The good: Slick, lightweight design; decent processor performance; built-in Webcam; two headphone jacks.

The bad: Mediocre battery life; optional glossy display can be reflective.

The bottom line: We like the HP Pavilion dv6100's attractive design and multimedia features, but don't expect this Core 2 Duo laptop to break any speed records.

Read full review of the HP Pavilion dv6100 »

By Michelle Thatcher, CNET Asia
Oct 5, 2006

Like all the laptops in the HP Pavilion line, the dv6100's sleek design and shiny finish hold their own next to systems from style-conscious manufacturers such as Apple and Sony. Aside from its good looks, the dv6100 also provides a solid set of entertainment features and high-end components for a fair price. Those components didn't result in record-breaking performance, and its battery life was below average. For these reasons we recommend the Pavilion dv6100 for home users who want a laptop with basic entertainment features and who don't plan to spend a lot of time away from the power outlet.

	The dv6100 follows the same industrial design as its siblings (Click for larger image)

Design
The HP Pavilion dv6100 measures 358 x 257 x 41mm--about the same size as the Dell Inspiron 6400. At 2.8kg, however, the Pavilion dv6100 is the lightest of the three--its AC adapter brings the total travel weight to a still portable 3.3kg.

We like the HP Pavilion dv6100's 15.4-inch widescreen display--its native resolution of 1,280 x 800 provides ample space to work or play. The screen's glossy finish makes colours pop and look brighter, though we noticed a distracting glare when working next to a window on a sunny day. There is an option to bypass the glossy coating if you intend to use the dv6100 in bright environments. Above the display sits a 1.3-megapixel Webcam that's useful for videoconferencing--two built-in microphones on the display bezel eliminate the need for an external microphone.

Like all Pavilion laptops, the dv6100 includes a row of light-touch buttons above the keyboard that launch the media player and provide volume and playback controls. We like the sleek look of the keys, but we hate the beeping that indicates you've pressed a button--the sound can be disabled, but doing so is rather complicated. The Altec Lansing stereo speakers, located above those controls, deliver decent-quality sound, but unfortunately the sound becomes muffled if you close the laptop lid.

The Pavilion dv6100's keyboard is ample and comfortable to type on for long periods, and both touchpad and mouse buttons are entirely usable. We love the Pavilion dv6100's touchpad on/off button, which keeps you from accidentally misplacing the cursor while typing and makes it easy to use an external mouse.

Features
The HP Pavilion dv6100 offers an average mix of ports for a laptop of its size. There are four-pin FireWire, VGA, S-Video and three USB 2.0 ports, as well as a microphone jack and--for those who like to share movies and music with friends--two headphone jacks, one of which supports S/PDIF output. Card slots on the dv6100 read the latest ExpressCards, plus Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard and xD formats. Networking options include Ethernet, modem and 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi--Bluetooth is available as an option. The laptop's double-layer DVD burner includes LightScribe, which lets you burn your own labels onto compatible discs.

It is compatible with the S$399 (US$283.46) xb3000 expansion dock. (Click for larger image)

Our Pavilion dv6100 ran on Windows XP Professional--given its many media features, we're surprised the system is not available with Windows XP Media Center. HP bundles a decent amount of software, such as the Microsoft Works 8 productivity suite, Microsoft Money 2006, basic photo-editing software and applications for disc viewing and burning, with the system.

We reviewed an early version of the HP Pavilion dv6100 that was built on a 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7400 processor , however that processor will not be offered on the system initially (for now, the dv6100 will top out with the 2GHz Core 2 Duo T7200 chip). The rest of our configuration will be available, though--1GB of fast 667MHz RAM; a 100GB, 5,400rpm hard drive; and an Nvidia GeForce Go 7500 graphics card with 256MB of VRAM. This configuration has a retail tag of S$2,699 (US$1,917.45).

Performance And Battery Life
On CNET Labs' application benchmarks, the Pavilion dv6100 excelled at the processor-intensive iTunes encoding test, completing the tasks noticeably faster than the Dell Inspiron 6400 with a previous-generation Core Duo processor.

The dv6100 didn't come out ahead on the multitasking and Photoshop tests, though, probably because it has less RAM than its competitors. Even with half the RAM, we expected the dv6100 to beat the Dell Inspiron 6400 on all three of CNET Labs' new benchmarks--that it took longer than the Dell to complete our Photoshop test shows that Core 2 Duo systems are not leaps and bounds ahead of older Core Duo laptops.

When it comes to battery life, the Pavilion dv6100's 2 hours 35 minutes of battery life is somewhat disappointing--we'd hoped for at least 3 hours. In short, the dv6100 should give you all the power you need (especially if you kick in a little extra to upgrade the RAM right away), but you aren't likely to get much time away from the wall socket with the standard-capacity battery.

Service And Support
The HP dv6100 comes with a standard one-year limited warranty. At HP's support Web site, laptop owners can download the latest drivers and manuals. In the event of a simple malfunction, the company offers an online knowledge database and support forum for troubleshooting. Further diagnosis or repair can be made at the service center, though the owner has to bring the notebook there. Telephone support is available during normal working hours and for current or potential customers who are not sure which HP notebook is right for you, a dedicated number is available for assistance in purchase selection. If more comprehensive coverage is required, you can purchase an extended three-year pick up and return option in which HP will collect the unit and send it back after it's repaired.

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