Ive had this new HP dv9000z for a few weeks now and let me tell you that impressed has does not cover my thoughts. First off, its beautiful, very unique black chrome look. Furthermore its soooo much faster than any other laptop that I have seen. Its got a 2ghz AMD turion 64 double processor and 1g ram. I mean this thing flies. Also, its got a seperate number keypad which is nice for money or math stuff and the ultra bright view widescreen is awesome. I would check it out. My dad has been in the computer biz for 20 years and he will only sell HP. But, get the warranty, they all (HP included) only look after their own, so to speak.

I have nothing against Dell, but its kind of the honda civic of computers. Everyone has one and they all seem to have some complaints. Thus far on this HP, my only complaint is a small barely noticible rattle when Im typing very fast in class.

Check it out.

 

I'm looking at the HD dv2000t. It's the one advertised on TV. Pretty good buy with the rebates off of their website + a free printer and free s/h.

 

^^is that the HP?

 

As far as laptops go, every manufacturer has their ups and downs.
Dell, while their products tend to be good, has a horrible service department. HP/Compaq is a middle of the road brand that still thinks they run the planet. I worked for them for a few years. Best decision I ever made was to quit! They treat their employees like they do their customers, talk nicely to your face, yet couldn't give a rat's @$$ about you or your issues. I rank their service LESS than Dell.
Sony makes some pretty gadgets and state-of-the-art gear, but they usually are overpriced and very delicate, especially their Vaios. Their support division is above par, but nothing to brag about.
Mac... ah, what can I say? It's a Mac. If you want the best in multimedia/video editing, get a Mac. If you want the norm for a laptop, don't waste your money. They are HIGHLY overpriced for a standard, run-of-the-mill laptop and suffer from serious incompatibilities when it comes to a Windows playing field. Their service is similar to that of HP/Compaq. They BELIEVE they are better than everything else available. Although they do have a much more stable OS, Mac does NOT play well with others...especially in a Microsoft dominated world.
EMachines are HORRIBLE!!! Do NOT buy one of these! They fall apart, crash, crater, fry your data, and are impossible to keep running reliably. Don't even bother with service.
Toshiba makes a solid laptop that may be somewhat pricey, but is capable of taking a beating. I have not had any issues with their support as they were willing to overnight me a part on the 1 time I had to deal with them.
All in all, if you are interested in that particular HP dv series, I say go for it. Just change a few options. For starters, skip Media Center Edition. Get XP Pro if at all possible. Upgrade the memory to a minimum of 1Gig. This is especially important if you are eyeballing Vista, which I wouldn't recommend any time soon. The upgrade is fairly clean, but if it doesn't like your hardware or software, you are SOL.
This same advice goes for the majority of the manufacturers out there.
Go with an AMD processor if you can.
Upgrade the memory to a minimum 1 GB.
If you are using a Microsoft OS, go with XP Pro, not 64-bit. There are still too many incompatibilities at the present time to opt for the 64-bit OS. Besides, there is little noticeable gain, anyway.
If it's Linux, Suse 10.1 and up. Ubuntu 6.1 is nice, too.

As for the exploding battery issue that was mentioned before, they were all Sony-made batteries. If you've got a laptop that is around a year or two old, check the battery to see if it is made by Sony. If it is, go to your manufacturer's website and search for Sony battery recall. They will give the exact details of part numbers that qualify for replacement. You may wind up with a free replacement battery.

 

Yes, I'm sorry. It is the HP. I should learn to type. Hehe

And, speaking of that, I just ordered it off of their website. Free printer and everything. I can't wait until these mail-in rebates come back, lol.

Here's some of the features I got with the laptop:
-Genuine Windows XP Media Center
-Intel Core Solo processor T1350 (1.86 GHz)
-14.1" WXGA BrightView Widescreen
-Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950
-HP Imprint Finish + Microphone + Webcam
-1.0GB DDR2 SDRAM
-80GB Harddrive
-CD and DVD rewritable
-Wireless
-12 Cell Lithium Ion battery
-Remote control express card

I also got a free HP Deskjet F380 All-in-one printer.

All in all, not too bad. I was not, however, expecting to purchase a new laptop. Kinda sucked away all my MOD money. =\

-Glor

 

Me?
I'm running a Dell Inspiron- 8000, crash and burn Millenium,, using firefox-2 and Opera as browsers.
has spent it's entire life in an 18 wheeler..constant vibrations,dirt and abuse...

BTW... what ever you choose for a 'laptop puker, get and maintain a GOOD Virus program,
I have used PC-cillion (it's ok) and now use Kaspersky (very very good)

 

I'm looking at the Macbook as my next laptop.

My other choices are Lenovo Thinkpad Z60 or Toshiba U205 or Toshiba Satellite Tablet (in that order).

 

i suggest, but anything you want, as long is it meets your criteria: light, portable, screen size, ram, hd...

I have an HP as my home laptop... and a Dell UltraLight as my company laptop... the ultralight is 4lb, discreet, and powerful!