I recently took the plunge and purchased a new laptop to replace my not-so-old but overworked laptop. After much research, confusion, more research and more confusion I finally selected a laptop out of the thousand laptops and configurations available (it was overwhelming at times)!

The laptop that I finally selected was the HP G72 laptop with the following configuration:

• Intel Core i3-370M processor 2.4Ghz

• Windows 7 Home (upgraded to Business)

• 4GB Memory

• 500GB Hard Drive

• 17.3” Diagonal HD Display

• 802.11b/g/n WLAN

• HDMI Port

• 8X DVD R/RW Drive

• Webcam

The laptop had a textured surface in the area around the keyboard and on the cover that I much prefer over the shiny black surfaces that seem to be appearing at an alarming rate on newer laptops. (I have a huge aversion to fingerprints and smudges and the shiny black plastic surface shows EVERYTHING). There is some black plastic surrounding the screen but that is the only place where it appears.

The touchpad is flush with the surrounding surface which makes it difficult to tell where the touchpad starts and ends. It becomes easier after using the laptop for a while but in the beginning it made navigating slightly difficult.

The 17” screen uses HP Brightview technology which provides a very bright and clear display that is great for surfing the net, watching movies and playing games. I didn’t realize how bright and clear the screen was until I used my old laptop which suddenly looked extremely dull and small!

The speed of the laptop is fantastic. Programs load quickly and it is possible to run several programs simultaneously without any system slowdown. Part of the multitasking is due to the Intel Core i3 processor with Hyper-Threading Technology which allows each core of the processor to work on two tasks at time allowing for multiple programs to be open without affecting system performance.

For some the weight of the laptop may be on the heavy side for carrying the system around, in fact, most people consider this system a desktop replacement. I travel with it almost every day and though it is on the heavier side I don’t find it that difficult to carry around.

Below is a list of some additional pros and cons of the laptop. Some of these are my own and some I perceived as issues others may have with this system.

Pros:

• Does have number pad which is a great feature but not sure if I would utilize

• Very comfortable and easy to use keyboard

• Extremely quiet!

• Does not get hot like my old laptop

• Great battery life

• Very fast

• Memory upgradable

Cons:

• Touchpad took a bit to get used to using

• Buttons for touchpad very stiff in the beginning

• A little heavier than prior laptop but worthwhile for 17” screen

• No built-in Bluetooth services

• Sound still not as good as I would like but can add speakers

• No Blu-ray player

For an affordable desktop replacement or a slightly heavier portable laptop I highly recommend this laptop. Though it may not have all features that everyone would want, the machine is reasonably equipped with enough power and features to make almost any laptop user very productive and happy with their laptop – I know I am!

* The laptop reviewed in this article was purchased by me with my own funds.