1.33MHz Intel Core i3-380UM
3GB RAM
320GB hard drive
None
13.3 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Integrated Intel HD
4 pounds
1.3x12.8x9.2 inches
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
3GB RAM
320GB hard drive
None
13.3 inches (1,366x768 native resolution)
Integrated Intel HD
4 pounds
1.3x12.8x9.2 inches
Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
The HP Pavilion dm3t is a significant update over last year’s dm3 model, offering better performance and a more stylish look, all at a lower price. Starting at just $529 and ringing up for $655 in our Core i3 test configuration, this lightweight 13.3-inch-screened notebook has a comfortable, roomy keyboard, a responsive CPU, and a sharp, bright screen. It’s not going to set any speed records, and its poor 3D-graphics performance is only suitable for the most casual of games, but overall it feels like a notebook that should cost more.
Design
The dm3t is on the small side for a budget 13.3-inch notebook, measuring 1.3x12.8x9.2 inches and weighing in at 4 pounds, hovering on the border between the ultraportable and thin-and-light laptop categories. Though the brushed-aluminum shell of last year’s dm3 model is still present around the keyboard and screen, the outside is now a rubbery, flat-black “soft touch” material. We really like the aesthetic, and the material is completely resistant to fingerprints.
We’re generally pleased with the full suite of ports on the dm3t. On the left, you’ll find VGA and HDMI video ports, a combo eSATA/USB 2.0 connector, and a slot for attaching a Kensington-style cable lock. On the right, you’ll find power, headphone, microphone, and Ethernet jacks, as well as a pair of USB 2.0 connectors. In addition, you get a memory-card slot that supports just about all the major flash formats: SD, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, and xD-PictureCard. What’s missing, however, is an optical drive.
Features
The roomy, full-size, Chiclet-style keyboard is a pleasure to type on. The keys are well spaced and have just the right amount of vertical travel for comfortable typing. For the most part, the layout is good, but the half-size up and down arrow keys take a little getting used to. Also, the keyboard has no dedicated page-navigation buttons: You have to hit the Fn key in combination with the arrow keys to get Page Up, Page Down, Home, and End, and none of these is labeled thus. The keys in the function-key row default to various system controls for media playback and screen brightness; you’ll have to press the Fn key in concert with one of them to enter F1 to F12. A backlit version of the keyboard is available, but our test unit wasn’t equipped with this $25 option.
As with the touch pads popularized on Apple’s MacBooks, the entire surface of the touch pad can be used to navigate around the screen, and you simply press the lower right or left corners to register a mouse-button click. The button area is demarcated by a slightly raised ridge, a nice touch that makes using the touch pad without glancing down easier. You can double-tap a dot in the top left corner of the touch pad to disable it; a small orange light will appear to indicate that it’s turned off.
The 13.3-inch, 1,366x768-pixel screen is sharp and very bright, with rich, deep colors. The viewing angle is very good from side-to-side but fairly narrow vertically. The glossy surface is very reflective, though, and reflections may be an issue if you have lighting directly behind you. The speakers are mounted above the keyboard and offer rich, clear sound for a notebook in this class. Audio sounded very good until we cranked the volume to its highest level; it got a bit muddy at that point.
The VGA Webcam isn’t impressive from a resolution standpoint, but it works well in low light. Video looks great in bright lighting. In dimmer environs, the image gets grainier, but it compensates for the lack of lighting and remains colorful and bright.
