with them via "writing" instead of "speech". In writing, we all speak the same English with no hard to understand accents.
  
  I think the dv9740us is a great buy at the $[...] I paid at Fry's on sale, plus I got an additional $[...] mail in rebate too.
  
  

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