The HP Pavilion dv2 (1030-us) is as close to a netbook as you'll see with an AMD processor. Though it was made clear that the semiconductor company had no interest in competing in the netbook category, this 12-inch beauty says otherwise. The dv2, which bears a strong resemblance to the Dell Inspiron Mini 12, is the first laptop to use AMD's new Athlon Neo processor, and at $749.99 (direct), it costs about $100 more than the HP Mini 2140 netbook. I think HP and AMD have the right idea here, as there aren't enough 12-inch form factors that are able to hit this price. The only catch is that you'll have to put up with fan noises and occasional heat from its underside. In terms of form factor, the dv2 as more like a netbook. The things that set it apart from that category are the new AMD Neo processor, 4GB of memory, a discrete graphics card, and a 12-inch screen, not to mention its steeper price. In that way, it straddles the line between netbooks and ultraportables.
Hewlett-Packard Company
http://www.hp.com
- Price as Tested: $749.00 Direct
- Type: General Purpose, Media, Value, Netbook
- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Processor Name: AMD Athlon Neo MV-40
- Processor Speed: 1.6 GHz
- RAM: 4 GB
- Weight: 3.8 lb
- Screen Size: 12.1 inches
- Screen Size Type: widescreen
- Graphics Card: ATI Mobility Radeon 3410
- Storage Capacity: 320 GB
- Networking Options: 802.11n
- Primary Optical Drive: External
