There is one small quick-launch button for a Web browser, and there's also a fingerprint reader for use with HP's SimplePass software for password support, but that's it. Media and volume and mute controls, screen brightness adjustment, and wireless on/off are mapped to function keys instead of extra discrete buttons. The touch pad is a good size, large enough for multitouch gestures like pinch zoom and two-finger scrolling, and has separate left and right mouse buttons. Instead, the touch pad is rimmed in light, which I'm not sure does any real good aside from looking nice if you don't like it, hitting the Fn key plus the spacebar shuts it off. It would be even nicer if it were backlit, but it's not. The island-style keyboard with full number pad is large, comfortable, quiet, and responsive. Then again, you'll probably be keeping a system this large on a table most of the time, so this isn't a huge deal. With its 17.3-inch LCD and nine-cell extended-life battery, this laptop is not exactly travel-friendly, and it actually feels heavy when you're working with it on your lap. About the only real complaint I have is that the entire thing collects fingerprints, but I'd rather have that than a plastic alternative. I could do without the glossy black plastic around the screen and the matte black plastic bottom, but they only cheapen the overall look slightly. Branding is limited and fairly subtle, too for the most part it's just a backlit logo on the lower right corner of the lid and a tiny one on the speaker bar above the keyboard. Both the lid and keyboard deck are dressed in dark-brown brushed aluminum. HP's Pavilion dv7 proves you can make a sub-$800 Windows laptop that looks and feels good.

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