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HP Pavilion DV3-2150US 13.3-Inch Entertainment Laptop Review from Kiwi. Can’t figure out why this is listed as an “entertainment machine”, Hewlett-Packard bills this dv3 as an entertainment machine but to be brutally honest, I couldn’t quite figure out why. Seems more like a standard laptop to me. The Altec Lansing SRS speakers for example, are good at creating a pseudo-surround effect, but they still sound tinny. The HDMI port can be useful in connecting the dv3 to a large-screen TV but even that’s more often than not found on more business-oriented laptops these days. There’s an HP MediaSmart Suite of applications for watching DVDs, listening to music, viewing photos and editing video. But this is at odds with the fact the pre-installed Windows Vista Home Premium OS comes equipped with its own Media Center software, which does pretty much the same thing while being much better integrated with the operating system.

The dv3 makes a fine portable computer. The 13.3-inch screen strikes a good balance between viewing size and portability, while style touches like the chrome edging and gloss black finish (it also comes in a white version) help it look flashier. The touchpad looks good, with a polished-chrome finish, making it surprisingly nice to use. The volume control is a back-lit touch-sensitive bar above the keyboard – you slide your finger left or right to adjust the loudness. There isn’t much room for plugs and connectors but that hasn’t stopped HP from trying. There are only two USB ports and, unfortunately, one of them sits so close to the DVD burner that a USB memory stick I tried blocked the drive tray from opening. The other side of the dv3 is crowded as well, with ports for VGA, Ethernet, memory cards, HDMI and eSATA, for high-speed external drives.

For those into creating their own disc labels, you’ll be pleased to know the dv3 is equipped with a LightScribe drive, which uses its laser to etch images on to the coated surface of a LightScribe disc. While there’s an effort to position the Pavilion dv3 as an entertainment machine, it’s better just to say it’s a pretty standard laptop that will get the job done on the road, with a little bit of design flair but also some minor flaws.

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