the hp g42 laptop

The HP G42 sits between the budget Compaq Presario line and entertainment-focused HP Pavilion range, offering a complete computing experience at an affordable price point. While it may not sport the latest USB 3.0 standard or come with Blu-ray options or switchable graphics, the HP G42's feature set is competent enough for most users who just want an inexpensive portable with decent hardware performance.


Upside: One of our key gripes is with the use of glossy surfaces for thin-and-light as well as ultraportable laptops. If the machine is designed to be portable, why add an exterior layer which picks up fingerprints and requires regular cleaning? Fortunately, the HP Imprint top cover on the G42 looks aesthetically pleasing and allows the machine to be manhandled without leaving oily stains behind.

But what really attracts consumers to the G42 is the price. For S$999, you get a 2.4GHz Core i3 laptop with a 512MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD5430 graphics card. Bump up the price to S$1,199 and the G42 comes with a 2.53GHz Core i5 chip and 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD5470 performance. Interestingly enough, the entry-level model sports a faster 7,200rpm 320GB harddisk, while the Core i5 version is equipped with a 5,400rpm 500GB storage device.

Chiclet-style keyboards have become commonplace, a trend HP follows with this laptop. The touchpad is also flush with the palm rest and gives the machine a clean look and feel. The 14-inch LED-backlit display has a resolution of 1,366 x 768, the norm for laptop panels from 11.6 to 15.6 inches.

Other features include an HDMI port, Altec Lansing speakers and a LightScribe-enabled DVD writer. The latter, in conjunction with LightScribe discs, allows the laptop laser to embed text and graphics on the label side of the optical media.

Downside: The HP G42's 2.2kg carry weight is the norm for its class, but the chassis is a little thick at 36.5mm. Moreover, we were a little disappointed that the laptop's trackpad was not multitouch-enabled, a standard feature for most portables these days. For users who like to tap into wired networks, be warned. The HP G42's Ethernet port is limited to 100Mbps, which is odd considering that even budget notebooks come with Gigabit Ethernet (1,000Mbps).

Outlook: With a decent feature set and discrete graphics performance at an affordable price, the HP G42 is a good recommendation for a generic workhorse laptop.
source:  http://asia.cnet.com/product/hp-g42-intel-core-i3-370m-processor-2-4ghz-2gb-ram-45295356.htm