The HP HDX16t rides the line between a thin-and-light and a desktop-replacement laptop. Whichever category it falls into, you're bound to do a double take when you see it—it's a marked transformation from HP's Pavilion line. (HP is branding the HDX systems as higher-end and the Pavilions as more mainstream.) The 16-inch widescreen—with its sleek look and 1080p resolution—represents the dawn of laptops doubling as high-definition home theaters. Not only is it designed to fit into a living room or home office, but the fast Intel Centrino 2 parts will keep it from becoming a relic overnight.

The HDX16t looks and feels modern. The in-mold decorated design on the cover consists of squiggly lines varying in length, curvature, and color. Some might say it's a little messy, as if a 2-year-old had scribbled on it. I prefer to call it abstract art, splattered all over a sleek-looking chassis. The decoration is much better looking than those of the Acer Aspire 6920G-6071 and the Sony VAIO VGN-FW198UH. The interior—the palm rests and the touchpad—receives the same abstract treatment. I did find that the palm rest's reflective surface can be a nuisance under a bright light, and the touchpad could have used a smoother surface (I sensed a little friction at times), although these are minor complaints.

The HDX16t manages to squeeze in a compressed numeric keypad without sacrificing the comfort of a full-size keyboard. In contrast, the VGN-FW198UH and the Aspire 6920G—also with 16-inch screens—do not have numeric keypads. The 16-inch widescreen belongs to a new breed of screens moving from a 16:10 to a 16:9 aspect ratio, as is common with HDTVs and films. Transitioning to a different widescreen format has both benefits and drawbacks. One downside is that the HDX16t, at 6.8 pounds, is heavier than a previous model, the HP Pavilion dv5t, by half a pound, and you lose the extra centimeter's worth of vertical viewing space there was with dv5t's 15.4-inch screen. What you gain, besides a numeric keypad, is a sensational movie experience. And like the Aspire 6920G, the HDX16t is available with either 1080p (1,920-by-1,080) or 720p (1,366-by-768) resolution.

In terms of features, the HDX16t has a slight edge over the Sony and Acer machines. The two items that really stand out are its internal ATSC TV tuner and the space-saving eSATA/USB combo port. After that, it's a tight race. All three systems offer a Blu-ray reader, although the Sony is the only one that has a (more expensive) Blu-ray writer option. (Blu-ray blank discs are still outrageously expensive, so I wouldn't recommend upgrading yet.) The HDX16t has plenty of USB ports (four) in addition to the combo port, and it sports a multi-card reader, just like the Sony and the Acer. A 250GB hard drive comes with this configuration, but you can upgrade to a 320GB drive for $25, matching those of the Sony and Acer.

While the HDX16t's 2.8-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T9600 processor is blazingly powerful—especially when coupled with 3GB of memory—you'd be better off with the 2.4-GHz P8600 processor option. It's less expensive and more energy-efficient than the current one. (There's no option for a higher-capacity battery, and the one it comes with is subpar for its powerful parts.) Unless you're editing long video clips or compiling large databases, the T9600 processor is probably overkill. It does, however, dominate in performance benchmark testing. Its SYSmark 2007 Preview Overall score bested the Sony by 3 percent and the Acer by 48 percent. Video encoding tests finished in under a minute, something that its competitors couldn't accomplish. And the HDX16t's graphics chipset—the nVidia GeForce 9600M GT—is powerful both on paper and on 3D tests such as 3DMark 06, Crysis, and World in Conflict, indicating that it's good enough for at least light 3D gaming with the newest games.

My biggest gripe is that a high-capacity battery like the one offered with the Pavilion dv5t isn't available with the HDX16t. The 56-Wh battery drained in 2 hours 8 minutes, while both the Aspire 6920G and the Pavilion dv5t's batteries lasted longer than 3 hours. Again, there is a high correlation between meager battery life and fast processors.

In everything but battery life, the HP HDX16t's performance scores and feature set trump those of the Acer Aspire 6920G series and the Sony VAIO VGN-FW198UH. Going with the more energy-efficient P8600 processor is sure to boost the HDX16t's battery life, probably into the 3-hour range, as well as save you $125—though we still look forward to a higher-capacity battery option. Whether you see the lid's decoration as abstract art or chicken scratches, the HP HDX16t is sure to liven up your living room or home office and is a worthy recipient of our Editors' Choice.

Check out the HP HDX16t's performance test results.

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