Specifications
The HP dv3510 laptop is one of the new ultra-portable laptops that have the power of a desktop. Here are some of the specs:
- Processor - Core 2 Duo P7350 @ 2.0Ghz
- OS - Vista Home Premium 64 bit
- RAM - 4.00GB
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9300 GS with 512MB dedicated video memory
- Screen - 13.3" LED 1280x800
- HDD - 320GB, 5400rpm Toshiba MK3252GSX Serial ATA
- Optical - Double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive
- Wireless – A+B+G+N WiFi and Bluetooth
- Battery - 6 cell (sits flush with the case)
- Weight – 4.6 lbs
Design and Display
HP is known for their cheap designs and this one isn’t going to win any design awards. However, it’s not anywhere near bad. It does have a plastic feel to it, but you can also hold it with a tight grip. The plastic has a very smooth feel to it. However, the design also allows for the laptop to collect fingerprints. The screen is thin, unlike most other HP computers. It’s not too thin, like screens found on some Sony Vaios.
The unit has a built-in camera with speaker that works fairly well. In addition, it also has three high speed USB ports, one HDMI port, a 5 in 1 media card reader, a fingerprint reader, a 10/100/1000 Gigabite Ethernet LAN port and a double-layer DVD±RW/CD-RW drive.
The unit doesn’t contain a FireWire port, which is unfortunate since the unit practically begs to be used with a digital high definition video camera. However, it does contain an ExpressCard/34 PCMCIA slot and you can buy a decently priced FireWire ExpressCard these days.
The LED Screen won’t compete with Sony laptop screens anytime soon, but there is a lot to like about it: the 1280 x 800 resolution, the crisp color and the incredible brightness. The viewing angles aren’t the best but better than most HP notebooks. Since this laptop does contain a NVIDIA GeForce 9300 GS graphics card, you can easily manipulate the color settings.
The speakers, which are located at the bottom of the unit, sound tiny and cheap. The location of the speakers creates conflict for people who like to position their laptop tilted on their lap, pillow, or on a laptop cooler (which you don’t really need for this unit).
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard feels nice and comfortable. The best part about this keyboard is that unlike most other laptops, the keys actually light up. This is a great advantage if you like working in dark places. One minor concern is that the extra open space between the keys that allows for dust and other particles to easily enter. You shouldn’t be surprised when it is hard to press down a key because a dust particle entered underneath it.
This is one of the best touchpad devices available on a laptop. It feels smooth, sleek, and milky. In other words, it’s very comfortable. But its glossy design does make it a fingerprint magnet. The scrolling functions work very well.
Performance and Battery Life
The performance on this laptop is solid! From running day-to-day tasks to playing high definition video clips, there are no issues whatsoever with this laptop. There are some issues with sluggish performance when running several applications at once with Vista. But when upgrading to Windows 7, an operating system that fits this laptop like a glove, those problems are instantly fixed.
The HP dv3510 is one of the only high-powered laptops that actually has netbook-like battery life. Under the “High Performance” profile with 80 percent full screen brightness, WiFi, and the keyboard light on, one can get almost three hours of use that includes surfing the web, playing videos, and doing casual word processing. This is not the type of laptop that you take to Starbucks and constantly look around for a power supply. Chances are that you won’t need one!
Overall Impression
Suite 101 Grade: A-
The HP dv3510 notebook is one of the best portable notebooks released in recent memory. If it wasn’t for the poor speakers and lack of FireWire port, this unit would be perfect. Those who desire having a big laptop for high powered tasks and an ultraportable netbook for low powered tasks might consider buying just one unit, the HP dv3510, since it combines the best features of both.
 |
 |
