Still an ultraportable
At 11.5" x 9.45" x 0.93-1.29" (292 x 240 x 24-33 mm), the dv2 is larger than the average netbook. Not by much, though. Here's how the 12" dv2 looks next to my 10" Eee PC 1000HA:

The dv2 is a little wider and couple of inches deeper than the Eee PC, but it's notably thinner, with less junk in the trunk thanks to a subtler battery bulge. At just 3.95 lbs, it's only about a pound heavier than the Eee.

I've been carrying around my 1000HA for months now, and I find the dv2 to be every bit as portable in the real world. Perhaps that's because I'm not nearly trendy enough to carry around a man purse that's large enough for the Eee yet too small for the dv2, or maybe it's because I don't really notice the extra pound. As a workout addict, I'm probably in better shape than the stereotypical computer geek, but even the most pale and atrophied of parents'-basement-dwellers should be able to handle the dv2's extra heft.

Glossing over the design
When I first read that the dv2 had a magnesium alloy chassis, I got all excited. Visions of elegant brushed metal danced in my head. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. The magnesium is limited to the internal frame and the dv2's top cover; plastic fills out the rest of the body panels. HP covers both surfaces with a glossy black finish that seems to have become the new beige, at least among mobile devices.

To be fair, glossy black finishes do look stylish when they're all buffed and shiny. HP also adds faux chrome trim to the mix, along with a pseudo-crop-circle design emblazoned on the dv2's palm rest. But those little elements of flair don't distract from the fact that the dv2's glossy black surfaces are magnets for fingerprints, smudges, and other cosmetic blemishes. This problem is common for glossy finishes, and HP tacitly acknowledges the issue by including a buffing cloth with the dv2.

In my view, the dv2 would be far better off draped in a matte or brushed finish that isn't so easily marred by a little handling. Ultraportables like the dv2 are designed to be carried around, and there's no sense in styling them for the shelf at the expense of how they'll look in the real world. HP has done better before, in fact. The company's first budget ultraportable, the Mini-Note 2133, has an industrial-chic brushed metal finish that stands up much better to oily fingers and frequent handling.

At least the dv2 scores a few aesthetic points for its use of white LEDs. With the exception of the Wi-Fi indicators, which alternate between orange and blue, all of the dv2's status and activity lights shine white. Their glow is a little piercing dead on, but that's an angle rarely experienced given the position of the LEDs along the edges of the system. In normal usage, all you'll see is a gentle, white glow.

The system's fit and finish isn't perfect. The edge doesn't line up perfectly in the corner pictured above—or in the front-left corner of the system.

That appears to be the extent of the dv2's build quality quirks, however. The system is surprisingly solid otherwise, with virtually no flex in the chassis when it's held from the front corner. This is particularly impressive given the dv2's thin profile, and likely a credit to its magnesium subframe. The screen's hinge feels quite sturdy, as well. There's no play or wobble to report, although the display only tilts back about 45 degrees past vertical.