Amazon.com Product Description

Compaq's 700 series of Presario notebook computers may target the homeand home office user rather than the more demanding business professional, butthat doesn't necessarily mean it sacrifices performance. A perfect case in pointis the new flagship of the 700 series, the stunningly powerful Presario725US.

If speed is what you crave, the 725US delivers. Rated at 1.4 GHz, its AMD mobileAthlon 4 1600+ processor is one of the fastest you'll find inside any portablecomputer. This robust chip is equipped with AMD's QuantiSpeed architecture tofurther aid in the collection and distribution of data, and a generous 512 KB ofultrahigh-speed Level 2 cache to enhance performance during complex computingsituations. Factor in the system's 256 MB of 133 MHz SyncDRAM (upgradeable to384 MB) and 32 MB ProSavage KN133 video card, and you have a power plant capableof running just about anything thrown its way.

Sporting a sleek design and a futuristic two-tone, black-on-silver color scheme,the Presario 725US looks substantially more stylish than many of its notebookpeers. It tips the scales at a comfortable 6.4 pounds and measures in with aslightly larger than average 10.6-by-12.4-by-1.64-inch profile. Compaq has putthese dimensions to good use by installing several desirable perks, such as alarge 20 GB hard disk, a 3.5-inch disk drive, a 56K ITU V.92 PCI modem, and acombination CD-RW/DVD drive. The latter offers solid but not spectacularperformance, playing compact discs at 24x, recording and re-recording them at4x, and playing DVDs at 6x.

You'll watch your movies and other applications on a crisp 14-inch LCD displaycapable of 1,024 x 768 resolution and 16 million colors, and listen to your CDsand multimedia through a high-end bass reflex JBL speaker system that deliverssurprising bottom-end punch. And you won't have to press a bunch of keys to doit. The 725US keyboard is equipped with numerous one-touch multimedia, Internet,and e-mail buttons, plus a scroll wheel and touchpad for convenientnavigation.

The unit's roster of ports includes two USB jacks for plug-and-play peripheralssuch as joysticks and digital cameras, a single parallel port for printers, a10/100 Mbps Ethernet network connection, an all-purpose PC Card slot, a PS2 jackfor a mouse or keyboard, a VGA video-out for external monitors, S-video TV-out,and speaker and microphone ports. Microsoft's latest operating system, WindowsXP, and an assortment of Internet, multimedia, and information applicationsround out this impressive package. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

'Over heats,locks-up,and shuts down?'
Ya,I've had the same problem with my 'Compaq Presario 700',what I do is 'remove and reinsert the battery',and it boots up like new. I've played 'Shogun: Total War' and it either locks-up and over heats,or shuts down. So if your 'Compaq' shuts down and starts to run that little fan and starts to over heat,and your up til 2:00 am wondering what to do,save your self a heart ache by 'removing and reinserting the battery' located on the bottom. By removing and then reinserting the battery shuts down the 'Compaq',your laptop will and should go back to normal. I know,it's scary when you don't know what to do,and it puts you in a situation where your panicking,my god its overheating and I've pulled the plug on my Laptop,but its still on and running,and overheating. Don't panick,'remove and reinsert the battery' located in the bottom, there's a switch that pops out the battery,be cool,very cool. I hope this was helpful.

ABSOULTE JUNK!!
No sense in repeating everything that has already been stated what is wrong with this POS. Just do a Google search for Presario 700 notebook. IT'S A TOTAL LEMON! WHEN DO WE SUE ...? Overheats Constantly - it's a design problem. Slower than a 386! JUNK! AVOID! I WASTED (money) HARD EARNED DOLLARS DOWN THE DRAIN!

TOTALLY USELESS! DAMN IT!

Another extremely disappointed Compaq user
With a little searching, I'm finding that I'm not alone with having a COMPLETE LEMON of a computer! DO NOT BUY! DO SOME RESEARCH FIRST, it's VERY easy! ;)
In summary: I bought this in june 03 from compusa.com as 'refurbished' (NOTE: NEVER BUY REFURBISHED COMPUTERS!) thus it has no warranty... too bad, cause 6 months later, turns out i have the same overheating/shut off problem as others have detailed. I discovered this last wk, early Feb '04. Since then, I've spent about 6hrs talking to HP support...with nothing to show for it. ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS!!! FINALLY, I called HP HQ in CA... and they were VERY unsympathetic! Needless to say, they say "tough sh*t" and won't drop a dime for it. I wouldn't be so pissed off if this weren't obviously a DEFECTIVE MODEL!!! (This was told to me by SeattleLaptop, who've repaired "over a dozen in the last 7 months". I'm currently collecting other similar experiences. If you have any, please share: lclaroche at hotmail dot com

RUN AWAY FAST
Don't waste your time! I purchased this computer a year and
a half ago. Since then I've had nothing but problems.
Continuous overheating and shutdowns, the cd/dvd rom stopped
working, the screen broke, the battery never works for more
than ten minutes even if it's fully charged. I have taken it
in to be serviced 4 times at best buy. Every time something
new is fixed but the same problems still remain. It is incredibly slow, and too much hassle, not a good buy at all.
1500 of my dollars down the drain. Don't let it happen to you.

We're 0 for 2 with Compaq
Heed the advice of the others reporting problems related to system hangs etc. Just had the main board replaced due to a problem in power management and continuous shut down.(at my cost since it was 3 mos out of warranty). The laptop with the "new" board now hangs at random times during normal use.
HP has clearly taken the "low road" with their products, basically producing junk. We have another high end presarion in our small software business. It is also very problematic.
Unless they pay you to take this computer, you're paying to much! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

As the most powerful notebook in Compaq’s midlevel 2100 line of mobile computers, the Presario 2110US blends reliability with a hint of high-end performance. It’s quite portable too, at 12.96 by 10.72 by 1.57 inches and a mere 7.24 pounds. If state-of-the-art speed isn’t a necessity but smooth and dependable operation is, the cost-effective Presario 2110US is a wise choice.

Driven by a 1.67 GHz Mobile AMD Athlon XP 2000 CPU, 512 MB of DDR SDRAM, and a 64 MB (shared) ATI Mobility Radeon graphics chipset, the Presario 2110US will efficiently run most common notebook applications. Its roomy 60 GB hard disk is spacious enough for a full complement of business and leisure software, and its DVD/CD-RW drive is ready to help you burn and play audio CDS, archive data, and watch your favorite movies. The system will not, however, allow you to record to DVD media.

Compaq has equipped the Presario 2110US with several multimedia-related perks, including an oversized 15-inch XGA TFT display capable of detailed 1,024 x 768 screen resolutions, a 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio chip, and a set of internal stereo speakers. The system also features a full-size 88-key keyboard with embedded numeric keypad, a touchpad 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, S-Video and VGA outs for external displays and television links, an RJ-45 Ethernet jack for fast network and Internet interaction, and a built-in 56K modem for low-speed e-communication. Camcorder owners and anyone else who desires fast data transfer with external peripherals should note the system does not sport high-speed USB 2.0 or IEEE 1394 ports.

Pre-installed software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Microsoft Works 6.0, Intuit’s Quicken Financial Center, and Microsoft Money 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Overall it's a good product
The Acer USB port disconnects when copying images from some camera. This is one of the main things I wanted to use it for.
Tech support stepped me through a few updates, but was unsuccessful in helping me.

I wasn't sure at first, but WOW....
I had a Presario 710 notebook and I decided I would like to upgrade as the 710 was beginning to be to slow for my work (programming). I spent a few weeks looking around to find the best deal on a good notebook without spending $2000. The 2110 is a NICE machine. I finally choose that one after debating 3 notebooks. This machine will play Warcraft 3 with all the graphics/video cranked all the way up!!! I did some tweaks to WinXP Pro and the machine now boots in 30 seconds from power to start bar and shuts down in 15 or less. The 710 would get so hot you could cook eggs on it, this machine stays pretty decently cool.

With a 60 GB HD, 512 megs of ram and 64 megs (shared) for video and a DVD/CD-RW you can't go wrong. So far I am very happy with my purchase and I would recoment anyone else in the market to consider this machine on their list.

Nice HP, but a few issues.
Well the system is a good as other HP models. The system has enough power and memory to complete any task a mobile user can through at it. The bigest problem is Firmware, it has been updated twice since my purchase in early january. So much for right the first time. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent laptop
Finally started "researching" on the web. Read very good to great reviews on the Compaq Evo N600c. I had read that the "c" stands for "corporate", and that the Compaq corporate lines were a complete different story from their cheap Presario lines.

Decided to pay a little more for higher quality. I feel now it is worth many times the additional money I paid.

UNBELIEVABLE STABILITY. That is the thing that really surprised me. PLUS:

Great screen (have to work with laptop 10 hours a day, so that's a big plus).

Great keyboard

Really fast.

It just "looks" and feels like great, high quality.

Great battery life. That was an added bonus for me, even though I never really "needed" it - now I can take my laptop to meetings (Compaq says it lasts 4 hours - haven't tested it to the limit yet)

And finally, although it's not as light as they advertise (because they say the "travel weight" is less than 5 lbs, but I always need to bring my DVD-CDRW with me for work), so it was heavier than expected, but still relatively light, and very slim.

A great computer - have never written a review before - but I have never experienced ANYTHING like it, and I felt this computer needed to be applauded. ... Read more

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 FXA53 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 FXA53 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 FXA35 will capably handle anything from standard business applications to DVD movies, transmitting video signals to its large 1,024 x 768 14.1-inch XGA TFT display and audio to its integrated stereo speakers.

The FXA53 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 (6)

worst laptop I've owned
I've had this notebook computer for just under 2 years and in that time it has been nothing but problems. It constantly locks up and runs much hotter than any other laptop I've ever had. It has crappy speakers,it's sound is intermittent and the restore function does not always work. I've had to reformat the hard drive 9 times since owning it and now the monitor no longer works. Sony charges insane prices for it's repair as well as it's accesories. I've always used it as more of a desktop so hooking it up to an external monitor is an acceptable although irritating solution for the monitor problem. It won't however change the fact that this is a lousy piece of machinery.

good all around laptop, great for digital video capture
I have had this laptop for about 10 months now. It's very heavy when you add the second battery. I have gone to a rolling laptop case for travel as my shoulder couldn't take the weight.

I added third party memory to bring it up to 512MB, I'm on my third module. I think the heat killed the others. Luckily I bought the lifetime warrenty, so it's all been free replacements. I recommend a laptop cooler as it gets very hot.

I have been using it to capture minidv from my dvcamcorder. I scan tape and capture unattended. It works flawlessly. For this use I highly recommend this laptop.

Overall, I like the computer, only draw backs are weight, and slow performance compared to other laptops I have used in the same class.

Keep looking, over priced and out of date
This notebook is out of date and is way out classed by rivals in the same price range.

What I don't like:
SDRAM? Most notebooks in this price range offer DDR-SDRAM. DDR transmits twice the data with each clock, making it much faster. SDRAM has been abandoned.

1.3 GHz Athlons: They run hot and lack SSE-2. SSE-2 is a feature built into current Intel and future AMD CPUs. If you don't have it, software that uses it will run slower. This includes major products like Windows, Adobe, and many games.

ATI RAGE MOILITY graphics chipset? Very old news with almost no 3D features. Notebooks that cost 30% less are at least offering the ATI Radeon M6-P or even ATI 7500 chipsets.

If this notebook was half the price I could endorse it. At this price it is highway robbery. Either look at Toshiba, HP, Gateway or Dell, or move up the Sony price range into one of their newer P4 based notebooks. I'm sure this left over is about to be discontinued.

Great laptop, but poor battery life
After doing some research on laptops for a few weeks I had decided to purchase a Dell Inspiron 2600. However, I decided to do a little more searching and came across the FXA53 for a very good price. ($1380 before $100 rebate) This laptop only takes about 40 seconds to boot up which is pretty good in my opinion. It runs amazingly quiet and is very cool unlike some laptops that can get very hot, thus making it uncomfortable to have on your lap. I mainly have two gripes with the laptop. I wish it had came with a better video card. Watching dvd's is ok, but in some parts in can become grainy. This laptop would be perfect if it came with an nvidia card. My second gripe is the horrible battery life. I can only watch a dvd for about 1hour and 20 minutes before I get a warning that the battery is very low. Sony charges $250 for an additional battery which I think is outrageous for a battery that can't even last two hours. If you decide to buy this laptop, buy an additional battery off of ebay for around $100. I like this laptop, but I wish Sony would learn how to make better batteries. My next laptop will probably be a Dell, because their batteries last nearly 3 hours and are much cheaper. If you plan to have your laptop plugged in the majority of the time, then this is a good buy, but if you're like me and want to be able to use your laptop on the road then look elsewhere. I don't know how the other review managed to get his battery to last over 2 hours. Well, that's all, hope this review was helpful.

Great Laptop
So far I really love this machine. It has a beautiful display. The software bundle is very good. I would have liked to have MS Word instead of the Word Perfect suite though. I had to send it in for warranty work for the keyboard and got it back in a week. Sony made it easy to keep track of the progress of the repair online. Their support was great. As a long time Apple user I almost bought an iBook but the Sony gave more for the amount of money I could spend such as legacy ports (so I could use my printer) and a floppy drive. Apple's recent ads promote the switch of PC users to Apple. After alot of thought I did the opposite. I just couldn't go with Apple again. I would recommend this machine to anyone. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

You can look long and hard and chances are you won't find many more affordable brand name computers than the Compaq Presario S3000NX Desktop PC. Not particularly powerful and bereft of some of the features found in today's mid and high-level systems, the Presario S3000MX is nevertheless a wise choice for budget-conscious individuals requiring a secondary or light-duty PC.

Powered by a cost-effective 1.67 GHz AMD Athlon XP processor 2000+ with QuantiSpeed architecture, 256 MB of PC2100 DDR SDRAM, and a integrated ProSaveageDDR KM266 graphics card with 32 MB of shared (not dedicated) memory, the system is clearly not intended for extreme multitasking, heavy-duty gaming and animation or complex business tasks. It is, however, all you need for Internet surfing, contact management, home office duties, and most 2-D games. HP has included an adequate 40 GB hard disk for permanent storage of your programs and files, a 3.5-inch diskette drive for older or smaller applications and backups, and a CD-RW drive through which you can burn and listen to audio CDs and archive your data to digital media.

The Presario S300NX system is not equipped with a DVD player or writer, nor does it include a monitor or external stereo speakers, though all of the above may be added at your discretion. The unit does feature a variety of amenities to enhance your everyday computing, including six high-speed USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripherals, a Presario keyboard and a PS/2-style scrolling mouse, serial and parallel "printer" ports, an integrated 56K modem for basic Internet and email access, and a 10/100 Base-Y Fast Ethernet port for fast network and e-communication interaction.

To help get you started, Compaq has pre-installed a variety of software applications, including Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition operating system, Microsoft Money 2003, Microsoft Works 7.0, and Quicken Financial Center. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

excellent bang for the buck!
I bought this computer a month ago and have had nothing but
excellent results. The Athlon XP 2000 processor blows away
the Celerons (2.0g, 2.2g)-How do I know? because thanks to
Circuit City's way cool return policies I've been able to try
out the bargain basement computers, then take them back and
keep the best one.

I use photoshop 6 , autocad inventor 5, cakewalk pro audio,
frutyloops, etc .. on a regular basis. the HP and Emachines
computers ... with the celerons couldn't keep up with
the compaq s3000nx. - same 256m ram- but they both locked up
continually when running autocad, downloading from the dsl,
and burning audio cds.....not the compaq! it hasn't let
me down.
okay, so the other computers had a dvd player and firewire
ports. big deal. I bought a FW card for 13 bucks, and don't
care about watching movies on a 20 inch screen.
also, the audio is way quieter- the compaq has true
headphone\line outs to drive my stereo amp (NAD 2100)
wheras the other two had speaker level outputs i could not
get to clean up no matter how low i set the volume.
i recommend this machine
(beware of "reviews" by "authors" who don't know the actual
equipment or "have used a similar model and were unimpressed"

Good price, not a high quality system
If you are looking for a high-end system - this isn't it. If you are looking for a decent computer for light computing task (internet, a few games, doing your taxes) then this is a decent option. The features are fine for a home user who doesn't need a lot of computing power and needs a bargain system.

Still there are some things you should know:

Because of the slow memory system and low-end embedded graphics this system is not suitable for a serious gamer (though there is an AGP slot for a video card upgrade) or anyone who needs cutting edge performance. The system is also not very rugged so don't plan on moving around too often (i.e. no LAN parties).

One other downside - it has a an old AthlonXP cpu. What's wrong with that? The heat-sink retention mechanism is flimsy and can fall off. These old Athlons and AthlonXPs don't have any temperature cutoff circuitry (unlike Intel Celerons P3s, and P4s or AMD Opterons) so the CPU catches fire and burns up in a few seconds. I know several people this has happened to and it's well known risk with Athlons.

So beware - it's cheap for reason. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Nice for Upgrades
This barebones computer was delivered promptly and in perfect condition. The wiring of the power supply and processor fan was already completed. It should be noted however that the bay for the 3.25 floppy drive is set up for a proprietary drive. Although a standard floppy drive fits in without a problem, it is not cosmetically appealing. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fabulous for the Beginner and the Pro
We bought this computer for my granfather who live on a boat in Canada. We have been urging him to get a computer for years. He was down visiting for Thanksgiving and the day after I was looking throught he ads in the paper and I saw the n5415 at Circuit City for 1000USD (After rebates). I proposed the idea to my grandfather (who was at the time putting a roof on a gazebo for my mother) and he thought it a good idea. After we had been to circuit city twice (our first one had 'Bad pixels' according to a circuit city salesperson) and got our second unit home we set it up.

Windows XP set up was very quick and very helpful. I set it up with user accounts for my grandmother, grandfather, and myself (as admin). The included Microsoft Interactive Training (Start > All Programs > Accessories > Microsoft Interactive Training) was fabulous and incredibly helpful for my granfather and grandmother, what with them having last used typewriters as computers (it took a while for my grandmother to not bang and hold down keys).

The touchpad is marvelous and the DVD player works perfectly with Windows Media Player. 10GB doesn't seem like a lot, but for the novice it's A-OK. If I were buying a laptop now I would choose the n5415. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Extremely thin (10.6 by 9.6 by 1.2 inches) and very lightweight at a mere 4.3 pounds, Averatec's 3150HD Notebook PC is one of the smallest standard mobile computers on the market. Though it isn't quite a power user's dream rig, this wirelessly connected unit is a smart option for those who require maximum portability and a fiscally sensible price point.

The Averatec 3150HD is driven by a trio of cost-effective components. Topping the list is a 1.4 GHz AMD Athlon XP-M 1600+ processor with PowerNow and QuantiSpeed technologies for improved battery life and faster data movement than previous AMD processors. Averatec has matched this midlevel CPU with a minimal alloent of 256 MB DDR SDRAM memory and an S3 ProSavage8 graphics controller with 32 MB of shared video memory. In this configuration, the system will deliver solid performance for standard 2-D tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, Internet surfing, contact management, and basic drawing. However, sophisticated business applications and complex multitasking will likely tax its capabilities. Furthermore, the integrated S3 graphics controller will not efficiently handle mid- to high-end 3-D gaming or animation.

The Averatec 3150HD features an adequate 30 GB hard disk on which to store your important data and a DVD/CD-RW drive through which you can play and burn audio CDs, archive data and play DVD movies. DVD burning is not supported. You'll monitor your activities on a 12.1-inch XGA TFT display capable of sharp 1024 by 7678 resolutions, and listen to your tunes via built-in stereo speakers.

For such a small and affordable notebook, the Averatec 3150HD is very well connected. Communication options include integrated 10/100 Mbit LAN for fast networking and Internet access, a 56K modem for slower dial-up environments and 802.11b wireless for those times when you can't plug in. Other important amenities include three fast USB 2.0 ports for data streaming with external devices such as scanners and digital cameras, a single Type II PC Card/CardBus slot, and an 85-key full-sized keyboard. An IEEE 1394 FireWire port (commonly used for swapping data with digital camcorders) is not included.

Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition operating system heads up the preinstalled software bundle, which also features Microsoft's Works 7.0 productivity package and a DVD playback utility. Battery life is estimated at a commendable 3-plus hours with the enclosed Smart Li-ion cell. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Worth a look! Excellent Value!
If you are looking for good workstation performance, you need to give the Averatec 3150hd a chance!
The obvious attraction is the size and design of the notebook. At first glance it is sleek and very well laid out. Despite it's small size, the keys are quite large and have a nice feel.(not squishy like previous models) The touchpad is also large for such a small notebook. Although the price is excellent, a slightly better quality LCD would have been the icing on the cake. The LCD is nice, but better contrast would have been appreciated. AMD offers the best performance for price ratio with it's Athlon Mobile series and despite a slight increase in heat, the added speed is well worth it! I like the fact that Averatec actually considered USB devices and included 3 USB 2.0 ports. Yes, firewire would have been nice but for the price I am not complaining! I have to say that a real volume dial and an actual Wireless ON/OFF switch made me very happy! Using the Max Battery power management setting in windows xp gave me 2.5 Hours of pleasure, surfing and typing.

I can say that people who buy this machine for gaming need help. It is a workstaion. PERIOD. A nice workstation. Students and professionals will be pleased. I know i am.

best computer...well there have been beter.
The Averatec 3150hd is the best computer that I have seen. thought the price was higher than I had hoped, it has all that I need.

The rumors the that Averatec isn't good, are true. But the computers are. the computer will come complete with a broken or missing part. SEND IT TO AVERATEC, don't waist your time with local dealerships! after you mail it, it will take three or so weeks to fix and mail the computer to you. then after that its as good as new ( except that it works).

The wireless is the only thing different about this model from the rest. the wireless card works fine. the only problem is with windows. it will disconnect every three minutes. and that can be fixed by a "repair" button in windows.

all in all it was worth the wait, and is very expandable. with 30 gb, 256 sdram,12.1 in. screen, 3 usb, cd/cdr/dvd, vga port, LAN, pcmcia card slot, 56 k modem, and a partridge in a pair tree, this is the smallest little computer possible.

p.s. for those of you who want a LAP-top lap top, you will have to do some balancing. there are two fans on the bottom positioned just in the middle and top left. so its a balancing act when the fans are on.

Avoid Averatec
I bought an Averatec 3150H notebook in January. The first one had defective battery and I returned it. The replacement had problems with screen, I sent it in for repairs and it's now been in their repair shop for over two months waiting for parts. Averatec product quality is inferior and their service is non-existent. Don't waste your money on this brand.

short distance wifi
I liked the look and feel of this computer overall. What I did not like was that the range of the wifi(802.11b) was not long enough. I like to work in front of the TV which is on the first floor and my router is on the 2nd floor. I could not do this with the 3150HD. Am able to do this with 2 other laptops that I use. The range of the wifi on the 3150HD was less than 1/2 the distance other computers that I use.
I was unable to get any help from Averatec on this issue. I returned to buy.com and got a full refund.

NEVER AGAIN
I bought several of 3150P.
exact 50% of them had defective speaker.
DVD drives on 100% of them do not read recorded
DVDs that ALL TOSHIBA and SONY laptops read NO SWEAT.
Keyboard virtually popped out in 1 of them despite hardly
any use. NEVER MORE will I buy a good looking shoddy quality laptop like this. I wish we had returned them all in
30 days instead of being enchanted with their GREAT LOOK and keeping them. The quality fo service is FAR from
that offered by HP. They will not even bother to pick up the stuff in Fremont where they in theory assemble them. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Great Mobile Option for Home PC User
The Sony VAIO PCG-FXA47 offers a great combination of features, rubber-to-the-road performance and affordability for the home user who wants the freedom of a laptop. The DVD/CD-RW drive drew me in, and the fast processor and generous memory sold me. The 20GB hard drive should be plenty for almost everyone (documents/photos/Quicken), although a user editing digital movies might have to think twice. This laptop comes with 10/100 NIC, so DSL connectivity is a snap. The software shipped with mine was also very useful. Note that it comes with serial & parallel ports as well as 2 USB ports, so connection to your peripherals is also convenient. The price is very good considering all you get. All in all, a good deal!

It's not very good
I bought it thinking that Sony was a good brand, but they clearly have no clue when it comes to making computers.

The first problem is the battery life. At first, it could last 20 minutes of websurfing, but now it doesn't last five minutes of sitting still with nothing going on. It immediately powers down without shutting down of hibernating.

The second problem is the default hard drive configuration. Basically, they split it up which causes more problems since so many programs install to the C: drive by default anyway, plus Windows XP is bloated and takes up the majority of the space anyway, then PC-Cillin tries to take up a lot of space too and you've almost lost all of your C: drive space from these two programs alone.

The third problem is the graphics card. It's integrated with the normal memory and has horrible performance. While I don't expect to be playing the latest games on this machine, it's not even capable of playing games that are ten years old with a decent speed.

The fourth problem that I have is the LCD itself. It's not very bright, and with any sunlight at all it's unreadable.

Other than those, it's a pretty standard machine. I managed to avoid some of the software problems others have by uninstalling one of the hotfixes of XP and upgrading the mouse drivers.

Worst computer ever
If your are looking for a good used laptop..........look elsehwere. The FXA47 is loaded with software and problems and VERY POOR customer support. In the 2 years we have had it, it has stayed in the case most of the time because of lockups. I have restored it several times to original configurations with no help. Sony is clueless and wants to charge for phone supoport and has only responded to 1 of my e-mails. It seems that everytime we install software the computer wants to lock up. My Compaq 2715US works great with out any problems. I will never by another Sony product.

It's ok most of the time
I've been mostly ok with this laptop until recently, but there are a few problems that I must mention:

1) The battery life is horrible. When you unplug it, it may tell you that it's going to last two hours, but even new, the battery only lasts about 20 minutes of just websurfing (if you are watching a DVD or anything like that, you'll be lucky to get much more than 5 minutes from the battery.)

2) It gets too hot. I've found that different programs cause it to heat differently. I tried running Seti@Home on this laptop, but that caused my lap to almost get burned. You have to be very careful with that. Also, the rubber feet on the bottom of the laptop have come off because the heat of the CPU melts the glue on the bottom. This has made a mess of the various tables I've put it on, as well as some pants when I've used it on my lap.

3) The sleep functions don't work right. Every other laptop I've used has had a function to make the laptop shut down or go to sleep automatically when the battery gets too low. This laptop doesn't appear to have this. When it feels like it, it will just shut down with no warning. This has happened at random times when I don't have it plugged into the power.

4) The drivers stink. There are various problems related to Windows hotfixes and some of the specific hardware drivers. I forget which one but there was a hotfix for XP that conflicted with the mousepad driver and caused the laptop to freeze up. As far as I know, Sony never fixed the driver so I've left the patch off.

I doubt I'll ever buy a Sony laptop again, but it's not the worst I've used. I'll probably buy an IBM Thinkpad next time, because they are the best laptops you can buy.

Defective hard drive, horrific customer services
My hard drive for this machine crashed 2 months after my warranty expired; I lost an immense amount of data, and had to send it to Sony's repair center to get the drive replaced.

Sony's repair center took one month to perform the 20-minute task of switching out the hard drive, and held the computer hostage after incorrectly submitting my credit card authorization for payment, twice, and after I called to check on the status of the repair twice. As I write this, I have submitted a THIRD charge authorization, because Sony will not send the laptop back without payment, even though I have been trying to make payment for a month -- I initially authorized this payment the day I called in to set up the repair.

I strongly caution against buying a Sony computer. Before I bought from Sony, I had read another review mentioning the horrible customer services; I wish I had listened. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

HP has designed its Pavilion ze4420us Notebook PC to meet the needs of those who require satisfactory performance at a seriously budget-conscious price point. It certainly won't break any speed records or smoothly display cutting-edge 3-D games, but the Pavilion ze4420us should suffice quite nicely for most typical mobile business and leisure applications.

At 12.96 by 10.72 by 1.62 inches, the unit is of average size. It is conveniently lightweight though, at a mere 7.25 pounds. Inside, HP has installed a mid-level yet cost-effective 1.8 GHz AMD Athlon XP-M 2200+ processor with battery-conserving PowerNow Technology, a minimal allotment of 256 MB DDR SDRAM memory (expandable to 1024 MB), and an ATI Mobility Radeon graphics chipset with 64 MB of shared (not dedicated) memory.

The system features an adequate 40 GB hard disk for file and application storage and a convenient DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive for listening to and burning music CDs, archiving data 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 1024 by 768 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 ze4420us 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 (high-speed USB 2.0 ports are not included), an IEEE 1394 FireWire port for fast interaction with external devices such as digital camcorders, and an S-Video TV-out. It also features an integrated 56K modem.

Bundled software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Corel Productivity Pack including WordPerfect 10 and Quattro Pro 10, and Intervideo’s WinDVD DVD player. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A very happy student
I bought my HP Pavilion ze4420us Notebook Pc this fall for college, and absolutly love it. You definitly get more for your money with this computer! While shopping for a laptop, I was not sure about an Athlon processor, but this processor runs much cooler than my sisters Celeron, and works just as well as a pentium. I am extremely pleased. It contains Windows XP, which is user friendly, and burning Cds is very simple and fast, with a max. writing speed of 24x! The touchpad on/off button is a great feature. DVD's are clear and well presented on the 15 inch screen. As for doing school work on it, it does everything a college student needs a laptop to do! It surpasses my expectations. It is not that heavy, around 6-7 pounds, and is very portable. Havent had a problem with it yet. A great purchase! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Nothing transforms a long airplane ride or a prolonged layover into a civilized experience faster than a notebook with a brilliant 15-inch display and a built-in DVD/CD-RW drive for screening DVD movies and listening to CDs. The Hewlett-Packard Pavilion ze4125 is just the kind of notebook PC that business travelers, or anyone, for that matter, might long for on such a journey.

An AMD Athlon XP 1600+ processor provides enough computing sinew to handle a plethora of productivity tasks and entertainment duties. At roughly 7 pounds and barely more than 1.5 inches thick, the ze4125’s 15-inch, active-matrix TFT display coupled with an ATI Mobility Radeon 4X AGP (including 3-D architecture for cutting-edge gaming) is likely to elicit envious glances from fellow travelers. The ze4125’a DVD/CD-RW combination drive (24x/8x/8x, 8x DVD) provides not only multimedia entertainment, but also the flexibility to make CDs and back up data.

The ze4125 heaps on the memory and storage. Its 40 GB hard drive devours large application and data files, and its 256 MB of DDR SDRAM--expandable to a maximum of 1,024 MB--lets you easily run several applications simultaneously. An integrated 10/100Base-T Ethernet LAN connector makes it simple to network the ze4125. 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 also includes a 56K integrated modem with RJ-11 connector.

Bundled software includes Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, InterVideo WinDVD, 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 three-month live update. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Overall solid, but...
This seemed to be a great laptop for a while, except for a strange power failure when the chassis sometimes flexed. I was a little concerned about the power input because it seemed a little weak, then had my worst fears confirmed when it slipped off my lap and whacked the power cord where it goes into the right rear corner of the chassis. The pin inside snapped. They should have recessed the power input so it wasn't so vulnerable. I have somewhat of a facility with being able to repair stuff like this, but I couldn't get the thing apart. Now I'll have to take it to a repair shop to at least get it apart, then have to see if I can fix the pin or if I can get another part.

Granted, I should have been more careful, but the nature of a laptop is that it is going to get moved around a lot, and the way the cord plugs in is just a very weak design. I should have gotten more use out of it before something major like this happened. In most other ways this computer seems to be a good value.

Great features, poor reliability
This machine delivered a lot of bang for the buck... or so it seemed.

My machine started failing only three months after I took it home. It exhibited intermitted errors with its power switch, and eventually failed to wake up after entering hibernation mode. Sadly, I had to take it into the shop four times over the course of a year -- and on one occasion, it took nearly two months to fix the darned thing.

I was eventually forced to spend a fortune on another PC, scarcely 15 months after buying my HP ze4125. I decided that having an unreliable laptop was worse than having no laptop whatsoever.

It seemed like a really good buy at the time. If I had only known...

Dependable and solid notebook PC
I've been very impressed with this system. It's my first notebook and I'm moving from a K6II-500 desktop w/ Win 98 to this platform with Win XP. I have found it to be rock solid with respect to system lockups and a breeze to use. The DVD feature is a nice one and the price was right. AMD has the best value for microprocessors on the market and I'm sold on their products. Wouldn't have a system without one!

Pretty good....for a PC
Okay so, I'm a Mac guy...with GOOD reason. I found this to be a stable machine, elegant design, good solid keyboard. Although, no computer is better than it's OS, mine being XP home edition. I personally prefer Windows 2000 pro, (if you held a gun to my head and made me choose a microsoft platform) only because I route AppleTalk over it....XP? No such option. I still have a great LaserWriter Pro that has a lot of life left in it...too bad.

But this review is about the laptop, NOT the OS it runs. So I found this machine to be a solid value, although one HUGE item is missing: FIREWIRE (or, for you peecee folks) 1394.

It is for that reason that I only gave it 3 out of 5 stars....they kept the ps2 slots but omitted the firewire port.

With manufacturers falling over themselves to adopt the faster, more stable "firewire" connectivity, I found this to be an omission of ignorance on HP's part.

Solid notebook, excellent value
Solid notebook with unbelievable features for the price - particurally with rebates ...Unfortunate how 'official' reviews at another site totally overlooks it, concentrating on high-end laptops/tablets, while their middle and low end reviews are obsolete models.
Do miss the lack of a floppy and ordered the 'free' after rebate but had a use for it when seting up network - wanting to save settings to floppy, but of course had to wait on the mail. If HP is going to give away the floppy, they really ought to include it. This is a solid chassis. As I looked at the various models from all manufacturers, I flexed the front corners to see how stiff the chassis was. Only HP and Toshiba passed that test for durability. Then became a choice between AMD Athalon XP (HP) or Celeron (Toshiba). Software a non-issue as will be trashed. Already have Office Pro so why do I need Works or WordPerfect?. Wish they would have it operating system only and reduce the price even further. Had to call HP service during the initial setup. Turned out to be a network communication problem that we eventually resolved. Very knowlegeable and responsive staff.
One thing I wish all manufacturers would work on is their recovery process. Basically, if something goes wrong, the solution is to trash everything on the hard drive and reinstall back to 'as sold.' It is a simplistic approach, but has to be a better way as I know several people who have lost important letters, e-mail address lists etc. Plus it is a pain to then re-install the software you actually use, and updated drivers for the components. Another reason HP should include the floppy - keep external as saves weight, but include. I have avoided the manufacturers 'customization' of software in the past by building my own computers - but a notebook is too proprietary to homebuild. ... Read more