HP Pavilion dv2500t Reviews

HP Pavilion dv2500t

By: dreambux November 5, 2007

Review:

With its wavy-pinstripe imprint and glossy-black accents, the dv2500t carries forward the designer HP Pavilion look. Polished to an almost pearlescent sheen, the touchpad looks more like a minor work of art than a pointing device. Improvements include a move up to the Intel Santa Rosa processor family and some tweaks to the ports to introduce more high-definition capabilities. But the screen is still more reflective than most, and there's almost no point in choosing the standard six-cell battery, since its life is so short.

Underneath the glam, the dv2500t is well equipped, albeit with one fewer USB port (a total of two) than its predecessor, the dv2000t, supplied. HP has replaced the third USB port with an HDMI connection for watching high-definition output on a similarly equipped TV.

Battery life was disappointing, with the standard six-cell lasting just 2.5 hours, almost an hour shorter than average. A Pavilion dv2000t we reviewed last year ran more than 7 hours with an optional 12-cell battery. Though our testing methods have changed since then, it's a fairly safe bet that the battery upgrade is still well worth the extra $49, providing the added benefit of raising the wedge-shaped keyboard to an even more comfortable typing angle.

All in all, Pavilion fans and converts alike should be happy with the dv2500t, as long as they opt for the better battery.