HP DV3 Review

by Thomas Bredman
(Rotorua, New Zealand)

I purchased my HP DV3 in Dubai in Feb 2010 whilst on business. I was looking for a small and light laptop that had some power.

I was not disappointed overall. The laptop is light and I judge that by easily picking it up in one hand. It has a small profile, about that of a larger hardback.

The screen is nice and crystal clear and has max resolution of 1366 x 768.

It has a webcam that works well. As with most HPs the microphones are up on the screen top. The sound they pick up is great.

The speakers pump out the sound and are located above the keyboard.

This particular model also has arabic on the keyboard as its the EE model from UAE. Does not confuse you at all having this on the keys.

It came with 3GB ram and can be upgraded to 8GB!! I think that is one of the best features. I also recently purchased a new hard drive to upgrade from the 320GB that came in the laptop.

This model also has a fingerprint scanner for security and that was something I was looking for. Easy to use, reliable and no problems to date.

The downsides I have found with this model are the lack of USB ports. As everything today is USB, this baby just lacks some more USB.

There are 2 USB on the left side and a shared USB/SATA on the right side but just not enough for me.

CD/DVD writer is there but hardly used these days.

Has your usual wireless features and has great range. Bluetooth is a treat.

All in all a great small profile laptop with good battery life (at least 3 hours - and thats after 7 months). Recommended for business or travelers.