Amazon.com

If you're looking for a well-equipped but still affordable multimedia, gaming, or home and family system, you'll like the Presario 5102US. It has a fast AMD Athlon processor running at 1 GHz, 128 MB RAM (expandable to 720 MB), and a 40x read/8x write CD-RW drive. A 40 GB hard disk drive provides ample storage for all but the most demanding multimedia applications, and a 56K modem and 100 Mbps networking are included. The installed operating system is Windows Me, Microsoft's consumer-oriented platform. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Good value!
I've bought 3 Compaq Presarios in the past few years. Their machines, in general, offer great value for the money. However, they are not terribly well-built or well-designed. It can be a frustrating task to add hard drive or CD drive to the system yourself. On some models, I practically had to dismantle all the drive bays before I can fit a new drive in. This can be a blessing though: my house was burglarized once and the computer literate burglar decided to steal all the add-on cards in my Compaq instead of taking the whole machine which was too heavy. He got the cards all right, but couldn't figure out how to remove the hard drives and left my 2 drives with valuable data behind. I should be grateful to the Compaq hardware designers. :-)

A Great Computer
This computer is AWESOME! I just got it and it has never frozen in the month that i've had it. It has alot (512 MB) of RAM which makes windows XP run great. The 1.7 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor is flawless and makes the computer run fast, very fast. The 80 GB hard drive is great for storing big files. It also has a great graphics card (GeForce MX 400) which makes games such as Max Payne run really well, and the graphics card also has a whopping 64 MB of memory and an S-Video TV out port. The EA Games and EA Sports bundles that came with it includes awesome games, such as Need For Speed: Porcshe Unleashed, Simcity 3000 Unlimited, Tiger Wood's Pro PGA Golf 2001, Madden 2001, and Triple Play Baseball. DVD's run on it great, due to the fast DVD drive. And with the fast CD-RW drive and Roxio's Easy CD Creator 5 Software making CD's is very easy. The Smart Credit Card Keyboard is conveinent, if you have a Smart Credit Card and don't know what to do with it. The Ethernet Card is also a nice feature if you want to hook up a network, or if you have or want to get Broadband Communications. Overall this computer deserves 5 stars because it's a steal at ... and it has great features.

Good Computer bad buy
I bought this computer in January of 2002. I have had so many problems with it. Every time I would call up compaq I would wait 2-6 hours just to talk to a support specialist then they would transfer me and again i would wait an additional 1-6 hours. I don't have the patience to wait and if you don't have 10 hours a month to wait on hold with compaq don't buy a compaq.

Not too shabby, but.....
it still suffers from some typical Compaq flaws. This is a handy all around household unit with some gaming features that make it more playable than the 5400. Certainly, the price isn't bad either. However, it does not include a monitor, which you'll need to buy separately. The machine's limitations for gamers lie in its limited, mothboard-bound graphics capabilities (a result of the low power NVidia card) and its mediocre ESS sound. There is an aqequate sized hard drive and a pretty good 12X CD burner, so MP3 collectors will not suffer too much. Anyway, like I said, it's a good, basic machine and if that's your interest, you'll be happy with the unit. I should point out that expanding these Compaqs (a lot like their HP bretheren) is a daunting task; things are tight in the case and adding cards and drives is a challenge, so you better like the machine the way you get it, and not the way you envision it upgraded. Lastly, Compaq's reliability has been acceptable, though its service has been less so.

Compaq the Weapon of Choice
I own a lesser of the line of Compaq (I have a 950 mhz). I have tried Windows XP though. I find that Compaq is a very high quality product. It is up with Dell, above Hewlett Packard. I highly suggest that you do no purchase a Hewlett Packard because of many reasons (see my review on it). I like the audio, keyboard, and all the small things about a Compaq. CD-RW write drives are a must for the future. Windows XP is wonderful for multiple users. It has a sign in screen. You can personalize your sign in with things such as your own wallpaper, sounds, pointing arrow, etc. I also prefer Windows above Apple. Apple is only good if you are looking for the most simplicity. ... Read more

Features

• Unpunched
• 500 Sheets per Ream11 x 17

Amazon.com Product Description

Though not a power user's dream rig, the petite Sharp Actius PC-AV18 Notebook PC is instead designed for those who need a conveniently portable light-duty mobile solution that won't break the bank. Exceedingly compact at a mere 11.1 by 9.4 by 1.04 inches and 3.89 lbs. (4.33 lbs with optical drive), the Actius PC-AV18 fits comfortably in a briefcase and even some handbags, and is ready for virtually any situation and environment.

Driven by a low voltage mobile AMD Athlon XP-M processor 1800+ running at 1.533 GHz and 256 MB of PC2100 DDR SDRAM memory (expandable to 768 MB), the Actius PC-MV14 will easily handle most standard 2D tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, Internet surfing, contact management, and basic graphic design. However, it is not recommended for sophisticated business apps, high-end 2D graphics or complex multitasking. The system's integrated S3 Graphics ProSavage 8 video accelerator features just 32 MB of shared (not dedicated) memory, and is therefore adequate for older 3D games and midlevel 3D graphics and animation, but not for more advanced 3D tasks.

The unit's 40 GB hard disk sports lots of space for basic files and programs, but not quite enough for true multimedia mavens. Sharp has also included an adept optical drive that supports both CD playing and burning and DVD playing, thus allowing you to listen to audio discs, backup your data to digital media, and watch your favorite movies on the fold-open 12.1-inch active matrix display. DVD writing is not supported.

For such a small and affordable unit, the Actius PC-AV18 is very well connected. Communication options include a 100Base-TX/10Base-T LAN port for fast network interaction and a 56K modem for dial-up environments. Other amenities include a pair of fast USB 2.0 ports for data streaming with external devices such as scanners and digital cameras, an IEEE 1394 FireWire port (commonly used for downloading from digital camcorders), a touch-sensitive control pad with Intelli-wheel feature, an SPDIF audio out jack for high-quality digital sound, and a single mono speaker.

Estimated battery life is average at 2.9 hours with the included standard battery. With an optional second battery, that figure jumps to a commendable 5.8 hours. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Smallest with a CDRW/DVD and inexpensive but...
I purchased this laptop in April of 2004. My goal was to find the smallest and lightest laptop with a CDRW/DVD for the best price. My search led me to the Sharp AV18 and it met my needs well. I was able to forgive the slow speed since I knew ahead of time that the processor was slightly dated. The screen is great and I can live with the keyboard's slightly smaller size.

What makes me slightly sour is the fact that Sharp's support is completely nonexistent. First off, good luck in finding the web support area for this laptop. When you think you've found it, you haven't. Although the main sharp website lulls you into to thinking you are at the main support area for their laptops, a quick google tells me otherwise. I found the real support site by accident (It's listed only as an IP address and not a name). This is dumb. But what makes matters worse is that the support area only has a few FAQ's that are VERY basic and a few files that are already found on the 3rd CD that comes with the laptop. What? No updates? No new bios's? No new drivers? NOPE, just the same exact versions that came with the CD. This laptop is over a year old yet Sharp has done zero to correct some of the bugs in the Bios as well as provide the latest and greatest drivers. On top of that, my experience with calling in to support has been less than stellar. Yes, they answered the phone right away but all of my questions were "beyond what they could provide". Dare to ask about the Mini-PCI slot on the back or the card that is in there (It's the win-modem by the way. Information courtesy of the FCC's site) and you'll get rebuffed quickly. In fact, they don't want you to know anything about the laptop. Just use it the way we tell you to and don't ask questions.

To be fair, I have been satisfied with the laptop and I love the size and weight. I just wish it was a Toshiba or IBM as I have learned to appreciate a good support website and a willingness to help me with my questions.

Great little machine, I bought two.
After much shopping, this had all of the latest features that I wanted at the right price. Very reliable and I find myself using a computer much more now with the portability it gives. With the weight down to about 4 lbs., 40 Gb drive, USB 2.0 and a well thought out list of software utilities already loaded, it is the best computer I have ever owned. Nice build and rugged. I carry it room to room at home and on my camping trips. Great for downloading images from your digital cameras, even to edit my mini DV videos. Though the keyboard is a little awkward, I just plug in a keyboard and mouse at the USB to solve that when I have a lot of typing to do. If not available at Amazon, there are other sources that give good prices if you shop around.

great little computer
I'm very happy with this computer,, I love it
great little machine for the money and it's light!!!!!!

Nice, Light Machine at a Great Price
My Sharp PC-AV18 is a nice little machine. Good performance, reliable (so far), decent features, and light as all get out. Overall, it seems well built, although one could justly accuse the keyboard of being a bit on the flimsy side. What sold me, however, was the price. Sony charges about twice as much for a comparable unit! If you are looking for a light laptop that won't deplete your bank account, you should check this one out. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Compaq's Presario 730US notebook delivers a surprising array of features for such an affordable machine. A high-quality, 14.1-inch display, DVD drive, and built-in networking are just a few of this notebook's first-class features. It's ideal for students on a budget or as a second family PC.

At 1.64 by 12.4 by 10.6 inches and 6.39 pounds, this Presario is about average in size and weight for a system with a built-in floppy drive. Its 14.1-inch TFT monitor, powered by the integrated Via Twister K graphics accelerator, delivers high-quality graphics and text at 1,024 x 768 resolution. Using the video-out connector, you can output those graphics to your TV. Combine that with the Presario's DVD-ROM drive to turn it into a portable DVD player. Or watch DVDs right on the display, enjoying the system's JBL Pro Audio speakers with Bass Reflex.

Compaq achieves this attractive pricing by using AMD's 1 GHz Mobile Duron CPU, which features PowerNow technology for maximizing battery life. The Duron offers more than enough power for typical home applications like word processing and Web browsing. The system's generous 256 MB of memory lets multiple applications run simultaneously without slowing down. The 20 GB hard drive provides plenty of space for storing applications, digital photos, or music files.

The Presario 730US is outfitted with a complete array of connectivity options. An integrated 10/100 Ethernet adapter will connect you to broadband or your home network, and a 56K modem lets you dial up to the Internet. Two USB ports connect to peripherals like digital cameras or scanners, and a parallel port connects to legacy printers.

The system's keyboard section features a standard 88-key layout and a touch pad for cursor control. Pre-installed software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Works 6.0, Microsoft Money 2001, a one-year subscription to the Encarta Online Encyclopedia, and Norton AntiVirus 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

WOW Super price!
This is very good laptop for the price!
I use it for Internet and DVD movies.
Battery life over 2 hours not bad!
This is the best price I have seen, well worth the money, no stability or tempeture isseus!
Best Buy!

GREAT FOR THE CASUAL NOTEBOOK USER
I bought this machine for a couple reasons. First I didn't want to be pinned to my desktop and second for a slight amount of business use. Performance has not been an issue at all with the exception of it running hot. The clarity of the screen is impressive. I upgraded the RAM to 384 MB and use a Linksys wireless network card. For what I use this for it's worked flawlessly. Obviously if you want a notebook for heavy-duty use, you might want to look at other ones, but for non-"power users" it's great.

Good starter laptop.
To start with, it looks great. It's black & silver, sleek & svelte (6.4 lbs), at least compared to my old HP (Omnibook 6000). All the Compaq's stuff is in the right place, with a 3.5" floppy drive & a PCMCIA slot on one side, and an acceptable DVD drive on the other. All the other connections (including 2 USB ports & a network interface port) are on the back, where they should be. In fact, when not connected to its home-based wires, the whole panel hides behind a plastic hinged door, a[n inexpensive] but effective solution.
The processor is the mobile AMD Duron. It's quite capable of most daily, non-graphics intense tasks, but not as good as the AMD Athalon or the Intel PIII or PIV mobile. Graphics are just okay, but the screen is unusually sharp. The 256K RAM is also okay for everyday stuff, and it can be increased to 384 megs. The 20 Meg hard drive is just adequate. The removal of the CD burner from its predecessor, the 720, is a bit irksome. Overall though, this is a "good enough" basic machine made by a company that looks like it's here to stay.

Great mobile power for the average user
The Presario 730US is an excellent option for anyone who wants a balance between mobile power and price. The hard drive and memory are more than adequate for anything the notebook is capable of running; any media players (Winamp and WinDVD in particular) work smooth as silk, as well as Internet Explorer, Office, and a variety of other XP apps. While it won't be running today's hottest games with any reasonable speed due to the S3 Twister drawing from system memory (in actuality the system itself only has 240 MB of RAM available), it has no problems running fun games that are a year old or more. All in all,..., this is an excellent buy for studying or work on the fly. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Some PC users simply don’t want or need the cutting-edge performance of a costly, top-of-the-line mobile computer. For them, Sony offers the Vaio PCG-FR130 notebook, a sensibly designed and affordable unit that’s powerful enough to operate most typical portable computing applications.

At the heart of the Vaio PCG-FR130 is a cost-effective yet muscular 1.67 GHz AMD Athlon XP 2000+ processor, which, when combined with the system’s adequate allotment of 256 MB of DDR SDRAM (expandable to 1,024 MB), delivers above-average power. An integrated 16 MB nVidia GeForce4 420 Go-V graphics chipset enhances the performance of 3-D video applications but is certainly not sufficient for serious gaming.

Measuring 13 by 10.8 by 1.7 to 2.1 inches and weighing just 7.2 pounds, the Vaio PCG-FR130 is smaller and more lightweight than many of today’s notebooks. Sony has equipped the unit with a sizable 40 GB hard disk and an internal CD-RW/DVD drive through which you can burn and listen to audio CDs, back up important files, and watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters. You’ll monitor your activities on a 14.1-inch XGA TFT display capable of 1,024 x 768 resolution.

Other desirable amenities include an internal V.90 modem for low-speed e-communications, a 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet interface for high-speed connectivity, headphone and microphone ports, integrated stereo speakers, and an 86-key QWERTY keyboard with electrostatic touchpad. Home movie and digital picture buffs will appreciate the unit’s two high-speed USB 2.0 ports and single IEEE 1394 interface.

Sony has pre-installed an impressive variety of software, including Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Quicken 2002 New Users Edition, Corel WordPerfect Office 2002, and a broad array of audio, video, and photo utilities. Battery life for the Vaio PCG-FR130 is estimated at 2.5 to 3 hours. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Problems with Alps Touch Pad
At first sight, the FR-130 laptop endears itself easily: solid build, decent styling, nice LCD screen, and a wealth of hardware and software extras to sweeten the deal. Perhaps too many free multimedia software that few need or use.

BUT 2 months after owning a brand new one, my FR-130 touch pad (made by Alps) goes crazy and starts acting on its own: it moves independently of your finger motion, clicks to open and close apps, or just does not move at all. Problem persists even after downloading the latest driver from Alps/Sony (July 2003).

A quick Google search for "Alps Touch Pad Problem" reveals that it is a generic problem affecting many owners across many Sony models.

Disgusted with the Touch Pad, I just attach an USB mouse and the latter seems to work ok. But once in a great while, the mouse acts up just like the touch pad! By uninstalling the touch pad driver and the mouse driver, and then rebooting, things return to normal ... until the next time. Fortunately, the mouse is more stable than the touch pad, so in between crises, you can still use your FR-130 if you don't mind using a mouse in lieu of the touch pad. Perhaps the intermittency is due to poor heat dissipation.

I think Sony and Alps stink to high heavens for not resolving that issue. Other than that, the FR-130 is a capable laptop for most needs. For those who needs a laptop to do video editing annd related multimedia chores, Sony is the leader. If you can close your eyes to its idiotic touch pad.

Solid budget desktop replacement notebook
Great deal for the money. The nVidia GeForce4Go 16meg video is a step up from the integrated video chipsets most budget laptops use, enough to play Quake 3 at 1024x768 res with full detail. The memory is easily upgradable, I added a second DIMM, both DIMM slots are unobstructed. Sony wisely divided the HD into two partitions, which allowed me to replace the second partition with Red Hat Linux without disturbing the factory WinXP Home installation. FYI, while I haven't been able to get power management to work under Linux, everything else that I've tried works. The only caveat is the 8 pound weight.

Note to Sony: I'd have purchased a more expensive notebook if an Athlon notebook with a larger screen, higher-end graphics chip, and what not had been available. I DO NOT BUY INTEL CHIPS! That said, it's probably just as well that I saved my money and went with this well-rounded desktop replacement.

This is a small information giving website
I did not like that they did not give a price for the Sony Vaio PCG-FR130. That is to bad for them because i was interested in buying that modle but i guess i will go to another competetor.

Really a 4 1/2 Star
Well, this was my first laptop purchase...it was definately a hard decision, but the Sony VAIO has impressed me in every area so far. For a laptop bought at a nationwide electronics store for under a thousand dollars, I don't think I could be more pleased. :)

This laptop beat the competition due to it's wealth of features. The USB 2.0 ports, the Firewire ports, and Word Perfect Office (399 value!) really sold me on this laptop. With the other laptops in the sub-1000 range, I was looking at USB 1.1, no firewire, and no productivity apps.

Also included are the roomy 40 GB HD as well as the 24x CD-RW. An adequate video card (I don't game) and a great sounding sound card (just put it through some headphones!) round out the machine.

I know that this review isn't very helpful...but I can run Photoshop, Office, browse the web, and be burning a CD all at once. The power is adequate for my needs...and I'd say for the needs of any student. I hook up a 10 dollar USB optical mouse and I'm good to go. Yes, it runs a little hot on the lap...but what laptop doesn't? If you want a cool-running laptop, be prepared to shell out an extra grand for Centrino.

Why does it not get 5 stars?

Once you load a non-Windows operating system, you void the warranty. Once you take it out of the country, you void the warranty (Go figure...it's a laptop!)... The last is more annoying than the first because I am going to school in the UK.

It also gets dinged for not having more RAM.

Other than that, it's a great little machine.

Great Quality, Great Price
I'm definately a computer fanatic, I build my desktops computers myself because I can never find a desktop that has exactly what I want. This is my second notebook, I've owned it for just two days and I'm very impressed. Compared with my previous notebook (brand of my previous notebook will remain nameless here) it's obvious the quality construction Sony uses to build its notebooks. VAIOs are advertised based on their stylishness, but they are also very sound, sturdy notebooks as well. All though it's not the top of the line by today's standards, I have yet to see any lacking in performance in any of the applications I use on a regular basis, and since it comes with an Nvidia graphics chip, I'm sure it will perform admirably on the games that I play as well.

The software package that came with it seems to contain more potentially useful apps than junk apps. I can't comment on the media apps bundled yet, they'll definately take a little time to learn since they look to be packed with features, definately more robust than I had expected.

The only dissapointment that I found is my new VAIO lacks a feature that was on my previous laptop: the ability to power up just the CD drive and use it as an oversized CD player. Although this isn't a big enough minus to count against the 5 star rating. Definately a great notebook! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

HP's Pavilion ze4315us Notebook PC is a sensibly designed and very affordably priced mobile solution that's ready for most typical business, personal, and leisure tasks. However, it simply isn't fast or capable enough to handle the wide variety of high-end applications most folks tend to run on their workhorse PC, so we can't recommend it as a desktop replacement machine.

At 12.96 by 10.72 by 1.57 inches, the Pavilion ze4315us is a bit larger than some of the alternatives. It is conveniently lightweight though, at a mere 7.25 pounds. Inside, HP has installed a capable yet cost-effective 1.67 GHz Mobile AMD Athlon XP Processor 2000+ with PowerNow Technology, 256 MB of DDR SDRAM memory, and an ATI Mobility Radeon graphics chipset with 64 MB of shared (not dedicated) memory. This is an ample power plant for a mobile machine, though it shouldn't be expected to efficiently drive most high-end 3D games, animation packages or other ultra-complex applications.

The unit features an adequate 40 GB hard disk, and a DVD+CD-RW combo drive that will allow you to listen to and burn music CDs, backup your data to CD and play the latest movies. DVD burning is not supported. The system's crisp 15-inch XGA TFT display supports images of 1024x768 resolution, and its integrated 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio chipset and on-board Altec-Lansing speakers ensure your sound is accurately delivered.

Controlling the Pavilion ze5270 is a snap. The unit features a full size 88-key keyboard with embedded numeric keypad, a Touch Pad with on/off button, and a dedicated vertical scroll up/down pad. Other amenities include two USB 1.1 ports for plug and play peripherals, an S-Video TV-out, an RJ-45 Ethernet jack for fast network and Internet interaction, and a built-in 56K modem for low-speed e-communication. The system does not include an IEEE 1394 FireWire port. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

pile of junk
The only thing worse is the HP ze 5270 I originally bought a HP Pavillion ZE 5270 after 6 months it died and HP will not honor their warranty. The hard drive crashed which by the way is mfg. by Toshiba. I had purchased 12 various Toshiba and compaq laptops for our company only to have all of them crash within one year requiring reformatting and partitioning of the HDD's.

Great.... but watch out for the screen
This a great laptop for the everyday user, DVD's run great, processor is working fine and the price is superb.... the only glitch was that I got a burnt pixel that keeps me reminding that I spent 1000 dollars on it.... and HP warranty doesn't cover it!!!! That would deserve 3.5 stars (but I gave 4 to round it up)
Anyway, I guess I'm just unlucky since overall it is a great machine. I would certainly recommend it for the price/quality ratio you'll get.

Great computer at a great price
I set out to get the cheapest name brand notebook I could find. I always thought HP had really good quality desktops, so I decided to try their notebooks. I was suprised that they were the cheapest as well. The Athlon processor works great, and since it's a mobile version, it runs fast and stays cool. The fan only comes on when doing CPU intensive tasks. The memory is in 1 chip which makes adding more memory very easy. The screen is outstanding, very bright and crisp. I can't say anything bad about this notebook. If you're looking for a good powerful notebook and the lowest price, this is it. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

All work and no play can make for a dull portable computer user. Finding an affordable PC that’s well equipped for both operating modes at home and on the road can be a challenge. But the Hewlett-Packard Pavilion ze4115 provides the solution. This notebook PC combines a powerful, relatively lightweight package with a combination DVD/CD-RW drive for enjoying the latest DVD blockbusters and making your own CDs and backups.

The ze4115’s AMD Athlon XP 1500+ processor easily provides the computing stamina to handle the gamut of productivity and multimedia computing tasks. At roughly 6.4 pounds and scarcely more than 1.5 inches thick, the ze4115 is a slim, light model featuring a 14.1-inch, active-matrix TFT display coupled with an ATI Mobility Radeon 4X AGP (including 3-D architecture for cutting-edge gaming). A DVD/CD-RW combination drive (24x/8x/8x, 8x DVD) nicely rounds out the package.

But it doesn’t end there. The ze4115 serves up healthy portions of memory and storage. Its 30 GB hard drive gobbles large application and data files, and its 256 MB of 266 MHz DDR SDRAM--expandable to a maximum of 1,024 MB--buzzes through any software. An integrated 10/100Base-T Ethernet LAN (RJ-45) connector makes it simple to network the ze4115. External ports include two USB inputs, a 25-pin parallel port, a serial connector, a PS/2 keyboard-mouse connector, and 15-pin VGA and S-video TV-out plugs. The notebook includes a 56K integrated modem with an RJ-11 connector.

Bundled software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, the HP RecordNow CD-RW recording utility, ArcSoft Funhouse and PhotoImpression editing tools, Corel WordPerfect and Quattro Pro productivity applications, Quicken Financial Center by Intuit, Encyclopedia Britannica Ready Reference, Wild Tangent 3-D games, Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0, and Norton AntiVirus 2002 with a three-month live update. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Value
I recently purchased the Pavilion ze4115 and find it to be an excellent value for the money. If you're looking for a notebook that's small and lightweight, this may not be the unit for you as it's rather on the large size for a notebook. I don't travel much so portability wasn't an issue for me. The pros of the notebook include a great display which isn't hard on the eyes, a DVD player which overall offers a good quality picture, a CD burner which is easy to use, and a great sound system. The cons is the weight of the unit with a battery installed, the latch that locks the display to the case (at least on mine) isn't a tight fit, and there's a slight buzz when the fan starts. Overall, I'm pleased with my purchase and with the rebates that are available, it's definitely a good value. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Though slightly less than ideal for fans of 3-D gaming or video recording, Sony’s new Vaio PCV-RXA842 is otherwise a powerful yet affordable desktop solution that offers plenty of bang for the buck.

For the PCV-RXA842, Sony has incorporated a cost-effective 2.4 GHz AMD Athlon XP 2400+ processor, 512 MB of PC-2100 DDR RAM (expandable to 1 full GB), and an integrated 32 MB nVidia nForce 220 IGP graphics accelerator. The system’s 80 GB hard drive is big enough for even the most extensive MP3 collection, and its internal CD-RW drive will burn best-of music compilations, backup and archive discs, and traditional audio CDs. Although the PCV-RXA842 won’t record DVD-format video discs unless you add a DVD burner, its built-in DVD player will allow you to watch your favorite movies.

The PCV-RXA842 offers numerous conveniences to enhance and simplify your day-to-day computing, including a 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, a PS2 wheel mouse, four high-speed USB 2.0 ports for plug-and-play peripherals such as external CD drives and joysticks, and front and rear IEEE 1394 interfaces for easy DV camcorder connectivity. The included Vaio Smart keyboard features several handy one-touch multimedia and Internet buttons for instant access to common functions.

Sony asserts that the Vaio PCV-RXA842 will serve as a capable central hub for many years to come. Aside from its state-of-the-art USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 ports, the system features headphone and microphone ports, a line-in jack, parallel port, proprietary Memory Stick Media Slot, V.90 modem for low-speed Internet and e-mail, and a 10Base-T/100Base-TX Fast Ethernet interface for high-speed Web surfing and LAN access. Sony has included a pair of stereo speakers but has not packaged the PCV-RXA842 with a viewing screen, allowing users to make their own selection from the numerous VGA and ultrathin LCD models on the market. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Poor quality graphics
The built in nVidia nForce 220IGP grahpics are very low quality and are not suitible for gaming or business grahpics (such as CAD). Of course for a hundred or two more you can buy a new video card and get good graphics. But then for that much money you could buy a faster system with better grahpics already installed and you don't have to deal with opening up your computer, installing a new card and messing with the graphics drivers. So the low price is deceptive. This system will cost you a lot more in the end.

Excellent value.
This is another excellent entry from Sony CE, again gaining high marks for its value. It features an Athalon (AMD) XP processor running at 2.0 GHz and offers 512 megs of very fast DDRAM. It also has 4 2.0-ready USB ports, a large 80 gig hard drive and a very good CD-R/W + DVD player. My only complaint is the lack of a true game-ready, 64 megs (or higher!) of video RAM. The included 32 meg Sony in-house, on-chip setup here just won't cut the mustard. There is, however, an open 4x AGP slot, so an upgrade can be bought and slid into place in 10 minutes without any fuss. In addition, there is no monitor included here, so that's another important expense to add. Nonetheless, it's a quality machine with lots of great features and it's one you'll probably be happy with for years to come. Having said that, I'd take the upgraded 850 model, which features a much better Intel Pentium 4 processor (running at 2.4 Ghz) for just a little bit more money. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

watch out for that dial up
I love this computer, don't get me wrong,but connecting it to my home ethernet modem was a little bit of trouble. I connected it using the network port, but could NOT figure out how to turn the dial up off. Every time I tried to make a connection, it would not work. I finally had to call my internet company. Even though the plug is labeled network, it is for Ethernet ( I discovered that about 3 hours later.) Not a big problem though, now obviously I am using the laptop and plan on bringing it to college with me. I love the scroll pad and nothing is wrong with the computer. I bought it brand new and I would totally reccomend it. The battery last's long and the rest of the computer is easy to use :) ENJOY! :)

Overall satisfactory
I've owned it for 2 weeks and I'll probably keep it. It runs quite smoothly and I've found no BIG issues although I looked for them and I am not a novice. Some not-so-big issues though:

1. It has a dead pixel (a pixel on the screen which is always turqoise). Most people who saw it would return the laptop for an exchange but I am not disturbed enough to do that. I called HP's Customer Service and they told me they would only replace defective screens that have at least 7 dead pixels. A friend of mine had told me that Dell had the same policy so I was not surprised. The guy on the phone was helpful although he "registered" me as a owner without asking me first.

2. I've installed Linux on it and it works well now but I had the typical laptop problems: the "nousb" install option must be used to avoid keyboard freeze during installation; I had to deactivate pcmcia support which was freezing the boot (not fixed this yet b/c I don't need it); and, most frustrating, the ATI Radeon Mobility IGP 320M (U1) video card is virtually unknown by the kernel so I can't get any accelerated graphics in Linux... Actually the 'agpgart.o' kernel module won't load b/c the agp bridge is unknown. It looks like ATI/HP have not released the specs for this videocard yet thus there's no proper Linux support for it. It works with the generic "vesa" driver as well as with the "ati" and the "radeon" drivers, as a generic VESA. So it only ranks some 437fps when tested by glxgears - it should go to at least 550 for a "standard" Linux game like Chromium to run fine. Hopefully the ATI/HP drivers will come out soon!

Absolutely no issue in Windows except for the disk defragmentation program that always leaves some data in the upper part of the drive so that noone will be able to partition it to install Linux (for example). I thanked Microsoft for a wasted half an hour to figure it out and then run 'chkdsk /F' to fix the drive and partitioned it immediately after that.

The DVD/CDRW combo works fine, same for the Network and the PS/2 port with the classic Y-cable to accomodate both an external mouse and a keyboard. I haven't tried the wireless interface yet. The scroll pad doesn't look very subtle but it works.

This laptop has eight visible blue lights and a green one, so it may look like a Christmas tree to some more conservative people. Speaking of design, I don't like the metalic net covering the speakers, and the overall combination of silver and black with blue shades gets mixed reviews from my colleagues. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The HP Pavilion a720n is a great entry level PC that's ready for your multimedia needs. It's powered by Windows XP Home Edition and it features a 2.20 GHz Athlon XP 3200+ processor, 512 MB RAM, and extra-large 200 GB hard drive. It comes with two drives: a CD-ROM and a dual-layer DVD+RW. It's bundled with a variety of software, including HP Image Zone Plus digital photography software, aimed to get you online and capturing, editing, and sharing your digital photos, audio, and video.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The massive 200 GB Ultra DMA hard drive (7200 RPM) offers a wealth of storage space, perfect for storing a vast multimedia collection or for editing digital video.
• Processor: The 2.2 GHz AMD Athlon XP 3200+ processor offers a high level of performance--speedy enough for PC gaming, graphic design software, and multimedia creation. It also features an advanced 462 MHz front-side bus (FSB) speed and a 512 KB L2 cache.
• Memory: The A720N comes with a 512 MB built-in memory (1 x 512 MB DDR SDRAM, PC2700)--a good start for power users. It only has a 1 GB maximum memory expansion (2 x 512 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: This desktop PC comes with two optical drives: a CD--ROM for reading CDs and a double-layer DVD+RW drive for writing both DVDs and CDS. With double-layered DVD+R/RW discs, you can store up to 8.5 GB of data. The DVD+R/RW drive has 8x write and 4x rewrite speeds. You can burn CDs at 24x and rewrite at 10x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: The A720N comes with an HP Internet keyboard and scroller mouse (both with PS/2 connections).

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the A720N has two 5.25-inch external bays (none available), two 3.5-inch bays (one available), three PCI slots (two available), and one AGP 8x slot (available). It comes with a built-in floppy drive and the following external connectors:

• 7 USB 2.0 ports (3 in front, 4 in rear) for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals (1 in front, 1 in rear)
• 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 serial port for older peripherals such as early PDAs
• 1 microphone, 1 headphone, and 1 line-in jack in the front
• 9-in-1 media card reader on the front, compatible with CompactFlash (Type I and II), MicroDrive, Smaredia, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digitial, and XD Picture Card

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Quicken New User Edition 2004, Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 60-day LiveUpdate subscription) and Personal Firewall 2003, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Encarta Encyclopedia 2004 Standard Edition, HP Image Zone Plus, RecordNow 7.2 (for burning CDs), WinDVD SE 5.0 (for DVD playback), and Apple iTunes.

The included HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized images--without downloading time-consuming attachments.

Dimensions and Weight
It measures 15.2 x 16.5 x 7.5 (W x D x H).

What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Pavilion A720N desktop PC, power cable, keyboard, and mouse. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Especially well suited to multimedia mavens, the Sony Vaio PCV-RX740 desktop is a versatile system that's ready to handle virtually all the latest crop of internal and external PC applications and devices. Whether you're watching a Hollywood blockbuster, uploading and editing a home movie, recording a CD, or filling a spreadsheet, the Vaio PCV-RX740 will help keep things humming along smoothly.

The unit offers a pleasant tradeoff between power and affordability. Rather than fitting the Vaio PCV-RX740 with a state-of-the-art processor that, in reality, may deliver more power than most users require, Sony has installed acost-effective yet powerful 1.53 GHz AMD Athlon XP 1800+ with 128 KB of Level 1 cache and 256 KB of Level 2 cache. This capable chip is paired with a generous 256 MB of RAM and an integrated 32 MB SiS740 graphics processor. Although it won't set new speed benchmarks or efficiently handle the most demanding 3-D games, the Vaio PCV-RX740 desktop will easily carve its way through most of today's popular entertainment and professional programs.

More than just an affordable workhorse, the unit is also exceedingly flexible. You'll find plenty of room to store your programs and files on its spacious 60 GB hard disk. You'll record and play audio CDs and back up your data on its integrated 40x/24x/10x CD-RW drive, load and move smaller files on its 3.5-inch floppy disk drive, and play DVD movies on its 16x DVD-ROM drive. And if you're looking for fast video data transfer solutions, the Vaio PCV-RX740 desktop is ready to oblige with two IEEE 1395 ports: one on the rear and another placed conveniently on the front of the case.

The unit features a variety of additional connections, including four USB ports for plug-and-play peripherals, a parallel "printer" port and serial port, two PS/2 ports for keyboards and mice, and line-in and line-out audio jacks. An integrated V.90 data/fax modem delivers low-speed Internet connectivity, and a 10 Base-T/100Base-TX Fast Ethernet card affords high-speed e-mail access and surfing. A PS/2 wheel mouse, Vaio Smart keyboard, and a pair of full-range desktop speakers round out the system's hardware amenities. Sony has not included a monitor with the package, allowing you to select your favorite display from the many currently available or perhaps use one already on hand.

The Vaio PCV-RX740 desktop is loaded with a variety of practical and entertainment software, including pre-installed copies of Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition operating system, Corel WordPerfect Office 2002, Intuit Quicken 2002, and an assortment of Sony DVD, home movie, photo, and audio tools and utilities. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Compaq's Presario 1215, with its speedy 1 GHz AMD Athlon processor and combination CD-RW/DVD drive, is an impressive-looking desktop-replacement or entertainment-oriented notebook. Yet its price is still comparatively low--though its weight, at 7.3 pounds, is on the high side. With its 14.1-inch XGA (1,024 x 768) display, 128 MB of RAM (expandable to 320 MB), a 20 GB hard disk drive, and modem and networking, it has just about all the features you could ask for in a notebook PC. The installed operating system is Windows Me, Microsoft's consumer-oriented platform, and Microsoft's lightweight Works suite is included as well. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

WAITING
THIS IS THE COMPUTER THAT I WANT. WHEN THIS GETS OFF OF BACKORDER, I AM BUYING THIS MACHINE, WHY YOU ASK? BECAUSE I CAN. ... Read more