HP Pavilion dv2-1003AX Laptop

Ultra-portable laptop manufacturers often try their best to cram as many features as they can in their products. HP is no exception, and this time around they have something more to offer than just a lightweight laptop and thin form factor.

Features
The DV2 1003AX is a fine example of a stylish ultra-portable laptop, it weighs merely 1.7 kg and as thin as a personal diary. It is built around an AMD RS 690 chipset and is powered by an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, which is clocked at 1.6 GHz with 512 KB L2 cache.

This hardware configuration along with a whopping 320 GB hard drive and 2 GB DDR2-667 RAM, makes it a good entry-level laptop. Despite the hardware used, the entertainment experience will be decent. Owing to the crisp 12.1-inch display—at 1280x800 pixels, the onboard ATI Radeon HD 3410 graphics and the loud built-in speakers, watching movies is fun. Also, light games will sail smoothly at medium resolutions. The 1003AX will suffice even for mainstream and office applications. However, it is less likely to handle heavy applications such as comprehensive design suites.

HP bundles an external DVD writer with the laptop as opposed to integrating it within the unit, and the drive sports the same classy look. Apart from standard ports and connectors, the 1003AX features an HDMI port so you can connect your HDTV and watch movies on a larger screen. Wireless connectivity is offered via Wi-Fi N—the latest standard, and Bluetooth. An eSATA port and gigabit Ethernet are missing though.

Build quality
This laptop has an eye-catching glossy finish overall, except on its base and on the keyboard. It has smooth and curved edges that—except for the lid—are rimmed with shiny chrome beading. Since the surface of the laptop is shiny, it is susceptible to fingerprints.

Overall, the laptop is robust and thanks to the good quality hinges, the lid too is very stable. The keyboard is well laid out and the slightly concave keys are quite nice. Typical of the current HP laptops, there’s a physical button above the touchpad, which toggles the touchpad on and off, when typing.

Performance
For good performance you need powerful hardware, which is not the case with the 1003AX. We’d say that the DV2 1003AX is a good option for people who fancy trendy laptops that are light in weight and fit for basic applications, multimedia and light gaming. As long as you’re not using heavy applications, transcoding video files and so on, the laptop will sail smoothly.

You can get better performing custom laptops for this price.

Conclusion
If basic performance, ultra-portability and a slick form factor are your criteria, the 1003AX is yours for Rs. 42,990. If not, there are better options available at this price.