HP Pavilion dv1000 - 4/3/05

Again, this is not the cheapest laptop that HP makes, but it makes the best compromise between performance and affordability. It received PCMag's Editors Choice a month after it was released in late 2004.

Not only is this a good affordable laptop, it also has features that other more expensive machines do not. It has the ability to play DVDs and CDs without turning on the laptop, but there is so much more. Let's review some of the specs.

HP Pavilion dv1000

The most laptop for the money

1. Processor - The base model has an Intel Celeron-M 1.3GHz with 1MB cache. This should be good enough for most applications, but obviously not as much as the base DELL Inspiron 600m. You can still upgrade to a Celeron-M 1.5GHz for $25.

2. Memory - The HP dv1000 has two DIMMs and can be upgraded to 2GB or RAM. That gives you a lot of room for the future. The base model comes with 256MB RAM. Again, if the RAM is not on sale at HP, then it is always cheaper to buy the RAM later from somewhere else, such as Crucial, or during one of the Sunday Specials that we list in the Tech Deals section.

3. Graphics Card - Unlike the Inspiron 600m, this machine utilizes shared graphics memory which is not as good as having a separate graphics card. This is not a deal breaker because the other features of this laptop make up for it.

4. Screen - This machine has a widescreen 14-inch monitor which is great for viewing DVDs. There's no need to upgrade to the BrightView because the base screen is great. The only reason you might upgrade is if you are going to be watching DVDs outside in the daylight often.

5. Drives - The base model has 40GB hard drive, which is more than the base 30GB drive of the Inspiron 600m. As for the optical drive, it is the same as the 600m in that the base model only has a DVD-ROM, which plays DVDs and CDs.  One of the neatest features is that this laptop plays DVDs and CDs without turning on the computer. It has a QuickPlay button and there are separate player buttons. If you insist on burning CDs, then consider upgrading to a CDRW/DVD combo drive for $50.

6. Networking - Ethernet connection is available, but that's nothing special. Built-in wireless is not standard, but for $50 you can get built-in wireless and Bluetooth. These are sometimes on sale. Had HP made these standard, this laptop may be in the running for our top pick, instead of the 600m.

7. Input/Output Ports - (these make the dv1000 a multimedia powerhouse)

   1. Built-in 6-in-1 media card reader

   2. Three USB 2.0 connectors. One more than the 600m.

   3. One Firewire connection

   4. VGA output to connect to a projector

   5. S-Video output, great to connect to TVs and watch DVDs

   6. Two headphone jacks to make it easy for two people to listen at the same time. Handy on an airplane.

8. Chassis - About as small as the 600m but wider. It is only 1.2-inches thick and is 5.3 pounds. It weighs a little more than the 600m because of the widescreen. It feels sturdy. The HP dv1000 has a touchpad with a built-in up/down scroller, which is very convenient.

The dv1000 crams all the characteristics of a multimedia machine into a very sleek 5.4-pound chassis, plays your DVD movies on the 14.1-inch widescreen—and doesn't even require booting up to do so, and has a built-in media card reader. The base price is $849.

There we have it. Our top two picks for the best laptop values for the money - The Inspiron 600m and the HP dv1000. There are better laptops but the extra money involved doesn't justify the small gain in power. If more advanced laptops go on sale, we list them in our Tech Deals section as they are published. Check back regularly until you find the laptop that is right for you.