BIOS Update for HP dv2 Adds Half Hour of Battery Life

After we posted our review of the HP Pavilion dv2, an alert reader emailed us to say that a BIOS update for the system would improve the dv2′s battery life and boot time. Indeed, we were intrigued, as the dv2 had a paltry endurance of  2.5 hours, half that of the ultraportable average, and its boot time of 1 minute 4 seconds wasn’t all that hot, either. So, after downloading and installing BIOS update F.07 (which can be found here), we reran the LAPTOP Battery Test (Web surfing via Wi-Fi). We were pleased to see that the dv2 now lasted 3 hours; while it’s still well below the ultraportable average, we’ll take what we can get. However, boot time remained the same. Unless the BIOS deletes all the trialware off the system, it’s doubtful that the system will start up any faster. Also, the machine remained as hot as ever: While idling, we the touchpad measured about 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the keyboard (between the G and H keys) registered 96 degrees, and the underside of the system (in the center, near the battery) came in at 106 degrees. And that’s with the dv2′s fan working overtime, too. So, while it’s nice that the dv2 gets better battery life than before, our original rating of three stars for the system remains unchanged.