HP Pavilion dv4t

HP Pavilion dv4t Review: Sub-$500 Winner?

The HP Pavilion dv4t notebook brings satisfactory performance and a good keyboard to the table for a street price of less than $500. What could be improved with this no-frills laptop? We take a look.Build and DesignThe dv4t has a friendly look that's expected of HP's Pavilion entertainment notebook line. Unlike higher-end Pavilions, however, HP made the unfortunate decision to cover just about all surfaces of this notebook in glossy plastic. While it may look attractive on a display shelf, glossy plastic is a dust and fingerprint magnet. Keep a microfiber towel handy. The build quality is satisfactory for a consumer notebook in this price range. The chassis has good internal support and does not flex easily; the surfaces feel solid when pressed down upon. The lid is slightly flimsy and flexes with little effort; surprisingly no ripples appear on the screen when pressure is applied from behind (this means the actual panel is protected). One part of the lid that could be improved is the hinges - they don't exactly feel anchored to the chassis and are somewhat flexible. Two hands are required for opening the lid. Fit and finish of the notebook is good; there are no sharp edges and all parts of the notebook appear to be of the same level of quality.