HP Pavilion DM1Z Review with good technical detail

The blog 'Ignorance has become Trendy' has a good HP Pavilion DM1Z Review, lots of tech details.

The dm1z is cool, literally

The dm1z always stays cool. It's an ice cube compared to other laptops I've used. The bottom of the unit never gets overly warm and the keyboard deck stays cool. I have the default settings for the Performance Optimized Mode in the HP CoolSense fan control program. This bases fan speed on CPU/GPU demand and it "will increase fan speed less often when temperature rises".
HP CoolSense has separate settings for "stationary mode" (for use on a table or desk) and "mobile mode" (use on a sofa, chair or lap). Via an accelerometer the dm1z knows when you're using it on a table or on your lap.

The various sites that have reviewed the dm1z provide specific temperatures and Mobile Tech Review says the CPU and GPU ran at 43 to 50C.

Marketing video from HP on dm1z CoolSense:

dm1z Altec Lansing speakers rock

The HP Pavilion dm1z comes with Dolby advanced audio and built-in Altec Lansing speakers. They sound pretty great. Bass is good and voices sound great. They sound better than what you'd expect from a system of this size and price.

My Most Used Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

Making use of the dm1z trackpad (or any laptop trackpad/pointer nub) is just too slow and too much of a pain for common tasks. You need to know and use Windows keyboard shortcuts. The shortcuts I'm talking about are more than just the ubiquitous Ctrl+C, Home, Page Up and so on; I need to open apps, close apps, close tabs, bring up search, etc. To that end I am trying to increase my every day use of Windows keyboard shortcuts. Here's the ones I'm using the most and they are roughly in the order of what I think are the most important to leverage to boost your overall Windows efficiency:

+ 1…0:	Launches/focus program pinned to the Taskbar indicated by the number.
Alt + Tab:	Cycle forward though open windows old-school way and not via Windows Flip 3D
+ D:	Show/Hide desktop
Alt + D:	Selects the address bar (useful when in a browser like Chrome)
Alt + F4:	Close current window. If in desktop context open the Shut Down Windows dialog.
Ctrl + Tab:	Move forward through tabs (as in Google Chrome/IE tabs)
Ctrl + Shift + Tab:	Move backward through tabs (as in Google Chrome/IE tabs)
F3:	Open search (i.e. in page search when in Chrome)
F5:	Refresh the page
Ctrl + F4:	Close tab (doesn't close entire app, just the IE tab that is in focus)
Ctrl + T:	Open new tab (open new tab in Chrome/IE)
Ctrl + Shift + Esc:	Open the Windows Task Manager
+ Up Arrow:	Maximize current window
+ Down Arrow:	Minimize/restore current window
+ Left Arrow:	Tile window to left side of screen
+ Right Arrow:	Tile window to right side of screen
:	Open Start Menu
+ Shift + 1…0:	Launches new instance of program pinned to the Taskbar indicated by the number.
+ Ctrl + 1…0:	Access the last active instance of a program pinned on the Taskbar in the position indicated by the number.
+ T:	Cycles through the items on the Taskbar
+ Tab:	Use Windows Flip 3D to cycle forward through open programs
+ Shift + Tab:	Use Windows Flip 3D to cycle backward through open programs
Alt + Shift + Tab:	Cycle backward though open windows old-school way and not via Windows Flip 3D
Alt + Esc:	Cycles between open programs in the order they were opened
+ M:	Minimize all Windows
+ Shift + M:	Restore all minimized windows
+ L:	Lock the computer
+ Spacebar:	Preview desktop
Ctrl + Shift + N:	Create a new folder
Tab:	Cycle forward through elements in a window or dialog box
+ X:	Open Windows Mobility Center
+ '+':	Activate Windows Magnifier to zoom in/out of screen
+ Esc:	Exit Windows Magnifier

Lenovo doesn't offer 5GHz WiFi card for x120e?

Prior I had mentioned that "Lenovo offers Thinkpad x120e option for 2.4GHz/5GHz 2x2 a/b/g/n wireless LAN adapter for $20".

But this option is now gone?!? I just checked the Lenovo site today and it is not there.

I think Lenovo has been tweaking their x120e offerings and the site now shows just three configurations. You can somewhat customize each one but none of them offer the 5GHz WiFi upgrade option that I saw prior.

The Lenovo tech specs PDF document for the x120 show this:

WLAN (for x120e)

• ThinkPad AGN (Broadcom) 2x2 AGN
• ThinkPad BGN (Realtek® - Stockton) 1x1 GN

I assume the x120e supports a 5GHz wireless LAN adapter as a 2x2 card is listed. But what's offered on the Lenovo site now is only "Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters: ThinkPad b/g/n". I'm guessing that's the 1x1 Realtek and not the dual channel Broadcom card.

HP is not offering a 5GHz option for the dm1z at this time on their site. The HP Pavilion dm1 Notebook PC Maintenance and Service Guide on page 18 notes these two adapters:

WLAN module (for dm1z)

• Broadcom 4313 802.11b/g/n 1x1 WiFi and 2070 Bluetooth 2.1+EDR Combo adapter - (BT3.0+HS ready)
• Ralink RT5390 802.11b/g/n 1x1 WiFi and BC8 Bluetooth 3.0+HS Combo adaptor - Rashi2

These are both 1x1. It appears there are no officially supported 2x2 modules for the dm1z yet.

Offering a 5GHz upgrade was one real differentiating factor for the x120e over the dm1z if you ask me. The x120e lists a 2x2 option so the unit supports one, this is better than the dm1z which lacks any official support for a 2x2 card currently.

I guess it doesn't matter if the x120e supports 5GHz or not since you can't get an x120e with one installed. An advantage the x120e had over the dm1z currently does not apply it seems.

Do I call it a dm1z or a dm1?

The product number for my unit is XL303AV and I'm pretty sure my laptop is the dm1z-3000 variety. However, the laptop itself says it is a "Pavilion dm1" while he HP site says "HP Pavilion dm1z series" when you go to buy the system. I am assuming the 'z' in dm1z is for the dual-core AMD E-350 Zacate processor. There's probably models with Intel Atom so they're just dm1.

So what's really the proper name for this laptop, dm1 or dm1z? And why is HP not making this 100% clear? I'll be calling it a "dm1z", that's what everyone is calling it even though that label is not actually printed on the unit.

dm1z Battery Meter Reporting Can Be Misleading

I consistently get 5+ hours of battery life on the dm1z on max performance setting. I haven't actually timed this so this is merely my observation. Overall I am satisfied with battery life for the HP dm1z as it has met my minimum criteria.

The reported charge from the Windows system tray battery meter does fluctuate and I have seen this matter reported in dm1z reviews. This does make it difficult to know accurately how much charge is left. It fluctuates from 6 hours to 4 hours to 5 hours so it can be a bit all over the place. You do get a warning when there's 10% charge left, about 30 mins or so, and this has been generally accurate as far as I can tell. If I'm out and about with the dm1z I have my power plug with me, so when I see the 10% warning I know I need to think about plugging in soon.

Disable Vari-Bright on the dm1z to stop brightness fluctuations

My dm1z screen display brightness seemed to spontaneously change at times so I wanted to resolve this. The dm1z has Vari-Bright to help maximize battery life by tweaking how bright your screen is. A good thing but I'm sure this causes the brightness fluctuation I observe. I'll just lower brightness manually when needed, no problem. So I disabled Vari-Bright:

Start Menu > All Programs > Catalyst Control Center > CCC > Power > PowerPlay > and untick Enable Vari-Bright option.

dm1z Laptop Fan noise, a non-issue

I've read reviews about the dm1z fan saying it was too noisy while others say they hardly heard it. I have had my dm1z for three weeks now and I hear the fan occosianally, but when I do it's not loud. Fan noise is a non-issue with the dm1z if you ask me.

dm1z 2.4 GHz WiFi only, Lenovo offers Thinkpad x120e option for 2.4GHz/5GHz 2x2 a/b/g/n wireless LAN adapter for $20

From the Lenovo site you can customize a x120e with a 2.4GHz/5GHz 2x2 a/b/g/n wireless LAN adapter for $20 extra:

Integrated WiFi wireless LAN adapters

• ThinkPad 1x1 b/g/n [base]
• ThinkPad 2x2 a/b/g/n [$20 upgrade]  

This is a good option and you should get the upgrade for sure if you're buying the x120e. I was looking closely at a x120e but went with the dm1z. I did not realize the dm1z wirless adapter didn't support 5GHz at the time of my purchase decision. 5GHz WiFi is the way to go even though it is not as common right now. Not sure why HP cannot add a similar option for the dm1z. I would've paid $20 extra for this had it been offered. I'm looking at 5GHz wireless adapter options for the dm1z now. I do still highly recommend the dm1z but this is a factor in any buy decision if you're comparing these two units.

[UPDATE]
Lenovo no longer offering 5GHz WiFi card option for x120e

dm1z trackpad, eliminate cursor jumping using PalmCheck-Enhanced ACM settings in the Synaptic touchpad driver

I'm not a big fan of trackpads. I use shortcut keys a lot but at times you just have to use the trackpad. I can't say if the dm1z's is better or worse than others but it has worked well and feels solid. The dm1z has no pointer nub so your only option is the trackpad. You can always use a mouse but I have the dm1z on my lap or on small tables/tight surroundings, so using a mouse is not feasible.

With a trackpad you will experience cursor jumping due to incidental contact with the pad. It can be maddening. This jumping happens to me no matter what laptop I've used and it happens to me on the dm1z too. However, I was able to adjust the behavior of the trackpad to minimize/eliminate the cursor jumping by using the PalmCheck-Enhanced ACM setting in the Synaptic driver. It takes a few steps to complete but below is what I did.

From the Windows system tray select 'Synaptics Pointing Device' to get a context menu and then choose 'Pointing Device Properties'. This will open a 'Mouse Properties' window. Choose the 'Device Settings' tab from this window and then click 'Settings'. This will bring up the 'Properties for Synaptics ClickPad V7.4 on PS/2 Port' window.

Click to highlight 'PalmCheck-Enhanced ACM' and then click the gear icon that will appear to the right after you highlight the item. You're now in the 'PalmCheck-Enhanced ACM' window. See the 'Advanced Filters' region. Set the 'Starting zone' to be only the upper portion of the touch pad. To do this click and drag the bottom of that green box until you cannot drag it any higher. This will exclude the lower portion of the touchpad which is where the buttons are. Then set the 'Filter Activation Time' to 1 second. This means that if you start in the touch zone and them move to the click zone after the filter activation time expires your mouse pointer will not move. If you set it to 0 seconds the pointer will never move when you are outside the starting zone (e.g. clicking/touching the buttons). This change has helped minimize the cursor jumping I had been experiencing.

802.11n, 5GHz WiFi, HP dm1z and other things learned configuring my new Cisco Linksys E4200 wireless router

I thought I knew the details of WiFi and WiFi home networking pretty well. Turns out I was fairly ignorant on the details.

Current Router
My present router is a Linksys WRT54GS. I've had it for about 7 years. It's OK, it supports b/g over 2.4GHz. Generally it works but it drops connections, fails to accept connections, or data throughput would just turn into a crawl. I had to power cycle it often to correct these issues and this was annoying. 802.11n has been around for a while and I've heard good things about it, and I heard good things about 5GHz WiFi too. I figured it was time to upgrade my home wireless router as I now have multiple devices that support 'n' including the dm1z.

New Router
Initially I thought of buying a n-only 5GHz router. This with the WRT54GS would give me a two router set up to get the new+legacy coverage. But I decided against this and started looking for a single unit that met my criteria:

• Support for all the WiFi letters a/b/g/n
• Dual band (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
• Ethernet ports
• USB port so I can plug in and have a networked hard drive

I decided on the Cisco Linksys E4200. It's pricey ($179) but any dual band wireless router with a USB port is $150+ so I figured I get the top of the line for a bit more (plus the unit just looks sharp).

New Wireless Router Install
The first Linksys E4200 I got was a dud and I had to return it. The second was fine and the basic setup was painless. But I wanted different SSIDs for each band and to get the network drive going so this requires going into the 'advanced' settings, mostly straightforward though not exactly a painless process. I had to instant chat with Cisco support but they turned out to be nearly worthless so I mostly figured things out on my own. Anyway, I'll talk about my E4200 selection process set up woes later, overall it is a good wireless router.

So now I have a dual band wireless router. I assumed I'd connect my b/g only devices to the 2.4GHz band (b/g only works on 2.4GHz) and my 'n' devices on the 5GHz. Well, assumptions make an ass of you and me they say. As I connected my devices I learned a few thigs in the process of building up new WiFi home network that I did not fully understand prior.

Connecting to the New Wireless Router
Here's what I will be connecting to the router:

• Dell Latitude E6500
• HP Pavilion dm1z
• iPhone 4
• iPhone Original
• Dell Latitide c400
• Xbox
• USB Hard Drive

Dell Latitude E6500
My main laptop has a WPAN/UWB card and it does connect to the 5GHz SSID I created. I set up the router to have only 'n' on 5GHz with WPA2 security.

HP Pavilion dm1z
My dm1z supports 'n' but only on 2.4GHz. I assumed the dm1z would support 5GHz WiFi but this is not the case. Why did I assume this? I don't really know, probably I'm an idiot. I guess I assumed that 'n' and 5GHz WiFi go hand-in-hand so any 'n' device would naturally support 5GHz. Be sure to verify an advertised 'n' supported device also supports 5GHz to get the max benefit of 'n'.

Dell Latitude c400
This is my emergency/guest system. It's old but still works. This unit connected fine to the WRT54GS which I set up to use WEP. I've connected this unit to WPA networks too. It runs XP SP3 and has a Dell TrueMobile 1150 Series Mini-PCI Card with the latest (and likely last) driver from Dell, version 7.86.15.638. The card supports WPA with TKIP only, it does not support WPA2 (here's a list of wireless security acronyms). I set up the 2.4GHz security to be 'WPA2/WPA Mixed Mode'. I figured the c400 supports WPA so the Cisco Linksys E4200 WPA/WPA2 mixed mode would allow me to connect over WPA. A good assumption I think but I was unable to connect. The c400 sees the network but sees it as a WPA2 network and not WPA. I try to connect anyway (I do get asked for the key) but it fails. I'm not sure if WPA-TKIP is part of the problem or if it's something else. When I run a diagnostic it says the security protocol is incompatible. I tried to change the security to just WPA but the E4200 says any 'n' devices would run at only 'g' speeds (why? and just for the 2.4GHz SSID or for the 5GHz too?). I get the same message for WEP but I would never do WEP again and deal with those long keys. Can I update the c400 driver to WPA2? I think not. I can plug the c400 into the ethernet port so it can get online and that's good enough for an emergency laptop. I'm curious why it can't connect to the E4200 mixed mode however - is it a E4200 problem or a c400 driver problem?

Connecting the iPhone and Xbox
My original iPhone supports b/g while the iPhone 4 supports b/g/n and they connected fine to the 2.4GHz SSID. I plugged in my Xbox into the ethernet port, no problem.

Connecting a USB Drive
I plugged in my Maxtor USB hard drive into the E4200 and it picked it right up. I chose to share out the entire drive and gave it a name. The laptops were able to connect to the drive on the network no problem. I then disconnected the drive to re-organize and add folders as there was some long overdue data housekeeping I had to do. I then had permissions issues with one of the new folders I created when I connected it back to the E4200 and shared it out; I could not access the folder. I did not understand this and didn't want to dig around with permissions so I disconnected the drive, plugged it into my laptop, moved the offending folder into a folder I could see when shared, and reconneceted it to the E4200. That solved it though I'll try to review this permission issue more when I can. I also need to see if I can get to the drive via FTP when I'm at work so still a bit more to do here. The speed when accessing/browsing the drive over the network is fine but copying data to/from the drive is slow. This performance is OK for me though, I'm not looking for a snappy NAS, I just need some convenient shared storage.

On the whole I have to say mission accomplished with my router upgrade. But I encountered some technical things along the way that I didn't fully understand. So I wanted to understand them.

WiFi 802.11n and 2.4GHz/5GHz
Firstly I needed to have a more clear understanding about WiFi details. Some info below on WiFi 'n' and 2.4GHz/5GHz.

From Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11n-2009:

To achieve maximum output a pure 802.11n 5 GHz network is recommended. The 5 GHz band has substantial capacity due to many non-overlapping radio channels and less radio interference as compared to the 2.4 GHz band.

From Linux Planet: http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/6581/1/

Performance:
Compared to 2.4 GHz, the 5 GHz band has much greater spectrum available, which leads to significantly better performance as compared to the 2.4 GHz band. In fact, the use of 5 GHz devices is really the only way to achieve the highest performance from 802.11n networks, mainly because of the need to provide adequate bandwidth for 802.11n's optional 40 MHz (rather than 20 MHz) channels. If the highest performance is an important requirement, then certainly lean toward the 5 GHz band.

RF Interference:
2.4 GHz wireless LANs can experience RF interference from cordless phones, microwaves, and other existing wireless LANs. The interfering signals degrade the performance of a wireless network by periodically blocking users and access points from accessing the shared air medium. If it's not possible to reduce potential interference in the 2.4 GHz band to an acceptable level, consider deploying a 5 GHz system. The noise floor in the 5 GHz band is generally lower compared to the 2.4 GHz band, which allows 802.11n to function at higher data rates.

And Engadget said last year "you should be running a dual-band 2.4 and 5GHz WiFi network"

So WiFi 'n' on 5GHz is best, this point is clearly a slam dunk.

Am I getting the most bang for my buck with the Linksys E4200?
The ideal situation for my home network is to have all my WiFi devices on 5GHz using 'n'. I figured I would achieve this with no problems since after all I got a high end wireless router to do exactly this. But the problem I have now is I just don't know exactly how the network is behaving. The new router has been worth it but moving to 5GHz 'n' has raised many questions for me:

• The dm1z connects to the 2.4GHz SSID but I don't know if it connects in 'n' mode or another letter. How can I find out?
• The iPhone 4 connects to the 2.4GHz SSID but I don't know if it connects in 'n' mode or another letter. How can I find out?
• Does the Linksys E4200 automatically use the fastest protocol it can on the 2.4 GHz SSIDs? So will it use 'n' when it can and downgrade at other times? What would cause it to downgrade?
• Is 'n' on 2.4GHz on the Linksys E4200 really a speed improvement over 'g' on 2.4GHz on the WRT54GS?
• Is the 2.4GHz on the Linksys E4200 better than 2.4GHz on WRT54GS (i.e. will I experience less drops)?
• Is 'n' more robust then 'g' on 2.4GHz (i.e. is it less likely to experience dropped connectivity)?
• As 2.4GHz is more susceptible to interference compared to 5GHz, will the 'n' benefits will be outweighed by signal loss issues in the 2.4GHz spectrum?
• Will 5GHz connections drop less often?
• If I conect only 'n' devices to the 2.4GHz SSID on the E4200 how do I know if they are leveraging 'n' (the 2.4GHz SSID is in 'mixed' mode)?
• Do I care if my devices connect on 'n' over 2.4 or 5GHz? Does it matter since my cable transfer speed tops out at a rate that's still in the g range? I do care since I paid for a 'n' router and want all my devices that suport 'n' to be on 'n' (dammit!)

Conclusions in re 'getting the most bang for my buck with the Linksys E4200'
My goal for my home network is to go all 'n' on 5GHz. At this point only one of my devices can connect on 5GHz using 'n'. But connections to the E4200 seem faster and more robust and the network drive feature is great.

So, the answer is I am not yet getting the most bang for my buck - but it's not the fault of the E4200 router. Not all my devices support 5GHz 'n'. My cable connection is not fast enough to even leverage 'n'. These factors will change in the future so I will be growing into the E4200 capabilities over time. The E4200 is a good unit and I have no regrets buying it, hopefully I'll get 7+ years out of it.

Epilogue
Note that a device may say it supports 'n' but this does not mean support for 5GHz. Be sure to get devices that explicitly support 'n' and 5GHz. For example, the iPhone 4 supports 'n' but on 2.4 GHz only (Apple does state this fact). For the dm1z HP wasn't exactly clear on this point. The ideal is 'n' support 2x2 - 'n' support on legacy 2.4GHz and 5GHz.

It seems I simply need to trust that the router uses the fastest possible connection option. I believe if I connect my 'g' only devices then things would go all 'g' on the E4200 2.4GHz.

I'm now somewhat future-proofed with the E4200, so as my cable provider speed increases (hah) I can gain the benefits with my faster WiFi router. I could upgrade to a faster internet package offered by my cable provider and realize these benefits with the E4200 too. My next TV will be network enabled and you really need 'n' for pushing video from a PC to the TV so I'll be covered there. And I may get a 5GHz 'n' upgrade or USB adapter for my dm1z. This would get my two main laptops on n and 5GHz, which is where you want to be.

The last key item for me to get on 'n'+5GHz is the iPhone. Maybe iPhone 5 will support 5GHz?

Ralink RT5390 wireless card in the Pavilion dm1z and WiFi on 5ghz

The HP Pavilion dm1z comes with a Ralink RT5390 wireless card. At least this is what the unit I bought comes with, I'm assuming most if not all customers will get this one too, http://www.ralinktech.com/product.php?s=22

It is single channel 1x1 and supports up to 72Mbps as well as supporting 802.11b/g/n.  It is not a dual channel card. It cannot connect to a 5Ghz WiFi network, only 2.4 GHz. I have a dual channel Cisco Linksys E4200 wireless router. I want to use WiFi n over 5GHz as this would be faster and offer less interference resulting in fewer lost or poor connections. But I cannot go 5GHz with the dm1z out of the box. It's unfortunate as 5GHz WiFi is becoming more common and will supplant 2.4 GHz eventually I'm sure. This does not impact my perception of the dm1z as I still like it a great deal and I do recommend it. For under $500 I know it cannot nail every feature I need now or may need/want in the future.

PC Magazine "The Top 10 Best Laptops", HP Pavilion dm1z made the list

Here's PCMag "Top 10 Best Laptops" available today (March 30, 2011):

• HP Pavilion dv6-6013cl
• Dell XPS 15 (Sandy Bridge)
• Lenovo ThinkPad X220
• Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Thunderbolt)
• Asus U41JF-A1
• HP Pavilion dm1z
• Sony VAIO VPC-Z1390X
• Toshiba Portege R705-P35
• Acer Aspire AS5745-7247
• Asus U45Jc-A1

There's been generally good reviews of the dm1z and my experience so far has been positive. Anyone looking for a new PC should compare your options like I did, this list of the top 10 laptops from PC Mag is of some benefit to review. I'm happy to see the dm1z made their list, it does deserve to be there.

Page Up, Page Down, Home, End Keys and the dm1z Keyboard

The HP Pavilion dm1z does not come with specific keys on its keyboard for Page Up, Page Down, Home, or End. Some reviews I read noted this as a negative. The equivalent actions can be obtained with the 'fn' plus the respective arrow key. So fn + up arrow is your Page Up.

Overall the keyboard is very good, it's full size and sturdy. Though not having the actual keys is a drag I accept certain compromises for a netbook so this isn't a big deal for me.

dm1z vs x120e - Raw Performance Numbers

Including some raw side by side performance numbers on the HP Pavilion dm1z and Lenovo ThinkPad x120e. The numbers were interesting because the dm1z generally beat the x120e on all tests though not by wide margins.  I wanted to see such numbers before making my buy decision to ensure there were no glaring performance issues between my two target systems. As it turned out this did not influence my decision to buy the dm1z over the x120e as performance wise they are essentially equal.

This table I got from the engadget review of the x120e (higher numbers better)

System	PCMarkVantage	3DMark06	Battery Life
Lenovo ThinkPad X120e	2465	2080	4:56
HP Pavilion dm1z	2510	2213	5:02

Side by side x120e and dm1z specs from PCWorld (weight, dimenstions, etc.)

More performance numbers in the table below from PCWorld. They did not have these tables side by side so I copied the data here for ease of comparison (not all the data, just some of the items that I care about the most). I'm assuming higer numbers are better though PCWorld didn't seem to give and info on what the numbers mean.

Performance	x120e	dm1z
Adobe Photoshop CS2	892	902
Autodesk 3ds max 8.0 SP-3 DirectX	634	617
Autodesk 3ds max 8.0 SP-3 Rendering	1502	1525
Battery Life (Video Playback in hh:mm)	5:26	6:41
Firefox 2	745	800
Microsoft Office 2003 with SP-1	531	539
Microsoft Windows Media Encoder 9.0	458	466
Nero 7 Ultra Edition	329	359
Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator 1.5	379	384
Winzip Computing WinZip 10.0	441	457
WorldBench 6 Score	57	55
World Bench 6 Multitasking	863	900

HP Pavilion dm1z vs. ThinkPad x120e, why I chose the HP netbook

What other systems did I look at before settling on the HP Pavilion dm1z? My research brought up the Lenovo ThinkPad x120e. The x120e is nearly identical to the dm1z. Anyone looking for a system similar to my purchase criteria need only review these two systems as currently there are no other competitors in this space.

Reviews for the X120e are generally been excellent. They all highlight the traditionally great ThinkPad keyboard and pointer nub. The dm1z does not have a pointer nub.

So now I’ll detail why I went with the dm1z over the x120e.

The x120e looks impressive and it is I am sure. First thing is that the x120e pushes Windows 7 Professional. I decided that Windows 7 Pro offered me nothing I wanted over Windows 7 Home Premium so this was a non-factor for me. The only feature I may miss in Home Premium is that it does not offer Remote Desktop Host. Pro has Client and Host while Home has just RD Client. But I will never need to make my dm1z a host I’m almost certain and I read somewhere there’s a hack that allows you to make Home a RD Host anyway. So the x120e advantage here with the OS choice will not influence my decision.

You can see the feature differences between Widows 7 Home and Premium on Wikipedia.

I had already speced and priced out a dm1z configuration that met my criteria (the HP "Base Configuration" worked for me). Then on the Lenovo site I priced out a X120e that was identical to the dm1z Base Configuration. The cost came to $669.00. Way over my $500 limit (this limit was ‘all in’ including tax and shipping).

To hit my under $500 mark I had to do some options tweaking to x120e. I started with the $399 x120e Base Model on the Lenovo site which had these system components

• AMD Fusion Processor E-240 (1.5Ghz, 512KB L2, 1.0GHz FSB) 2.0GT/s
• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium (64 bit)
• 2 GB PC3-10600 DDR3 (1 DIMM)
• 250GB Hard Disk Drive, 5400rpm
• ThinkPad 1x1 b/g/n

So at $399 I had about $100 to spend on upgrades. Essentially I had to choose from a faster processor, bigger faster disk, more ram, and a 6 cell battery; critical factors for me. I think my ‘decent performance’ criteria would still be matched with the slower processor and slower/smaller hard disk so I left those as is. I need 5+ hours of battery life to hit my criteria so for $50 I upgrade the base to a 6 Cell Battery. But that’s it, all other options where $40 or $50 and with tax/ship that would take me over my $500 limit. There are coupons to get $30 (or a little more) off like I did for the HP so I could’ve bumped the RAM or got the faster HDD and still likely be under my $500 limit, albeit barely.

Now I have my configuration of the x120e and the dm1z that meet my new laptop purchase criteria and I can compare and choose:

• Processor: dm1z better (AMD 350 vs 340)
• RAM: Same (let’s assume I get the 3GB RAM and total right at $500)
• HDD: dm1z faster and bigger disk. I like the faster speed more than the size.
• OS: Same
• WiFi: Same [Not 100% true, see UPDATE #1 below]
• Bluetooth: dm1z has it, x120e in my config does not
• Screen: Same
• Battery Life: Essentially the same
• Weight: Same
• Size: Same
• Keyboard/Touchpad: x120e probably better keyboard and it has a nub pointer
• Price: dm1z cheaper by ~$50
• Intangibles: dm1z looks cooler on my coffee table

So with a $500 spend ceiling the dm1z has better specs and intangibles than the x120e and it’s cheaper. The slower processor in the x120e I had to choose to meet my criteria was a big factor. I don’t need a topped out system but the reviews say to go with the better processor. I could keep the RAM at 2GB and get the faster processor but that would lower my headroom for having open apps. I like to have many browser windows open and some apps up so more RAM won over the faster processor.
Reviews show the dm1z performance as perhaps slightly better than the x120e when they’re configured equally. The x120e keyboard and pointer nub would be nice have’s but these just are not major factors for me.

The engadget review of the x120e said it best, why spend more for the x120e when the dm1z is identical and cheaper.

So I didn’t, and I chose the dm1z with no regrets.

[UPDATE #1]
The dm1z Ralink RT5390 wireless adapter does not support 5GHz, it has a 1x1 2.4GHz card and HP currently offers no upgrade options on their online store. The x120e used to offer a 5GHz WiFi upgrade option for $20. However, it seems that the 2x2 option is no longer available although the x120e tech specs do list support for 2x2 while the dm1z tech specs do not (links to both the x120e and dm1z tech specs available from this page).

I mistakenly assumed 5GHz was supported on the dm1z. I would have still purchased the HP but you need to be aware of this dm1z limitation.

[UPDATE #2]
The Lenovo site is now selling a ThinkPad x120e with a configuration essentially identical to the HP dm1z Base Configuration (the one I chose) for $489.00; with NY tax (and free shipping) that would make it about $530. This is much better than the $669.00 price I was seeing a couple weeks back, but it's still over my $500 limit and nearly $100 more than an identical dm1z. It looks like Lenovo is more aggressively pricing the x120e to compete in the notbook category. This price change is good but I think dm1z is a better deal and perhaps even a better system.

Synaptics TouchPad Driver Update

The HP Support Assistant popped up to suggest I let the tool scan my system for updates. I said OK but chose the option to inform me and not to do automatic installs. It suggested I update the Synaptics TouchPad Driver. I said OK as I prefer my touchpad behave as optimally as possible. No restart was needed after the install though my touchpad froze for a few seconds. I'll have to see if Windows Update suggested this as an optional update. Not sure what I think of these corporate preinstalled apps running as a service. I'm still working to clean the system of unwanted/unneeded apps and services. This is one service I may disable.

Lots of bloatware comes preinstalled on the dm1z

Even though I've had the dm1z for a couple days now I have not had much time to configure it to a state I am happy with. I like to clean up a system and get it to a lean state before actually installing my productivity apps. Got to go through the Windows Update process of course and this always takes a while with a new system. Just finished the update to SP1, 'winver' from command prompt gives: "Windows 7 Home Premium. Version 6.1 (Build 7601: Service Pack 1).

This system comes with a lot of bloatware. I've started uninstalling it. Should've listed what I've uninstalled so far. Oh well, I'll start listing this now. Is there a history kept in Windows of what programs you've unistalled?

The Tech Report has a good page about the dm1z and its bloatware.

I could have bought a Windows 7 Recovery DVD

The HP site gives an option to purchase a Windows 7 Recovery DVD when you buy the dm1z at the HP.com store. It was $20. I went back to the site to see what options there were as you customize your unit. I must have opted not to buy it, figuring why pay $20 when I don't even have a DVD drive I can plug in to the unit. But I'm still without Windows 7 recovery media, still researching what my options are.

The HP Pavilion dm1z does not come with Windows 7 recovery media, what to do if I need to recover?

The HP Pavilion dm1z does not come with Windows recovery media, no CD/DVD/USB, what to do if I need to recover from a system or drive crash?

I'm asking, I actually don't know.  I didn't get an external optical drive with the unit, do you really even need one now?  I thought HP would provide a recovery USB drive. Something I'll research.

YouTube HP Pavilion dm1z Video Reviews that swayed me to select the HP Pavilion dm1z

MobileTechReview:

TechBargains

Reviews that swayed me to choose the HP dm1z

I did a lot of research before making my purchase of the HP Pavilion dm1z. Here are the articles that convinced the HP dm1z was a top contender. The engadget review had the most influence on me.

• HP Pavilion dm1z (with AMD Fusion) review
• HP Pavilion dm1z Review
• HP Pavilion dm1z
• Review: HP's Pavilion dm1z is a genuine netbook-killer
• Techbargains Review - HP dm1z Laptop

I just bought a HP Pavilion dm1z laptop PC as it easily met my minimum criteria

... and so far so good, I like the HP dm1z unit a lot.

I was looking for an ultraportable/netbook that had to meet these criteria:

• 5+ hours of battery life
• Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit (none of that starter junk)
• Under $500, and the lower the better
• 3.5 pounds or less
• Full size keyboard
• Good performance.

I'm flexible on many details but above is what I needed.

My research quickly revealed the HP Pavilion dm1z and Lenovo ThinkPad x120e as viable options. I chose the HP Pavilion dm1z "Base configuration" (product number XL303AV/dm1z-3000 variety). The list is $449.99, I bought it for $419.99 + tax = $458 (free delivery) at the HP.com store using coupon code "SAVE30HP" to get $30 off. Look for coupon codes on Google, they're out there, you might even find one worth more than $30. The base configuration met all my criteria so I bought it.

The HP Pavilion dm1z Base Configuration has:

• Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• AMD Dual-Core Processor E-350 (1.6GHz, 1MB L2 Cache)+AMD Radeon(TM) HD 6310M Discrete-Class Graphics
• 3GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)
• 320GB 7200RPM Hard Drive with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection
• 6-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery (standard, HP says up to 9.5 hours of battery life)
• 11.6" diagonal High Definition HP BrightView LED Display (1366 x 768)
• Webcam with Integrated Digital Microphone
• 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth(R)
• Standard Keyboard

You can top out the system with more RAM and an SSD to boost performance but I got the base for the cheaper price. The base unit had everything I was looking for so no need for extras.

I bought it on February 26th, got it delivered to me via FedEx on March 15th. HP estimated it would ship to me on March 17th and since I took the free shipping option that would take another 5-7 business days they said. I waited nearly 3 weeks but I feel like I got it early.