Pointing the finger
I'm just wondering why a notebook that is so clearly intended for use as a leisure and entertainment PC should include a fingerprint reader at all. The HP Pavilion dv6-3085ea has a £200 premium over the price of the other Pavilion dv6 models: surely it can't be down to this fingerprint lark, can it?
Benchmark Tests
PCMark Vantage Results
Longer bars are better
Longer bars are better
Despite this, the most striking feature of this notebook, as far as I'm concerned, is HP QuickWeb. This is a mini HP operating system that kicks in within a few seconds of the unit being switched on, with a graphical interface that provides access to your photos, videos and music. It even lets you check your e-mail, browse the web, start an online chat or run Skype. All of this happens without having to wait for Windows 7 to launch.
Battery Life Results
Battery life in minutes
Longer bars are better
Hang on, HP QuickWeb doesn't ask me for a login. That means it circumvents my PC login AND fingerprint check in one go. Oh brilliant, I'm so glad I spent that extra £200 on security. Still, I'm rather fond of this feature. It's not exactly 'instant-on' but comes pretty damn close. Oddly enough, though, you'll have to run Windows if you want to watch a DVD.
Next page: Brickbats
COMMENTS
"Everyone would secretly prefer a notebook over a desktop computer"
That's everyone except me, then.
whole bunch of them
The HP web site appears to have a whole bunch of these so perhaps it is possible to buy one without the fingerprint gadget. I can't make head nor sense of all the model numbers and processor types. Life is too short for all these arcane non-sequential type numbers.
the 3085 and 3065 appear to have identical specs but are fifty quid different in price. What is this, bait and switch?
Re: Fashion
"I confidently predict that in a few years we'll look back at this fad with some embarrassment."
Ah but HP have thought about this already! Their laptops are purposely built not to last a day longer than the current transient fad.
Expensive toy?
Must say its a lot of money for a laptop that seems to have no *useful* advantage over the competition. Fingerprint reader on a home laptop, in particular when it seems so easy to bypass? WTF? At that price point, going for Apple to avoid Joe Average's typical issues with Windows' security makes sense.
Just got myself a Novatech Xplora E16 which offers a decent 15.6" screen, and NO OPERATING SYSTEM as choice, for about a tenner over 1/3 of the HP's cost!
OK, the AMD dual core CPU is not fantastically powerful, and battery life is distinctly average, but if you want a good screen size and plan of using Linux, it is a great choice!
Tux, as my new laptop loves him/her.
Textures?
I'll take textures over fingerprint grease loving high gloss any day.
God I hate high gloss.
