The iEP315 is also another great replacement if you need a pair of good In-ear earphones. Included with the earphones is a iPod microphone remote allowing you to control both your iPod and iPhone functions. Perfect for hand-free calling and voice notes via the built-in microphone. These too will work with the iPhone 3GS, iPod touch 2nd generation, iPod nano 4th generation, iPod classic 120GB, iPod shuffle 3rd generation and will retail for $29.99.

Performance:
As much as netbooks have been taking off, and we do love them, they really are secondary computers. Sure, they can work great as a kid’s primary computer, but when it comes to teenagers and college students. they need something more. The dv2 hits the sweet spot in this respect - it’s more powerful than most netbooks, yet it’s not that much more expensive than other netbooks. It also has bigger a screen than your average netbook - it sports a 12.1 inch display. That combined with its sub 4lb weight,  makes it easy to carry around. This is the perfect laptop for a high school or college student since it’s powerful enough to be their main computer without making any real compromises.

You can configure the dv2 with up to 4gb of ram, which is very welcome since it helps improve multitasking performance and up to a 500GB 5400RPM hard drive in capacity. Our unit came with a 320GB hard drive. For a processor you have two choices, the 1.6ghz AMD Athlon Neo Processor, or for an extra $75.00 you can get the 1.6ghz AMD Turion Neo X2 Dual-Core Mobile L625. Our unit was running on the Neo X2 Dual-Core Mobile. For a video card, the dv2 has the 512MB ATI Radeon HD Premium Graphics 3410 - unless you opt for Windows Vista Basic, in which case you can go with the less powerful ATI Radeon X1250.

Actual overall performance with the dv2 isn’t all that much faster than the standard Atom processor you get in most netbooks, but the dedicated 512MB ATI Radeon card is what really makes the  dv2 stand out for this form factor and at this price point. The dv2 garnered a respectable 2,189 PCMarks in PCMark05.  Heavy Microsoft Office users will be happy to know that Microsoft Office 2007 runs snappily on the dv2. Word, Excel and Powerpoint only take 1 to 2 seconds to load up. Overall the system runs Vista Home Premium very well, which is yet, again something that most netbooks doesn’t do all that well. The system multitasks well too. The dv2 earned a Windows Experience Base Score of 4.0 and 4.1 for Gaming Performance.

The dedicated video card gives you enough muscle to play modern games. Albeit no replacement for a serious gaming laptop, this will do the job for most teens and college student who casually game, which is probably a good majority of them. In contrast, most typical netbooks and many sub $800 laptops can’t run any serious games at all. The dv2 garnered a score of 1228 in 3DMark06. Again, the average netbook only achieves a score of about 100 or so. I was able to play the new Sims 3 at a 800×600 resolution on the dv2 very comfortably- take that netbooks! Jumping to a 1024×768 resolution started to slow things down, but even then the game was playable.

The dedicated video card also keeps Blu-Ray playback running smooth, should you choose to shell out the cash for the optional external Blu-Ray drive. Blu-Ray playback on the dv2 is lovely without any hiccups. Because there is an HDMI out jack, that also means that you can connect the laptop to a TV and use it as a Blu-Ray disc player. This is perfect for students living in dorms. For starters, they probably don’t have the money to buy a dedicated Blu-ray player, nor do they have the room for one either. Some might complain that there is no optical drive built-in to the laptop, but we would disagree. The lack of the built-in optical drive keeps the weight down, and the reality is that most kids are probably downloading and watching movies right off of their hard drive. I myself rarely pop in a DVD anymore. Instead I rely on Hulu Desktop, iTunes, YouTube and Torrents for most of my video entertainment. And in that department the dv2 does very well, I can watch HD Quicktime files without a hitch.

Keyboard and Mouse:
The keyboard on the dv2 is nearly full size at 92% of a standard keyboard  and it has great tactile feedback, with similarly glossy keys like the HP Vivienne Tam Edition. But unfortunately the keyboard feels somewhat cramped.

Also, in general most laptops are better off operating with an external mouse, but in this case, it’s really necessary to use an external mouse since the dv2’s mirrored touchpad is slippery and not very responsive. It’s buttons are much more difficult to push down on than they should be, and I often found myself repeating clicks till I was able to successfully click on something. This makes ordinary tasks frustrating. However, we’ve been using HP’s Wireless Comfort mouse and we just couldn’t use the system comfortably with out it. The mouse works well, it’s a good size in terms of comfort yet it still manages to be portable enough to throw in to a bag easily. The mouse also is ergonomically shaped and comfortable to use. We especially like the scroll wheel which not only tips up and down, but to the right and left as well. You can pick up the HP Wireless Comfort Mouse for an additional $29.99

Audio:
The dv2 has two Altec Lansing stereo speakers inside of it, unlike many ultraportables that have weak speakers, they are able to get pretty loud.

Software:
Unfortunately, the dv2 comes with a significant amount of bloatware out of the box, but not the worst we have seen. I mean a Juno and NetZero offer, really? Be prepared to download PC Decrapifier after unboxing and setting it up. The system also comes with trial of Norton Internet Security and Microsoft Home Office 2007, as well as full non-trial versions of Cyberlink DVD Suite and Microsoft Works.

HP Total Care Advisor is also installed in the system and it sits on top of your desktop as a tool bar that lets you quickly do searches, as well as give you instant access to asses your computer’s health and security. The software has a slick interface which lets you keep tabs on your computer’s security status, Windows updates, battery life, backups, printer connections, warranty information, internet connection, and overall PC health. This is a great GUI for those to use, who aren’t very technically savvy but still need to be on top of these common and necessary maintenance tasks.

The dv2 also comes pre-installed with HP Mediasmart which is a pretty neat multimedia software that lets you playback photos, make slideshows, upload photos to Snapfish, play and organize videos, upload videos to YouTube, and listen to music playlists, all within a slick and organized U.I. It also has webcam software that lets you add special effects to your webcam photos

On a related note, we also received Music Maker 14, a very cool software app that we can best describe as the closest thing to Garage Band on the PC. It lets you create and mix tracks on the computer by providing you with effects and sounds.

Battery Life:
The included 6 cell battery is supposed to provide up to 4 hours 45 minutes battery life. However, with normal use including surfing the internet with Wi-Fi turned on and the display at its brightness, the dv2 lasted for a little less than 3 hours.

Conclusion:
The HP dv2 is the perfect laptop for the back to school season. Parents and students on a budget will appreciate its affordable price tag. Teens will love the dv2’s design and light weight form-factor, combined with its solid performance and multimedia capabilities. Kids will also be proud to carry this around to both coffee shops and classes, and it is sure to get a few compliments along the way. I know I have already received some compliments, as well as some inquiries about what model laptop it is that I’m using. When I tell strangers about the laptop, they are mostly surprised at the price. For those who are thinking about waiting for Windows 7 to buy a laptop, you’ll be reassured to know that if you buy the dv2 now, you’ll be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7.

Unfortunately for the dv2, the “highend” netbook space with larger 12.1″-13.3″ displays is starting to get very crowded with similar systems from Acer, Asus, MSI and Dell coming to market. But to its credit, the HP dv2 already offers two advantages over the competition - 1. A dedicated video card and 2. A superior build quality, especially in comparison to lets say, the competing MSI X-Slim series. Because of its superior build quality, the dv2 is more well suited for the riggers of student life.

The Good: Recently dropped in price, a litte more costly than a netbook- but much more value, excellent build quality, stylish design, great gaming performance for the money and form-factor, excellent display, better performance than your average netbook, lots of ports

The Bad: Mouse trackpad isn’t very responsive, trackpad buttons are difficult to push, keyboard has great tactile feedback but still feels somewhat cramped, lots of new netbooks coming out with 12.1 and even 13.3″ screens

LAST DAY TO ENTER IS THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16TH

The biggest complaint with ‘travel’ mice is that they are usually just the right size for a 5 yr old. Not so here. Yes, it is smaller, but with a surprisingly “nice fit.” I have used an ergonomic mouse for years and I thought I’d never change, but this mouse is growing on me. There is one problem with the design: Unless you have a very long thumb, the side button is very awkward to use (not mention if you are a lefty).

As far as actual functionality, well, it’s a mouse; it does what it’s supposed to do. But it does it well.  My old mouse did not have laser optics. I was not prepared for the responsiveness of this little guy.  The buttons (aside from the ‘side’ button) work well. And there is something surprisingly unique about the ‘sound’ of the primary buttons… There is none! (Well virtually no sound) You don’t know how long I have been searching for a ‘quiet’ mouse. Maybe you’re saying, ‘Why in world do you need a ‘quiet’ mouse?” Well, have you ever been working late in the evening in a hotel room or elsewhere while someone was trying to sleep? To the one trying to sleep, the ‘clikity-click’ can be quite annoying! So there you go, it’s a fringe benefit, but definitely makes it a winner for me.

In the past, whenever I needed to throw my laptop in its case and run out the door, I always had second thoughts about taking my mouse. It was bulky, and the wireless transceiver was about the size of the mouse itself! I usually left it behind and struggled with the touchpad. Not anymore! One of the coolest features about the Arc Mouse is its ‘USB micro-transceiver.’ It’s barely an inch long, and it is stored magnetically inside the ‘folding’ portion of the mouse. Very clever design. Additionally, when inserted to the USB port, it is barely noticeable. It comes with a nice little pouch to put the mouse in, complete with a magnetic closure.

Installation was brainless, just unfold the mouse, take the transceiver and plug it into a USB port. On the Mac it was nearly instantaneously working. On the PC, 30 seconds or so and it was all done. The software was not included. No big deal really, the URL was on the box and a few minutes later and the software was downloaded and installed. I haven’t been a big fan of ‘mouse utilities’ in the past and I imagine there will be features of this software that I will never use. However, “Windows Flip” is a very cool little utility that turns one of your buttons into an ‘alt-Tab’ replacement. Love it!

A note on battery life. Microsoft says you should get 6 months out of the batteries. That’s great, but how do you know if this will be the trip that they die on? There is a little LED in the slot between the two primary buttons.  It will glow red when it’s time to change ‘em. Another nice battery-saving feature is that when you close the hinge, the mouse shuts down. So no worries about remembering to shut it down when traveling.

In conclusion, this is one little mouse that will definitely be with me when I travel and just might find a place on my desktop. The Microsoft Arc Mouse has a solid feel, clever design, and quiet operation for a reasonable price. The Microsoft Arc Mouse also happens to come in a nice assortment of colors, including black, red, white, blue, purple, and green with a retail price of $26.99-$44 on Amazon.

The good: Well built, compact for travel and surprisingly quiet!
The bad: Awkward side button.