HP Pavilion zd7000 review

Microsoft has upgraded its TV- and media-friendlyType III PC Card slot. A fixed DVD-R/RW drive
Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) to MCEaccommodates most optical media but,
2004, and HP's Pavilion zd7000 runs the newunfortunately, not a backup battery. Inside, there's
version. The $2,600 laptop features a big,a screaming-hot 3.2GHz desktop Pentium 4 (it
wide-screen display; a handheld remote; a DVDreally does run hot; good thing the Pavilion zd7000
burner; and an external box that ties in to youris too heavy to park on your lap for long); Nvidia's
television signal. MCE 2004 may be better suitedAGP 8X GeForce FX Go5600 graphics controller
for a PC, especially if accommodating the OSwith 128MB of its own memory; 512MB of
requires a 9.2-pound laptop, plus multiple cables333MHz memory filling both memory slots; and a
and paraphernalia. Nevertheless, the HP Pavilion60GB hard drive.
zd7000 is among the fastest, best-designedMicrosoft streamlined and extended Media Center
laptops CNET has ever tested, and it's equippedEdition (MCE) 2004 in some useful ways. The
to please videographers, shutterbugs, gamers, andbasic idea is a separate, no-keyboard interface
even those who ponder spreadsheets. However,that lets you use the remote to run utilities for
its sheer weight and heat, plus a battery thatviewing and recording television, organizing and
conks out just past two hours, may discouragedisplaying photos, and performing other
you from taking the laptop off your desk.media-oriented activities. MCE 2004 can teach
Design of HP Pavilion zd7000itself how to work with your set-top box, walk
After looking at several recent big-screen laptops,you through calibrating color on your screen, and
we think the HP Pavilion zd7000 has the bestnotify you when someone is trying to call you (if
implementation of a nonstandard-resolution display.you have Caller ID). It can download current TV
In particular, its resolution is appropriate for itsschedules unattended and record a TV show
screen size, unlike others we've seen. HP's Pavilionwhile you're using the system for other tasks.
nx7000, for example, crams its 1,680x1,050Microsoft also improved the television listings; you
resolution onto a 15.4-inch (diagonal) wide-screennow have tools to sort and filter them, and you
LCD--that's 130 pixels per inch, a view so dense,can find listings based on keywords.
you have to squint.For those moments away from television, HP
The HP Pavilion zd7000 tops out at a comfortablebundles Microsoft Works 7.0 with Microsoft Money
100 pixels per inch, displaying a 1,440x900 native2003 and Encarta Internet Edition.
resolution--enough to sail through a spreadsheetPerformance of HP Pavilion zd7000
as easily as through a movie. We love theMobile application performance
display's saturated colors and its sharp, clean textThe HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE comes in first place
on an evenly lit background. The image fadesin mobile performance in this small test group of
when viewing from above or the side, however,desktop replacements. The HP Pavilion zd7000 is
so gathering friends around for a movie won'tthe first laptop we've tested with Intel's Pentium
work.4 Extreme Edition processor. The difference
The big keyboard includes a separate numericbetween this chip and the normal Pentium 4 is the
keypad.addition of a 2MB L3 memory cache on the
The wide touchpad features a scrolling strip downExtreme Edition chip as well as its normal 512K L2
the right-hand edge.memory cache. The HP Pavilion zd7000 P4EE's
The HP Pavilion zd7000's size allows formobile performance score has less to do with this
uncluttered, uncrowded hands-on elements. Amajor bump in cache memory and more to do
long, ridged latch opens the lid easily to reveal awith how low the speed of the processor is
full-size keyboard--even the Backspace key isthrottled in order to conserve battery life. In this
big--with a separate numeric keypad. Keyscase, the HP Pavilion zd7000's 3.2GHz Pentium 4
provide a good "pop" feel and operate silently, andExtreme Edition processor does not drop its
the keyboard is almost free of wiggle and sag. Aspeed significantly and as a result ends up with
wide touchpad features a scrolling strip down thethe highest MobileMark performance score we've
right-hand edge; ordinary left- and right-clickyet seen. Unfortunately, the HP Pavilion zd7000
mouse buttons sit just below it. Stereo speakersP4EE's great mobile performance does not come
line the laptop's entire front edge and sound atwithout a price, as is seen in its battery life score.
least as good as small external speakers. There'sThe Dell Inspiron XPS with its Pentium 4 3.4GHz
also a power button for the 802.11g Wi-Fi radio.processor is a distant second in mobile
Features of HP Pavilion zd7000performance, with the original HP Pavilion zd7000
The DVD-rewritable drive is fixed, so you can'tP4 bringing up the rear. Often with desktop
swap in another battery.replacements, mobile performance comes down
HP stocked the Pavilion zd7000 with features onto how much battery life the manufacturer is
the outside and muscle on the inside. Along thecomfortable sacrificing. In the case of the HP
edges, it has a quartet of USB 2.0 ports; aPavilion zd7000 P4EE, HP chooses mobile
four-pin FireWire port; S-Video; two flash memoryperformance, designing a system that can run
slots that read Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard,office and content-creation applications very fast
Memory Stick, and SmartMedia; and a Type IIin a mobile state.