HP Pavilion dv4 laptop

I use my computer pretty much 24-7.I'm constantly on for work, internet, light gaming, and data functions like picture saving and such.The HP Pavilion is a decent choice for what I use it for.

I just got the laptop about a month ago and I've been using it ever since-So far so good.I was a little turned off by the brand at first because I initially picked one up only to have it repeatedly shut off on me after a couple minutes use.I had to call the help line, which actually wasn't bad-fast service and friendly.They weren't able to help, so the next day I brought it back to Circuit City.It was returned with no questions asked and replaced with another.The second one has had no problems whatsoever, so I attribute my first problem to a hardware malfunction.Not a good sign, but the second one has really had no major problems yet.

It uses Windows Vista, which I would much rather have XP, but you can't find that on any new laptop now unless you buy it separate, so I'm dealing with this.Vista is ok, but it has little quirks that are irritating.The computer itself seems nice-great design-it's small and light enough for me to bring to work and back with no problem.It's a sleek design that commands attention, too.The only thing about the appearance is that it is very shiny-it attracts fingerprints and such, plus the screen is very smooth so it reflects what's behind you very easily, making it a little hard to see in the wrong place.

The wireless connection has not failed me yet-it's gone great.There is a webcam attached to the top of the screen built into the frame.I haven't used that yet, so I can't report on the functions of the webcam.The keyboard is easy to use, and the mouse pad is very responsive.There are touch controls at the top of the keyboard for mute, volume, wireless on/off, and video player.They all work very well, too-it's a nice design.The battery has lasted a few hours on its own without asking to be plugged in, so that's pretty good, too, if you ask me.

Overall, this seems to be a good deal.It's a cheaper version of a laptop, but it's been very reliable.I would recommend this computer to someone who uses their laptop lightly for the same sorts of things I do-if you do intense gaming or a lot of video playing and large file storage, this may not be the model for you.It definitely had ample space for all my personal stuff, though, and it displays and works with my data very well.

Update On Nov 30, 2008: You guys won't believe this~I just had to return this laptop because it had the SAME hardware malfunction as the first one I got!!I was pretty shocked and I'm very furious about the whole thing-I had just transferred a bunch of picture files over to that laptop and I had just updated my resume (not that it matters because I love my job, but I like to have it up to date), so all that work is lost now.

Honestly, if it works, it's an ok computer.I would be wary of this one in particular, though, just because I have a feeling we'll be reading about manufacturer recalls on that model very soon.