HP Pavilion DV6

by Denise
(North Canton, OH)

I purchased a Hewlett-Packard HP Pavilion DV6 notebook computer in 2009. Over the past year, I have found it to be a sturdy, fast, and reliable computer. My computer came equipped with Microsoft Windows Vista Home Edition operating system, an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU Processor, and 4 GB RAM. I would highly recommend this computer to my friends.

The screen size is 16 inches with a screen ratio of 16:9. Although the screen is fairly bright and very easy to view indoors, I have found it harder to see outside in bright sunlight. The computer’s keyboard is basically full-sized and it is very responsive and that makes typing extremely easy.

The touchpad is very sensitive and responsive. This computer is large and gives a nice sized screen and keyboard, but still small enough to fit in a large laptop bag. In fact, I chose this model over a different computer with a larger screen because the larger screen model would not have fit in my laptop bag. I buy laptops for portability so this was an important consideration for me.

Battery life is not a concern with this laptop. I purchased the extended-life battery and get over 5 hours of constant use from it between charging. Also, the extended battery also doubles as an elevator for the laptop, allowing the fan to better circulate air under and around the computer and keep it from over heating. The battery is the best part of this computer!

There are lots of plugs, jacks, and extension ports in this model including 3 USBs, a card reader, Ethernet, three 3.5 jack-plugs, VGA, docking, eSATA, FireWire, ExpressCard 54, DC-in, Kensington, and a DVD drive.

One of my biggest (and only) complaints about this computer is that it is always dirty. Seriously, it doesn’t seem like it would be a big concern but it really is annoying. All the surfaces are shiny and reflective and a magnet for fingerprints and spilled food. Still, the manufacturer included a special cleaning cloth in the box and that was something that I appreciated.

My other complaint is with the sound quality – very quiet and understated. This model would have benefited with stronger speakers.