(Editor's Note: HP has issued a driver fix for the touchpad issues, though all the problems haven't been resolved)

The HP Pavilion dv7-4071nr ($1,029.98 list) media center laptop is great a combination of style and substance. Available at Staples, this system features a high-performing Intel Core i7 processor, 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 graphics card, and a spacious 500GB hard drive. Plus, its brand new brushed-aluminum design is pretty darn good looking. There are some issues with its multi-gesture touchpad, but otherwise this is a solid desktop replacement laptop.

Design
At 1.5 by 10.8 by 16.4 inches (HWD), the Pavilion dv7-4071nr is big, and clearly a desktop replacement. Its 17.3-inch screen has a 1,600 by 900 resolution. The screen is technically HD, but only 720p, not the full HD of 1080p (1,920-by-1,080). The chassis itself is a new design. HP has replaced the glossy Expresso Black and embedded imprints of the previous HP Pavilion laptops (which were a magnet for fingerprints and smudges) with a brushed aluminum design accented by inlaid silver swirls. The design is carried on both the lid of the laptop and the bezel surrounding both the keyboard and the touchpad.

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