Hewlett Packard’s Pavilion dv6700 retails between $700 and $800, hoping to offer great features for a medium-ranged price.
Overall, it lives up to the promise. The laptop features a 160 GB hard drive-this is a bit deceiving, since a small chunk of that space is taken up by system restore, backup, and OS files; however, such space reduction is common among all computers, not just HPs. It has a decent 2GB DDR memory for smooth operating speeds, along with an AMD 64 x2 dual core processor. These features allow for easy standard usage; however, if extensive 3D gaming is desired, an upgrade may be needed.
The computer comes with Microsoft Windows Vista Premium, MS Works, a few basic games, and the HP Total Care Advisor. Windows Vista Premium is definitely worth it when compared to the Basic edition; most notably, the addition of Aero to Premium allows for interesting effects and easy navigation among windows. The commercially touted HP Total Care Advisor is more of a nuisance than a help for any seasoned notebook user, but it can be useful to help get newer users plugged into the wired world.
The HP Pavilion dv6700 Notebook features a built-in webcam and microphone. The webcam is nice, coupled with Cyberlink You Cam software for easy usage and neat effects. However, the microphone is not very conducive to quality webcam broadcasting-not due to the microphone itself, but due to the sound driver. The laptop’s sound driver is designed to be higher end, filtering out background noise, but in actuality this filtering diminishes volume and garbles a speaker’s voice. The filter is too aggressive, cutting out useful noise along with the background static. Installing a new driver or getting an external soundcard are the best options for anybody considering an HP Pavilion dv6700 Notebook.
The extra buttons housed above the keyboard are only moderately useful. The sound controls are helpful, but the DVD player controls are pretty finicky and it’s easier to simply click on the screen. The built-in mouse also has equal positives and negatives: it has a great drag response, but the scroll feature is a little shoddy.
Lastly, the laptop is Energy Star certified, giving the user peace of mind. However, also on the subject of power supply, the battery has rather small capacity. It drains fully in about an hour depending on what features are in use, whereas many competing laptops can last about three hours. When using the HP Pavilion dv6700 Notebook, it should almost always be near a wall outlet.
Holistically, the laptop has good features for a good price. While some features are a little below par, the laptop offers good electronic storage, fast processing, and the impressive graphics of Window Vista Premium’s Aero. While the microphone and battery are nothing to celebrate, the bulk of the laptop is packed full of nice amenities, including good build-in speakers, jacks for S-video output, a DVD player, an SD card slot, and more. It’s a good bargain, and it deserves a good 8 out of 10 rating.
