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Description: The HP Pavilion dv9420us is a 7.7-pound, mainstream consumer notebook computer.Compared to other mainstream consumer notebooks on the market, it is midpriced at around $1,250.Has Wi-Fi (wireless connectivity) built-in.

Pros: Comes with Microsoft Windows Vista Home premium and Microsoft Windows Vista OS, which is somewhat more favorable than some similarly priced notebooks.Also, this notebook has 1440 x 900 native screen resolution, which is somewhat higher than some similarly priced notebooks.By way of comparison, the average cost of a product with this high a native screen resolution is $1,630.

Cons: Has a 7.7-pound weight, which is considerably heavier than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the HP Business nc4400, at around $1, 265, has only a 4-pound weight.Also, this notebook only has a turion 64 X2 mobile technology processor, which is somewhat less efficient than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the HP Pavilion dv9330us, a 7.7-pound notebook at around $1, 300, has a Core 2 Duo processor.

Suitability: A consumer level notebook, suited for general mobile computing.Comes with a DVD recorder, allowing you to convert home movies from your digital Handycam onto DVDs.Includes advanced word processing software; it comes with plenty of features for most document authors.Clean up your digital photographs with the photo editing software included with this notebook.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Internet from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled laptop.

Value: Overall, this notebook has great features for the money.For example, when it comes to screen size, the average price of mainstream products with a comparable screen size is considerably more -- in fact around $1,558.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Web more conveniently from any room.(2) To get the most out of this laptop's Bluetooth capability, you could have a Bluetooth-enabled headset, handheld or other device, and be able to link it wirelessly to your computer within a range of 20-or-so feet inside the same room.

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CNET editors' buying advice

We have not reviewed this product but here is CNET's buying advice on Laptops. This content was chosen based on the features included with this model of laptop.
Desktop Replacement notebook computer

The largest and heaviest type of laptop, desktop replacements are designed to deliver the power and features you'd get from a desktop PC. Too bulky for anything but room-to-room travel within a house or an office, desktop replacements typically offer the best performance, the largest screens and keyboards, and the most complete set of features available on a laptop. Popular among home and business users, most of these systems can deliver enough computing muscle for serious gaming, multimedia authoring, and even high-level digital audio and video work.

Read more in the Laptop Buying Guide

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Laptop computer wireless capabilities
Wireless capability Description
WiMAX WiMax is a new wide area wireless Internet service. Think of it like 3G but with enough bandwidth to make it efficient for use at home or a coffee shop across town. If WiMax comes to your area and works as intended, you may be able to consolidate your home and mobile broadband service.
Bluetooth Bluetooth is still optional in most laptops, and so far, it isn't used to its potential. Expect this short-range wireless protocol to become a standard as electronics increasingly interface with each other.
Wi-Fi 802.11 Pre-N or Draft N is the newest protocol for Wi-Fi home networking. 802.11g is currently the most common protocol and is sufficient for most Web activities, but don't expect it to stream movie files from networked storage. Wi-Fi is backward-compatible so the new, faster protocols will work with older protocols like 802.11a.
Mobile broadband Like WiMax, mobile broadband is a paid service and the built-in connectivity hardware is carrier specific.

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Home user laptop computer

Home users are increasingly turning to notebook computers as their primary PCs, as they like that laptops can offer similar performance and features to those of a desktop PC, and can be easily moved from room to room. Though of course almost any notebook computer will do for typical home use, there are two types of laptops most suitable for home users: mid-size notebooks, which tend to be budget-friendly, and desktop replacements, which are usually packed with features.