HP HDX18 (Core 2 Duo T9400 processor 2.53GHz; 2GB RAM)

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Features

We've usually counseled consumers to avoid proprietary media software packages for controlling movies, music, and other digital files. Every PC maker seems to have its own version, but none are easier or offer better features than stalwarts such as Windows Media Center or iTunes. That said, there are a few noteworthy tweaks to HP's MediaSmart software, including some new Internet-streaming video content and Slingbox support. An external TV tuner antenna and a credit card-style remote control (which tucks into the ExpressCard slot) are also included, rounding out the system's media-friendly credentials. Speakers, with a small subwoofer under the chassis, are about as good as laptop speakers get, which is to say acceptable for movie-watching, but headphones will serve music better.

	HP HDX18	Average for category (desktop replacement)
Video	VGA-out, HDMI	VGA-out, S-video, HDMI
Audio	Stereo speakers with subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks	Stereo speakers with subwoofer, headphone/microphone jacks
Data	Four USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader, eSATA port	Four USB 2.0, mini-FireWire, SD card reader
Expansion	ExpressCard/54	ExpressCard/54
Networking	Modem, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth	Modem, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional Bluetooth
Optical drive	Blu-ray combo drive	DVD burner

The 18.4-inch widescreen LCD display offers a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel native resolution, which is the same as a 1080p HDTV display, making the HDX18 perfect for Blu-ray or other HD content. Surprisingly, 18-inch displays really don't feel that much larger than their 17-inch counterparts because, while wider, they're not as tall, thanks to the move from 16:10 to 16:9 aspect displays.

The HDX18 includes features that are considered de rigueur for entertainment-minded desktop replacements, including an HDMI-out for hooking the Blu-ray drive up to an even bigger screen and an eSATA port for adding a large external hard drive. Note that HP has replaced our review unit's 160GB 7200rpm hard drive with twin 250GB drives (both 7200rpm and 5400rpm are available), and our Blu-ray recordable drive won't be available until later in the year--for now, only a Blu-ray-playing/DVD-burning drive is offered.

Tags: Intel Core 2 Duo, Laptop Computer, Hewlett-Packard Co., multimedia, Acer Inc.

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