A Bang for your bucks.
Written: May 30 '01
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Pros: First class built quality. User oriented design. True Multimedia workhorse.
Cons: Heavier and wider than most of all-in-one design notebooks.
The Bottom Line: If you are planning to purchase an all in one notebook, look no further than this Pavilion n5270.
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| cdcooker's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Pavilion N5270 (F2363M) PC Noteboo... |
I have used this notebook intensively for more than a week and I have used almost all of its features except TV out.
When I shopped for a notebook, I went to local BestBuy, CompUSA, and Circuit City. For notebook computers, I strongly recommended you to see it and try in person, rather than trust the web site or catalog. Other than memory and PC cards, you cannot upgrade your notebook (at least not easily) and you are stuck with it for next year or so. So test it and see it before make your purchase.
The HP Pavilion series notebook didn't impress me that much at first. They didn't look as good as the Sony VAIO on another aisle. It's heavy and wide. Also, the 15" LCD model is wider than the 14" LCD model. But the keyboard part of the notebook is based on the size of the 14" LCD model. Therefore, when you close the 15" LCD model, the LCD lid extend extend beyond the base. There is plenty of space on the 14" LCD lid that can fit a 15" LCD. I really don't like this design. However, my grievances end right here.
HP online support is one of the best, and it is one of the most important reasons why I chose HP Pavilion 5270. I was thinking about Sony VAIO FX150. But when I visited Sony's website, there is virtually no support. No drivers for different OSes. No updated drivers. No downloadable documentations. So buying Sony VAIO computers is just like buying Sony TV or walkman, you are on your own. Dell online support web site is also very good, and I am thinking about the Inspiron 8000. But I can't see it in person, and it is even thicker and heavier than HP Pavilion, so I rule out Dell. IBM is too expensive. Compaq Presario 1800 is thicker and heavier. So I think HP is the obvious choice. I download all drivers for W2K and reformat the hard disk and install W2K right after I got this notebook. For Sony, I don't have this luxury.
Pavilion 5270 is a true multimedia notebook. The speakers quality is only second to Compaq Presario 1800. Similar to Compaq, Pavilion 5270 has plenty of multimedia hot keys, like play, stop, forward, volume control. But these hot keys are even more accessible on HP. The tiny LCD is backlit. You can see the date, the track info, the battery level. Very thoughtful design. Also, the multimedia hot keys can control not just CD, but Windows Media Player, even when it is not the active window.
There is a mouse pad lock button on top of the mouse pad. If you are typing, you better press this button to avoid any accidental move of the mouse cursor. This is a very unique feature.
There are four programmable hot keys to launch applications or web sites. Their positions are just right. The power button is using the sliding design. It is a lot better than press on design. You won't turn off your machine by mis-pressed the button. Also, there is a built-in microphone. The sound is clear and lound. But it is close to the heart of the notebook, so there is a constant tiny noise. So I suggest you to use an external mic if you need to do serious voice recording.
There are two USB ports, and it is a must now. Two PCMCIA slots with the support of CardBus on the lower slot. The DVD-ROM and floppy drive are fixed and you cannot take it out. DVD movie playing is surprising better than I expect. As I already mentioned about the quality of the built-in speakers, you really can enjoy DVD movie on this notebook. But you can't play DVD with the HP DVDExpress software if your screen color is set higher than 16bit. I used PowerDVD and it can play DVD movie at 32bit color.
I really like the built-in 56K/LAN combo. I can connect to my desktop and share the files and printers.
If you are not doing processor intensive job, the internal fan won't turn on. Otherwise, it is a little bit noisy. But all notebook's fans are noisy. I have to live with it.
The 15" LCD is bright and clear, with wide viewing angle. I set the LCD to the lower brightness and still can see it very clearly indoor. As I said, the 15" LCD lid is too big and it is larger than the base. I would like to take the 14" LCD option had they offered this option. Both can support up to 1024x768 anyway.
The keyboard is one of the best. May not be as good as IBM, but close.
Line out jack is in the front, it is good if I use headphone. But if I want to use external speakers, then it is not very convenient. But the built in speakers are good enough for a small room. Unless you want extra bass, the built-in speakers are more than enough. One caveat, if you turn the volume too high, you will feel some chassis feedback if you rest your palm on the palm rest.
I wish they can design a swappable battery and floppy drive slot so I can have a dual battery setting, something like the Dell and Sony notebooks.
On each corner, there is a protective rubber. I wish they used magnesium on the LCD lid.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 1400
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Pentium III
Processor speed: 601-700
Screen Size: 15
RAM: 128
Internal Storage: DVD
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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cdcooker
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