Favorable:
* Sharp, anti-glare screen
* Hybrid hard drive speeds up boot times noticeably
* Unique red-backlit keyboard
* Impressive battery life, given the specs
* Beats Audio provides better-than-average sound
Unfavorable:
* Premium HP Envy lineup is only $150 more
* Lid is a fingerprint haven
* Terrible speaker placement
* Tight USB ports
* On/Off Wi-Fi button easily pressed by accident
Introduction:
As a college student, my main justifications for selling off my previous computer was for better portability and battery life. Lugging my thick, weighty Dell around campus wasn't very fun, and although it got the job done, I ultimately decided a different laptop would serve my current needs much better. My initial goal was to end up with a thin and light or possibly an ultraportable. A Toshiba Portege r835 or Asus Zenbook perhaps. So, how in the world did I end up with the HP dm4-3090se? The short answer: The formerly mentioned machines simply didn't have the features I longed for. The longer, more descriptive answer: I can't wrap it all into one sentence, but keep reading and I promise I'll tell you!
Specifications:
I'll keep this section short and sweet since Amazon has the specs readily available on this webpage. This computer came with an i5-2450M @ 2.5 GHz and Turbo Boost Technology of up to 3.1 GHz. 500GB 7200RPM Hard drive with a 20GB mSATA drive*. 6GB of RAM. 14-inch anti-glare (matte) screen with a maximum resolution of 1600 x 900. Red-backlit keyboard, no number pad included. 3 USB Ports ( Two 3.0 and One 2.0), HDMI Port, Ethernet Port, Card Reader, Beats Audio with Subwoofer. In other words, this laptop is loaded.
*HP has recently increased the mSATA capacity from 20GB to 32GB. My machine came with a 32GB.
Unboxing and Initial Impressions:
I bought this laptop off Amazon and it arrived a couple of days later by UPS. Upon opening the box, I was greeted with the power cord, battery, setup instructions, a packet featuring advertisements for HP's many accessories and Norton Anti-Virus, and the laptop itself nicely placed in a cloth sleeve. There is some widespread confusion about whether there is a Beats Audio headphone included and I can say with certainty that there are no headphones, of any kind, included with this computer. It would have been nice, but HP isn't feeling quite that generous.
I pressed the power button, located in the top, left corner, expecting a somewhat slow boot time. Any brand new Windows-based computer has to go through the dreaded "Preparing Windows for first time use" screen before use. From my experience, this can take up to three minutes! So it goes without saying that I was completely taken aback at how fast the setup was. I can't give you a specific time length, but it was asking what I wanted to name the computer in well under a minute. And thanks to the hybrid hard drive, boot up times are always between 10-15 seconds.
Design and Features:
As this is the Beats Audio Special Edition of the current dm4 lineup, the user is graced with a nearly all black finish. A major plus, for me anyways, is the matte black covering most areas. This cuts down the reflections and annoying glares that come being outside in the sunlight or in a classroom full of florescent lights. The top lid is all black, save the now iconic Beats symbol placed in the very center. Open the notebook up and you are greeted with even more black. In fact, the keyboard, trackpad, and palm rests are graced in a mute, matte black finish . It makes for one very cool-looking laptop, to say the least.
The screen is gorgeous! The first thing everyone should know, is that this is a matte screen. Simply put, the horrendous reflections brought on by glossy screens are a thing of the past! I know glossy has had its fair share of user backlash, and it still stumps me as to why computer manufacturers continue to put these screens on the majority of machines. This screen also features a resolution of 1600x900, also a rarity in the 14-inch laptop world. Text will be smaller, but less pixilated and much sharper.
The next thing I went for was the keyboard. It has a red-backlight! Keep in mind, this feature can be turned off or on by pressing F5. Some users may be turned off by the color, and I admit that it probably isn't for everyone. It isn't blinding bright, but at the same time it isn't particularly mute. For me, it is just right. And to top it off, typing is a breeze!
The Beats Audio provides a very loud and clear sound. I primarily listen to hip-hop and R&B and noticed right off the bat how natural the sound was. There is a subwoofer as well, lending a hand on the low end. Given this combination, music sounds full and without noticeable distortion. It's a shame, however, that HP placed the speakers on the very front, at an angle. This often muffles the sound, especially if you have the notebook in your lap or on the bed.
Drawbacks:
First off, there is no dedicated graphics card, only the industry standard Intel HD 3000. This particular con varies on severity, depending on intended use. The causal user probably won't notice the difference, but for you gamers and video editors out there, consider a different laptop.
The lid cover, and even the keys, attract fingerprints heavily. Being black, fingerprints tend to show up more than usual.
The USB ports are quite tight. Attempting to inject and deject my USB flash drive was a job in itself. It took two hands, one to hold the computer in place, the other to pull the device from the port.
The Wi-Fi switch is in a terrible location. The F12 key serves as an automatic on/off switch of your wireless card and accidentally pressing it during a download or Skype conversation can have tumultuous effects on one's sanity.
What Makes This Laptop Worth the Purchase (Conclusion):
See, I promised if you kept reading I would tell you why I chose the dm4-3090se! The current going price of this laptop is around $830, and if you are still reading this review, you obviously want to be as informed as possible before making such a purchase. I don't blame you. After hours of debating, I ultimately chose this machine for the following reasons:
* The i5 Sandy Bridge Processor. Dual core @ 2.5 GHz
* 6GB Random Access Memory (RAM)
* The screen. A matte finish and 1600x900 resolution. This was the deciding factor in my purchase.
* Hybrid Hard Drive
* Red-backlit keyboard
* Beats Audio
* USB 3.0
* HDMI
Laptops with comparable specs are normally in the "premium" category and beyond the $1000 price point, such as the HP Envy line. Granted, for only $150 more you can have an Envy with an all metal finish and a slot-loading optical drive. But you also get a standard resolution (1366x768) glossy screen and an added pound of weight to carry. So for me, the screen was what set this laptop apart from the competition. People often overlook this pivotal feature, assuming all laptops are glossy and reflective with a single resolution. But the screen is what you will be looking at, possibly for hours, and if you aren't happy with the screen, how can you be truly happy with the laptop?
Savvy shoppers tend to be weary of HP and the company's shaky reputation. This will unfortunately deter many prospective buyers who would be perfectly happy with this computer if they gave it a chance. Initial usage is impressive, with the few complaints being quite trivial. If the previously mentioned specifications fits your needs, I urge you to seriously consider this laptop. It is truly unlike any other notebook currently on the market and is a true miracle for the anti-glare, pro-matte screen consumer.
EDIT:
For readers obsessed with numbers, here is the most recent Windows Experience Index:
Processor 7.0
Memory (RAM) 7.4
Graphics 5.9
Gaming Graphics 6.3
Primary Hard Disk 5.9
EDIT: After reading comments by Zvika and OJMH, I installed Intel's Rapid Storage Technology driver, restarted the computer, and was able to see the true capacity of my mSATA drive. It is in fact 32GB! I have edited this review to reflect that. I don't know what drive is 20GB under the System Properties menu, but like Reinaldo mentioned, the mSATA is not visible by this method. So I believe this drive works as a cache, which is the true reason for such a fast start-up. Either way, this systems performance is more than adequate and I am still happy with it! Thanks to Reinaldo, OJMH, and Zvika for the clarification.
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