HP HDX 18 Laptop Review
HP may not be the most glamorous of the computer manufacturers and may not often come out with the latest killer applications or hardware, but they have been around for years and throughout this time they have been known for producing good, solid reliable computers at reasonable prices. And sometimes, they do pull a rabbit out of the hat and bring something truly great to the table. The HDX 18 is one of these.
Looks: 
Performance: 
Value for money:
Overall Rating:
Ordering the laptop to your personal configuration is easy using HP’s user friendly website. The price obviously depends on what you order, but to give you an idea of the costs an HDX 18 with an Intel T9600 core 2 Duo processor, 3 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD, NVidia graphics, Blu-ray player, TV tuner and fingerprint reader, among other things, will set you back around $2200.
What you get in return is a great looking huge laptop. And I do mean huge – the HDX 18 comes with a mind boggling 18.4 inch display. And it’s not light either weighing in at nearly 9 lbs. If ever there was a desktop replacement, this is it. The HDX does not pretend to be anything else. It’s not for the road warrior or even the frequent traveler. It is a convenient single piece of equipment that is to be used in the home or office and can, when needed, be closed up and taken to other locations.
Every surface of the laptop is polished to a lasting shine. Nothing on the laptop looks cheap, right down to the finish of the lettering on the keys. The panels are all charcoal gray in color and have a subtle design of lines and curves on them with gives the whole unit a classy and very contemporary look. And let’s not forget the chrome. Everything that can be chromed has been chromed. Or at least chromed colored plastic has been used. But far from reminding one of a 1950’s Detroit gas guzzler, the effect seems to work.
Sit at the HDX 18 and you feel you are at the controls of a big powerful machine. This is a computer (yes computer is the right word – laptop seems to be too limiting) that can take on anything. From any work related application to the latest and most resource demanding of games, to watching HD movies, nothing is beyond this beast.
The Altec Lansing speakers, including a sub woofer, surprisingly do not match the rest of the unit’s standards. They are just about okay and would have been perfectly acceptable in a smaller laptop, but not in a multimedia desktop replacement like this.
The large size of the unit means that the key board is very well spaced out and easy to use, as are all the touch sensitive multimedia controls.
Heat and noise are not issues. The fan is silent and it’s difficult to make out when it is in operation. The unit does not seem to ever heat up, perhaps because its size gives it so much area for heat dispersal. There may be some slight heating on the under side, but since this is really too big a laptop to be placed on the lap, it is not important.
ALL in all, this is a laptop that looks great and can do just about anything you ask of it. And once you get used to the size, even carrying it around does not seem all that hard. The only question you have to ask yourself is if you are willing to spend $2200 for a laptop, even if it is worth the price.