Hewlett-Packard VU145UA#ABA Compare, Reviews, Discounts
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Hewlett-Packard VU145UA#ABA Compare, Reviews, Discounts.
Product: Hewlett-Packard VU145UA#ABA Amazon Price: Too low to display Availability: In Stock |
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My wife and I purchased a slightly different version of this laptop for her mother and I have been very impressed with the features and effect quality (there are several DV6 models but they are all built on the same chassis) . It is well constructed with a metallic toned unlit exterior (HP also offers versions in white) . Buy a salubrious explore at the shell art since it is something that may not appeal to everyone. My mother-in-law definitely appreciated having something a runt more individual than the usual listless grey exterior. Despite the glossy exterior we haven't noticed worthy in the plot of finger prints or any scratches despite the helping hands of our kids who appreciate to "aid" grandma with her computer. (There are some DV6 models without art work such as the HP Pavilion DV6-1050US 16.0-Inch Laptop and the HP Pavilion DV6-1030US 16.0-Inch Laptop.)
The specs for this model are area well above what the average home owner needs today which (in my mind) future proofs it nicely. If you are on a tight budget you can find what you need for less (search for at the HP Pavilion G60 line) . If you have a limited bit more to utilize and you want some headroom to handle your computing needs for the next few years this is a gargantuan choice.
CPU - The four models Amazon is showing all fraction variations of the Intel Core2 Duo. This is a mountainous notebook processor and the best choice for consumers today. It can handle two software "threads" which means you can have the virus scanner running while you surf the web with no noticeable slowdown. The contrast between the four CPUs offered is not that broad and outside of gaming, CPUs are not the performance bottleneck in notebooks. I would suggest most users should use their budget on things that will accept them more tangible enjoyment (like a nice point to and apt graphics) . Only the DV6-1361SB stands out performance wise vs. the other models offered here. The other three models have CPUs with very similar performance (in fact the 1350US and 1354US fraction the same CPU model) .
RAM - 4GB of RAM is combined with a 64bit OS to which should provided more than enough memory for beautiful considerable any application you can judge of outside of extremely high raze gaming. All four models have the same amount. The RAM on the 1350US and 1354US bustle at 800MHZ while the RAM on the 1361SB and the 1360US runs at 1066MHZ. Faster is better for performance but not for battery life so the tradeoff depends on what matters most to you. The performance incompatibility is not enormous and I judge most people will be happier with the improved battery life.
HDD - Ranging from 320 to 500GB this is far more region than you need now but again, I like the future proofing. All but the 1354US have faster 7200RPM drives while it sports the slower (but slightly more suitable) 5400 RPM drive.
Graphics - The more expensive 1361SB and the 1360US both sport an integrated ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 which is vastly wonderful to the usual low-end graphics that plague notebooks. You can actually do a some 3D gaming on those notebooks which is a truly rare thing. The 1350US and 1354US expend the Intel 4500MHD which isn't going to find any awards for performance will satisfy any non-gamer (it chokes on newer 3D games) .
Display - HP has a reputation for high-end displays and this one delivers. Tuned slightly for indoor expend the 15.6" HP Brightview show is great enough for outdoor exhaust though not as remarkable as a more matte prove. Indoors it is shiny with surprisingly strong blacks (too many notebook displays are all brightness with no depth) . I like that the veil provides a decent amount of vertical residence without overdoing it. The dissimilarity between this and a 14" is surprising. (Note: HP recently starting mixing 15.6" and 16.0" screens in the DV6 model line. You can usually take a very similar model with either cover size though you may have to custom order) .
Sound - Surprisingly excellent sound for a notebook. The speakers are well positioned and converse a great range. I've heard better but it was on a $3K notebook.
Battery - Surprisingly only the least expensive model (1350US) has a long lasting 12 cell Li-Ion battery. I'm guessing that's because it's aimed more towards students on a budget who need better battery life than a home user. The rest port a 6 cell battery (gorgeous standard) . With a 12 cell battery you can realistically thought to go all day without plugging in. This does add slightly to the weight but few users will seek (about 1/10 of a pound) . It is larger and will stick out whereas the 6 cell will sit flush.
I don't have any serious "cons" for this computer. The "Touch Media Controls" for things like the volume (as opposed to buttons you push) are a puny uncommon at first but we got archaic to them speedy and hey, they examine frosty when they light up.
If you're staring at these four models trying to resolve which one to retract my advice is: For non-gamers objective go for the 1350US. The performance for non-gaming software will be very halt to the more expensive model and you collect a better battery out of the deal. The hard drive is smaller but as mentioned before most home users won't glean approach to filling a 320GB drive. And these days external hard drives are cheap and can even sit on your wireless network. And if 320GB isn't enough for you then 500GB isn't going to be worthy better.
If you are a gamer impartial skip up to the 1361SB. Let's be clear: this isn't a gaming laptop. A loyal gaming laptop will easily hasten you another $500. But you can play newer 3D games at nick settings and older 3D games will speed at more aggressive settings.
If you are a power user who needs the fastest CPU and memory the 1361SB is also your best choice. You catch a diminutive hurry bump going to the 1360US but the actual jump is the 1361SB.
To wrap it all up: you can always catch more features for more money but if you are looking for a laptop with some higher-end features and upscale do quality this is an gracious choice. HP spent money in the just places and has created a high-end laptop at a mid-tier tag. For most users there no reason to recall anything other than the 1350US which is one of the better values out there today. If you are a student you may want to check out HPs "Academy" program which offers student discounts (it can be hard to net on HP's web area so you may be better off searching for "HP Academy") .
Just got this laptop, and haven't loaded application SW yet. Will do another review later on performance.
Wanted to let you know that this ships with a 12-cell battery, as advertised, but that this is vast and sticks out the bottom of the laptop, so the combination of laptop+battery exceeds the advertised dimensions and weight. The size and shape of the battery obtain it very difficult to fit into my briefcase. I called HP, and they said that this is the standard configuration, and that I'd have to pick a 6-cell battery if I wanted one that is flush with the bottom of the laptop case.
Also, the chrome shipshape has a lot of exciting corners and edges that may collect on the interior of a briefcase.
There are no recovery disks, so budget time and expense to get these.
Other than that, everything's exquisite. The initial start-up and registration were painless. The (glossy) present and keyboard (with a nearly full-size number pad) are terrific. I stare forward to using the machine as my main PC.
Purchased at local Office Depot. For the heed, seems to have a lot of wonderful features (vivid LED backlight, 8-hour battery, memory (also expandable), remote control (useful for pictures / presentations), high bustle hard drive (most machines in this trace range have 5400-rpm drive; this one is a faster 7200) .
One thing (which was pointed out by other reviews) is that the battery _is_ tremendous and sticks out the bottom by almost an scramble. I like Dell's intention better of having the battery extend horizontally in front of the keyboard, but on the other hand it does raise the rear of the keyboard a bit which can gain typing easier. I idea it might be troublesome to expend it while in my lap but fortunately there is fair enough status on the lawful side (which the batt is closer to) to rest the main unit on your legs. An strange thing about it is that they made the extension go even further to the fair than to the left, which would have otherwise centered it more.
Another item which may be an vow for some is that the serve of the mask has a very shimmering HP logo when the computer is on. It is not software configurable, but an internet search revealed that there is a cable inside which can be disconnected to slash the light. I may do this or veil it with sad tape.
On the power, charge, and HD indicators, when any one LED is lit they kind of bleed over to the others, making it difficult to settle if they are truly lit or not. I do however like the lit indicators for volume & wireless; my aged laptop old-fashioned standard press-buttons and they would frequently gain stuck from dust or food crumbs or whatever.
The fan runs relatively quietly, and can also be configured in the BIOS.
As mentioned earlier the shroud has superior levels of brightness, but reflections can easily be seen. Unfortunately almost all laptops made today did away with the nice, anti-glare screens of the past in favor of these. I also noticed when first using it that the colors appeared very washed out; the brightness or gamma settings seemed design too high. I tried using the Intel GMA software to change the gamma but it was already at its lowest setting, and the brightness and disagreement settings did shrimp to improve. Windows 7 though has a color calibration tool that lets you spot these independently, I turned it all the draw to Min which makes it witness normal compared with other computers I've seen. I then had to utilize msconfig to disable the Intel GMA software from starting up and changing my settings each time the system was rebooted, so now the setting is remembered (if you go into the Intel settings again though, it takes over and you have to rush the calibration program again) .
I usually try and pick all the pre-installed software from store-bought machines, but HP seems to have improved their lineup with some useful tools so I decided to withhold most of them.
All in all, a generous machine, and would hold again.
