Witness The Power of Fusion: HP's Pavilion dm1z Laptop Unboxed

[Jason Dunn]

<p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/lpt/auto/1301936666.usr1.jpg" /></p><p>Above is part one of an unboxing and first impressions video of the&nbsp;<a href="http://is.gd/ibEuUZ" target="_blank">HP Pavilion dm1z laptop</a>&nbsp;[affiliate]. It was one of the first laptops to ship using the new&nbsp;<a href="http://sites.amd.com/us/fusion/apu/Pages/fusion.aspx" target="_blank">AMD Fusion APU</a>. It features an AMD Dual-Core Processor E-350 (1.6GHz, 1MB L2 Cache) and an AMD Radeon HD 6310M Discrete-Class Graphics chip for the GPU. This model I purchased from HP came with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, 3 GB of RAM, a 320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, a six-cell battery, an 11.6 inch display (1366 x 768 resolution), a Webcam with integrated microphone, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth. It has no internal CD/DVD drive: you need to buy an external, USB-based drive to load CDs or DVDs. Part two after the break.&nbsp;</p><p><object width="600" height="360" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/c_o4CuorPIo&amp;feature=channel_video_title&amp;ap=&amp;fmt=18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c_o4CuorPIo&amp;feature=channel_video_title&amp;ap=&amp;fmt=18" /></object></p><p><MORE /></p><p><object width="600" height="360" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/zq57ZsDRsOs&amp;ap=&amp;fmt=18" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zq57ZsDRsOs&amp;ap=&amp;fmt=18" /></object></p><p>Got questions about the dm1z? Fire away! My review will be coming in a week or two, but here's a sneak peek: I've been using the dm1z quite a bit over the past month, and I'm extremely impressed with the performance of the hardware for the price. The combination of the better-than-Atom CPU performance, the solid GPU, and the excellent battery life - wait until you see the test results - mean <a href="http://is.gd/ibEuUZ" target="_blank">I can recommend it highly</a> before I even publish my full review.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><em>Jason Dunn owns and operates&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/" target="_blank">Thoughts Media Inc.</a></em><em>, a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://photos.jasondunn.com/" target="_blank">photography</a></em><em>, mobile devices,&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://www.jasondunn.com/" target="_blank">blogging</a></em><em>, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, his wonderful son Logan, and his sometimes obedient dog. He's quite happy that he bought the dm1z for his wife.</em></p><p><em></em><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//ppct/auto/1240336793.usr1.gif" /></p><p><strong>Do you enjoy using new hardware,&nbsp;<a class="iAs" href="http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/93798/dell-s-inspiron-mini-10-reviewed.html" target="_blank">software</a>&nbsp;and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/reviewteam.php" target="_blank">Thoughts Media Review Team</a>! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested?&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/reviewteam.php" target="_blank">Then click here for more information.</a></strong></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//ppct/auto/1240336793.usr1.gif" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

Wow. Only watched part 1, but I also like the tool-free removal of the bottom.

I'm not too bothered by the patterns on the lid. It's patterns on the keyboard and palm rest area that drive me nuts. Basically, don't mess with the areas I can see when I'm working on the notebook!

Edit: One thing to add; if you're not going for a WWAN module in the Mini PCI-e slot, see if the notebook accepts a SSD in that form factor. It's one way of getting the best of both worlds.

[Jason Dunn]

Edit: One thing to add; if you're not going for a WWAN module in the Mini PCI-e slot, see if the notebook accepts a SSD in that form factor. It's one way of getting the best of both worlds.

Good point. Of course, I put a 128 GB SSD in it anyway, so problem solved. :D

[Vincent Ferrari]

My only gripe with it thus far is the trackpad. It's not as bad as some of the other HP models but it's pretty bad. At least they added ridges to differentiate the "buttons."

Also, my backlight on the screen flutters if there is a lot of HD activity (doesn't happen often) and when I got the computer, one of the clips holding on the vanity cover were broken off but it stays put (it's held on by about 12 clips) so no big deal.

Overall, this new AMD chipset really cooks. I've not thrown anything at this little guy that it can't handle and I easily get 5-7 hours of battery life out of it with the wifi turned on and the brightness at about 75%. That's impressive no matter how you look at it.

When you consider the price, holy crap, what a bargain. :eek:

[Brad Adrian]

... if you're not going for a WWAN module in the Mini PCI-e slot, see if the notebook accepts a SSD in that form factor...


You know, I've got a new HP notebook with a Mini PCI-e slot and I'm not using it for anything. Anybody know where I can get ideas for putting that slot to work (beside simply adding an SSD)?

[Jason Dunn]

My only gripe with it thus far is the trackpad. It's not as bad as some of the other HP models but it's pretty bad. At least they added ridges to differentiate the "buttons."

Yeah, I rank it as "OK". It's not awful, but it's not great either. I wish I understood why it's apparently so hard to make great trackpads - because it seems like there are more awful trackpads on the market now than five years ago...? :confused:

My #1 complaint about this unit is actually the fan - I wish the AMD chipset ran cooler so the fan didn't have to come on so often. The fan, thankfully, is fairly quiet. Not REALLY quiet...just fairly quiet.

Also, my backlight on the screen flutters if there is a lot of HD activity (doesn't happen often)

I definitely don't see that. If it were me, I'd call HP and ship it back for repair. That seems indicative of something related to the power being supplied to the screen, which could malfunction over time...

When you consider the price, holy crap, what a bargain. :eek:

Yeah, that's what this really comes down to. You can't compare it to a Macbook Air like some people are doing - I call them idiots - because the MBA is twice the price. You compare this to other sub-$500 products, mostly netbooks, and decide if the value is there. For me, it is.

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

You know, I've got a new HP notebook with a Mini PCI-e slot and I'm not using it for anything. Anybody know where I can get ideas for putting that slot to work (beside simply adding an SSD)?

As far as I know, there are 3 main uses: Network cards, WWAN modules and SSDs.

[Brad Adrian]

As far as I know, there are 3 main uses: Network cards, WWAN modules and SSDs.

That's what I was afraid of. I guess for now I'll just leave the little plastic dummy plug in place to keep the dust out.

Thanks!