Customer Reviews
DV6458SE - pile of junk 
2007-12-10
I bought this computer with high hopes. So far, it's been nothing but a disappointment. I've had nothing but trouble with the wireless card, as well as the ethernet card. After 2 months of frustration, I've finally shipped the unit back to HP for repairs. I am giving the thing to my nephew. I am getting another Sony.
Reliablity and Speed 
2007-11-20
I purchased this elsewhere just before school started, at a deep discount. I have to say I have no real gripes. The sound is excellent and the screen is one of the nicest screens I've ever seen on a laptop (seen hundreds). Now there are a few minor things that annoy.
For one, I am OCD when it comes to fingerprints. This laptop seems to attract them more then anything ive used, especially on the lid. Another minor grip is the fact that the battery lasts on average 1.5 hrs for me. I read the crappy battery life is common among this model. Highly reccomend picking a a 9-cell.
great looks and performance is good 2007-11-14
good looks, and awesome screen, however, if you touch it, the fingerprint is there until you really rub it off (can only see fingerprint if light is shining on the screen directly)-can see fingerprints very easily all around machine. great keyboard and volume control on the top. vista is not so good-annoying-kills battery life-slows computer down. battery stinks- maybe 1 1/2 max-w/ power saver, screen down to no brightness and performance at lowest possible.tons of grippes on bottom-2 headset jacks-comes w/ a lot of junk-hd only 140gb even though they say 160gb-graphic card not so good-easy on/off switch for wireless
all around it is a wonderful laptop-would strongly suggest it
I'm happy with it 2007-10-20
I brought this as a package with a printer and bag. It has a 160 gig drive with 2 gig memory. The screen is excellent, Vista Premium Home actually works quite well on it and it runs as fast as XP did on my previous one with 1 gig memory. Not too much 'crapware' included either. DVD burns quickly. Only fault I have found is the top does not actually lock into place. Very stange feature to lack in a notebook.
Complete review for model DV6425 2007-10-15
This is a review for the DV6425 US model. First, let me point out some sweet details:
Design: Beautiful laptop, HP's fine imprint finish is really nice, and the Piano Black Color is elegant, it always gets looked at in public places.
Screen: Simply perfect display. Really good resolution and colors.
Media navigation: The keys on the keyboard for media accessing are simply excellent, it's like an ipod, you just need to put your finger on the play button without pressing and it starts playing, same for volume control, just slide your finger from one side to another. Really nice detail.
Now, let's talk about the tech specs.
Processor: Really good. Performance could be compared to a Pentium IV with 3.72Ghz of speed. Its dual core processors make multitasking really easy and smooth. I would REALLY recommend getting this model instead of the DV6426 with Intel, because this is a 64 bit processor, and with time, when theres enough 64 bit software, this laptop will be a bullet, while the Intel one, with its 32 bit processor will stay behind.
RAM: If you install Windows XP and get rid of Vista, the 1GB that comes with the laptop is more than enough. However, considering that Vista uses OVER 500MB of Ram just for the OS, trying to play games at the same time is really hard, because it sucks most of the RAM memory. If you plan on playing a lot on this, get either XP or 2GB of ram for 80 bucks (use the kingston memory finder on this page to find the right one for you).
Hard Drive: Not much to say, enough room for a LOT of stuff! 160GB is very good.
Video Card: Definitely not a Highlight of the laptop. Is comes with 64 MB of dedicated memory with UP TO 287MB of shared memory, meaning it takes the rest from the laptops RAM memory. Again, if you plan on keeping Vista and playing games on this, GET 2GB OF RAM, else it wont be able to get more power from the Laptops ram memory (thanks to Vista's RAM abuse). But then again, compared to the DV6426's Intel 950 Integrated video card, you would really prefer to get this one (Nvidia Geforce Go 6150).
I gave it 4/5 not because of problems with the laptop, but i would have loved that instead of coming with 2 512MB RAM sticks it would come with a single 1GB stick, making upgrading cheaper.
One more thing: HP's online support is excellent. I sent them an email with some questions about the camera and they assisted me in every possible way, giving me some very good updates for the BIOS, even though i didn't even request it. Now my laptop works better ;).
That's basically it. I pointed out the most important facts of this Laptop. Hope it helps you choose!
heavy but nice 2008-07-03
i really like it and will be buyin this series for gift in the future. this particular is a bit heavy and does not do well in portability but it has a nice sleek look.
Arguably The Best Value In A Media Laptop For The Money! 2008-05-02
Thumbs Up:
Fast processor, extreme good looks, rugged construction, HP's history of quality, price.
Thumbs Down:
Vista, 5400rpm HD, 1 gig of memory, annoying fan noise due to processor heat, HP's poor record for service.
The Bottom Line:
If you don't mind Vista, or can replace it with XP, and a fan doesn't bother you, this may well be the best value in a media laptop you'll find.
What I Think:
I've used computers for over 25 years. I've owned many laptops and this is by far the best Windows deck I've owned.
First off it's beautiful. Made well and rugged, lighter than most it's size, gorgeous bright screen, 15.4 WXGA, 160g HD. Built in 1.3 mp webcam and mic, Intel pro-wireless, 6 cell bat, and a boatload more included features. Mine also came with a Lightscribe DVD burner, HP's bootless QuickPlay software for playing the DVDs without having to use Windows.
The Hp dv6426us comes with three expansion ports, a Firewire port, three USB 2 ports, a 5-in-1 digital media reader, etc.
The only real drawback I've found on this laptop compared to all the many others I've owned is that it comes loaded with Windows Vista. This is my first Vista machine and I absolutely hate it. It totally fills the 1 gig memory the machine comes with even when idle. When something triggers the processor, it will go over 100%, no matter what the program. And the Vongo and other junk prepackaged with the machine slows it to a crawl. You'll have to rip all of that out to see the true speed this laptop really has.
Since I've had it, I've only used it for email on the road. But I plan this summer when things slow down to dump Vista and load either XP Pro or Vista Lite (an unauthorized stripped down version of Vista) onto the HP. Besides it getting a little warm on the bottom side due to the heat generated by the Intel Core Duo processor and the fans coming on and off the cool it, this is an unbelievable steal at this price.
I first saw this laptop being used by people in my line of work. This machine was showing up everywhere. So I asked each of these folks if they likes the machine and what were the main drawbacks. They all said they loved the machine and that the cons were few, mostly the warm underside and the fan noise. Some of the machines issued produce a high pitched whine, which if it's too troublesome, you can contact HP and exchange the laptop for a new (not refurbished one like Dell gets away with). At that time, it was selling for around $950.00 to $1,000.00. I just happened to see it on deep discount at Circuit City for $650.00. I grabbed the last one they had and after about nine months, I still love the deck.
It comes with the slower 5400 rpm hard drive and I may swap that out for the much faster 7200 rpm drive. And I'm definitely going to add another gig of memory. Unfortunately, this laptop has a limit of 2 gigs of memory.
It's not for gamers so if you are looking for a portable gaming machine, don't buy this one for that. But if you need an outstanding laptop for dirt cheap, this is the one to look at!
What It's Features Are:
Intel Core Duo T2450 2 GHz Processor
15.4 WXGA High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display (1024 x 768)
160 GB 5400 rpm Hard Disc Drive
1024 mb DDR2 SDRAM memory (2 Dimm)
Intel PRO Wireless 3945 a/b/g 802 11a/b/g integrated Wireless LAN
Lightscribe Super Multi 8x DVD+/-RW Double Layer Supported
6-Cell battery
HP DVD/CD Quick Play
HP Mobile Remote Control
5-in-1 Digital Media Card Slot
ExpressCard/54 PC Expansion Card Slot
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 with shared graphics memory
Windows Vista Home Premium OS
1.3mp Integrated Webcam
Integrated microphone
Mobile Stereo Earbud Headphones
Expansion Port 3
What I Like:
I love the styling. It's smart and professional looking and has lots of sex appeal too. The machine is built rugged and feels like it will take some abuse. It's easy to use. The buttons are well lit and marked and the keyboard feels good to the fingers, though some say it's a bit springy. Though only an XGA, the screen is bright, clear and easy to read with vibrant colors. The integrated sound is good enough for listening to mp3s and web radio on the road. I've not had the bottom panels off yet so I can't comment on easy of using the expansion ports or changing out memory. The DVD burner is easy to use with the enclosed cheapo burning software. I would recommend you replace it with what you are used to using to burn CDs and DVDs. Once you uninstall all of the garbage out of the machine and cheap unnecessary programs that try to load at boot time, this machine flies with speed. Even though it's not a feather weight (around 6 and a half pounds), it's very totable and can even be used on your lap.
What I Don't Like:
VISTA! Sorry but this is a terrible OS. Windows really shot itself in the foot with this. I've not talked to one person since this came out who likes it, even a little. Sure the graphics are cute, but you don't buy a computer for animated Mac style graphics. The new built in high security system is a joke. What it is is merely a series of questions when you click a button. It's like this:
Operator: Clicked a button to do something
Windows Security: Are you sure you wanted to do that?
Operator: Yes, click
Windows Security: Are you REALLY sure you wanted to do that?
Operator: YES! Click
Windows Security: Windows Security thinks this is an unauthorized attempt to access this computer. Access denied
Operator: BUT I'M THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THIS COMPUTER!!!
And this happens for every single thing you try to do in Vista. So you end up turning the High Security system off. Which right there tells you how secure it is. When I got this laptop and started immediately having trouble with Vista, I went online and found numerous blogs and articles saying the same thing. And there are no fixes for just being a big, poorly written, bloated operating system. What these IT experts did was either use Vista Lite, a stripped down version of Vista, or wipe the whole hard drive clean and "upgrade" to Windows XP Pro, which is what I use on my desktop and really love. That's probably what I will do when I get the chance.
Also, the HP Quick Play buttons are very easy to accidently activate and then it's a pain to get out of that program quickly.
And look out for the wireless activation button on the front. Grab the computer wrong and it turns off and you'll forget to check that as the problem.
This computer comes with the Intel Core Duo processor. This is not the same as the Core 2 Duo, which runs a lot cooler than the Core Duo. So what that means is more internal heat which will eventually affect the components and may shorten their lifespan. But the main affect is a very warm bottom on the computer which can get uncomfortable if you sit it for long periods of time on your legs or lap. It won't burn you but it does get warm. The second result is fans. There are several, including a pretty soft one that stays on all the time. When you start running multiple programs, especially graphic intensive ones, or have multiple windows open, the fans come on and at their extreme, they really scream. If there is anything I would label a design flaw with this machine, it would be this heat issue and the fan noise. But for me, it's a minor annoyance for what I use this laptop for.
My Conclusions:
All in all, I love this laptop computer. It's exactly what I was looking for with a cross of the high end media features and the zip of a gaming machine, plus the simplicity of a standard use notebook. If you consider buying this computer, before you load it up with software and programs, give yourself a break-in period to see if you will be happy with Vista. Most folks aren't but most also are not up to the task of replacing their operating system from scratch, and then reloading all the software and programs back into the machine, and then trouble shooting the new installation looking for drivers for the hardware that may not be supported automatically by XP. An option is to have the store where you buy it do that swap out for you. Know this, that they will charge you to reload your computer, AND you will have to pay for the other OS. Most non-professionals just tough out Vista and all of it's problems. If you keep it, you'll definitely need to replace the memory with two new sticks of 1gig high speed RAM. That's around another $200.00 to do that since the 1gig that comes with the machine is really two sticks of 500megs so you won't be able to use it. You could then always sell the 1gig on eBay.
Good luck!
HP Laptops 2008-03-17
In August, before going off to college, as many other college students have done in the past and continue to do, I went on a search to find a laptop for school. Although my school endorses Macs and Dells, I decided on an HP. My family has owned many HP's in the past and from what I had read it sounded like a great laptop. Unfortunately, it was only great on paper. It freezes and I have had to erase the hard drive multiple times. And, the big problem, the battery that it comes with only lasts an hour. It is not a bad battery though, when HP was contacted, they confirmed that the battery that comes with the laptop is only supposed to last an hour. There is a battery that will last from 2.5 to 3 hours that you can purchase for $150, but 2.5 to 3 hours is a maximum estimate and that battery hangs below the computer, as they claim, giving your computer a nice slant. Who would market this type of a computer to college students? Would you really send your own kid off to college to attend lectures with a laptop battery that lasts a maximum of one hour?! I don't care if a businessman, college student, or any type of student for that matter is using it. Selling a laptop with a battery life of one hour and not having that in the literature is not excusable. HP should be ashamed. They should also be ashamed by their incompetent call center workers who, when they don't disconnect your calls and speak English clearly and know what they are talking about, talk down to you. One woman forgot to log my call and another said that she would call me back in an hour- it took her over 48 hours. I eventually had to resort to having my parents handle this issue which has yet to be satisfactorily resolved. At one point my mother had been on hold for 45 minutes. Now they are sending me the 2.5 to 3 hour battery free, and they suggested I keep that battery that lasts an hour so I can carry it around with me as I have 2 lectures in a row and need the battery to last a minimum of 3 hours, which we all know it won't. How sad is that, even they know the battery won't last that long. Unfortunately, in the end it is the college student who is at a disadvantage, as her parents have already shelled out nine hundred dollars on this HP laptop and then went out and got an HP desktop for the family. Yet, had they known that this laptop had such poor battery life, they would have 1) never purchased it to begin with and 2) kept this one and not purchased the desktop and gotten me a different laptop instead. Needless to say, this will be the last HP product I EVER buy.
HP DV6458se Notebook 2008-01-16
I picked up this computer for $899 on sale and had it since october of '07, and it's been a great machine. HP lists this an an "entertainment" notebook, and I can say that it does that and more.
I upgraded from a sony Vaio PCG-K25 series, known to be high quality and reliability, and this HP machine hasn't dissapointed me. Before I bought this one though I was skeptical after hearing rumors about reliability and hardware problems, but I can say these are unfounded. I've never had a problem with it, aside from getting used to Vista.
I do college online, and do a lot of multitasking, and the AMD Turion (dual-core 2.0 GHz) processor is great, lots of speed, quick file recovery and no lag switching between windows even with four or more open at once. I compared this processor's performance to the Intel Core 2 Duo's in the same class (the T7200 and T7500) and found similar if not better performance with comparable RAM (2000MB DDRII 667 MHz) and graphics cards. The only difference between the Intel and AMD machines was price, the AMD machine was $300 cheaper!
Battery life with the 12-cell battery is about 4-1/2 hours with the WiFi off, and 3 or so with it on, overall great battery life.
I do a lot of music editing, and the Altec-Lansing speakers on this machine are better than most laptops, lots better than on the Sony. The screen is great also, awesome resolution, no dead pixels, and plenty of brightness, one of the better (if not best) screens on a notebook computer I've seen.
I don't do any gaming, so the NVIDIA 6150 card is fine It doesn't have the same performance of the GS8400's or X1600's, but perfectly fine for any kind of video editing and producting or PC games out there.
Overall, if you are looking for a good quality, high-performance notebook for the money, this is one to consider. The screen is awesome, the speakers are acceptable, and there's no shortage of ports and connectivity. As for the reports of HP's questionable customer service and reliability, I've never had a problem with my HP products and I've owned computers, printers, and all-in-ones for the last 6 years.
Love this laptop! 
2008-01-06
I'm really happy with this laptop- it works great, and has everything I need for basic daily use. Beautiful wide screen, with a bright background. Windows Vista takes some getting used to, but has great features (and I absolutely love Office 2007).
Back to the computer- Overall, this laptop is great though. I LOVE the media button, where you can play DVDs, take pictures with the camera built into the top of the laptop, play music, etc. Also, my laptop came with this super-cool little media remote, that makes the QuickPlay function work. The remote is a really really tiny version of a TV remote, and lets you play your DVDs and use all the functions from far away. Definitely a cool little gadget that got me sold on this laptop! Speakers are great too. Oh, and all the outlets for USBs, internet, media cards etc are really well-placed and functional. Speaking of media cards, there's this one slot that can take any size media cards. So if you want pictures from your friend's digital camera, and they have a different media card than you, they all still fit in the same slot. Pretty cool! I also haven't gotten to try out the LightScribe function yet on the DVD burner, but it sounds really exciting. Another cool function: if you don't want to use the mousepad and would rather use a mouse, you can press a little button right above the mousepad that "locks" it, so that while you're typing, you don't accidentally move the mouse. Oh, and the laptop is really fast too- always a plus.
Also, I have three minor issues, but they still don't change my rating:
1. The QuickPlay media and DVD buttons are easy to accidentally press when you're using the keyboard. They require such a light touch, that it's really easy to do that, and then it interrupts what you're doing because you have to wait for the QuickPlay program to start up. The buttons also have a kind of annoying high-pitched beep sound.
2. The wireless internet on/off switch is on the front of the laptop, so sometimes when you're moving your laptop, the switch can easily get turned off and interrupt your internet usage. But it's really not a big deal.
3. The other thing is that the little pads on the bottom of the laptop that cushion it when sitting on a desk can come off easily. This one is really my fault though, since I often leave my laptop on my bed, and it gets very hot, and thus the glue melts on the rubber pads and makes it easy for them to come off. Just something to keep in mind!
I highly recommend this laptop to everyone! It's been great so far, and hopefully it stays that way!
