HP Pavilion DV2-1030ea

The thin DV2 range of notebooks is an attempt by HP to create a computer that doesn’t skimp on power but is still light enough to carry around.

While it’s not as thin as the Apple Macbook Air, it’s still considerably slimmer than most laptops, and it does look very impressive indeed. The outer shell is finished in a glossy black magnesium alloy (which is supposed to make it light but felt plasticky to us and sadly, does attract fingerprints) and is moulded nicely to provide good curves. The inside of the case has a pleasant pattern inscribed upon it.

There are three models, with the 1030ea we’re looking at fitting squarely in the middle. It uses an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor that is specifically designed for thin laptops, and that’s backed up with 2GB of memory and a 320GB hard disk. A 1010ea model is £100 cheaper, but only has 1GB of memory, a smaller disk and poorer version of Windows, so we wouldn’t recommend it.

That’s enough for most office and internet tasks, and even photo editing and video playback didn’t trouble this computer in our tests. The 12in widescreen display is large enough, and the keys on the keyboard are likewise large enough to enable hassle-free typing. It is a bit shallow, though, so if you’re inclined to come down hard on the keys when typing you’ll need to modify your style to avoid pain in the long term. The glossy touchpad was decent, and can be turned off with a switch if you use an external mouse.

The DV2 has three USB ports, a memory card reader, access to wired and wireless networks and Bluetooth, a VGA output for monitors and an HDMI output for flat-panel TVs, but one thing it’s missing is a built-in CD/DVD drive. An external drive comes in the box as standard – it’s a hassle to have to plug it in to use it, but it’s a necessary compromise given the slim design.

Our main problem with the DV2 was the noise – a whiny fan means that unless you’re using it in a busy place, you’ll be troubled by distracting noises while working.

With Windows Vista Home Premium, Microsoft Works and a one-year r eturn-to-base warranty the DV2-1030ea is an impressive piece of kit. If you’re looking for a sleek and slim laptop that’s more powerful than the cheaper mini-notebooks, the DV2 is a great choice.