Unboxing the HP Pavilion dv2-1199us Laptop

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Posted By: Judie Lipsett Stanford

HP and Microsoft sent me an HP Pavilion dv2-1199us Entertainment PC to try out. Once I got past the fact that the model number is a mouthful, I couldn’t help but notice how lovely this moonlight white computer is – both in appearance and specifications.

The exterior is described as a “magnesium-aluminum-alloy case in a white imprint finish,” but that barely describes it; the look is stunning.  The touch pad is a mirrored surface, and it runs Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit). The dv2 has a bunch of bells and whistles…both in the hardware and in the included Microsoft software, and you can watch me make a complete dork of myself opening it here…

Also included in my package was MusicMaker14, Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007, and an HP Wireless Comfort Mobile Mouse.

Kevin is already talking about how he is going to commandeer the laptop to load Stronghold Crusader (which he swears is the best! game! ever!), because he can’t get it to play properly on his MacBook Pro’s Windows partition. 😛

Specs from the HP Pavilion dv2-1199us’s box:

* • Moonlight White
* • Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
* • AMD Turion(TM) Neo X2 Dual-Core Mobile Processor for Ultrathin Notebooks L625 (1.6 GHz)
* • 4GB DDR2 System Memory (1 Dimm)
* • 320GB 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
* • 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon(TM) HD Premium Graphics 3410
* • 12.1″ diagonal WXGA High-Definition HP LED BrightView Widescreen Display (1280 x 800)
* • Webcam
* • Wireless- 802.11 a/b/g/n (draft802.11n) Card with Bluetooth
* • HP Color Matching Keyboard
* • 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
* • External Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
* • Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2007

For reference, the retail on this particular laptop is ~$984 after the $150 rebate.

I’ll post more about the experience, after I have had a chance to use it regularly…

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.

8 Comments on "Unboxing the HP Pavilion dv2-1199us Laptop"

  1. Judie Lipsett | June 24, 2009 at 6:57 pm |

    Just did the BIOS update: muuuuuuuuuch quieter.

    And yes, the MacBook Pro can double as a stovetop. 😉

  2. shawngee | June 28, 2009 at 2:24 am |

    Is it still very hot? Also do you happen to have a round about ETA of when you will be making another video, i am looking forward to it.
    Thanks
    Shawn

  3. Judie Lipsett | June 28, 2009 at 10:20 am |

    @shawngee – It seems to be averaging around 119/121º, according to CoreTemp (http://www.alcpu.com/CoreTemp/). I don’t know if this is necessarily hotter than usual, especially on a smaller laptop like this with the processor that it has, but it does seem a bit warm. If I keep it on the table, I hardly notice. 🙂

    Next installment is coming soon, but first I need to get some of these HTC phones off my plate… 🙂

  4. aggie75 | July 4, 2009 at 12:27 pm |

    Judie – very entertaining video but I was distracted by the knife you were using to open the boxes. Please consider safety first and check out the OpenX Dual Blade Universal Package Opener – it sells for about $5 at Amazon and other places. I have 4-5 of these stashed all over the house so wherever I open a box or those dreaded plastic packages I will have a OpenX nearby. My wife and I have used them for several years now without any cuts or accidents!

    Oh, and nice review of the HP laptop… 🙂

  5. Judie Lipsett | July 4, 2009 at 12:30 pm |

    You aren’t telling me anything I don’t already know! But the knife was really handy… 😉

  6. shawngee | July 18, 2009 at 1:03 pm |

    still no update?

  7. Judie Lipsett | July 18, 2009 at 1:06 pm |

    @shawngee – on track for next week! 🙂

  8. shawngee | July 22, 2009 at 2:30 am |

    thanks Judie, wondering if hp is ever going to let this hit the stores. ;[

Comments are closed.