Here I bring to you a new edition to the HP Pavilion family- HP dm4. It’s a truly impressive model, equipped with truly elegant features. The dm4 will be hitting shops in August with Intel Core i5 processors and an integrated optical drive.
- Classy Framework:
Successor to dm3, which is AMD-based anyoud has an external optical drive, dm4 has an integrated optical drive, and just weighing 2.0kg weight. It sports a lovely slim, carefully sculpted framework that’s completed in sparkling wine coloured brushed metal inside and out. HP has also added imprinted patterns similar to those seen on previous HP machines, but which look all the more classy etched into the cool metal. That same keyboard appears to have returned for the dm4, which was there is dm3. All this design flair gives the impression of a premium product, yet with prices likely to start at £799 it’s rather more affordable than many.
- Connectivity:
Connectivity on smaller laptops generally suffers, but the dm4 seems to have everything you really need. This includes staples such as VGA and HDMI outputs, but also extends to an eSATA/USB combo port. This can be found on the left edge, and there’s a further two ordinary USB ports on the right edge next to the optical drive. They are rather close together, though, which may prove a problem for larger flash drives.
- Sports A Fingerprint Reader:
One thing the dm4 has that many of its ilk don’t, is a fingerprint reader. Not only does this speed and secure logging into your machine, HP’s newly revised software suite allows you to associate your fingerprints with online accounts. Not a new idea per se, but not one you see in too many £800 consumer laptops either.
- Quick Web Access:
HP has also added its Quick Web, instant-on OS to the dm4. In common with many such features on other laptops, it’s actually a derivative of DeviceVM’s SplashTop OS – also known as ExpressGate on Asus laptops, for example. It’s a nice addition for quickly getting online, but by and large we’ve yet to be convinced by the merits of such systems; not least as ‘instant-on’ doesn’t chime with reality in most cases.
- Power Enhancements:
It uses an Intel Core i5 M430 processor running at 2.26GHz, backed by 3GB of RAM. Battery life is expected to be around six hours with the standard battery, and up to 12 hours with an optional extended power cell. Models already listed on HP’s website indicate a 320GB hard drive, though you’ll have to settle for Intel’s frugal but limited integrated graphics.
- Touchpad:
HP appears to have adopted the almost Apple-esque integrated touchpad buttons first seen on the Envy 15, which were far from a resounding success. Hopefully it has ironed out the issues now: we’ll see. Moreover, if HP is to go down this route we’d have preferred to see it add the much more impressive four point multi-touch, single click touchpad that Synaptics recently introduced.
Tags: dm3, dm4, esata, fingerprint reader, HP, hp dm4, hp laptop, hp pavilion, i5 Processors, usb ports