HP dv2 notebook

Anyone already bought this? I need some feedbacks. I used to to use windows PC few years back , but then I changed to apple mac, now I want to buy a new windows PC laptop but I was totally lost when I went to the computer center to look for one....I dont know much anything about windows PC anymore....a lot of new ones....anyway the guy in the shop suggested this new laptop, but the only thing concerns me is the external DVD-ROM- and its blu ray. Anyway I want to buy it but I need some feedback and also maybe someone can recommend me something better? I am open to suggestions.

What exactly concerns you about the optical drive? The fact that it is external or the fact that it is Blu-Ray?


As for laptops, I always recommend Lenovo Thinkpad but HP is not bad. Stay away from Dell. Stay away from the cheaper "consumer" lines from any manufacturer.

I always prefer HP and IBM before, anyway I was thinking that it doesnt concern me much about the external optical drive since nowadays we prefer to us USB stick rather than the those CD-ROM for files. I just want to hear some feedbacks

External drives work just fine. The advantage is that you can get a smaller machine and leave the drive at home when you travel. As for Blu-Ray, they are backward compatible. Just check that you can burn CDs and DVDs on it. BTW can you save money by not getting the drive? My latest ThinkPad came without a drive. I do need one occasionally so I just went and bought a cheap noname USB external drive that does the job. But nothing says you need a drive unless you burn and read CDs/DVDs.


The big questions you need to ask yourself are:

- Will you travel with the machine or otherwise move it around a lot outside the home? If yes, get a model with titanium, magnesium or other rugged chassis. "Plastic" machines simply aren't as durable.

- How big a screen do you want? Smaller screen means smaller, lighter machine and lower cost, but it also means you can't as easily work with that big spreadsheet. Resolution is also important. Big screen with low res is cheaper but you can't fit as much on screen.

- How much weight can you tolerate? The more you travel, the lighter the machine. An extra ½kg doesn't sound like a lot, but if you lug it around a lot it makes a big difference. Then again, if the machine sits on your desk 99% of the time light weight is not very important. Also check what you are "giving up" by getting a smaller machine.


Important: Check the warranty. It is often worth springing for an extended one. Laptops do see a lot of wear and tear. Buying a 5 year warranty for a few hundred dollars will pay for itself if the machine breaks so much as once.


Just a note: IBM sold its Thinkpad business to Lenovo a few years back. Thinkpad as a brand is still around though, and the quality is as good as ever. I would even say that the accompanying utilities have improved.

thanks a lot xpatguy38, I was actually looking something small and light that I can bring along with me sometimes, I am not looking for something very powerful, I still have my macbook, but since I started a homebased business sometimes I need to do something that required a software from microsoft so I need to buy one, but then I dont want desktop bec I also have an Imac at home so laptop is an option, I just thought maybe its better to buy a laptop rather than buying the parallel software. Having an alternative is always good especially when you really need one.


And as of the external optical drive, it goes with it free of charge.

In your case I would actually start by trying Parallels or VMware Fusion so you can run Windows on your MacBook. If all you're doing is business stuff you'll have more than enough power.


If you want a small an light notebook, you could do worse than the Lenovo Thinkpad X200 (older model) or X301 (newer model).

so in the end I didnt buy it, its good I didnt go out today, I have been informed by the content management company I use for the website I am building that I can't shift PC and MAC to update my content, it should be in same OS. So I think I will just buy the parallels for my imac at home, been informed that can only install in one computer. The thing with apple mac, every software is expensive, everything you need to buy even a mouse that compatible with mac.....cost more than anything else

Before you get Parallels, try VMWare Fusion. Free trial here http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/ . In my opinion it is a better product for running Windows on Mac OS. Of course you'll need a copy of Windows in either case.

thanks xpatguy will try that.