HP Pavilion DV9810US 17-inch Laptop (AMD Turion 64 X 2 Dual Core TL-60 Processor, 3 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium) Reviews

• Good Notebook

  
  By ARCTY5ZV8VMZE on 2008-04-12
  First and foremost, this notebook is good as a desktop, why? It is 17" wide and hence quite heavy. So if you are planning lugging this everyday, you better have a good shoulder.
  
  Performance wise, 3GB RAM helps it run super fast. Screen is great, crisp and clear. Comes with a remote but don't really count on it - has very bare functions and can be useful only during DVD viewing.
  
  Like any other new notebook, it is very quiet (no fan noise). All in all a very good notebook and wide screen allows you to open multiple windows placing them side by side. If you require to save space on your desk this is a great alternative.
  
  

• The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, and The Uglier

  
  By A175GQ20LIYO6X on 2008-07-01
  OVERVIEW:
  
  I purchased this laptop for the beefy components, but mainly because the segregated graphical system (NVIDIA), which should improve performance, and the dual-core Centrino. Beyond productivity software, I wish to play games and do experiments with operating systems using VMWare.
  
  Much to my dismay, essential functionality in the Centrino processor (VT) is disabled and there is no option to turn this on, and the NVIDIA graphics system is unstable with Windows Vista.
  
  PERFORMANCE:
  
  I'll try to avoid going into a diatribe about the follies of Vista, but as this OS is foisted upon us, and HP doesn't support any alternatives, I feel it is appropriate to mention some highlights. The overall system is not very responsive, with programs like Explorer and Internet Explorer crashing frequently enough, and other networking programs often become unresponsive often enough. Sometimes with programs that require administrative access, we wait about 30 seconds for a dialog to appear asking us if we wish to allow the operation.
  
  Beyond this experience, the graphic driver crashes frequently, and multimedia controls like sound volume lock up the system and render the system unresponsive. I talked with their technical support, and they told me to call NVIDIA as that's their fault, and NVIDIA's website says call HP for driver support, as they are the OEM.
  
  OTHER NOTES:
  
  I think there are two design issues with the laptop: the keyboard and speaker grill:
  
  The speaker grill has tendency to not stay attached. Inspect your model carefully to make sure there are no flaws, and purchase an extended warranty in case a portion of the grill cover pops up in the future. I had to exchange my first laptop immediately at Fry's because of this.
  
  The keyboard keys have open spaces between the keys and sharp edges. Thus it is easy to pop the keys off and destroy the keyboard. If you had this laptop in a bag with papers and folders for instance, the flat thin object could rip out the keys. So, I recommend keeping the black cloth that came with the box, and place it above the keyboard when transporting as well as keep the laptop in a separate cover or bag if placed in bigger luggage (such as large computer bag) to protect the delicate keys.
  
  INSTALLING XP or OTHER OSes:
  
  Undoubtedly, users will be interested to install alternative operating systems to get around the problems with Vista foisted upon consumers. I haven't dabbled with open source systems, but I do know that some of the hardware components, like RICOH, are infamous for not supporting or cooperating with open source community, so expect some loss of functionality with Linux, FreeBSD, etc.
  
  For Windows XP, there will be major problems, because not only will you have to fetch drivers from non-HP sources, you'll need a driver so that Windows XP can see the hard drive (the whole F6 floppy ritual). Intel seems to only release this to OEMs (or makes it hard to get at it), and the OEM, HP in this case, won't release the driver to the user. Some of these heart aches might be important when considering this laptop.
  
  SIDE RANT:
  
  I know many will disagree with this, especially HP, but knowingly selling laptops with problematic graphics systems is just dishonest. It's like selling a car with a problematic transmission, and then telling customers to call the transmission company. Directing users to go to NVIDIA, who haven't been able to solve the problem in over 9 months just salts the wounds.
  
  And disabling a major feature of Intel processors surmounts to false advertisement. You buy these things expecting things to work and be functional. This topic is often discussed in the forums with other HP laptops, and in some cases HP has addressed the issue and provided the option, but several of their laptops, including this one, are not addressed.
  
  LAST WORDS:
  
  Initially, I thought the laptop would be a good deal for the price tag, even with the unfortunate circumstance with Vista, a problem shared with other pre-installed-Windows laptops these days (sans Apple Computer, and perhaps Dell). But with the disabled features in the processor (VT technology) and lingering problems with NVIDIA and Vista (a problem that exist with other HP laptops for over 9 months, a cause for many lawsuits), I couldn't recommend this model or other HP models professionally or personally.
  
  

• Nice machine...if you like Vista

  
  By AQGTW25FEI9D6 on 2008-04-27
  This is a very nice computer. The large 17" screen is glossy and high quality, which my nephew who uses an Apple noticed. The memory and graphics are sufficient for most uses, but don't buy this model if you plan on using it for a lot of graphics-intensive games. Also, don't buy it if you plan on downgrading to Windows XP. Of course you can downgrade if you are willing to invest the time and effort of finding and installing third-party drivers, but HP does not support XP on this model. I would give a rating of 2 or three stars to the whole package (Vista+the computer) only because Vista makes it run as slowly as my five-year-old laptop did on XP. I give the computer on its own a rating of 4 stars, and if you take into account that you get what you pay for it probably deserves 5 stars.
  
  I made the decision to buy this model because it fit my budget and Amazon was able to get it to me quickly. Although I was disappointed that I could not easily downgrade to XP I am satisfied with it as a low-end laptop.
  
  

• Bad choice

  
  By A1AFT3EL4OYBHT on 2008-04-20
  While this is a feature packed machine, I would be wary.
  Ours never worked, right out of the box. Tech support wanted me to crack the thing open and fiddle with the motherboards. Uh, no. I'll just take it back thanks.
  It was the last one at the store we bought it from, and the other store in the area only had one left, which was*also a return for being defective*.
  Granted this is only two out of how many thousands that are probably fine, but it made me shy away from this machine.
  I am *really* disappointed as this seems like a great notebook, though as the other reviewer stated, it is a bit on the heavy side. Just get a good padded strap notebook/laptop bag and it shouldn't be too bad for quick trips from the car to your office, or from class to class on campus.
  
  

• Great value

  
  By A3RUX0E3ACAMQV on 2008-04-29
  Just received mine today and the first impressions are good. The laptop is bulky and a little heavy which is to be expected since it sports a 17' screen, but otherwise is a great system. The screen is very good; bright and with a clear display. The 4GB memory and the graphics card are more than sufficient for most purposes. The laptop is really quiet and I tried the webcam and the speakers and they too are impressive. I think that the full sized keyboard is a great asset. Working on it is easy and the large bright screen really helps. All the ports & slots are on the sides but I didn't find that much of a problem. If you don't intend to carry the laptop around on your shoulders for a long while, just to the office & back, then this is a very good system.
  
  
• Great, but only if you're interested in the bottom-most basics
  By AFDN8395HBE42 on 2008-05-11
  After considerable research, we recently purchased this notebook and were extremely disappointed. HP could have had a really great system with this notebook, but they blew it. The 17" screen is gorgeous, the sound is almost as good, particularly when it is docked on the XB3000 expansion base. For Internet browsing, general office work, and e-mail, this system performs beautifully and it makes Vista and Aero look drop-dead beautiful. But this system touts itself as a multimedia system and even includes a remote and video editing software... Our 10-year-old desktop spanked this notebook when it came to running photo-editing software, games, and DVDs. It was a huge disappointment and is going back to the store for a full refund tomorrow. I know you get what you pay for, but we at least expected it to live up to what it promised, and it didn't by far.
  
  
• Great Buy...great features
  By A32Q5L58240L75 on 2008-04-26
  Out of the box, within an hour, I was connected through the network to my HP C6810 printer, internet was up and running, Outlook 2003 was set up to receive email. Staples is the place to buy this, I got a promotion deal on it, $[...] with $[...] rebate.
  
  The only draw back was IE was corrupted. But I was able to download Firefox.
  
  This is a sleek machine. Runs all my old game software and my Office Pro 2003. I do have Office Pro 2007 as a demo for 60 days.
  
  Buy this machine. I am now exploring Slingbox so as to run my TV through it.
  
  
• Poor Ergonomic Design, Other Problems
  By A1MWMCCHBFQKNL on 2008-07-05
  After months of research, I bought this computer when the price seemed right ($700), mostly based on its good reviews, because it seemed to incorporate all the features I needed for a semi-replacement to my aging desktop.
  
  I have had several laptops and this rates lowest, despite its sleek look and large screen.
  
  I had hoped the unit would double as a DVD viewer at times, the main reason I went with the 17" screen. However, the sound set at highest volume is not loud enough to be heard from more than about 4 feet away, and even then, the audio quality if poor.
  
  The DVD tray vibrates alarmingly when started and takes a lo-o-o-ong time to load.
  
  The weight does not seem an obstacle in the beginning. That is, until you pack your padded computer bag -- vital especially with such a large screen surface -- with the hefty charger, much less a spare battery. This puts the total weight at about 10 lbs., which should keep your chiropractor busy if you choose to carry it on your shoulder. (Even if you are young and in good shape, this will come back to haunt you in later years when you are surprised to learn that your rotator cuff is shot.)
  
  The mouse has a mind of its own, the cursor mysteriously disappearing and reappearing elsewhere on the screen during use.
  
  But most bewildering of all is the placement of the pad-mouse itself, toward the left side of the unit. Since most people are right-handed, it would only make sense to place the mouse to the right side of the machine, or at the very least, in the middle. Its placement on the left makes balancing the large and heavy machine on a lap challenging, plus one's hands feel crowded to the one side. The opportunity to provide a roomier feel, as in a desktop, was sadly lost.
  
  I would never purchase this computer again, even at a much lower price.
  
  
• Major heat issues caused it to break after a year...
  By ASJLXOX1VD4DF on 2008-09-22
  I purchased this system in January of '07. It had always given off a lot of heat so I purchased a laptop cooler. However, it still ran very hot.
  
  One day, I realized that it would not close all the way. When I opened it up, I realized that the plastic bezel around the screen had expanded from the heat and actually split apart. I call HP technical support and even though it was still under warranty by one day, they said I must have damaged it because "it was impossible" for the bezel to come apart like that. They said I could send it in to be fixed but it would cost 700.00 to fix the display (the entire system had only cost 1000.00).
  
  I called back another couple of days later and they said they couldn't help me since the laptop was no longer under warranty.
  
  HP had always had a reputation for solidly built PCs. However after the problems I had with this system and the lack of sufficient support and the actual rudeness associated with tech support basically accusing me of lying, I will never by another HP computer system again.
  
  The brand and the construction has just gone way down hill and there are many better alternatives out there -- including Lenovo (stick to the thinkpad series) and the Acer line (which I have a new respect for -- they seem to be built as well as the older HPs and are a lot cheaper)
  
  
• great notebook
  By AUX4JAXQAKXK9 on 2008-04-23
  Just purchased this notebook at Staples. It's a GREAT computer. I wanted 3G to run Vista because without it your computer will be slow. Screen is beautiful. Took about half an hour to set up. Had no problems whatsoever.
  Using this with FIOS internet is awesome!
  
  Highly reccomended!
  
  
• Great computer but not for playing games..
  By A2V8UG769TCBPD on 2008-06-04
  This is a great computer considering for what you pay for it but it's not intended for playing games. I bought this as a desktop replacement and so far, I would say it rivals a regular desktop when it comes to available system resources. Normally, you'd have to pay $1K+ for this. So happy, I got this than a much expensive Sony brands. Love AMAZON prices too!
  
  
• so far, so good
  By A3PO12B1O9WD3B on 2008-06-06
  Good solid laptop...worked right of the box. Set up was quick and easy. So far Vista is behaving itself.
  
  
• Great Mobile Desktop Replacement
  By A3JTZ0CDQCZCT on 2008-06-29
  Bought this unit about a month ago as a replacement for my wife's aging Toshiba 2.8MHz 15" laptop. She was looking for a machine with a full size keyboard and number pad with additional speed, storage, and memory. She owns a retail store and also runs 3 websites so portability is only a factor taking the computer from home to her shop and back. Although a "heavyweight" at 7.7 lbs this unit is still .1 lbs lighter than her old Toshiba. I was very unsure about going to Vista, but after stripping off the uneeded HP extras, this unit has plenty of memory and speed even running Vista to keep my wife (the only person I know who normally bounces between 10 web pages, MS Frontpage, Excel, and possibly Word) working without a degradation in speed. The screen is bright and clear. She often also works at a local coffee house and the battery life seems decent once you adjust the settings to the saver mode. So far all aces...
  
  
• No la compres
  By A3AWR0IGVPAS72 on 2008-07-03
  Es la peor lap que he comprado!!!
  Tiene un problema en la pantalla... se pone blanca... claro que tiene garantía HP... pero ya la he regresado 3 veces... si... escuchaste bien... 3 veces... y la respuesta de HP siempre es la misma... disculpe señor ahora si la vamos a reparar...
  
  
  
• Excellent choice
  By AI58UD32SKM6I on 2008-06-06
  This was an excellent choice, it has run perfectly since I received it. I am writing this review on it! I use it daily and I really love it. Great size screen and great for games.
  
  
• More than Desktop Replacement!!
  By A350D6695WAE6E on 2008-06-08
  
  Its been 3 months now that am using this laptop. No major issues at all! hav been using it for usual browsing, movies, songs, downloads, and also for gaming (COD1, COD2). Its been very nice til now!
  
  Update:
  Its been more than 6 months I have this laptop. Still Rocks!! Would surely recommend this device. Its (one of) the best configured laptops you can get at this price!!!
  
  
• Laptop for ther rest of us
  By A7JFFXNPFQ96X on 2008-06-09
  The only thing this laptop needs is the Ultimate Windows Vista software so that you can change the languaje of the system when you need it. Other than that, everything is excellent.
  
  
• I need a option for latinamerica Warrantly
  By A2NNH76E8SZG56 on 2008-06-13
  i like know If Amazon have a option for Latinamerica Warrantly, My HP is in Colombia and this have a damage in your memory. The warranty is Only in USA, and mi HP not have warrantly in mi country. Wath option I have in this case?
  
  
• recomended
  By A2HU6P1NNR4TV0 on 2008-06-13
  the display is awesome, the processor is really good the only thing missing is the fingerprint reader, but thats not so bad...
  
  
• HP Pavilion dv9812us
  By A2KX8WOCJEFOWA on 2008-07-03
  This has been a great notebook computer for me. Some reviewers complained about it being heavier than others, but duh! It is a bigger notebook with a wide screen. The wide screen has worked great for doing my graphic design work on with lots of room for windows and palettes. Its fast with plenty of memory.
  
  
• Perfect for Bluray movies with HDMI output
  By A1GT9N00KT7OKC on 2008-07-12
  I bought this laptop due to it's hdmi output and bluray drive. It's perfect for watching hig def movies!
  
  
  
• Laptop
  By A1TZ4FAQY9RHNQ on 2008-07-19
  HP Pavilion DV9820US 17" Laptop (AMD Turion 64 X 2 Dual Core TL-62 Processor, 4 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, DVD Drive, Vista Premium)
  Unfortunately this computer was quite disappointing in performance and picture quality. What was not disappointing was Amazon's handling of the return and total satisfaction regarding the transaction. Amazon will always be my first choice in the future. RFG
  
  
• HP Pavillion DV982OUS
  By A1357RG8Q2JL9F on 2008-07-24
  Beautiful machine,no compliants to report.Like everyone else,not to crazy about Vista,but oh well.It's my first laptop,so far so good.
  
  
• Good all around, with some excellent features = value for money
  By AQVE7LJRBDTST on 2008-08-05
  On the face of it the CPU is somewhat lightweight and so perhaps this is why another reviewer mentioned his desktop being faster. All told I'm impressed with it's wide feature-set - EVERYTHING works and no problems except the HP (not Microsoft!) volume control software (operated by the quickplay touch keys) sometimes leaves the volume bars on the screen and disrupts the machine. I've also not been able to create a recovery DVD - using the correct DVD-R. TV card works, DVD player, tons of RAM, 64-bit OS (and no compatibility issues), IE perfect, all slots, HDMI worked first time (and its AUDIO) :)), large HDD, 4 USB ports...etc, etc. Wireless perfect and fast. Vista works just fine on the machine - clearly a good match and it was up and running in just a few minutes. Though I'm a regular Amazon customer I bought mine from another vendor at around $200 less than Amazon and no sales tax.
  
  
• Good choice for a basic laptop
  By A1GIQAPL2UHSBB on 2008-08-21
  This is a pretty good laptop that I've been happy with and would recommend. It is sufficient for my basic needs of Web surfing, organizing my music and photo collection, and playing solitaire. This is my first time using Vista, and I'm actually kind of impressed with it's ease of use. The only real problem I've had with it is that Vista would not allow me to install Microsoft Office 2003 until I disabled DEP (Data Execution Prevention) first. You would think, that a Microsoft operating system would be able to recognize another Microsoft product as being safe, but I guess not.
  
  The battery life is short (a couple of hours), but I always use the AC charger, so I don't really care. The keyboard is spacious and comfortable. The screen quality is lovely.
  
  The laptop includes a Blu-Ray drive and player that I've used a watch a half-dozen Blu-Ray movies connected to my big LCD TV via the laptop's HDMI port. The playback quality is very good and has only skipped a couple of times. The software that comes with the laptop for playing the movies is pretty bad, but it works. There are some noticeable bugs, like if you want the movie's audio to go through the HDMI cable to your TV instead of out of your laptop's little speakers, there is an audio-output property you must set. But this setting is only accessible by clicking on a little gear-shaped icon in the upper-right corner of the player window, and this icon is hidden unless the player window is made full screen. The bigger problem that is so far not documented or acknowledged by HP is that you can only output Blu-Ray movies on either the laptop's monitor or your TV, but not both at the same time (mirroring). If you try to play a Blu-Ray movie with the displays mirrored, it gives you an unhelpful message about the security of the disc being in violation. The fix for this is to press the Function-F4 key to send the display to only the TV, but then it can be awkward to use the mouse and keyboard on the laptop while looking at the interface on the TV.
  
  The laptop comes with a little remote control, that is perhaps the worst remote control in the history of remote controls. It's tiny, about the size of a credit card, L-shaped, and only 3-4 mm thin (so it can fit in a slot on the laptop), which makes it very uncomfortable to hold. All of the buttons are shaped the same (circular blisters) and the icons printed on them are difficult to read in low light. It only has a range of 2-3 feet, and it must be pointed directly at the laptop. It kind of defeats the purpose of having a remote if you have to walk over to the computer to use it. It also seems like most of my key presses on the thing are being ignored. Like if I want to pause the movie, I have to press the pause button 5 times before it will actually do it. Maybe I need a new battery, but I would think the battery that comes with it would last at least a couple of months.
  
  
  
• Lives up to expectations
  By A1I4QKZIE0M4FX on 2008-08-25
  I've had no problem with the laptop to speak of, the screen is quite readable and bright, it plays the various games I've tried at high levels of graphics (Age of Empires III, Battle for Middle-earth I and II, and similar games).
  
  
• Heat/harddrive issues. Oh yeah, Vista sucks
  By A3LEVOCJ6J45LU on 2008-11-20
  So... this thing is beautiful. When it is working, it is a wonderful thing. But then, sooner or later, you will notice the laptop getting hot from the bottom center area. The you will notice applications getting hard to open up and taking time. Many programs like the internet or media player will show you "failure to respond" notices and close. Then...your harddrive will fail. you will be unable to retrieve any info. HP's customer service is pretty good. Within 10 minutes they were able to figure out that the drive died and were already setting me up with delivery for a new HD. (mind you- this was within 6 months of owning it.) Unlike Dell, they do not send a technician free of charge to your house. They have you call them for instructions. Second, they demand your credit information and threaten to bill you if you do not send the broken Harddrive to them within 3 days of recieving the new one. Now, seems like the new one is doing okay so far. media player doesn't crash like the old HD did. But, I am noticing the underside getting hot now. I have my laptop raised on vitamin water caps on all four (works, trust me) and have a small desk fan run cool air underneath. One thing, i upgraded the Norton antivirus program it comes with after 60 days to Norton 2.0 360. Not sure if that may have caused the crashes or not. only time will tell. I wish I would have bought a Toshiba or Dell. Save your money or buy extended full waranty. trust me.
  
  
• What a super computer, blazing fast
  By AR23OAYIY800P on 2008-06-14
  This computer has it all. Tons of RAM, Blu-ray 64 bit system
  Vista is not backward compatible with all products but why should it be.
  Tech moves forward fast and this baby is fast
  
  
  
• Great laptop, can't say much for the OS
  By A1OWIJP4EW5LKZ on 2008-07-03
  The only bad thing about this laptop is the fact that Microsoft has once again shoved an inferior OS down our throat by the name of Vista. Too bad HP is not allowed to upgrade this from Vista to XP or Win2000 would be even better!
  
  
• Excellent Laptop
  By A3V2K56DB6BCY1 on 2008-07-27
  This HP is a winner. 17 inches monitor, ability to watch TV, large keyboard, took no time to have it working, fast very fast graphics. I recommend this laptop and I normally use several laptops but this is the best. I only had a problem with Amazon pre-sales. They were unable to tell me if the card to watch TV came with the order. The card was included with the order no problem. I got an answer from a rep telling me the basically had no idea. Amazon needs to try harder answering customers questions. We buy a lot from Amazon and this was the first time that I got a "We do not know" kind of answer.
  
  

• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition FULL VERSION with SP2
• Nero Liquid TV
• Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007
• Norton Internet Security 2009
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7

• Belkin 17-Inch Messenger Bag (Chocolate/Tourmaline)
• Logitech V220 Cordless Optical Mouse for Notebooks
• Microsoft Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 - Slate
• Targus TLE400 17 Deluxe Leather Notebook Case
• Kingston Data Traveler 4 GB USB Flash Drive DTI/4GB