By Darius Chang, CNET Asia
02/10/2006
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/notebooks/0,39050488,39269555p,00.htm

Editors' note : HP has amended the price of the xb3000 expansion dock to S$399 from the previously stated S$299.

The Pavilion dv9100 belongs to HP's line of entertainment notebooks with a distinct industrial design that departs from the traditional chassis of its competitors. As one of the first Core 2 Duo-equipped laptops from the US-based vendor, it fills the gap between the budget-level Dell Inspiron 9400 and the premium-priced Toshiba Qosmio series, standing toe-to-toe with our Editors' Choice awardee Asus A7J. Though the HP Pavilion dv9100 is not considered a high-end gaming platform in the US market, which has a wider range of notebook brands like Alienware and Falconware which offer amazing visual experience, in Asia Pacific it can proudly stand as one of the top contenders when it comes to graphics performance.

	The dv9100 follows the same industrial design as its smaller siblings (Click for larger image)

Design
The genealogy of the dv9100 is apparent, as it shares the same design as the smaller HP Pavilion dv2000 and dv6100. The wavy pattern extends from the showroom-shine ebony top cover to the internal silver palm rest, both of which are laminated with a scratch-resistant coating. Unfortunately, the care that would have been taken to prevent disfigurement would need to be used on maintaining the chassis, which picks up fingerprints faster than bird droppings on a freshly washed car. Another gripe was the latch design which protrudes to spoil the overall sleek profile that's made worse by a flimsy catch.

As a desktop replacement system, portability is not too great a concern, though its 3.52kg weight is significantly lighter than the 4.1kg Asus A7J. The dv9100 tapers from the back to the front, giving an impression of sleekness despite its 396 x 285 x 41.8mm footprint. The unit's rear end is reserved solely for the battery, with connectivity ports lining the flanks. To prevent headphone wire tangles, the audio jacks are conveniently located next to the Wi-Fi switch in the front.

Features
As an entertainment machine, we have few complaints about this Pavilion system except for the omission of a TV tuner. The industrial design includes the use of multimedia capacitative buttons--touch-sensitive controls attractively illuminated by blue and red LED lights. Together with a mini remote control, excellent hi-res display, integrated Webcam, high-end discrete graphics and an HDMI connector, we were pleasantly surprised that the dv9100 cost S$3,299 for the configuration we tested.

Built to satisfy your movie viewing needs, we were rather disappointed that an integrated TV tuner was not part of the package, considering that the similarly priced Asus A7J has both analog and digital tuners onboard. However, a USB TV tuner costs in the region of only S$100, so this omission is not a deal breaker. Its choice of a mini remote control, which can be stored in the ExpressCard slot, instead of a full-sized remote will alienate some while appealing to others.

Instead of Windows XP Media Center Edition, HP has implemented its proprietary QuickPlay technology inside Windows XP Professional Edition to recreate a user-friendly interface. This allows the dv9100 to play multimedia files stored on both the optical disk and hard drive without having to wait for a boot-up. Movie viewing was a pleasant experience on its 1,440 x 900 transflective 17-inch widescreen, putting the display on par with the more expensive Toshiba Qosmio G30, with only the S$6,951 Sony Vaio VGN-AR18GP having a higher 1,920 x 1,200 resolution LCD to complement its Blu-ray drive. Using a sensor, the screen even adjusts to the optimal brightness levels depending on the environment. For a more immersive experience, video can be streamed through the VGA, S-Video or--a feature rarely seen on a notebook at this price range--an HDMI port.

The HP xb3000 expansion dock, which adds more functionality to the dv9100, costs only S$299. (Click for larger image)

Audio quality was reasonable using the Altec Lansing speaker bar located at the top of the keyboard. In line with the new Pavilion series, two audio jacks are found on this unit, with one being S/PDIF-compatible to permit digital hookup to superior horns. An alternative is the HP xb3000 expansion dock, which adds more speakers, subwoofers, wireless input devices (via included infrared adapter) and connectivity ports to the dv9100 for a mere S$399.

Productivity-wise, this Pavilion offers four USB 2.0, FireWire port, ExpressCard slot, dual SATA hard drive bays and a DVD Super Multi writer. The optical drive, unfortunately, is not swappable, and hence, upgrades to the next-generation Blu-ray or HD DVD format will not be possible. A 5-in-1 memory reader is also incorporated for transferring files from SD/MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro and xD-Picture Card to the PC.

The full-sized keyboard makes typing comfortable, while a dedicated number pad makes inputting numeric entries a breeze. The touchpad was responsive with tactile-friendly buttons, both of which can be disabled using a dedicated control located on the bezel. Gamers who have had the painful experience of unintended mouse movements when the thumb glances over the touchpad will appreciate this feature.

Network connectivity is handled by the wired Gigabit Ethernet and modem port, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios available for those who scorn cables. If required, a switch enables the wireless radios to be turned off to save battery. When the dv9100 is hooked up to the Internet, a 1.3-megapixel Webcam located at the top of the display allows for video conferencing when coupled with the dual omni-directional microphones located beside it.

Performance And Battery Life
Out review unit crammed in the latest Core 2 Duo 2.16GHz processor, 2GB memory and 100GB harddisk under the hood. Despite the performance boost promised by Intel, our MobileMark 2005 numbers begged to differ, as the dv9100 came in at a mediocre 204. Even the HP Compaq Business Notebook nx9420 fared better despite using an older Core Duo processor.

BAPCo MobileMark2005 performance rating (longer bars indicate faster performance)

HP Pavilion dv9100 (Core 2 Duo processor 2.16GHz; 2GB RAM; 667MHz FSB) 204 HP Compaq Business Notebook nx9420 (Core Duo processor 2.16GHz; 1GB RAM; 667MHz FSB) 251 Asus A7J (Core Duo processor 1.83GHz; 1GB RAM; 667MHz FSB) 174

However, the lackluster productivity result was saved by one of the best 3DMark06 scores we have tested to date for 17-inch desktop replacements, beating the 1,964 points of the previous gaming crown bearer (the Asus A7J) by a wide margin of 263. Only the expensive Sony Vaio AR18GP scored higher. It might also be possible that a Dell Inspiron 9400 equipped with an Nvidia GeForce Go 7900 GS might outperform the 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600 found in the Pavilion.

3DMark06 (longer bars indicate better graphics performance)

HP Pavilion dv9100 (Core 2 Duo processor 2.16GHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600) 2,227 Asus A7J (Core Duo processor 1.83GHz; 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X1600) 1,964 Sony Vaio VGN-AR18GP (Core Duo processor 2.16GHz; 256MB Nvidia GeForce Go 7600) 2,859

Battery life was a reasonable 2 hours 48 minutes, which was rather long considering the power-hungry 17-inch LCD.

BAPCo MobileMark2005 battery life in minutes (longer bars indicate longer battery life)

HP Pavilion dv9100 (Core 2 Duo processor 2.16GHz; 17-inch screen) 168 HP Compaq Business Notebook nx9420 (Core Duo processor 2.16GHz; 17-inch screen) 217 Asus A7J (Core Duo processor 1.83GHz; 17-inch screen) 110

Service And Support
The HP dv9100 comes with a one-year international 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.