We've always been a bit skeptical of those "QuickPlay" buttons on HP's notebooks. Does anyone really use them for playing DVDs or listening to music?
That said, HP's new "magical chrome" effect on the new QuickPlay buttons certainly has a wow-factor.
The new "magical" effect is seen on Hp's dv4, dv5, and dv7 entertainment notebooks, which have been given the all-over design treatment with a chrome look - which is threatening to overtake piano black in the style stakes.
Pricing isn't bad, starting at $1,599 for the 15inch dv5, though you'll pay $2,299 if you want the Blu-Ray option.
Interestingly HP has gone with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium for some of these systems - which would come in handy for the 14in dv4 model which comes with 4GB RAM for $1,799.
Here’s what 'magical chrome' looks like:
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| Turned on, you see glowing buttons for volume controls, mute, forward, back etc. |
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| Turned off, the buttons completely disappear |
[Click the photos at the top-right of the story for a full gallery]