- Full Two Gigabytes of Memory
- Lots of Hard Drive Space
- Well Priced for Features
- TV Tuner via External ExpressCard
- External Shell Shows Fingerprints, Dust and Scratches Easily
- Dual Hard Drives Can't Be Used With RAID
- Intel Core 2 Duo T5500 Dual Core Mobile Processor
- 2GB DDR2 Memory
- Two 120GB 5400rpm SATA Hard Drives
- 8x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner with LightScribe
- 17" WXGA+ (1440x900) Display and GeForce Go 7600 Graphics with 256MB, HDMI Connector and 1.3MP Webcam
- v.92 56Kbps Modem, Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11a/b/g Wireless
- External ExpressCard Analog TV Tuner
- Four USB 2.0, One FireWire, ExpressCard/54 and 5-in-1 Media Reader
- 15.2" x 11.7" x 1.6" @ 7.8 lbs.
- Windows XP MCE, MS Works, Norton Internet Security, Sonic Digital Media, Muvee
1/11/07 – Storage is one of the key features to the dv9000 series of systems. Many desktop replacements offer hard drive capacity of around 80 to 120GB. The Pavilion dv9040us provides a total of 240GB of total storage space through the use of two 120GB hard drives. The provides it with plenty of space for programs and digital media. The only drawback to the twin drive setup is that it is not designed to be used with the RAID technologies for either performance or redundancy.
In addition to the large storage capacity, HP has also included a full two gigabytes of memory to complement the Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processor. This is double what most desktop replacements offer and allows the system to power through memory intensive applications or multitasking better than its competitors. So, if you are looking for raw performance, the dv9040us does do quite well although it isn't the top.
The dv9040us is also a capable Media Center notebook. HP provides an analog TV tuner card that uses the ExpressCard slot. It would have been nice to see this integrated into the unit, but that would add to its bulk. In most cases though, people do not use the TV tuner while on the road instead watching recorded program off the hard drive.
The wide screen LCD doesn't have as high of resolution as some 17-inch notebooks but it works well. The dedicated GeForce Go 7600 graphics also allow it to play 3D games albeit without any special filters.
The biggest drawback to the Pavilion dv9000 line is the case. While the high gloss patterned surface may be very attractive, it also tends to show dust and fingerprints readily. So, be sure to keep a cleaning cloth around if you want to keep that glossy surface shining.
