Smudgetastic
The dv2's 12.1in screen packs in a standard 1,280x800px resolution, and it's higher than the 1,024x600 found on most 8.9in and 10in netbooks, obviously. The extra screen real estate is telling when moving from a netbook, especially when playing back high-definition video.
Size aside, the LED-backlit screen's bright and clear, sure, but it's unusually reflective - problematic in brightly-lit rooms.
The keyboard, though, is very good. HP reckons that it's over 90 per cent of a full-size model's. The keys are 'flat' with very small gaps between them, but this doesn't hinder speedy typing. A double-sized 'Enter' and 'Backspace' key is good, and there are no obvious shortcomings in the design.
What you'll notice from the above shot - overly exaggerated by the flash - is how easily smudged the plastic surround is. Further, the trackpad is slightly annoying due to the fact that you can see the reflection of your fingers in peripheral vision. We're not sure why it isn't black.
Flip it over and the access to the innards is simple enough. The large slot, top-right, is for the 2.5in hard drive - a 320GB Western Digital Scorpio in this case. Move on down and a single SO-DIMM holds the dv2's 2GB of memory. Here's another wrinkle, as adding more RAM necessitates purchasing a single 4GB SO-DIMM and dumping/re-using the original 2GB.
The empty slot to the right of the RAM is reserved for a WWAN (mobile broadband) card, and a SIM slot, underneath, completes the package - not equipped in this case. Lastly, to the left, the dv2's WiFi (802.11b/g) and Bluetooth card is pre-installed. Why no draft-n, we wonder?
Packaging-wise, HP is understandably slick. The documentation is excellent. The dv2-1030ea ships with a 65W charger that's relatively light. Take the laptop and charger together and you still have change, just, from 2kg.
As mentioned earlier, HP also bundles in an external, USB-powered optical drive. It's a multi-function drive that reads and writes to DVDs and CDs. If it was up to us, we'd remove it from the package and provide it as an extra, deducting £30-£50 off the price.
The dv2 is packed up by a one-year, pickup and return, parts and labour warranty that can be extended to three years at the time of purchase.
