All told, HP took a very good machine and made it better. Buyers who just need to watch and record TV programs and enjoy high-def movies might not want to pay for the upgraded horsepower, but if you will use the HDX as a primary computer as well as an entertainment center, the faster components will certainly hurry your tasks along.
As for performance, the TX2000z is good for its class. The 2.3GHz AMD Turion 64 X2 TL-66 CPU and 2GB of RAM helped the unit score 3,700 on Futuremark’s PCMark05 and 593 on Cinebench 9.5, both of which are above average among ultraportables. The machine needed just over 9 minutes to finish our Windows Media Encoder 9 trial, and 5 minutes and 37 seconds for our iTunes conversion test—again, pretty good for a small machine. It managed a score of just 227 on Futuremark’s 3DMark06, however, which shows this machine (with its nVidia GeForce Go 6150 GPU) is no gaming laptop. The extended eight-cell laptop battery included with our model adds some heft and bulk compared with the six-cell pack, but it delivered 2 hours and 17 minutes of runtime on our harsh DVD battery-rundown test (with the screen brightness set to max and all power-saving features disabled). So you could see close to four hours of performance with more-miserly use.
Various incarnations of the Pavilion dv4 exist, but 2045dx is a fixed retail configuration that can’t be tweaked prior to purchase. If you like the body, but want different components, it can be customized and ordered on HP’s Web site. We were pleased with the components HP offered in the retail configuration for the money, but should you want to add more memory (it’s upgradeable to 8GB) or swap out a hard drive, it can easily be done after purchase.
The 15.5-inch screen features a cinematic 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1,366×768-pixel native resolution, making it a perfect fit for 720p HD video. Despite the presence of a Blu-ray drive, it’s not a full 1080p display. The screen has a glossy coating to spiff up the appearance of movies and photos,and while it does help make colors pop and movement look smoother, it might be the least-glossy glossy screen we’ve seen, so glare and reflections are not a problem. Also not a problem: the integrated speakers, which reach a respectable level and max volume, even if we’ve heard better.
Like most new laptops, this one has either a multiformat card reader or a dedicated slot that accepts an SD (Secure Digital) Card. More popular than Memory Stick, CompactFlash, and xD-Picture Card, SD is found in a large number of digital cameras, PDAs, printers, and other devices. SD Cards have built-in security functions to protect data, including music copyright protection. (The cards have a small write-protection switch on the side similar to that of a floppy disk.) The latest SD card, the microSDHC, is the tiniest flash memory card to date, measuring only 11mm across. It’s also the fastest and roomiest, capable of holding up to 16GB of data.
This 17-inch model retains the dimensions of its short-lived predecessor, measuring 15.5 inches wide, 10.5 inches deep, and just under an inch thick; it weighs 6.6 pounds. Unlike its 15-inch siblings, which now have an SD Card slot, it keeps the popular-with-pros ExpressCard/34 slot, making it the only Apple Mac laptop with such expandability.
So where does Toshiba go wrong? For all the A305-S6864’s multimedia glory, you won’t be able to appreciate it on your next trip, because this laptop has a woefully short battery life. The 4000-MAh battery might keep the weight down to 6.3 pounds, but it will barely last 2 hours. Don’t leave home without the power cord, even for short afternoons down at the coffeehouse.
If pocketbook concerns are paramount, the A305-S6864 is a great choice, especially for audiophiles. But it isn’t the laptop for long work stints away from an outlet, and Blu-ray movie fans won’t be happy with it.
As an inexpensive computer, you will get your money’s worth. It’s cool to be able to stay connected on long car rides or in out-of-the-way places. If you are the impatient type, however, there will be times when you are drumming your fingers. In today’s hyper high-speed times, that is often a major consideration.