The laptop market is probably stronger than it has ever been. Miniaturisation of components keeps progressing, and new materials are allowing better parts to be built into smaller housings. It is an exciting time, as we see the overall performance and power of laptop devices increasing to a point where there can rival desktop computers, even displaying gaming capability, which was always a no-no for laptops in the past.

In fact, these days seeing an impressive set of specs in a laptop is not all that unusual. The real powerhouses are still creeping into the market, but they are certainly becoming more common. That the HP Pavilion DV6 as an example. HP have a strong reputation for creating very decent laptops, and this one is no different.

The first impression it makes is a good one. The majority of its casing is made out of brushed steel, a light gun metal in colour. The rest is durable black plastic. On the inside, the metal look continues over the whole lower portion of the device, set into which are a stylish black, chicklet style keyboard and a black, slightly left aligned navigation pad. The 15.6 inch screen is surrounded by a shiny black plastic trim, which also houses an integrated TrueVision webcam. A discrete finger print reader and power button, as we’ll as an Internet shortcut button, round off the looks.

A full array of ports, including four USB ports and an HDMI output, can also be found on the exterior, as well as a DVD optical drive. But the real joy of this capable and stylish laptop lies under the hood. At the core of its performance, which is excellent, lies a i7 2GHz processor, supported by a chunky 6GB of DDR3 RAM. Further performance comes from the new Intel HM65 Express chipset, as well as the on board Radeon graphics chip. The 750GB of hard drive storage is also more than you will find in most laptops, but a terabyte might have been a bit nicer. Also on-board is a Beats Audio system, which delivers excellent sound. It’s still better with a set of headphones, but the sound quality from the built in speakers is better than expected.

In terms of battery life, the performance is not too shabby at all, although no laptop ever has enough power that the user can simply leave their charger at home. And, of course, it comes preloaded with a number of great utilities and tools, designed by HP with their range specifically in mind. The Pavilion DV6 is a little on the heavy side but, with that said, one has to remember that this is a very solidly constructed machine. It is also extremely comfortable to use, with bright clear graphics from the LED screen complimenting the sensible layout. And it’s performance is very, very good. Sure, it’s not the biggest machine we have seen in the form of a laptop, but it certainly is no slouch either.

It is impressive looking, and strikes a near perfect balance between style and power.

AT A GLANCE:

With good looks and great specs, this baby is a winner.

PROS:

• Looks great
• Powerful

CONS:

• Heavy

TECH SPECS:

• i7 2GHz CPU
• 6GB DDR3 RAM
• 750GB HDD
• 15.6” screen
• Radeon graphics
• Beats audio

Manufacturer: HP
Distributor: HP
Online: www.hp.com