Amazon.com Product Description

Sporting fewer amenities than Sony's high-end mobile computers, yet easily robust enough to run most professional and entertainment software, the Vaio FXA59 notebook strikes a good balance between price and performance. Its convenient all-in-one design also makes it a great choice for those who appreciate true portability.

At 1.9 by 12.8 by 10.5 inches and 6.7 pounds (with battery) or 7.1 pounds (with battery and removable 3.5-inch floppy disk drive), the FXA59 is not an overly large notebook. Yet unlike some Sony portables, it is completely self-contained. A combination CD-RW/DVD drive (24x/8x/8x, 8x DVD) is built right into the unit, as is a spacious 30 GB hard drive. Furthermore, the floppy disk drive may be swapped at any time for an optional second battery.

The system is powered by a 1.3 GHz AMD Athlon XP 1500+ processor, a fast yet cost-effective chip featuring AMD's new QuantiSpeed architecture for improved performance, and PowerNow technology for extended battery life. Sony has paired this processor with 256 MB of SDRAM memory (expandable to 512 MB) and an 8 MB ATI Rage Mobility graphics chip. While its graphics processing speed isn't fast enough for the latest 3-D games, the FXA59 will capably handle anything from standard business applications to DVD movies, transmitting video signals to its large 1,400 x 1,050 15-inch XGA TFT display and audio to its integrated stereo speakers.

The FXA59 is outfitted with more external connections than most notebook users will ever need, including an i.Link IEEE 1394 jack for fast data uploads from devices such as digital camcorders, two USB ports for plug-and-play peripherals, NTSC video-out and external monitor-out, parallel and serial "printer" ports, a microphone-in, and headphone jack. An internal V.90 modem delivers low-speed Web and e-mail access, and a 10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet interface supportshigh-speed surfing and LAN connectivity.

The system's keyboard section features a standard 86-key layout and an electrostatic touch pad. Sony has not included the handy Jog Dial control or Memory Stick media slot found on other models. Pre-installed software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Quicken 2002 New User Edition, Corel WordPerfect Office 2002, Adobe Photoshop Elements, and a broad range of audio, video, and still-image tools and utilities. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

good for ordinary use
I bought this type laptop two months ago, most time it works good, but I found it has a very annoyed problem. If you watch DVD or listen to music and use Internet at the same time, internet can be very often disconnected automatically, sometime, machine even crashes. Actually I changed my machine, but this second machine has the same problem.

Too fast long battery life!
Sony has very good cosumer support.
This is my first Notebook from AMD, and I love it much faster from my old Penium 3 800Mhz.
Very long batter life too, up to 3 hours(without playing games)
Really sharp and crystal clear screen.
Runs fast cool and quiet, I will keep it for long time.
Cdr and DVD runs great, no complaind here.
Smart investment!
Highly recomand this one, I am sure you will't be sorry!

Excellent Overall Performance
First, the downside - the mouse can be flakey. Sometimes it acts as if the left side key is stuck. Other times, you have to tap it ten times to get it to react. Other that that, the only problem we've had has been that some DVD's latch up the WIN/DVD software.

But considering how much use our Vaio has had, we've been very happy. The CD burner has worked flawlessly. I use the Vaio to back up digital images while we're traveling. It's great to be able to burn a CD as backup before deleting the files off of the camera. The kids use it to watch movies and play games and they love the large, bright screen. The off-axis color and brightness are excellent.

This is my 4th laptop and finally, I have one that is fast enough for the applications I run. It's amazing what can be fit into such a small package. One warning: the shape and texture of the unit make it easy to drop when pulling it out of a briefcase. I haven't, but if you aren't careful, it could easily happen.

FXA the only computer you will ever need
A few months ago I bought my FXA49 laptop computer. I opened it up turned it on and it was set to go. compared to my other exsperences with computers this was amazing. the 1.2 GHZ was giving me acsess at what felt like instent speed. after installing my favroite programs i relize how much of a hard drive 30 GB2 really is. the dvd drive allows me to watch any dvd movie with great sucsses. the cd writers it just what it should be. the 512 megabyte memory is worth it to the byte. the battery power never seems to end aswel. the wait is good for leaveing it on your desk and better for carrying around it says seven but i never would notice. when it says thin it is if you cosider what you are geting. anouther impressive feature is the huge screen if you do the math one 15in screen is bigger than two 10in screens. every feature is worth it and for personal or bussness definately worth the money.
i hope you found this review helpful and get this laptop so you will be anouther witness to this wonderful product. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

If you’re an aspiring filmmaker on a budget looking for a high-performance mobile computer that doubles as a portable digital video-editing system, the Sony Vaio FXA63 notebook PC will deliver the goods on location or in your home office.

The notebook PC’s all-in-one design includes an i.Link interface that serves as a high-speed FireWire conduit for connecting with devices such as camcorders. The FXA63 includes software for creating full-motion digital movies complete with a full complement of visual effects and audio.

The FXA63’s 1.4 GHz Mobile AMD Athlon XP 1600+ processor cranks out plentiful power for propelling multimedia and productivity software. Its ATI Rage Mobility M1 graphics card, combined with 8 MB of video RAM and a 14.1-inch XGA active-matrix TFT display, enable you to view sharp, clear images. A built-in DVD-ROM/CD-RW combination drive makes it easy and convenient to watch DVD movies, listen to and make CDs, and rapidly back up data.

A 30 GB hard drive offers abundant space for storing data and multimedia files, and the FXA63’s 256 MB of SDRAM--expandable to 512 MB--lets you run multiple applications smoothly. An integrated 10/100Base-T Ethernet LAN connector makes networking easy. The FXA63 supports two Type I PC Cards or one Type II or III card. It also includes a parallel and serial port, an NTSC-out interface, and two USB ports.

The 6.7-pound, 12.8-by-10.5-by-1.5-inch FXA63 includes a built-in V.90 modem, and its floppy drive can be swapped out for a second battery that doubles the system’s estimated three-hour battery life.

Installed software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Corel WordPerfect Office 2002, Quicken 2002, and Trend Micro PC-cillin. Also included are Sony DVgate and MovieShaker software for capturing and editing full-motion digital video footage and creating movies that use transitions and other effects. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

One headache after another...
I bought this computer one year ago and have lost an unacceptable amount of time trying to fix its many problems. First, VAIOs are known for having DVD sound problems. Mine was no exception. Second, this VAIO does not operate properly with many common programs, especially Adobe Photoshop(it shuts itself off in the middle of work). Third, the battery life is so low as to be an embarrassment. Fourth problem with the VAIO = NOT ENOUGH MEMORY - thinking I wouldn't need more than a 20 gig hardrive was a big mistake! Shop around for your next laptop and DON'T buy a Sony VAIO. You will be sorry.

Does more than the competition.
I read of peoples problems with other brands of computers all of the time. I personally love my PCG-FXA63 Vaio and would recommend it to anyone. The only problems I have had were from human error(mine). The only drawback of this system is hard drive space, but that can be replaced easily enough.

Buy one, you won't be sorry!

Not too shabby for the price
After many years ... well 2 years ... and much heartache, I 86-ed my Compaq Presario laptop, and bought the Vaio FXA63. Much to my surprise, this little box did everything I wanted. Game performance was fine, and I found the graphics to be quite acceptable. Love being able to put 2 batteries in it. Best of all: Solaris x86 runs on it like a dream. (Get the realtek driver and XFree86 drivers and away you go.) Snappy little box; envy of all my working friends (except those who upgraded to the FVR-28). Wish it had a bigger drive and DVD writer, but for a year ago it was awesome.

Its not a bad machine, but they do get better
I bought this expecting more, don't get me wrong it is a good notebook, but shop around. The hard drives are too small, the track pad is a pain in my ___, And I HATE Windows,(Microsoft in general) If this had 160GB drive(s) and RedHat Linux 9 I would love it....but..no!
Avoid Windows products at all costs, espically XP(nothing but 2000's bug fix's...if that!!) True computer nuts know what I mean. But if you are on a budget, and like Windows(ugggh) this is not a bad choice..like I said shop around and compare.

Amazing display but very poor hardware and support.
I purchase Sony Vaio and had high opinion regarding Sony products. But, I was very disappointed with this product. My hard disk was very noisy and I had to send it for repair, they replaced my hardware with refurbished parts and sent it back. When I received the Laptop, the keyboard was out of place and body had scratches on it and I had to send it back again. The technical support people at times are extremely rude that it is unbelievable, after request to call before they ship the item back they sent it right back without calling us. The letter it came back with had no clear explanation of what was fixed.

Even when I called back, after 35 mins of hold a very rude person replied my phone and this was not the first time I had experienced this with their technical support. I have spent lot of hours just rebuilding this laptop, waiting on phone and downtime when I had to ship for repair. I feel sorry for buying this product.

The display is amazing but that is about it, rest of the hardware is okay and you will have many incompatibly issues with this laptop. I would rather buy a Dell or Toshiba but never again another Sony Laptop

. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Compaq’s Presario 900 notebook series includes an impressive variety of models offering a full range of performance and features. The entry-level Presario 905US combines affordable computing power and multimedia features likely to entice value-minded road warriors who are equally serious about their work, games, and digital movies and music.

The 905US’s 1.2 GHz AMD Athlon XP 1400+ processor delivers cost-effective performance for a range of productivity applications, games, and DVDs. A built-in 8x DVD-ROM drive allows users to enjoy movies and music, both of which sound great on the notebook’s integrated JBL Pro Performance Audio with Bass Reflex speakers.

The notebook’s 30 GB hard drive provides ample storage for data and downloads, while its 256 MB of memory--expandable to 1 GB--and 256 KB of on-chip L2 cache make it easy to run multiple applications without sacrificing performance. An ATI Radeon IGP integrated graphics card and 16 MB of shared video memory deliver resolution of up to 1,024 x 768 on the 905US’s integrated 14.1-inch TFT XGA display or up to 1,600 x 1,200 noninterlaced on an external monitor.

The 1.5-by-12.8-by-10.6-inch, 6.5-pound notebook includes an integrated 10/100Base-T Ethernet port and 56K V.92 PCI modem. Expansion slots include one Type I/II PC Card slot with support for a 32-bit CardBus. The 905US also includes two USB 1.1 ports, a parallel SPP/ECP interface (DB25 connector), a PS2 mouse or keyboard port, an RJ-45 Ethernet jack and RJ-11 modem jack, an S-video TV-out port, and an external VGA monitor port.

Installed software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Works 6.0, Microsoft Money 2001, Microsoft Encarta Online Deluxe Encyclopedia (one-year subscription), InterVideo WinDVD, and Norton AntiVirus 2002 on CD. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good starter laptop.
To begin with, it looks great. It's black & silver, sleek & reasonably svelte at 6.5 lbs. The HP genes are apparent in its design and the result is pleasing. The CPU is an adequate 1.2 Athalon XP; it's quite capable of most daily, non-graphics intense tasks, but not as good as an Intel P4. System memory also just adequate at 256 megs, though this can be doubled easily enough. The hard drive is a generous 30 gigs. A DVD player is included in a combination drive, but there is no CD burner offered. All the Compaq's connections are in the right place, though missing is any USB 2.0 port (too bad because if you want to add an external CD burner, the USB 2.0 protocol is the way to fly). Graphics are in line with the other components, with a 16 meg ATI card onboard (I am a fan of ATI graphics cards because they have been quite reliable over the long haul and because upgrading them from ATI's nice website is a snap) rendering a surprisingly sharp 14" display. Overall, this is a "good enough" basic machine made by a company that looks like it's here to stay.

COOL NOTEBOOK!
This small and light notebook runs very cool.
For a student or business, you wll not find a better deal than this.
Looks very attractive, also it is hard solid Notebook I had since Celeron.
Thanks Amazon ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Pavilion 735n Desktop PC may be an ideal fit for those who crave speed, but can't afford a big budget computer, and are willing to give up some of the perks of other, higher-priced HP Pavilions,.

For the Pavilion 735n, HP moves away from the more expensive Intel Pentium 4 processors found in many of its 700 series of Pavilions. That does not, however, mean substantially less power. Equipped with an AMD Athlon XP processor 2600+ running at a healthy 2.13 GHz, a generous 512 MB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM memory, and an Nvidia GeForce4 MX graphics card with 64 MB of dedicated video memory, the system is ready to run virtually any application currently on the market, though ardent gamers and 3-D artisans may wish to add a faster graphics card at a later date.

HP has clearly constructed the Pavilion 735n to meet the growing demands of those who need alternative methods of data storage and movement. Apart from its massive 80 GB Ultra DMA hard disk, the system sports a 3.5-inch diskette drive, a 48X CD-ROM drive and a DVD+RW drive-- the latter of which allows you to burn home movies to disc, create mixed music CDs and backup copious quantities of information. HP has also installed a full half-dozen ultra-fast USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripherals and two IEEE 1394 ports for high-speed links with external devices such as digital camcorders, scanners and drives.

The Pavilion 735n features a broad range of useful amenities, including a two-button PS/2 scrolling mouse, an HP Internet Command Center one-touch keyboard, a 10/100 Base-T networking interface for high-speed LAN and e-communication access and an internal 56K modem for low-speed connectivity. Pre-installed software includes the exceptionally versatile WordPerfect Productivity Pack and a variety of valuable multimedia utilities. It should be noted that the system does not include a monitor, thus allowing users to choose a custom model from the many brands and styles available today. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

I think it was a bit over priced
I got this computer and about a month later I thought I payed to much. You can build the computer yourself for at least 100 bucks less. But other then that it is a high end computer.

Software on it was fine, no glitches, no faults it ran smooth and simple!

4 Stars

NVIDIA GeForce4 MX graphics with 64MB of memory
needed a computer that was inexpensive, but that had solid features. This computer is inexpensive and has superior features. Tons of memory, a huge hard drive, and a great video card. It plays the latest 3d games very smoothly even at high resolutions.Plus the dual cd drives make copying my music cd's much faster, and the 6in1 card reader makes it really easy to download my digital camera pictures in my computer. Downlaoding time and site access is unbelievable fast even with dail up connection which i have .. cd burning time iam burning cd in less then three mins.. u can play all the up to date games with no problem.i would recommend this tower.. I also bought the 15' hp flat panel lcd screen and same thing beutiful picture screen adjusts to view and the speakers that come with it are good ....
It's got all the right features at a very low price. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great performance for great price
I've had this system for a week now .... It performs exceptionally well for a system {at this} price. Don't want to make this too wordy so here's the lowdown:
Pros:
Performance up to par with home built systems using similar parts
DVD and CD-RW performance is excellent and very quiet
Hard drive is very very quiet and is Ultra ATA/100
Built in video card is good enough to run Windows programs
Supports hardware monitoring so you can track heat, fan speed,etc
Multiple fans
USB and firewire ports upfornt
Dolby Digital SPDIF output
Keyboard
The case is a new design from HP, much sleeker and sexier than anything they've had before

Cons:
The fan noise might be too loud for some people (I like to hear the powerful fan...reliability over asthetics/acoustics)
Hard drive is only 5400RPM
No remaining expansion bays
Mouse and speakers aren't that great
No recovery CD (recovery runs off separate HD partition)
Flimsy BIOS doesn't seem to work correctly with passwords
A load of shareware and other [things] pre-loaded when you get it

I think that's it but overall, I'd recommend it to anyone who wants performance on a budget. I teamed this up with a 18inch LCD display for less than $2000. See if you can get that anywhere else. I'm loving it...hope you like yours too
:) ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

At the midpoint of HP's Pavilion a200n series of personal computers, the Pavilion a230n Desktop PC delivers reasonable performance and upscale perks such as DVD recording at a solid price point. If you're a serious gamer or a demanding business user, you may want to look at either upgrading the unit or opting for HP's new Media Center series, but all others should find the Pavilion a230n a perfect fit.

At the heart of the Pavilion a230n lies an AMD Athlon XP 2800+ processor running at 2.08 GHz. HP has matched this efficient yet cost effective CPU with 512 MB of DDR SDRAM, an nVidia GeForce4 MX video card with 64 MB dedicated memory, and a massive 120 GB hard disk. In its stock configuration, the unit will breeze through most 2-D tasks but will have trouble efficiently rendering some high-end 3-D applications and may not be powerful enough for demanding professional environments.

The Pavilion a230n is distinct from the model just below it, the a220n, by virtue of its DVD recording capabilities. Unlike the a220n, which offers just a CD player, this unit features a DVD-RW/CD-RW drive through which users may burn audio CDs, backup data, watch their favorite movies, and burn homegrown videos to DVD. Other data handling tools include a massive 120 GB hard disk and a separate CD drive for playing compact discs and installing applications. To upload and download information from external devices such as digital camcorders and cameras, the system also features six fast USB 2.0 ports (two on the front), two FireWire interfaces (one front, one rear), and a 6-in-1 media card reader.

Connectivity options include a 56K modem for low-speed surfing and a 10/100Base-T networking interface for high-speed e-communications. HP has added a two-button PS/2 scrolling mouse and convenient HP Multimedia keyboard but has not enclosed a display or speakers.

The impressive bundled software package features such useful applications as WordPerfect Productivity Pack 2002, WordPerfect 10 and Quattro Pro 10, Intuit Quicken New Users Edition, InterVideo's WinDVD DVD player, and several photo and music uti ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Works Great
Great computer. Works wonderful with no problems. Even on dial-up. The AMD processor is as good as the P4,s. A bit overpriced though. I think you could get the same value out an e-machines with as good of quality as HP.

Really Great Computer
This HP comupter was a really great deal for all the features it provides. I can browse the internet, burn CDs, get technical support if I need it, and do a lot of really cool things that I could never do on my old computer, which is now five years old. I am also very impressed with Windows XP because it is quick and very worth the money paid. Another thing I like is that this computer is fairly computer friendly. In the first hour I was using it, I burned two CDs, listened to music, surfed the internet and started to watch a DVD. Not only does it work very well, but it looks good too; it's very stylish. I reccomend anyone who buys this computer also gets the HP pavilion f1703 moniter because it's adjustible and has excellent color quality. This is a very good computer and I reccomend first computer buyers to get this computer. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

As one of the newest models in HP's wide-ranging a300n series of desktop computers, the HP Pavilion a330n Desktop PC is a capable and versatile rig that's more than ready to handle most any home, home office, leisure and business application. HP has clearly kept the cost within reach of budget-conscious shoppers by opting for a midlevel processor, but all the other tools you need are present and accounted for.

Driven by a reasonably snappy 2.16 GHz AMD Athlon 3000+ CPU, the Pavilion a330n Desktop does not deliver state-of-the-art processing speed. However, you may not ever need a more powerful processor, because HP has otherwise equipped the unit with quality components that help keep the unit fast enough for most purposes. It has added 512 MB DDR SDRAM memory for efficient multitasking, and an nVidia GeForce4 MX graphics card with 64 MB of dedicated video memory to allow you to blaze through all but high-end 3-D games and 3-D graphics packages. And it has included a generous 120 GB hard disk so you'll have plenty of room for programs, games, and a full multimedia library.

Other key amenities include a blazing 48-speed CD-ROM drive for playing audio discs and loading programs; a DVD+RW/CD-RW combo drive for burning audio and data discs, playing DVD movies and writing homegrown videos to DVD; and a 7-in-1 digital card reader for accessing memory cards from PDAs, digital cameras, and the like.

HP has clearly built the Pavilion a330n Desktop to meet current and future expansion and connectivity needs. The unit features five high-speed USB 2.0 ports (one on the front) for exchanging information with external devices such as digital cameras and scanners, two FireWire ports (one on the front) for fast interaction with digital camcorders, front-mounted microphone and headphone ports, two available PCI slots, one available AGP slot, and a six-speaker surround sound audio controller. Communication options include a 56K modem for low-speed dial-up surfing and a 10/100Base-T Ethernet interface for high-speed e-communications. An HP multimedia keyboard with hotkeys and a scroll wheel PS/2 mouse complete the hardware picture.

Bundled software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Works 7.0, Microsoft Money 2003, and a variety of multimedia and security utilities. A monitor and speakers are not enclosed, thus allowing you to select from the wide variety of choices available today. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great for a low price
Great all purpose computer. Runs XP and comes with lots of free software. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Targeting the demanding home and home office computer user who can'tquite afford the absolute latest and greatest in state-of-the-art portablecomputing, the Compaq Presario 722US notebook is a good tradeoff between priceand performance.

At 10.6 by 12.4 by 1.64 inches and 6.39 pounds, the 722US is a bit larger thantoday's most recent examples of micro-miniaturization, yet substantially morecompact than many other comparably priced units. Outfitted with a cost-effective1.1 GHz AMD Duron processor (64 KB of Level 2 cache), 256 MB of SDRAM(expandable to 384 MB), and a Via ProSavage KN133 video card with 32 MB of videomemory, it will efficiently run most common notebook applications and even some3-D games. Hard-core gamers and anyone who plans to work extensively withcomplex 3-D graphics may wish to look beyond this model to the Presario 725USnotebook or Presario 6024US desktop.

Sporting a sleek design and a futuristic two-tone, black-on-silver color scheme,the Presario 722US is as stylish as it is functional. To handle your valuablefiles and programs, Compaq has equipped the unit with a 20 GB hard drive and a3.5-inch floppy disk drive. A combination DVD/CD-RW drive allows you to back uplarge amounts of data, burn and play music CDs, and watch DVD movies. A14.1-inch, active-matrix viewing screen capable of 1,024 x 768 resolution and athree-way JBL speaker system with enhanced bass response help bring all yourmultimedia applications to life.

The 722US keyboard is equipped with numerous one-touch multimedia, Internet, ande-mail buttons, and a scroll wheel and touch pad for convenient navigation. Theunit features numerous ports and connections, including two USB jacks forplug-and-play peripherals such as joysticks and digital cameras, a singleparallel port for printers, a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet network connection, anall-purpose PC Card slot, a PS2 jack for an external mouse or keyboard, a VGAvideo out for external monitors, an S-video TV-out, and speaker and microphoneports. A 56K modem delivers low-speed Internet and e-mail connectivity. To helpget you started, Compaq has preinstalled a number of useful software products,including Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows XP, Microsoft Works 6.0,and Microsoft Money 2001. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Zero problems, excellent machine
I'm a network administrator, and I'm picky about computers. I've supported many laptops in the field, especially Toshiba, Compaq, Dell, IBM and Fujitsu. I give the Presario a 4 star rating for a number of reasons:
*Excellent Price/Value ratio
*enough horsepower to play the 3d games I like (I'm not super high end, but it plays good stuff.)
*Combo CDRW/DVD drive plays flawlessly, no skipping.
*Well-behaved. No hiccups starting, stopping or otherwise.
*Form Factor: not too big, not too small. Keyboard feels good, easy to type on. Screen image quality is excellent.
*Excellent customer support- with any company the help is only as good as the person who picks up the phone. I'd have to say Compaq is on about 80% of the time, which is good.
The sound system is excellent. Uses SoundMAX with Sensaura, very good full sound compared to most I've heard.
*I am going to use this as a replacement for my desktop computer so I can go wireless 100% of the time. That says alot about how much I like this unit.

Here are a couple of features I would have liked to see on this model that it doesn't have out of the box:
*Larger hard drive- 20GB is big, but my 60GB desktop PC's drive is full already!
*Better heat dissipation- the bottom gets pretty hot. Bearable on a bare leg, but barely! (no pun intended)
*2nd PCMCIA Slot. looks like they had room for 2 slots, but you can only use one card at a time. Pity.

I'd recommend this unit to about anyone. I purchased mine as a return/openbox, and frankly I can't figure out why someone would have returned it! No problems here.

EXCELLENT- it's a winner! I'm a happy customer
I bought this computer about 2 weeks ago with some graduation money. I needed a computer that was portable so I could carry it back and forth on the plane next year between school and home (so that basically ruled out an "old-fashioned" desktop computer), something with more than adequate hard drive space (don't believe those snobs that say 20 MB isn't enough... unless you want to load every single video game ever manufactured onto your computer, 20 MB is more than sufficient for all of the documents, programs, favorite games, pictures, music, etc. that you want on your computer, and more.) The screen is sharp and big enough to comfortably view your favourite DVDs on the DVD/CD-RW drive. My only complaint is that the CD-RW drive could've been a bit faster. The design of the notebook is great- not only does it look sleek and futuristic with the silver and black design, but it's rounded and not quite as bulky and boxy as many other notebooks in its class. It also weighs a bit less than many other notebooks- a helpful feature especially when you need to carry it through the airport. The headphone and microphone jacks are conveniently located on the side, and all of the cable plugs including the USB's, S-video, etc. are neatly arranged in the back. The screen is crisp and sharp (a characteristic that is especially noticeable and appreciated when viewing DVDs or pictures), the color is excellent, and I have yet to have a problem with the system overheating, even after leaving it on for hours at a time. The battery life is decent- I get about an hour and a half out of it. As I said before, the DVD/CD-RW is an enjoyable feature- I think everyone should have a CD-RW drive these days, they're very useful for everything from storing music, presentations, backing up files, etc.; and a DVD-ROM drive is a fun bonus. I think the floppy drive also deserves to be mentioned, because a lot of desktops don't come with them anymore but I'm glad mine has one because it's useful when you're on the run and want to quickly copy a picture or document to give to a friend or transfer to another computer. In all, this is an excellent system- I'm very happy and very satisfied with it. (Trust me- you don't need to waste your money on some notebook just becuase everyone says it's "better" or you'll end up with a lot of unnecessary features and extras... you will be more than happy with this one.) It is a fantastic desktop replacement, especially for a student or home computer user who just wants to have something a little more portable. It runs well (I have yet to have a technical problem) and it's an attractive, efficient machine that does everything I need it and want it to do, and much more.

Reasonable price but crash and overheated easily
A month ago, I bought this laptop for my wife as a gift for her daily office use. The price is good. However, the AMD CPU is so poor that it easily be overheated and the laptop sometimes die, even ctl-alt-del does not work. This is the first laptop I bought. I suggest if you want more reliability, choose Intel CPU laptop instead.

Look first - the LCD screen isn't the best
I just bought a notebook (went with a Sony) computer and I took a good look around before I bought. I went to Best Buy, Good Guys, Circuit City and so on. The price of this line got me interested but frankly the screen quality wasn't that great. It is an active matrix but it looks more like a dual scan LCD.

I think I know where they cut cost. Otherwise the machine seemed fine. The Duron CPU was my last choice for processors (it is about as slow as they come) but they are cheap and who really needs a lot of CPU horsepower in a note book?

So my advice is NOT to buy this notebook sight unseen. Go down and compare the screens first. I think you will find Sony and HP have much better quality screens. However if you are strapped for cash and don't mind if the color and brightness are a little washed out then you can't beat the price.

Good deal, very good computer.
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 PCMIA slot on one side, and an acceptable DVD/CD-RW 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 effective solution.
The processor is the basic 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 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. Overall, this is a wonderful though soemwhat basic machine made by a company that looks like it's here to stay. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Compaq Presario 700Z 1.2GHz Athlon
Firts of all - never buy this computer - new or used!
It gets so warm at the bottom, you can not hold it at all.
In addition it switches to 800MHz by himslef and there is no way you can switch it back to 1.2GHz. Imagine you render your home movie, you do not touch the keyboard or mouse for a few hours, and the CPU gets to the half of the speed! How nice!!! Also it eats the battery so fast, that you will not believe. Stated "up to 1.5" hour is OK, if you do not run any application and screen is off, and you don't do any keyboard or touch pad work. Otherwise it lasts less then 45 min of normal work. I bought mine new in Best Buy. In 14 month it gets broken -power switch doesn't power up the laptop up. I waited 53 days!!! until I've got it back from the "Best Buy --> Compaq --> Best Buy" repair center. And guess what!!! In few days I've got similar problem again. To switch the laptop ON, you have to wait until its completely cool down (approximately an hour after you switching it off). In addition they replaced the DVD drive (I didn't complain about fixing old one at all). Now drive gets stuck from time to time and do not lead out. Compaq says now that I have to contact Best Buy. Best Buy says: "Bring it in and wait for another few months". They thought me a good lesson NEVER EVER BUY EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM RETAILER.
The only good thing about this laptop - it has a cool design! But I better go for Sony for my next laptop. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Compaq Presario S6300NX is powerful and fast enough to cover a wide range of computing tasks--from basic word processing to multimedia creativity--and is a great choice as a family digital hub. It features a fast CD burner and a separate DVD drive, AMD Athlon XP 2600+ processor, extra-large 120 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, and loads of connectivity options.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 120 GB Ultra DMA hard drive (7200 RPM) offers more than enough storage for all your documents, digital photos, and MP3 collection.
• Processor: The 2.08 GHz AMD Athlon XP 2600+ processor offers good performance without being too spendy. It's equivalent to a 2.6 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor. It also features a 333 MHz front-side bus (FSB) speed and a 512 KB L2 cache.
• Memory: The S6300NX comes with a 512 MB built-in memory (1 x 512 MB DDR SDRAM, 333 MHz)--a good start for power users--with a maximum memory expansion up to 2 GB (2 x 1 GB).
• CD/DVD Drive: This desktop PC comes with two optical drives: a CD-RW and a DVD-ROM (for playback of movies and data discs). The speedy CD-RW drive has 48x write, 24x re-write, 48x read speeds, while the DVD-ROM has a 16x maximum playback speed (DVD movie discs require 8x).
• Keyboard & Mouse: The S6300NX comes with a Compaq Productivity keyboard and scroller mouse (both with PS/2 connections).

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the S6300NX has two 5.25-inch external bays (one available), three 3.5-inch bays (one available), three PCI slots (two available), and one AGP2 slot (available). It comes with a built-in floppy drive and the following external connectors:

• 8 USB 2.0 ports (2 in front, 6 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 RGB monitor port
• 1 serial port for older peripherals such as early PDAs
• 1 microphone and 1 headphone jack in the front

It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.92) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
The S6300NX 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 Microsoft Money 2004, Quicken New User Edition 2004, Norton Antivirus 2004 and Personal Firewall 2003, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Encarta Encyclopedia 2004 Standard Edition, Adobe Photoshop album (starter edition), RecordNow 6.5 (for burning CDs), WinDVD SE 4.0 (for DVD playback), ArcSoft ShowBiz 2 (for writing DVDs), and MusicMatch Jukebox.

Dimensions and Weight
This mini-tower measures 14.6 x 6.9 x 16.6 inches (H x W x D)and weighs 35 pounds (packaged).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Compaq Presario S6300NX 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

Reviews (2)

A great computer
I love this PC...The unit isn't cheaply made at all..I love the huge hard drive and the dvd and cd writer drives. It is fast and does basically everything i need it to do. I can highly reccommend this computer to anyone wanting to purchase one. And Amazon had the best price on it, trust me i went looking around. So don't let the other bad review influence you, this one is a very good PC.

Flimsy
The plastic case dents easily and the whole thing just feels cheap. This is not Compaq's finest hour. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed to appeal to users who can't afford or don't require cutting-edge components but need a reasonably capable machine, Compaq's Presario 2100US series of notebooks features budget-conscious processors such as AMD's Athlon and Intel's Celeron. This model, the Presario 2195us Notebook PC, lacks popular modern amenities such as DVD burning and wireless communication yet will efficiently run common midlevel home, home office and leisure applications and features double the memory of its close cousin, the marginally more affordable Presario 2190US.

Driving the Presario 2195us is a 1.87 GHz Athlon XP 2500+ processor. While not a super-speedy Intel Pentium 4, an Athlon running at this speed is nevertheless an effective CPU. Compaq has added 512 MB RAM memory (upgradeable to 1024 MB) and an ATI Mobility Radeon 4x AGP graphics chipset with 64 MB shared (not dedicated) memory. For your data storage needs, the unit offers an adequate 40 GB hard disk and a DVD/CD-RW combo drive through which you can burn and play audio CDs, archive your data and watch your favorite DVD movies. DVD burning is not supported in this stock configuration.

At 12.96 by 10.72 by 1.62 inches and 7.25 pounds, the Presario 2195us is of average size, midway between a bulky desktop replacement and a slim ultralight. The unit is equipped with a number of standard amenities, including a generous 15-inch XGA TFT display (1024 by 768 maximum resolution), an 88-key keyboard, a Touch Pad with on/off and dedicated up/down scroll surface, and a pair of internal stereo speakers. Connectivity options include an IEEE 1394 FireWire port for fast interaction with external devices such as digital camcorders, two conventional USB 1.1 ports for plug and play peripheral connections (the system does not support high-speed USB 2.0), a 56K modem for low-speed dial-up Internet and email access and a high-speed RJ-45 LAN network connector. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Compaq 2195 Christmas Present
I bought this as a present for myself this 2003 Christmas Eve at Best Buy. There are always better processors and computers, but I am fairly happy with this computer. I build my own destop computers. As others have said the really only downside is the USB 1.1 ports. It would have been nice to have USB 2.0 ports. The weight at 7.3 pounds is not bad and the monitor has been great. I have been fortunate in that I have not had a single problem with my laptop. I use it at work and around the house on a fairly daily basis. The USB port is too close to the power adapter and makes the connection to a USB thumbdrive ackward at times. The wired network connection works great the majority of the time. The built-in wireless card is handy and can be touchy depending on the wireless network that you are trying to connect to. Netgear and 2-Wire wireless routers are fine, but I have had problems with Linksys. Overall, the wireless card is not bad. The battery life is great at 3 hours or more. I was really surprised and only expected 2 hours and sometimes have achieved 4 hours just doing word processing or spreadsheets. The 56K modem is not the greatest, but OK with a connection speed of about 44K most times. Yes, the 2 RAM chip slots are occupied with two 256MB chips. I knew this when I bought the laptop. Plays DVD movies fine. In short, I am happy that I bought this laptop for about $900. There will always be faster and better equipped laptops at a lower price, which I have already seen. Great computer for a great price.

Very attractive laptop
This was my first purchase of a laptop (...). Everything on this computer was pretty nice... dvd player, cd burner, VERY fast compared to my Pentium3 desktop (but I suppose everything is fast compared to that nowadays). The wireless connection was a little bit tricky to figure out how to enable, but after reading Compaq's integrated help menu, it worked like a charm and is pretty much hands-off when it comes to picking up a signal. The laptop itself is very user-friendly, with minimal assistance needed from my computer savvy friends (I needed to have some help setting up the tap function on the pad--it's GREAT having the mousepad right at the gentle touch of a finger).

The only downsides that I've found, so far, were these: First off, this doesn't come with a floppy drive, which sucks since I can't bring my 3.5" diskettes home from work to catch up, but I solved that by purchasing a thumb drive. My thumb drive is a USB 2.0, so the USB 1.1 just wasn't going to cut it for me, and I had to upgrade using the PCMCIA slot for a USB 2.0 port. Another issue was that this came equipped with 512MB RAM (with a shared 64MB video card--I'd have preferred dedicated), but instead of one 512MB chip, it was actually 2 256MB chips (and only 2 chip slots). So, needless to say, that irked me. Finally, the left click button on the laptop's pad was starting to get difficult to utilize after just 3 1/2 months of use (hopefully the tap pad won't have that lifespan before it starts faltering--and oh, by the way, make sure to restart your computer if the cursor doesn't want to drag with the pad anymore, another glitch I found to be annoying after playing a few dvd's and/or games without restarting to refresh the virtual memory cache)

Overall though, (...) this was a great purchase and I'm satisfied with its performance since I bought it 6 months ago.

Great laptop for the price
I purchased this laptop about 4 months ago. I have been using it almost every day, mostly around my house, using it with my wireless 54G router. I like listening to radio and tv streams over the net. It performs flawlessly. The high quality of the product, the neat design is surprising for the $899 I paid for it. I get about 2 to 3 hours of battery life with heavy use. Friends that have purchased Dell's are jealous of what I got for the price. I have used it for digital photography and it works great. Nice firewire port. Integrated wireless is great.

Do not buy from Compaq
The first laptop I bought didn't work, so I had to exchange it for a more expensive model--they were out of the model I originally bought. After a month I decided that I really needed some sort of floppy drive, which Compaq is supposed to provide, but they wouldn't do anything. Then, a couple of months after that, my cd drive stopped working. I'm still trying to get it fixed and it's been quite a while. The customer service people are in India, some of them barely speak English, and they were very rude. Also, the notebooks themselves are low-quality and break often. Everyone I know who has a Compaq is dissatisfied.

Technical support is really bad...
First of all technical service is really bad. I bought my notebook two months back. Sometimes (not always) my new laptop was not booting at all. I called up Compaq. The call went to India. I was told that I need to poke into the reset button located at the bottom of notebook and discharge static electricity. He said exactly "you need to do that once in two week, sir". Give me a break! That reset button is not regular use - once in a week. Anybody knows that. Then another day I called up, and the call went China. She asked me to give the list of softwares I installed. I gave her the list - Yahoo Dialup, Photoshop. She suspected that one of these softwares is causing problem. "Who knows, your Photoshop may be causing problem". Give me another break!!!! A software is causing system not to reboot (that is not even a system software or device driver, it's a imgae processing software)!!!! She asked me to format the disk and install Window XP again. I did that and as expected, the problem did not go away. Eventually after one months of ordeal, calling technical support more than 10 times (not to mention how long I had to wait for each call), they asked me to send it to Compaq repair service center. They found problem in hard-disk and replaced it.
Bottom line, Compaq technical support is bad. Thousands of people in India and China are recruited by Compaq/HP and given a month crash course, and suddenly within one month they become technical experts to solve the problems. But the real fact is that, their intention is not to support, but somehow convince the customers to live with the problem. Otherwise why on the earth someone asks me to use the reset button every week. Is that a responsible answer from the company who sold me the notebook? In that one month, I understood couple of things

-all the technical support guys are given a huge book problem list and their answers. They know nothing practical about the notebooks (probably they never saw the notebooks they are providing technical support for ). So whenever customer calls up, they go through the list and try to find the "matching" problem. Whatever the answer they get for that "matching" problem - that's the answer. Now they will ask you to follow few steps and "solve" (???) the problem. They really don't care if that is REALLY solving the problem or customer is satisfied. "Answer" is answer - problem solved. If you ask them again, then you will get some vague answers - "you have to use reset button one in a week".

- They try to avoid any repair at Repair Center. I believe all the technical support guys are instructed to avoid making service order as much as possible. They will try to avoid making a service order any possible way (I wild guess is that any service order effects their performance review). I think it's fair game to minimizing service order for repair. People should not send their computer to repair center for trivial reason that can be solved by technical support - especially all the software issues. But when it is not getting solved after calling three times (certainly not 10 times), and it's clear that the problem certainly not a software issue, then they should be forthcoming to make a repair order. But it was not the case. They simply try to avoid that, until you are fed up and frustrated.

-All the technical support guys are instructed to be VERY polite, but I don't think they are instructed to deliver good and effective support. You will hear "sorry for the inconvenience", but at the end you will get a vague answer. Ironic...cheap labor.

I paid [$$$] for warranty and I do not think that this kind of service worths that much. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The affordable Presario 6410NX from Compaq is a good bet for budget-minded individuals needing a solid mid-level workhorse for home, school, or light business duty.

Compaq has designed the Presario 6410NX Desktop PC to deliver the most bang for very few bucks. Powered by a cost-effective yet powerful 1.67 GHz AMD Athlon XP 2200+ processor with Quantispeed architecture, 256 MB of DDR SDRAM memory and an integrated 32 MB ProSavageDDR KM266 graphics chipset, the unit will easily handle most general applications but is not powerful enough for severe multitasking or 3-D graphics-intensive tasks. At 60 GB, the enclosed hard disk is roomy, yet economical. The system's optical drive offers CD burning and playing and DVD playback, but does not support DVD writing.

The Presario 6410NX features a variety of connectivity options, including serial and parallel ports, a 56K V.90 flex modem, a 10-Mbps/100-Mbps Ethernet connection, and a whopping half-dozen high-speed USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripherals. Compaq has not included a FireWire port for quick interaction with external devices such as digital camcorders, nor has it equipped the system with wireless communication. It has, however, added a convenient Presario Internet Keyboard and a Presario Scroller Mouse.

Bundled software includes Microsoft Works 7.0, Microsoft Money 2002 Standard, Intuit Quicken Financial Center, and several audio-video utilities. The system does not ship with a monitor or speakers, thus allowing users to custom select their favorite models from the many options available today. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Gateway and Dell are worth it
I hate to say it, but Gateway and Dell are worth the extra money. Even with their pain in the neck propriety parts.

I've had my Presario for a year (warranty ran out Monday). It's sluggish, locks up, shows umteen errors and constantly shuts down programs.

There is an error message for Nvida graphics card that keeps telling me to upgrade. The computer does not come with Nvida graphics card. After 40 minutes on hold trying to get help from Compaq.......they tell me that it is a SOFTWARE ISSUE.

I hate to spend the extra $300 but we had our Gateway for 5 years with minimal trouble and my mom's had Dell happily for a couple years.

This computer is going to the kids!

A worthy buy
Now, just to start off. This computer wasn't for me. I already have a few computers better then this one that i built myself. However, my cousins (ages 8/12/13/4) needed to learn on a good computer. And i wanted them to use a company made computer. Since this is the computer ive seen all the local schools buying. I decided to check it out. It was a well worth buying. They easily handled it. The only problem was sometimes when the computer crashes (which is rarely). I'll restart it and it says my password is incorrect. However i reboot and it runs fine. The sixty gigabytes let my cousins install anything they wan't on these. I bought 2. I also bought a compaq laptop for the older of the four since he travels alot. He enjoys it. This compaq computer, allows almsot any installation. It definitly defeats my cousin's old computers i got them from a auction which ran at 7gb and 500mHZ. They really learn from these machines. It is a true buy to old/new users alike. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Compaq's Presario 732US notebook hits the sweet spot between price, performance, and features. A high-quality, 14.1-inch display, DVD/CD-RW combo drive, and built-in networking are just a few of this notebook's first-class features. It's ideal for students or families looking for a portable all-in-one system.

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. The system's JBL Pro Audio speakers with Bass Reflex provide excellent audio for listening to music or watching DVDs.

Processing power comes from AMD's 1.2 GHz Athlon CPU, which features PowerNow technology for maximizing battery life. The Athlon offers more than enough power for typical home applications like word processing, Web browsing, and multimedia applications. The system's generous 256 MB of memory lets multiple applications run simultaneously without slowing down. The 30 GB hard drive provides plenty of space for storing applications, digital photos, or music files. A DVD/CD-RW combo drive lets you watch DVDs or burn your own CDs.

The Presario 732US 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, Roxio's EZ CD Creator, and Norton AntiVirus 2002. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

very nice! i like it
It's very easy to use and not so heavy. Good for students.

Bad Power Supply
I loved this laptop when I first got it a little over 1 year ago. For the Price, it seemed unbeatable! However, I had to send it back to Compaq to fix the power supply, as it wasn't getting power. I'm not exactly sure what they did to fix it, however, it worked for about 3 months, and now, it has the same symptoms. I am one who has a desktop backup computer, however, I still miss my laptop. I used to have an old P166 Compaq desktop that is still kicking, however, I would not buy this laptop again. Good Luck!

Maybe try something else. . .
I have this one, and have read the reviews of the similar models, where people state they have all sorts of problems. My went back twice after repeated failures and reloading of the operating stytem until, both times, the thing couldn't even make it through the bios routine and had to go in for service. The second time, after I became Their Worst Nightmare, the motherboard was replaced. Now I think it's fine, but I wouldn't buy it or a similar Compaq again.

Even this one was an overheater, until yesterday, when I checked the CPU usage stats (control-alt-del, then the process tab) and discovered that the program for Net Waiting--moh.exe--takes up ALL the unused processor time ALL the time. As soon as I shut it down the fan went off. Now when it does come on, it's only half-speed and no longer blows my coffee cup off the table. So much for Net Waiting!

Great Notebook, Better than my sony vaio
I just bought this notebook last week and I love it. Its better than the sony vaio that I had. The speakers are much better than the vaio notbooks. In a word, the JBL speakers are KILLER. I listen to music and watch movies on my notebook when I'm on the road and with these speaker I really don't have to hook up any external speakers to them although if you do you'd better get ready for some serious home theater sound quality. AWSOME! This computer is light at only a little over 6 pounds. I haven't had any major problems with this unit either. It doesn't get that hot. It gets warm but not hot, and I''ve had it on all day working on it and downloading program and os updates. Unlike some reviews I saw regarding this product that said that it would crash when it got too hot, or that there was a "design" flaw with the cooling system. Here's a tip for those reviewer's, DON'T BLOCK THE VENTS ON THE NOTEBOOK OR YOUR ASKING FOR TROUBLE. There are 4 or 5 of them. Keep them clear. This notebook is a great buy and if in the future I decide to upgrade in another 5 years or so I'll probably purchase another Compaq.

great notebook, but not for a programmer
its great piece of work. dvd and cdwriter are quick and smooth. i tried to install win98 or nt workstation but i cant. i need a sql server destop installation but i cant do it with a xp home(neither xp pro). but this presario works fine for my dad and brother who works with office and internet.

buy is you need comodity and portability. but not for a desktop replace. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

HP has designed its new Pavilion ze4365us Notebook PC to meet the needs of those who require punchy performance at an affordable price point. For most typical business, personal, and leisure tasks, the Pavilion ze4365us should suffice quite nicely.

At 12.96 by 10.72 by 1.57 inches, the unit is a wee 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 1.8 GHz Mobile AMD Athlon XP processor 2200+ with battery-conserving PowerNow Technology, 512 MB of DDR SDRAM memory, and an ATI Mobility Radeon graphics chipset with 64 MB of shared (not dedicated) memory. This is an ample powerplant for a mobile machine, though it shouldn't be expected to efficiently drive and display some high-end 3-D games or animation packages.

The system features an adequate 40 GB hard disk for file and application storage and a convenient DVD+CD-RW combo drive for listening to and burning music CDs and playing the latest movies. DVD writing is not offered in this stock configuration. The system's crisp 15-inch XGA TFT display supports images of 1024x768 resolution, and its 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio chipset and integrated Altec Lansing-designed speakers deliver accurate, full-bodied sound.

Controlling the Pavilion ze4365us 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 traditional USB 1.1 ports for plug and play peripherals, an IEEE 1394 FireWire port for fast interaction with external devices such as digital camcorders, and an S-Video TV-out. Communication facilities include integrated 802.11 b wireless LAN, an RJ-45 Ethernet jack for fast "wired" network and Internet interaction, and a 56K modem for low-speed e-communication. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

What a deal!
This is the first Laptop or Notebook I have owned. So far I have been satisfied with this model. I have not had to deal with tech support yet, and hopefully I won't.

I bought this unit so I could run Architectural Desktop 2004 (A CAD software package), and so I could play games in my spare time. It achieves both of these quite well. ADT 2004 is quite a hog, but still runs very well. I have played Grand Theft Auto - Vice City, Links 2003 and Nascar 2003. They all played very well. I had some problems with Links 2003, but I updated it and now it seems to work ok.

CD burner seems to be pretty fast, DVD drive works great, and music ripping is also very fast. No complaints here.

The touchpad is kind of wierd, but works well when you can't use a mouse. The keyboard feels nice, even though the keys are a little stiff.

The 15" screen is very nice! Very clear & crisp.

The hard drive is fairly fast, and pretty quiet.

Wireless ethernet works well with a D-Link 604+, and the standard ethernet port is very fast.

I replaced the XP Home with XP Pro, no problems there.

Battery lasts around 2 hours for me, depending on the tasks. Haven't tried playing a DVD for the life of the battery yet.

It seems rather heavy, but I don't have experience here. With a nice bag that has a shoulder strap, it isn't so bad.

In summary, I would buy another one, and would also consider using it as a desktop with additional keyboard, mouse and possibly external screen.

I would give it 5 stars, but I haven't dealt with tech support yet. Besides, nothing's perfect!

HP ZE4365US + Linux == Powerful Portable Workstation
I've only had it for a couple days, but here are my initial thoughts and observations regarding the HP ze4365us. It's currently running Mandrake 9.1 and Win XP.

****
Good keyboard layout. Has CTRL and ALT keys on each side of the keyboard (not symmetrical though). The power button is very close to the escape key, VI users beware.

**
Heat. The fan is a little loud for my liking, but hey, what do you want, from a fast computer? The bios seems to have no provision for under-clocking, which would sure be a nice feature. The cold air intake is in a poor location as well. It is on the bottom and easily blocked if you set the notebook on a soft or uneven surface. It runs hot enough that you'll want to set it on something other than your lap anyway.

***
Short battery life. Again, with this much computing power you can't ask for much more. It doesn't seem to last much over an hour for continuous use. I'd be surprised if you could watch a full DVD on the battery.

*****
Software bundle. Ships with Win XP (yuck) taking up the whole 40G partition. Thankfully, HP included a real Win XP install disk, in addition to the normal rescue disks. The disk will install to a more appropriate sized partition, making room for an alternative opeating system or a more thoughtful partitioning scheme. They also included a cd version of Roxio and a DVD program I haven't used. Kudos to HP for giving me a way to avoid having to resize a NTFS partition.

*****

Wireless. The included Orinoco PCI wireless ethernet was easy to set up and use.

*****
Display. I really like the display! It's large and does not cause eye strain. I have had problems with other laptops over this in the past.

****
Firewire. The single Firewire (ieee1394) port is a mini. Cables are a little harder to find and more expensive.

Other notes. It doesn't have a floppy drive. Red Hat 9 loaded the wrong keyboard which halted my install process. I didn't mess with trying to find the correct argument to pass to the kernel. Mandrake 9.1 had no such problem, and I've wanted to try it anyhow. PCMCIA caused my boot to hang under Mandrake 9.1. I just turned it off because I have no need for it. I haven't tried to set up the modem either. The volume controls don't respond well with either OS. I much prefer the traditional wheel for volume. ... Read more