HP Pavilion HDX18-1180US 18.4-Inch
Laptop
Amazing Purchase! Love My Laptop!
Expanding on the elegance of the HDX series, the HP HDX 18-1180us
delivers in a design that balances performance and mobility. Its elegant
Fluid Imprint finish encases leading-edge mobile architectures, including
the latest Intel Centrino 2 dual-core processor and NVIDIA GeForce
graphics processor. And its preloaded with the Windows Vista Home
Premium 64-bit operating system, enabling you to fully access system
memory to support 3D games and complex applications. Youll also enjoy
high-definition video content on the 18.4-inch widescreen HD BrightView
Infinity display--which offers true a 16:9 aspect ratio--thats matched to
Altec Lansing speakers with an integrated subwoofer and Dolby Home
Theater immersive surround sound. The HDX laptop features a number
of ways to protect your data. HPs ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
locks your 500 GB hard drive into place when it senses abrupt motion to
help prevent data loss. The integrated fingerprint reader offers greater
security and ease-of-use by associating passwords to your system and

online accounts with unique fingerprints. And the built-in eSATA/USB
combo port enables fast backup to an external hard drive. Its powered by
the latest Intel Core 2 Quad processor--with four processing cores and
Centrino 2 technology--which boosts speed, reduces power requirements,
and saves on battery life. The 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9000 includes
a quick 1066 MHz front-side bus and 6 MB of L2 cache, providing an
optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multimedia and
multitasking performance. It comes with a combo optical drive with Blu-
ray Disc playback for watching your favorite films in crystal-clear resolution
and SuperMulti DVD burner with LightScribe technology that lets you etch
custom, silkscreen-quality labels and artwork directly onto LightScribe-
enabled CDs and DVDs. Other features include a 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB
of RAM (8 GB maximum), Draft-N Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) and Gigabit
Ethernet networking, Bluetooth connectivity, integrated numeric keypad,
HDMI audio/video output, multi-format memory card reader, and remote
control. This HP notebook is Energy Star 4.0 certified, and has received a
Silver EPEAT designation for meeting standards to help reduce its
environmental impact. Additionally, HP exclusive uses of EPA SmartWay
carriers for reduced transportation-related emissions. HPs innovative take-
back options include trade-in, recycling and donation. High Style
The HP HDX is defined by fluid, modern lines and metalized finishes with
surprising innovations inside and out. A high-gloss HP Imprint finish in
titanium and chrome now encases all surfaces visible during normal use
for greater durability, and a sleeve is included for extra protection. The
HDX series Fluid Imprint features a flowing linear pattern that enhances
the reflective qualities of the metallic finish. The streamlined look is
enhanced with a color-matched keyboard and touchpad. And touch media
controls light up and become visible only when the system is powered on
further enhancing the clean appearance. .caption { font-family: Verdana,
Helvetica neue, Arial, serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; font-style:
italic; } ul.indent { list-style: inside disc; text-indent: 20px; } table.callout
{ font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, serif; margin: 10px; width: 250; }
td.callout { height: 100 percent; background: #9DC4D8
url(http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/callout-
bg.png) repeat-x; border-left: 1px solid #999999; border-right: 1px solid
#999999; padding: 10px; width: 250px; } ul.callout { list-style: inside disc;
text-indent: -12px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.5em; } h5.callout { text-
align: center; } Spec Check 18.4-inch LCD screen (true 16:9) 2.0
GHz Intel Core 2 QUAD Q9000 processor 500 GB hard drive 4 GB RAM (8
GB maximum) Combo Blu-ray Disc Read-Only and DVD±R drive Draft-N
Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT graphics (up
to 2302 MB total) Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit) Weighs 8.82
pounds The Basics
Processor: With four execution cores, the 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad
Processor Q9000 blows through processor-intensive tasks in demanding
multitasking environments and makes the most of highly threaded
applications. Part of Intels Penryn line of 45nm processors, it features new

hafnium-infused circuitry to reduce electrical current leakage in transistors
and help this laptop run cooler. It also features Intel Trusted Execution
Technology, which provides hardware-based mechanisms that help protect
against software-based attacks and protects the confidentiality and
integrity of data stored or created on the client PC. Whether youre
creating multimedia, annihilating your gaming enemies, or running
compute-intensive applications at one time, new quad-core processing will
change the way you do everything. The Q9000 has an ultra-fast 1066 MHz
front-side bus (FSB) and a 6 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache
temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your
systems performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM,
and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) You get
four dedicated, physical threads help operating systems and applications
deliver additional performance that enhance multi-tasking and multi-
threaded performance across many types of applications and work loads.
The Smart Memory Access feature improves system performance by
hiding memory latency, thus optimizing the use of available computer data
bandwidth to provide data to the processor when and where it is needed.
The Advanced Digital Media Boost feature effectively doubles the
execution speed for instructions used widely in multimedia and graphics
applications. And with the Intel 64 Architecture, the processor can access
larger amounts of memory. With appropriate 64-bit hardware and software,
platforms based on an Intel processor supporting Intel 64 Architecture can
allow the use of extended virtual and physical memory. Hard Drive: The
extra-large 500 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive (5400 RPM) offers a
wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or
for editing digital video. This SATA hard drive also quickens the pace with
a higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0. Youll enjoy
enhanced hard drive protection with HPs Protectsmart, which includes a
3D accelerometer that safeguards your data by parking your hard drive if
your notebook detects any range of motion, such as being knocked off
your desk, falling or taking abuse. Memory: The 4 GB of installed RAM
helps boost the amount of available video RAM thats shared with this
notebooks video card. This notebook has an amazing 8 GB maximum
RAM capacity (4 x 2 GB). To receive the faster data transfer benefits of the
dual-channel DDR2 RAM, any RAM additions require memory modules of
same
Personal Review: HP Pavilion HDX18-1180US 18.4-Inch Laptop
My old laptop met with a sudden and unfortunate demise, so I needed a
replacement quickly. After looking through everything Amazon had to offer,
I finally settled on the HP Pavilion HDX18 and I must say I am very
pleased! It is an aesthically appealing machine, although I find (because of
its glossy features) I must "polish" it weekly. A slip jacket is included with
this laptop and helps keep the casing scratch-free. That may not be a big
deal to some purchasers, but I found it to be a nice little extra. I am also
very pleased with the performance of this machine. The finger-print reader
is wonderful! The huge 18.4" high-definition widescreen will impress those
of you who can't bear squinting at tiny monitors...and just wait 'till you hear

the sound! OMG!!! This laptop offers the best sound I have ever head on
any computer. The backwards compatibility to "a" and "g" Wi-Fi (this
computer has wi802.11n Wi-Fi) is another plus...there's no hurry to
upgrade your wireless router. Connectivity was painless. The preinstalled
software is also nice (Microsoft Works and a trial version of Microsoft
Office) for those who don't wish to invest in expensive software right off the
the bat, although I uninstalled these programs since I use MS Office 2007
Professional. For many home users, though, MS Works is perfectly
adequate. The 500GB hard drive holds tons of software and I've found that
in spite of loading many graphics software programs I still have lots of hard
drive space left. A word of caution to those of you who have not updated
your software...there may be compatibility issues with Vista and/or the 64
bit processor. I was running Adobe Illustrator 9.0 on my old XP
machine...but its a "no go" on this one. Although it installed OK, when I
tried to launch it I got an incompatibility message and it corrupted my
Photoshop CS color profiles which required reinstallation of Photoshop.
Also, Photoshop Elements 4.0 and Premiere Elements 4.0 are not
compatible...so I did incur some additional expense upgrading my
software. Oddly, some older games (the Myst series) run just fine,
although some people have reported difficulties. I did incur a little glitch the
first day I used this computer, but got through to HDX technical support
immediately and the problem was resolved in moments. This special HDX
technical support phone number appears on a removeable label on the
lower-left corner (below the keyboard)...so make a note of it...it will save
you lots of waiting time. The weight of this machine is listed as a "con" in
some reviews, however I do not find this to be a problem. Finding a case is
more of a challenge. I purchased the Miltigiant 20 Largest Multi Design Nb
Case. It is very large (almost like a small suitcase), but now that I've used
it, I like it. It holds lots of extras...headphones, external hard-drive, etc. with
room to spare. I only have two negative things to say about this computer
(although they would not have prevented my purchase): first, is its lack of a
latch to keep the laptop closed and second, one additional USB port would
have been nice (my old HP had more USB ports than this one does) and in
a world with so many USB peripherals, lots of ports are essential. An
inexpensive USB hub took care of this problem. All-in-all, though, this is a
great computer...lots of computer at a great value. I love it!
For More 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest Price:
HP Pavilion HDX18-1180US 18.4-Inch Laptop 5 Star Customer Reviews and Lowest
Price!