HP DM1z

[fibrizo]

SSD update: I was hopeful that the chipset in the Dm1z was the AMD Hudson M1, so I grabbed the drivers from the MSI E350IA-E45. I was very happy to see the Catalyst chipset software say that the AHCI SATA driver was not installed (though all the others were), and I installed the driver. I rebooted with dreams of a great ssd benchmark score and then..... yup Win7 refused to boot, it just hung. A quick system restore and I am back to where I started. I can say that the Dm1z does not use the SATA from the Hudson M1. I beginning to think this may be a custom chipset from HP. Time to harass HP employees in their forum.

Did you make the necessary registry changes in windows before rebooting?

If you don't do the changes and you reboot with an ahci mode change from IDE windows will hang on booting.

Switch to AHCI in Windows 7 (after install) | Windows 7 Themes

[Azneonguy]

Well finally got off the fence and decided to order one today...

I am trying to keep my expectations low as I would rather be pleasantly surprised versus majorly disappointed....

But from the looks of the post most people seem to be very happy with their purchases......

Lets hope I can be added to the very happy group.....

[TSE]

I think bang-for-buck wise, the DM1z wins in the AMD Fusion category hands down... but I for one do not like the trackpad nor the looks of the DM1z, especially the inside.

I might leap for the X120e just because it looks so much better and the trackpad and matte screen... I don't know yet though.

How is Hulu fullscreen at 720P with Flash 10.2?

[TommyB0y]

I really like the DM1z trackpad, its so much better than the hard plastic one on my older DM3z. Its a lot like the trackpad on my Thinkpad, except the T400 has separate buttons of course. ANd the screen is not really glossy, its just not matte.

The DM1z boots quick for me, and comes out of sleep really fast. And drains like no battery sitting in sleep for more than a day without being plugged in. And it wasnt hibernating, didnt have to resume windows or anything.

I am happy with the purchase. It would be so much better with dual channel memory controllers though, that would make it irresistable.

[craig1984]

Have you ever considered purchasing an Intel 6200 Centrino Advanced-N Wireless card from Newegg (~$20) to replace the Ralink?

I'd been looking at that very card, yes. I'm holding off for a bit to see if there's a quick fix for the Ralink. I can compile the driver and get it to load, it just goes crazy when it tries to pass traffic. It may well only need a minor tweak to work with this card.

[jdsctm]

I have been following this thread since shortly after the new dm1 was announced last month, and after a couple of weeks using it, decided to chime in with my observations.

Actually, I ordered the previous dm1z 2 days before the new one was announced, and immediately called and cancelled the order when I saw the news releases about the new one. I re-ordered on the first day it was available......Jan. 9. I received it on January 26.

I know there have been a lot of more technical discussions on here that frankly for the most part are over my head. I am pretty computer proficient, but that's about it.......not a real "techie" by any means. So, these observations are for those who are trying to sort through all of the various opinions on this computer.

I previously was using a 2 year old HP DV2911 with a 14" screen and Intel Dual Core processor as my primary computer for business and personal use. Also, a few months ago, I got an Acer One netbook for supplemental portability and battery life purposes. I liked both of them, but the speed of the Acer could be tedious to get used to sometimes, and more importantly, it was a pain to keep the data and files on both of them in sync. So, I decided to sell both of them and get an ultra-portable as a compromise.....deciding on the orginal dm1z.

Luckily, the timing on the new dm1z introduction was perfect, and now I have had 2 weeks to use it........and am VERY pleased! I should say that I am not a "gamer".....my primary uses are for basic personal and business functions and programs....MS Office, Quicken, and a number of other programs.....as well as email and internet. So far, the computer meets and exceeds my expectations!

Responding to some of the observations and concerns and questions on here.......The size and design are great in my opinion. The keyboard has a great feel, and I personally like the trackpad and buttons.....even though I prefer using a mouse most of the time. The screen does not really have an objectionable glare......very sharp and vivid. Like others have mentioned, the fan is initially sort of loud, but if you reset it to the quiet setting, it is not very noticeable at all, and does keep the maching really cool! The speakers are unbelievable for a computer this small! I ordered the HP external drive, and it works great (with only one USB cable required whereas some require 2). Again, I am not a gamer, but the DM1 seems to perform most of the basic functions I use as fast as my previous HP DV2911. I ordered it with 4 GB, but with Firefox, Thunderbird, and usually a couple of other things running......it usually never goes over 1.5 GB used. I have not really tested the battery life yet, but everyone seems pleased with that.

So, all in all, I would highly recommend this for a unique combination of size, portablity, features and performance for a price not that much more than a much lower performance netbook. I can't believe how much difference it makes between 10.1" and 11.6" as far as being adequate as my sole computer! For $450 I think it is unbeatable!

[jonlad1]

My order got cancelled again.

Does anybody want to order one on my behalf??

[HI DesertNM]

I think bang-for-buck wise, the DM1z wins in the AMD Fusion category hands down... but I for one do not like the trackpad nor the looks of the DM1z, especially the inside.

I might leap for the X120e just because it looks so much better and the trackpad and matte screen... I don't know yet though.

How is Hulu fullscreen at 720P with Flash 10.2?

I can't get hulu to work with 720. Do you have to have hulu plus for that to work? Anyway, 720P looks great on you tube. Usually get 30 FPS. 1080P usually only gains around 20 FPS. I got 10.2 beta installed.

What I can say is 1080P mkv files work good with media player and CCCP codec. I've played raw 1080i ts files and they look perfect. Any flash 720P looks fine. But frame rates are lower on the dm1 then my HP hdx playing flash 1080P. This looks noticeable at times when outputting HDTV (55")

From what I've read, AMD is working with adobe to fix the 1080P problem. But at this time, IMO there is a problem with 1080P flash video and the dm1 with 10.2 installed. I don't think you can get the full frame rates with those files.

Also this link was posted a while back reviewing the x120E and compared to the dm1, it runs allot hotter. Part of the bottom measured 108 degrees. parts of the keyboard hit at a 100 degrees. This is considerably hotter then the DM1 which has almost no heat.. except a little from the exhaust. For me, the heat issue would be a big time deal killer for the lenovo. http://www.laptopmag.com/review/lapt...0e.aspx?page=1

[stjernefodt]

The Lenovo is 100 dollars more expensive because it comes with Win 7 Professional and an extra 1 GB of RAM over the DM1z, which comes with Win 7 64 Home and 3 GB RAM.

Identical configurations on both result in the DM1Z costing 578 dlls and the X120e 599 dlls, only a 20 dll difference.

I like more things on the DM1z than the Lenovo, like the better speakers and the lower temps. The Lenovo has a gorgeous matte screen and a way faster boot time, but its temps are definitely a deal breaker for me at this point.

Damn, still can't decide... think I'm gonna wait out a bit for the Feb 20 launch of Dual Core Sandy Bridge chips at 17W. Hope we see 11 inch laptops with them soon.

[jackharvest]

Yes. Even at 12MB, it's technically more than 100X faster than a standard HD. That being said, if you are buying an SSD for this machine, don't break the bank. One of those budget Kingston Now SSDs would fit the bill nicely.

Agreed. That's what I through into my DM1. Boots very, very quickly, and shutdown is always under 4 seconds, even with a ton of crap open.