HP Pavilion g6 Full Review
Are you looking for an inexpensive sub-$500 notebook for basic home and office use? The 15.6-inch HP Pavilion g6 might just deliver the best bang for your bucks. We took an in-depth look at this budget laptop to see if you can save money and still buy an impressive new PC.
Build and DesignThe HP Pavilion g6 ($499) has a generic-looking exterior of black and gray. Nearly all visible surfaces of the notebook are made of glossy plastic, which is unfortunate since it smudges up easily and is not as durable as matte plastic over time. Strangely enough the screen bezel is matte plastic.
The g6 is rather sturdy for a budget notebook. The chassis is stiff and takes effort to twist. Additionally, the palm rest and surrounding areas don't flex or bend when pushed down upon. The display panel (and more specifically the screen lid) is the only part that needs improvement; it is flimsy and twists easily; ripples also show up on the screen when pushed in on from behind. I was impressed however by the display hinges, which are metal and very securely anchored to the chassis. The display hardly wobbles at all.
In the end the build quality is slightly better than expected for this price range. Those seeking to add additional RAM or replace the hard drive will be able to do so with ease; a single panel on the bottom of the notebook holds both components and the wireless card.
Ports and Features
There is an average selection of ports with nothing special or unexpected. The g6 lacks USB 3.0, eSATA, DisplayPort, and an ExpressCard slot. We would have liked to see USB 3.0 for quicker transfers of large files like high-res photos and HD movies, but you can only expect so much from a budget laptop. All picture descriptions shown below are listed from left to right.
There is an average selection of ports with nothing special or unexpected. The g6 lacks USB 3.0, eSATA, DisplayPort, and an ExpressCard slot. We would have liked to see USB 3.0 for quicker transfers of large files like high-res photos and HD movies, but you can only expect so much from a budget laptop. All picture descriptions shown below are listed from left to right.
 Front: Speakers |  Back: Battery pack |
 Left: VGA, cooling exhaust vent, Ethernet, HDMI out, 2x USB 2.0, microphone and headphone jacks, media card reader, status lights |  Right: DVD burner, USB 2.0, AC power, Kensington lock slot |
Screen and Speakers
The g6 has a 15.6-inch display with a 720p (1366x768) resolution and a glossy surface. This is a typical display for a budget notebook. Brightness is satisfactory; contrast is low and color reproduction is a bit cold - some colors look washed out. Viewing angles are poor from above and below, which is expected since this is a TN-type panel. The glossy surface helps contrast but introduces reflections and is difficult to clean.
The g6 has a 15.6-inch display with a 720p (1366x768) resolution and a glossy surface. This is a typical display for a budget notebook. Brightness is satisfactory; contrast is low and color reproduction is a bit cold - some colors look washed out. Viewing angles are poor from above and below, which is expected since this is a TN-type panel. The glossy surface helps contrast but introduces reflections and is difficult to clean.
The resolution is the Achilles' heel of this display (and that of nearly all other budget notebooks, as a matter of fact); 1366x768 is the bottom of the barrel and the lowest found on mainstream computers. Having just 768 pixels of vertical resolution means a cramped 
working space; a lot of scrolling is required in web pages. Using two windows side-by-side is impractical. It's unreasonable to expect a better resolution on a notebook this inexpensive, however.
working space; a lot of scrolling is required in web pages. Using two windows side-by-side is impractical. It's unreasonable to expect a better resolution on a notebook this inexpensive, however.
There are two stereo speakers located below the palm rest with Altec Lansing branding. Despite HP's history of using good Altec Lansing and Beats Audio speakers, these are some of the worst I’ve heard on any laptop, netbooks included. The sound is muffled and bass notes clip the sound.
Keyboard and TouchpadThe Pavilion g6 has a full-size keyboard but no separate numeric keypad. The square flat-topped keys have a chiseled base to create extra space between them. The keyboard feels and sounds cheap; the keys make a slight rattling sound when pressed. Tactile feedback is substandard; it doesn't exactly encourage typing. Surprisingly the keyboard has a solid base with no flex. The matte texture of the keys will most definitely wear shiny over time; I saw it happening on our review unit over the span of a week. Overall the keyboard gets a passing grade but that's all; the keyboard on higher-priced HP Pavilion notebooks is much better.
The touchpad is good for a consumer notebook. The dimpled surface has too much texture for my taste but is certainly better than having an all-glossy surface from a usability standpoint. The buttons are quiet and unobtrusive which is always welcome and how touchpads should be; inexpensive consumer notebooks are notorious for loud, clacky touchpad buttons.
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