General

• System TypeNotebook
• Recommended UseHome use
• OS ProvidedMicrosoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition
• Notebook typeMidsize ,Budget

Processor / Chipset

• ProcessorAMD A8-4500M 2.1 GHz
• Max Turbo Speed3 GHz
• Number of CoresQuad-Core
• CacheL2 cache - 4 MB
• 64-bit ComputingYes

Memory

• RAM6 GB
• TechnologyDDR3 SDRAM
• Form FactorSO DIMM 204-pin
• Slots Qty2

Storage

• Hard Drive750 GB HDD / 5400 rpm
• InterfaceSerial ATA-300
• Optical DriveDVD±RW (±R DL) / DVD-RAM

Display

• Type15.6 in
• LCD Backlight TechnologyLED backlight
• Max Resolution1366 x 768 ( HD )
• WidescreenYes
• FeaturesHD BrightView

Audio & Video

• Graphics ProcessorAMD Mobility Radeon HD 7640G
• Total Available Graphics Memory3060 MB
• CameraYes
• SoundMicrophone
• Audio FeaturesBeats Audio,
  HP Triple Bass Reflex Subwoofer

Input

• TypeKeyboard,
  Touchpad
• FeaturesBuilt-in numeric keyboard,
  Multi-touch touchpad

Communications

• Wireless802.11n
• Network InterfaceGigabit Ethernet

Battery

• Technology6-cell Lithium ion
• Capacity62 Wh

AC Adapter

• Output65 Watt

Connections & Expansion

• InterfacesLAN,
  VGA,
  2 x Headphone output,
  Microphone input,
  USB 2.0,
  3 x USB 3.0,
  HDMI
• Memory Card ReaderCard reader ( SD Memory Card ),
  ( MultiMediaCard )

Software

• Software IncludedHP Games Powered by WildTangent,
  HP Recovery Manager,
  HP Rara Music,
  HP Security Assistant,
  HP Power Manager,
  Snapfish PictureMover,
  Microsoft Office 2010 Starter,
  Adobe Flash Player,
  HP MyRoom,
  Ebay,
  HP SimplePass,
  Microsoft Windows DVD Maker,
  Adobe Premiere Elements 10,
  Windows Live Mesh,
  Windows Live Movie Maker,
  HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection,
  HP Support Assistant,
  Skype,
  HP Launch Box,
  Microsoft Silverlight,
  Microsoft Internet Explorer 9.0,
  Windows Live Messenger,
  Adobe Shockwave Player,
  Norton Internet Security 2012 (60 days subscription),
  Windows Live Essentials 2011,
  CyberLink YouCam DE,
  Windows Live Mail,
  Windows Live Writer,
  HP Beats Audio,
  EverNote,
  Adobe Photoshop Elements 10,
  Blio e-Reader,
  Adobe Reader,
  Microsoft Windows Media Player,
  Windows Live Photo Gallery
• Microsoft Office PreloadedIncludes a pre-loaded image of select Microsoft Office 2010 suites. Purchase an Office 2010 Product Key Card or disc to activate preloaded software on this PC.

Miscellaneous

• Embedded SecurityFingerprint reader
• FeaturesHP CoolSense
• LocalizationEnglish / United States

Dimensions & Weight

• Width14.9 in
• Depth9.7 in
• Height1.3 in
• Weight5.5 lbs

Sustainability

• ENERGY STAR QualifiedYes
• Greenpeace policy rating (Nov 2011)5.9

Cons:

• no Bluetooth
• one 4 GB stick and one 2 GB stick of RAM prevents ability to run DDR
• poor power cable design
• the only difference between scrolling and right clicking is whether or not you place one finger on the touchpad first
• difficult upgrades
• UEFI

The HP DV6-7010US is definitely a high performer. It sports a 2.8 GHZ processor, 6 GB of 1600 MHZ DDR3 RAM, a 750 GB hard drive, USB 3.0, and AMD Radeon HD 7640G graphics that can use up to 2.98 GB of RAM. My only complaint about the hardware is that this comes with one 4 GB stick of RAM and one 2 GB stick of RAM, which prevents you from running in DDR mode unless you upgrade (which slows down the performance significantly). Fortunately RAM is cheap now days and I had no issue ordering another 4 GB stick of RAM. Getting the stick of RAM in to the laptop was another matter entirely. I don't know why HP did this, but the bottom panel of the laptop is hooked in with latches and only one screw. Getting the screw out is easy but unlatching those latches is difficult and close to impossible. In fact, I broke a latch trying to get the panel loose. 

It really upsets me that this laptop did not come with any Bluetooth. In my humble opinion, HP would have done well to downgrade the RAM from 6 GB to 4 GB and use the leftover funds to put in Bluetooth. There is no reason why a $500+ laptop should not have Bluetooth. 

The fingerprint scanner and Beats audio both make nice additions. The fingerprint scanner does an excellent job at recognizing my imprint and the Beats audio is nice and loud, which is unusual in a laptop at this price range but very pleasant to have. Additional features are HP's CoolSense technology and ProtectSmart technology. The fan keeps the laptop nice and cool. I have not dropped this laptop yet so I can't comment on the ProtectSmart technology. 

The touchpad annoys me with scrolling and right clicking. You have to put one finger down first to scroll, and both fingers down at once to right click. The problem is that when you're scrolling fast you don't tend to put one finger down before the other, so you end up right clicking instead. In Chromium and Firefox right clicking brings up a menu that if you're not careful will send you back one page after you've accidentally right clicked. This behavior is very bothersome and I wonder why putting both fingers down at the same time is not the default action for scrolling. 

Linux works great on this laptop. Be aware however that if you purchase this laptop you will need to use a distribution that sports the latest kernel, as Linux has only recently gotten support for hybrid graphics.  Distributions I recommend are Linux Mint 13+ or any Ubuntu 12.04 derivative, Sabayon 8+, and Fedora 17+. Also be aware that the fingerprint scanner won't work in Linux because fingerprint scanner support hasn't been updated in years. Besides that everything works perfectly in Linux.

The downside to this laptop on Linux is that it supports UEFI. However, if you can get a regular Windows 7 disc you can skip installing UEFI on the system.

Overall this is a pretty decent laptop. I look forward to using it as my main computing device. I give it an 8/10.