HP Pavilion dm1z: Maximize Mobility this Summer

The HP Pavilion dm1 (or dm1z) with Windows 7 Home Premium gained our recommendation first and foremost because of its specifications and power when compared to other netbooks in its price range. Our review model was equipped with an AMD E-350 dual-core processor with a clock speed of 1.6 GHz with AMD Radeon HD 6310 Graphics (dual DX-11 SIMDs at 500 MHz). When comparing this system to some of its closest competitors in the same price range, the system was able to overtake most all of them in real-world gaming and performance tests. The system weighs in at about three and a half pounds and its dimensions are 11.45 (L) x 8.45 (W) x 0.9 - 1.25 (H) inches.

Other than good real-world performance and form factor, we feel that the dm1 deserves our recommendation due to several other factors, including build quality and design. The build quality ranks "on par" with other netbooks of its kind and the chassis does not flex much when pressure is applied. As far as the style and design goes, HP decided to go with a cleaner look while still making possible to upgrade the internal parts. The keyboard is also nicely made, with good tactical feedback due to evenly-spaced Chiclet-style keys.

The system has an 11.6-inch LED-backlit display with a 1366 x 768 screen resolution. We said this screen would be great for doing general tasks such as browsing the Web and working, but is also good enough to watch HD movies or play compatible games.

We tested the included 6-cell Li-ion battery (51Wh) and found that it was able to deliver 6 hours and 49 minutes of mobile life. We also said if the screen brightness was turned down below 70 percent and if webpages weren't being loaded every 60 seconds, you could get more than 7 hours of unplugged life out of the dm1z.

Read our review of the HP Pavilion dm1 (dm1z) to find out for yourself if this is the summer vacation "netbook of choice."

While we fully recommend this system, a big problem across all netbooks is the inability to provide adequate audio performance. Luckily, there is a mobile solution to this problem: the Logitech Z305 notebook speaker which will fit snugly onto any netbook. Check out our full review of it!

An Alternative Laptop...

The Dell Alienware m11x (R3) is built for gaming enthusiasts who need good mobile gaming performance, but this notebook can also be used for all of the day-to-day essentials. Click here to read the full review for a more in-depth look.

Summer Tech 2011: check out our other picks