HP Laptops
 

Does anyone have one of these?? Particularly this computer (the one I'm looking at). Before I go out and buy one, I'd like hear from all of you technical people if I am making any big mistakes (like I did with the last one, cough never buying a Toshiba again cough). Thanks guys and gals!

Re: HP Laptops
 

Conor Ryan has a good story about his HP laptop and the "enter" key.

I looked over the laptop and there are three major problems with it (IMHO):

-Bad Proc
-XP Home
-No MS Word

Otherwise it looks "ok". Of course I'm still an Apple fan at heart, so there is the MacBook for more, but you get more (including a better processor, but no MS word).

Re: HP Laptops
 

Well what do you plan on using it for?

Re: HP Laptops
 

I have one of those zd8000's. Its been a year, it still runs beautifully, but I regret buying it. The short battery life and heavy weight are just more significant than I had originally estimated. Luckily for me, I don't move around much once I get situated. So yea, I don't have a specific computer to recommend, but that extra bit of processing power/screen size probably won't be worth it if there is a significant increase in weight (this laptop is 9lbs!) or a significant decrease in battery life (only 2 hours!).

Re: HP Laptops
 

Ok, to answer some questions, here are the specifics that my father said to add in:

-XP Home
-Intel Celeron M 380
-14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen
-Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900-Celeron
-512 MB DDR SDRAM
-60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive
-Free upgrade from DVD to DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive
-54g 802.11b/g WLAN w/ 125 HSM/Speed Booster
-12 cell lithium ion battery
-Microsoft works/money (I have office cd's around here somewhere...)
-Norton Internet Security 2006- 24 months

And no, I don't know what half of that means

Thank you!!!

[Edit: Joel, you said that it's really heavy??? It said it was only supposed to be 5 lbs???
Rohith: Just for me, I do all my computer stuff on there]

Re: HP Laptops
 

You don't need Norton, better free options such as Zone Alarm, AVG Free Anti-Virus, Spybot, and Ad-Aware.

Re: HP Laptops
 

Supposing that this is just for standard usage as opposed to inventor or 3ds-max usage, the upgrades seem about right, now days 60 gig is on the low end, but you can always buy an external hardrive later on. what i would do is also try and make a comparable computer on the dell website, and compare the prices.

Re: HP Laptops
 

looking this machine up. and searching thorough forums it appears that this machine has an inherent problem with its wi-fi. dropping connections and limiting speed down to 1MBPS on a 54MBPS link. Also my friend at work bought the same model with the AMD Processor and I have been helping him with his problem of the machine lowering its clock speed to 400MHZ while running on batteries. The power management software requires a lot of patching and tweaking to get the performance advertised. According to a review posted on engadget the 2,0ghz 512MB version of the machine has all around good performance for a high workload but suffers from a short battery life of 2h29m. “The HP Compaq Presario V2000 didn't blow us away with its performance, but it is very good at handling heavy workloads, as long as they're not 3D-intensive. Easy to carry around. 80GB hard drive. Standard DVD burner. Poor battery life.” (pcmag.com) in my experience and what I’ve researched about this machine I would suggest looking into Dell. They have a comparable 1.8GHZ machine with 512 of ram and a video resolution of 1366x768 (a bit wider and more detailed than the v2000) for only $150 more. Plus if you go on Ebay you can find coupon codes for dell.com to get 20% off new systems For $0.99 the inspiration B130 comes at a base price of $654. Dell also tends to load their systems with less Corporate-sponsored spam type programs that eat up your memory and processor time. Loading those programs onto computers helps pay for the computer, that’s why they have been getting so inexpensive lately.



Hope that helps,

~Tytus~

Re: HP Laptops
 

I was talking about the zd8000 I purchased.. I mentioned the weight just to steer you away from the heavier computers. 5lbs is a good weight.

Re: HP Laptops
 

Norton cames pre-installed on Compaq's/HPs.

The only thing I don't like about the specs you listed, Beth, is the Celeron processor. My mobile Pentium 3 runs smoother than many Celerons I've used.
With almost all major brand PCs you're going to get a lot of bloatware pre-installed on the computer. Spend some time taking it off. It's worth it.

One thing I wold also recommend is going to a store and playing with a similar laptop to this one. Type on the keyboard, see how the screen looks (detail and brightness), etc. Many people have different preferences with those things.

I personally like Thinkpads.
Then again, all notebooks come from almost the same place anyway.

Re: HP Laptops
 

I will chime in and say i have no opinions on that specific laptop but if you are looking for an affordable power house compute i recommend www.averatec.com their notebooks are amazingly priced for what they are and i have had one for 2 years now and it is build solid. If you want them even cheaper you can get one of their factory referbs here. http://www.shopaveratec.com/searchre...sp?search_id=4


hope this helps.

Re: HP Laptops
 

I'm running a HP ZV6000 without the enter key, I got a great deal on it in September and through rebates I only payed about $350 for a fully loaded laptop with an AMD 64 3200+, 512 Ram, and a 80 Gig Harddrive as well as a few other features.

Looking at the specs for your computer, it's gonna have below average speed for new computers, and probably isn't "Vista-Ready" for Microsoft's next Operating System due out in January.
A Windows Vista Premium Ready PC includes at least:

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor.
• 1 GB of system memory.
• 128 MB of graphics memory.
• 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space.
• DVD-ROM Drive.
• Audio output capability.
• Internet access capability.

You'll be able to get away with 512 MB Ram on a Vista running PC, and without the Graphics card, however it's going to be deathly slow. There are a bunch of laptops out there with those specs, however they don't come below $700 new for now.

Here are a few sites that you may want to check out:

• Fujitsu A3040
• There are a Few Here
  
  

Outpost lists a few Refurbished computers, I've never bought a Refurbished notebook, but they do sound like pretty good deals. If you find a notebook that you like, sometimes its worth it to sit on it and see if prices come down, hopefully soon this will be affordable with an english keyboard.

Re: HP Laptops
 

I don't know specificly about the V2000, although I have had experiance with the V2000Z , as my girlfriend bought it back in the fall. It works well th weight is good, battery life was about 3 hours max at its max. I would recomend this over the V2000 if only for the AMD processor, but then again thats my personal preference... all in all for its price it is a very good computer.

Re: HP Laptops
 

We use that kind of laptop at school, and I admit, if youre planning on using it a lot, it does weigh quite a bit (like Joel said)...It also seems to take up quite a bit of (physical) room, but then yet again, thats probably just my opinion! The battery power definitly isnt all that long lasting, but if you must, just remember to keep charging all the time! :D

Re: HP Laptops
 

A lot of colleges sell Windows XP Pro for $10-$12 with the Microsoft education discount. That really isn't that big of a deal.

3 of my friends bought HP/Compaq laptops before they went to school last fall (Early/Mid August). All 3 of them were completely different models/designs. Around March, all 3 of their exhaust fans burnt out, within about a week of each other. One of them actually lost their processor fan shortly after too because it had to work harder to make up for the lack of an exhaust fan. Although the original manufacturers warranty covered the fan, HP/Compaq refused to let them replace the fans themselves, and they each had to mail their laptops back for about 10 days to 2 weeks while they replaced it and then shipped it back.

Even if the laptop is for general use and homework, I'd still avoid the celeron processor just because of the crummy battery life. It is definitely worth upgrading to a Mobile Pentium or Centrino (except I don't think Intel calls them that anymore...they were just a Mobile Pentium with a wireless card) to get that improved battery life. A friend of mine has an HP pavilion with a "centrino" processor and gets about 6-7 hrs off of a charge. I've never owned an AMD processor in a laptop, so I honestly wouldn't be able to give you any battery life information about that.

After the honor stories I witnessed my friends go through, I'm never buying an HP laptop (once I can get the money, a Mac Book sounds more like it). But don't let my bad opinion sway your decision.

Re: HP Laptops
 

Don't use that.

And for Word, there's always Open Office.

The only HP laptop I've had experience with indeed had quite poor battery life and the power connector broke off the motherboard, but it was abused.

Re: HP Laptops
 

Unless you have a highly specific reason to have a laptop, I do not recommend one. You may be thinking that you want to have the mobility and ease of the laptop. However, I would much rather recommend someone putting money into a great set-up for a custom desktop. I have never went into one building at school that did not have 30-50 computers in at least one lab. A very small, mobile word processor may be nice in the future, but for your first big investment getting the most for your money should be key.

To speak specifically on the laptops, I have used them for many years now as my primary machine, and have yet to find one that surpasses another one. Each one has a quality or two that you may like over another one. Don't be afraid to go to a store and get a feel for several different brands. I currently run the zd7000, and just like the replacement zd8000, it is a beast of a machine.

[edit] As for software, I received Office Enterprise and Norton Corporate for free. A long list of additional software was available to students for around $6. [/edit]

Re: HP Laptops
 

I have never used a HP laptop, but I've owned/used many HP desktops. Based on those experences, I'll say avoid HP like the plague, they break and have poor internal designs.(It took me almost an hour to put new RAM into a HP desktop) As for the specs, again, avoid Celerons like the plague, they're super slow, and don't have the power benefits of the specialized laptop processors. AMD tends to have good power efficiency, and the intel Pentium M and Core Duos are very respectable laptob processors too.

Re: HP Laptops
 

First of all, make sure that what you need is a laptop. Because for the most part, what you see is what you get with them. Compared to a desktop PC, they're incredibly hard to upgrade or even fix. Desktop PC components are much easier to find compared to laptop parts.

That being said, if you want something that doesn't cost a ton of money but still packs a punch, I'd go with an IBM Thinkpad. I don't like HP, especially since the merger with Compaq. I would resonate what others have said - that processor isn't going to do it for you. 512MB of RAM should be fine for any practical applications. I'd just definitely look into getting a decent processor, you'll be kicking yourself later if you don't.

Really, if I were going to get a laptop, I'd be looking into portability and wireless capabilities. I'd go for something around 12 inches just because small laptops rock the house :]

Re: HP Laptops
 

I too have never used an HP laptop, but have had very good experiences with their desktops. Our first family computer was an HP, but due to lack of virus protection after the free trial ran out, we got a virus, and had to get it rebuilt, so it's no longer an HP. :(

However, the desktop I use currently, which was bought this past December, is an HP and I love it. It does have an AMD 3700+ processor, and is always cool, quiet, fast, and efficient. I have little need to upgrade any internal parts, since it's fairly new. Also, HP has excellent customer service support. My hp mouse was spazzing out on me, so I called them up, they said that they'd send me a new one, and I received it in less than 2 days. So while I cannot speak about their laptops, HP provides good quality products and customer service, and AMD makes great processors.

Re: HP Laptops
 

My general recommendations about laptops:
- Don't get a Celeron, the extra ~$150 for a Pentium M is worth it. You'll get better performance and better battery life. The Pentium M has throttling, so it can slow itself down if it's under low load and subsequently use less power.
- Even if you don't think so now, size will be important to you. If you want, go to a store and check out the laptops they have to see what size you like.
- The screen is also important. I love widescreen. I can open up a bunch of windows and have plenty of room to work. Of course, your usage might be different from mine, so it might not be of much use to you. As for "truebright" (different manufacturers have different names for it), it's a preference. I'll admit that it makes the screen look better, but I don't like the reflections. Without it, however, you get general glare (like a haze) instead.
- You should also decide if performance or construction is more important to you. For computers in the same price range, you generally have a choice between better performance or better construction. IBM Thinkpads are rock solid. You can drop them and not have too much damage. Dell's on the other hand are garbage. I've had my Inspiron 630m for a little over two months and it's already suffered some cosmetic damage. I also opened it up earlier today to tighten some loose screws. Performance-wise, however, you just can't beat it.

Re: HP Laptops
 

Thanks for the advice everyone!

I went to CompUSA today and got a new laptop. I got the Pentium thing and pretty much everything else that was on the other list

I only got the 6 battery, but I'll probably go back and get the 12 once I get my refund (I get $50 just for buying a computer! yay!)

Thanks again!

Re: HP Laptops
 

I just got an HP Laptop today from CompUSA also...AWESOME sale. So far, it seems great, except for the fact that I still have to transfer about 40 gigs of stuff from my old emachines desktop (it was seriously about time for something new). I tried out the built-in webcam and it seems okay, not excellent, but it'll do. I'm loving the size also.

Re: HP Laptops
 

I am running a Celeron D in my desktop at the stock 2.8ghz and yes it may be the bottom of the barrel but it is by far no where close to being slow. I have 384 MB of ram in the system and it will run inventor 10 perfectly. I have never had a problem.