HP DM4
Price: Rs 53,618
Specs: 14-inch LED screen; Intel Core i5; 6 GB RAM; 600 GB HDD; Intel HD 3000 Graphics; Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n Wireless LAN, memory card reader, 3 USB, 2 kg weight
The HP DM4 Beats Edition didn't turn out to be what we expected, at least not in its looks. The big red Beats Audio logo we had seen in previews abroad was nowhere to be seen in the laptop we got. The Indian version seems to come only in the sober brushed aluminium dark umber finish, with the Beats Audio branding limited to the small logos above the screen and near the speakers.
So while we were a bit disappointed by the lack of looks, we were more than happy with the Beats Audio sound augmented by the two subwoofers. This 14-inch notebook is a music lovers' dream with sound that will make more heads turn than would ever with bright red logos. The 1366 x 768 HD LED display only reaffirms the dm4's claim to be one of the best multimedia laptops out there.
Beats started out as a brand of headphones by Beats Electronics, the brainchild of legendary artist and producer Dr Dre and Jimmy Lovine. Dr Dre was inspired by the fact that people weren't hearing music as it was made, or supposed to be heard. His 'studio inspired' audio equipment try to recreate music the way it was recorded with the 'bass, the detail, the dynamics'. HP has been featuring Beats Audio technology in its laptops, desktop and tablets.
And that doesn't in anyway mean that there are no serious aspects to this notebook. Much like the Ultrabooks, the new dm4 too features a second generation Intel Core i5 processor with Intel Smart Response Technology, which boots up the unit in under 45 seconds. This is also a cool gadget, for HP CoolSense keeping temperatures down even after a two-hour movie. Then HP SimplePass with fingerprint reader gives the notebook an extra layer of security. The battery shouldn't trouble you before four hours and maybe you can squeeze in an extra hour by keeping the volume low.
The keyboard is well laid out and responsive, though the keys had a bit too much travel than we would have liked. There is a separate web key to go online in a hurry. Despite the Ultrabook-like features, the dm4 is not a slim machine. In fact, when shut, the screen panel sort of sticks out like the roof of a beachside condo. Can't say it is bad, but it is definitely a very unique design statement. At roughly 2 kg, the dm4 is also a tad bit too heavy. But then this netbooks comes fully loaded with all connectivity options-none of the Ultrabooks will give you a DVD writer, VGA or Ethernet ports.
Bag It Or Junk It? Ideal for music lovers, good connectivity options.
