Amazon.com Product Description

Built for portability, the Compaq Presario X1480US notebook packs power and style into a light and handsome computer. Powered by a 1.7 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology, and backed by 512 MB of RAM and an 80 GB hard drive, it has everything you need to run multiple applications without sacrificing in performance or speed. The widescreen display makes it ideal for multimedia applications, and the 802.11b/g Wi-Fi support means that wherever you go, you'll be able to get online quickly and easily. A combo DVD+RW/CD-RW drive and ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9200 graphics card give you all the options you need for a truly multimedia computer.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive has ample room to store all your files, including digital audio, video, and photos.
• Processor: With a 1.7 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor and 2 MB L2 cache, it can handle the toughest applications, even when running at the same time. Hyper-Threading Technology helps a PC run multiple applications at the same time, which enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.
• Memory: It has 512 MB DDR SDRAM and is upgradable to 1 GB.
• CD/DVD Drive: The DVD+RW/CD-RW combo drive reads CDs at 40x, writes at 16x, rewrites at 10x, and can record to DVD media.
• Keyboard & Mouse:
• Display: The 15.4-inch WXGA high definition widescreen LCD has resolutions up to 1280 x 800, making it ideal for watching DVDs.

Sound and Graphics
A built-in ATI MOBILITY RADEON 9200 graphics card with 32 MB dedicated video memory turns this notebook into a gaming machine. The integrated JBL Pro Performance speakers mean you can listen to crystal clear and bright audio right out of the box, whether you're listening to CDs or watching DVDs.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
An integrated 10/100 Base-T ethernet allows for convenient networking, and Intel Pro/Wireless 2200 802.11b/g wireless LAN and Bluetooth support means you can get online quickly, easily, and without wires. Additionally, there is a Secure Digital and MultiMedia Card reader so you can share media with other people and devices. It also has the following external ports:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting to a wide range of peripherals, from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 parallel port for connecting to printers or cameras based on older technologies
• 1 IEEE 1394 FireWire port to connect to digital video cameras or other peripherals
• 1 notebook expansion port (Type I/Type II) for adding a variety of upgrades, including memory, modems, portable disk drives, and more
• 1 VGA video out port to connect to an external monitor
• 1 S-video out to connect your laptop to a television
• 1 audio-out for headphones or speakers
• 1 microphone-in jack

Preloaded System and Software
The Compaq Presario X1480US notebook is powered by Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition. Windows XP Home Edition is packed with multimedia features to help you get your creative juices flowing. Windows Media Player lets you burn and play CDs, in addition to playing and organizing digital audio files. Windows MovieMaker is a basic video editing tool that helps you capture and edit digital video to save your memories and share them with others.

It also comes bundled with Roxio Easy CD Creator Basic, InterVideo WinDVD, InterVideo WinDVD SE Player, HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software, Apple iTunes and Apple iTunes Music Store, Symantec Norton Antivirus (with 60 days complementary Live Update subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Money, Microsoft Works, Microsoft Encarta Plus, Quicken New Users Edition, AOL Dial-up, MSN Dial-up, Earthlink Dial-up, and SBC Yahoo!.

Dimensions and Weight
It weighs a light 6.5 pounds, and measures 14.0 x 10.0 x 1.24 inches (W x D x H).

What's in the Box
Presario X1480US notebook, 120 watt AC adapter, 8-cell Lithium-Ion battery, phone cord, user's manual, and warranty information. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Marginally larger than the Portege 3500 Tablet PC it replaces, Toshiba's Portege M205-S810 Tablet PC is also more adaptable, more battery efficient and substantially more powerful. Though substantially costlier than comparable non-tablet portable computers, the unit nevertheless blends the speed of a midrange notebook with the convenience of stylus-based, handwritten input and subcompact portability. Few tablet PCs pack this much power into a profile this petite.

The Portege M205-S810 is most at home when used to enter, store and share notes and concepts that might otherwise be entered in handwritten format. In fact, measuring just 11.6 by 9.8 by 1.3/1.5 inches and tipping the scales at a scant 4.5 pounds, the system is not significantly more bulky than some conventional paper-based notepads. Users input data in one of two ways -- either by sketching directly on the swiveling, double-duty 12.1-inch poly-silicon SXGA+ TFT color LCD display screen (maximum resolution 1400x1050) or via the system's 84-key keyboard.

Sporting an Intel Centrino-based processor (1 MB Level 2 cache) running at 1.5 GHz, a whopping 512 MB RAM memory and an nVidia GeForce FX Go5200 graphics processor with 32 MB of dedicated DDR video memory, the Portege M205-S810 will easily handle most day-to-day mobile computing tasks and the majority of today's most popular 3-D apps, with the exception of ultra-complex 3-D games and graphic design packages.

The unit features today's most desirable connectivity options, including an integrated 56K modem for low-speed e-communications, a 10 Base-T//100 Base-TX Ethernet connection for fast LAN and Internet access, and Wi-Fi compliant wireless LAN technology for those times when you can't plug in. The system also sports a surprisingly large 60 GB hard disk and facilities for an external CD and/or DVD drive, a pair of ultra-fast USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripherals such as scanners and digital cameras, an integrated TouchPad, a speaker and microphone and full 16-bit stereo sound. Battery life is estimated at an impressive 4.34 hours.

... Read more

Reviews (3)

The standard in tablets, if you need a tablet Pc.
Toshiba has competition in Fujitsu on performance and features, Visoneer and Acer on price. Taken as a whole, the Toshiba Portege tablets have no equal.

Use of the 1.5Ghz Pentium 4M CPU makes this more powerful than other tablets in the field, putting it in the same class as most pure laptops. As with any laptop, you have limitations on hard drive size, memory, and add-on peripherals. As a laptop, this is average, as more feature-rich and economical options exist. I would *not* recommend this machine to anyone looking for a pure laptop solution.

However, I'm a firm believer in tablets as the future. I've seen how much suffering people endure with folios of printouts and papers, almost solely because they need to markup the paper and have access to multiple sheets as they work. While this doesn't purport to expand the screen size to 36"x48" (which would be AWESOME... someday), it does allow most people to finally start editing documents by hand, and cut down on the paper waste.

Also, as a forms tool, tablets are unmatched. The user experience in Windows XP for tablets is much closer to the long-enjoyed PDA functionality of Palm and PocketPC users everywhere... without the annoying syncronization problems. And One Note from Microsoft is probably the best utility going for tablet users.

As a tablet PC, this delivers. I can't speak to the MP3/DVD problems, but the tablet does have the necessary horsepower to do either or both, so I would tend to think the problem is configuration, not intrinsic problems.

If you have the cash, buy one for your group as an evaluation item. Once people start using it, your next problem will be to find the budget room to buy more.

Fred

painful for travel and hiccups playing DVDs
This is my first notebook computer with an external DVD/CD-writer drive. As it turns out whenever I travel I like to be able to burn a CD-ROM backup of my digital photos and watch DVDs in a hotel room. The DVD drive supplied by Toshiba cannot run from USB power so you end up carting around (1) the notebook, (2) the notebook power supply, (3) the notebook power supply's AC cord, (4) the DVD/CD drive, (5) the DVD/CD drive's external power supply, (6) the DVD/CD drive's external power supply's AC cord. In addition to being cumbersome the external drive was flimsy. The face plate jammed a few times and then fell off altogether. It was definitely not as well protected as the internal DVD/CD drive in my 4-year-old Thinkpad.

The speaker on this notebook can't play loud enough to listen to music or a movie soundtrack. So if you don't like headphones add a 1 lb. battery-powered travel speaker system to your list of stuff to lug around. It would be easier and maybe more compact to get one of those 7 lb. full-size notebooks.

Some combination of operating system and hardware is unequal to the task of playing MP3s or DVDs. Every 5 minutes or so there will be a brief pause in the music or the movie. This is kind of irritating. Anyway if you want to listen to background music budget cost and weight for a separate MP3 player.

Otherwise... no problems! The machine works fine as a notebook and the tablet features are sort of cool for impressing people who've never seen Tablet PC. On the other hand I've never actually managed to do anything useful with the stylus (this is my first Tablet PC).

I'll probably give this away or sell it on eBay as soon as I can get an IBM ThinkPad with a 160 GB hard drive. I prefer the IBM keyboard and the TrackPoint pointing device to the trackpad of the Toshiba.

The BEST Tablet PC!
This is my second Tablet PC. Since I wrote the book on Tablet PCs (Absolute Beginner's Guide to Tablet PCs), I was able to evaluate most of the ones available. This Toshiba M-200 has the processing speed and 1400x1050 screen to get some serious work done.

Paired with a second LCD display, you have some serious screen real estate. I do a lot of graphics, processing-intensive work, and wireless computing, and this is a terrific machine to do just about anything.

Add some software like OneNote, Corel Painter 8, and FranklinCovey TabletPlanner, and you have a great tool for meetings and ultimate portability.

My prior Tablet PC was the Toshiba Portege 3500, which is also a capable machine. The M200 is more powerful and has better video capabilities, allowing you to run 32-bit color on the built-in display.

The new cross-functional button (more like a joystick) and the four side launch pen buttons are a welcome addition. I do miss the CF Card reader, but it's not that big a deal.

Because this machine is a convertible, there's no learning curve for new Tablet PC users. The screen swivels and folds flat to create a slate that you can write on. I found that because of the faster processor, handwriting and speech recognition is faster.

The only other machine I can recommend is the Panasonic Toughbook CF-18, which is a ruggedized Tablet PC. The Panasonic is not for mainstream users, but if you're contantly out in adverse conditions, the ToughBook has a double-bright screen, small size, sealed ports (Panasonic says to actually run the machine under warm water if you spill coffee on it), and great battery life. But the keyboard is small, so you really do need to have a burning desire for a ruggedized machine. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Roam where you want to with the Toshiba Satellite M35X-S311, built for today's demanding mobile professional. It features a fast 1.5 GHz Intel Centrino processor, known for its smart, power-saving battery for long life on the road and built-in 54g Wi-Fi connectivity. It also offers a large 15.4-inch screen, 60 GB hard drive, DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, and 512 MB of installed RAM (with expansion up to 2 GB).

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive is larger than the average notebook's, enabling road warriors more than enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
• Processor: The 1.5 GHz Pentium M (Centrino) processor approaches the higher end of speed for this processor class. It is well equipped for office productivity software tasks, from complex spreadsheets to databases. The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It also has a 2 MB L2 cache and 400 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory is becoming the standard for notebooks, and the M35X-S311 can be expanded to 2 GB of memory--necessary for running complex spreadsheets and multimedia applications.
• CD/DVD Drive: The combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive has 40x read, 16x write, and rewrite at 10x speeds. It can read DVDs at 8x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 85-key keyboard and electro-static two-button touchpad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This M35X-S311 has an Integrated Intel Pro/Wireless 2200BG 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates). You get a basic offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 Firewire (IEEE 1394) for connecting digital camcorders and external hard drives
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot
• 1 TV out (S-Video)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Quicken New User Edition, Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 90-day LiveUpdate subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, ArcSoft ShowBiz DVD, and Sonic Solutions RecordNow.

Dimensions and Weight
This notebook measures 14.4 x 10.8 x 1.48 inches and weight 6.81 pounds--slightly heavier than other Centrino laptops.

Power
It is powered by an 8-cell lithium-ion battery that has an average battery life of 3.5 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Toshiba Satellite M35X-S311 notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited warranty for parts and labor. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Stay productive wherever you go with the Compaq V2205US notebook PC, featuring a battery sipping Intel Celeron M processor for up to three hours of battery life. Weighing only 5.2 pounds, it's perfect for home office professionals and students on the go. It features a widescreen 14-inch Brightview LCD that's easily viewable even in direct sunlight and built-in 54g wireless connectivity with 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support. This notebook also offers a 60 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, Firewire port for connecting an iPod and video camcorders, multi-format memory card reader, and a combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive for viewing DVD movies and burning your own music mixes to CD. For a step up in price, the V2220US offers a more powerful Centrino Pentium M processor, 80 GB hard drive, and a dual layer DVD-/+RW drive.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is becoming the average size for notebook PCs, providing enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
• Processor: The Intel Celeron M processor is designed specifically for mobile computing, offering a balanced level of mobile-optimized processor technology, good mobile performance, and exceptional value. The 1.3 GHz speed resides in the middle of the spectrum for this processor (as of March, 2005). It also features a 400 MHz front-side bus (FSB) and large 1 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, DDR SDRAM, 266 MHz) is a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 2 GB (2 x 1024 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: This notebook includes a combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive, with 24x write/read and 10x rewrite speed for CDs and 8x read speed for DVDs.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The V2205US has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. The 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support will enable it to be ready for tomorrow's 125 Mbps wireless LANs. You get a decent offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video port for connecting to a TV
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• 1 notebook expansion port
• 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Sticks, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia, and XD Picture Cards

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Norton AntiVirus 2005 (with 60 days of complimentary updates), Microsoft Money 2005, MSN Encarta Plus, Sonic RecordNow, Apple iTunes, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Intervideo WinDVD, and MuVee Autoproducer.

Dimensions and Weight
This highly portable notebook measures 13.5 x 9.1 x 1.29 inches and weighs 5.2 pounds.

Power
It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 3 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Compaq V2205US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty, 1-year technical phone support, and 30-day free software support. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

College Notebook
This wasn't the exact notebook i was planning on getting, but some relatives pitched in and gave it to me as a graduation present. I was worried about the celeron processor, but i've been pleasantly surprised with the speed and portability of the system. It's a solid little machine thats going to work perfectly for a traveling college student. It doesn't play any real games that require a big video card, but then again, big PC games need to be played on a desktop, which I use in conjuntion with this notebook. I recommend it. 6-cell battery lasts around 1:40 mins, so i'm getting, and recommend getting the 12 cell, which is around $180.00, and will help in it's portability. The size and weight are fantastic, and it's one of the best looking notebooks i've seen, comparable and in some respects surpassing the Sony Vaio lineup. The intergrated wireless is also top rate. I pick up signals that other notebooks of similar cost can't. It's actually quite strong and reliable, and easy to use, which is always a plus. So, overall this is a stable notebook thats worth the money, which isn't that bad in comparison to other laptops out there. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Based upon a 2.0 GHz Intel Celeron processor, the Satellite 1135-S155 clearly sports less raw power than its pricier Pentium 4-equipped Satellite counterparts, but Toshiba has matched this CPU with a whopping 512 MB RAM (expandable to 1024 MB), a capable 32 MB Intel 852GM graphics chipset, and an ample 40 GB hard drive. Consequently, the system is quite satisfactory for most common business and personal applications apart from high-end games and 3-D animation packages.

Furthermore, Toshiba has incorporated an array of features normally reserved for mid- to high-end models. The unit's viewing screen, for example, is a comfortably large 15-inch XGA display capable of 1024 by 768 resolution. Its integrated optical drive combines DVD-ROM with CD-RW technology to allow you to backup your data, listen to and burn music CDs and watch the latest movies. The system's keyboard features 85 full-size keys, 12 function keys and a TouchPad pointing device with scroll capability. And if you need future expandability, the Satellite 1135-S155 features two memory slots (both of which may be occupied) and dual PC Card slots.

The long list of connectivity options includes an integrated 56K modem for low-speed e-communications, a 10/100 Ethernet LAN for high-speed Internet and network operations, an S-Video TV-out, a printer port, a microphone and headphone port, and, most impressively, a trio of ultra-fast USB 2.0 ports. The system does not include an IEEE 1394 FireWire connection or high-speed data transfer from external devices such as digital camcorders.

The Satellite 1135-S155 is unexpectedly portable at 13 by 11 by 1.7 inches and just 6.2 pounds. Under ideal conditions, battery life is estimated at three hours. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

5 stars...for the budget conscious...
This is part of a larger class of laptops running processors slower than 2.4 GHZ that are becoming the targets of deep discounts and rebates now that faster machines are on the move to market. ... This machine painlessly recognized both my home wired and wireless router connections, and I was online in 15 minutes after opening the box. For the price, you can't do better in terms of HDD size (40 GB!) and memory (512MB!!). Three issues: 1. The bundled CD-RW software is goofy and non-inutuitive. Although I was able to use it, I pitched it after two days of trying to figure out it's whacky interface and installed Nero. 2. This is neither ultra-thin or lightweight (6.2 lbs). Since most of my mobile needs take place in car, this is not an issue for me; your mileage my vary if you are hauling your hardware through airports. 3. The heat thing other reviewers talked about: yes, you can feel the warmth on the right side of the touch pad. Frankly, I haven't found a single laptop mouse-equivalent that I like as much as an actual mouse (unless I'm completely veggged on the couch or on a plane, I don't use the touchpad much anyway). I would not consider the heat an issue: most laptops have a hotspot someplace. 4. Battery life is middle-of-the-road...but offers excellent power management tools to give you advance notice of battery loss.

Great performance at this price point...more so if additional rebates are available.

I've used laptops for many years, but this my first personal purchase of one. Toshiba laptops enjoy a good reputation; based on my initial experience with this one, they should. Bottom line: I'd recommend this to my mom if she were in the market for one:-)

Toshiba s1551 great laptop for the money
This is an incredible laptop for the money. The screen is good, the battery life is good, it is not too heavy, and the price is great. I got a s1551 for $750 after rebates it has a smaller hard drive 30gig than the s155, but it has a built in wi-fi card and runs xp pro, and has a 64mb integrated video card. I do not feel any heat on my right hand, maybe it is because I have the 30gig drive not the 40gig. Also I don't hear the hard drive clicking like I read in previous reviews. It is fast enough to do most heavy work and multitasking and with 3 usb ports it is very expandable.

The only thing that kept me from giving it a 5 was the video card. It performs okay for most games, but doesn't support Transforming and Lighting and most new games are designed for either a ATI or Nvidia chipset. I knew this going in I am not really a gamer, but in hindsight it would be nice to be able to play some newer games.

Terrible Tech Support
Toshiba may make good products, but their support is the worst i have ever come across. They have lost my laptop for over a month now and do not care a lick about it. They're tech support team is in Turkey and they dont care a thing about anybody. They kept hanging up on me and refused to help me saying it will take some time. When i called back- no one knew anything and had zero updates. DO NOT BUY TOSHIBA PRODUCTS! Get a Gateway or Dell instead...two companies that actually care about their customers.

perfection at a cheap price
First off, I dont know what all of the fuss is over concerning the issue of the hotspot. I have had this laptop for 8 months now and ive never had an issue with the so called "hotspot." The computer runs great except for the fact that the touchpad freezes occassionally (not the computer, but only the pointer because keyboard can still control the computer). Also the left click on the touchpad has seemed to have gotten stuck. It still functions but does not give the response I need for it, so i just switched the left-right mouse controls. The HD has plenty of space for just about anything (keep in mind its just a laptop). The CD burner is quite quick for a laptop at a great price. I can burn a CD in a few minutes which is not long at all, especially for a laptop. The screen has excellent resolution for a 15" screen on a laptop. I watch dvds not only at home but also on the road and in the air with no complaints on performance. Overall this is an excellent computer for someone that wants a good laptop but doesnt want to pay a great amount. I read the reviews on here before I bought it and they made me a bit hessitent, but I'm glad that I chose this Toshiba. Out of all of the computers I have owned and do own, this is an excellent machine.

EXCELLENT performance
This computer is the best computer for all you people who is in business. It may not be as strong as others, but this is a great computer to store up almost all of your files. It burns CDs very quickly. You can customize it anyway you want. It plays DVDs very quickly, without waiting it to launch the DVD playing program. The LCD screen is very clear. Not a big load to load in the car when your going on a trip. Extrememly portable, easy to carry. It's video card is really good for the important things, but for the unimportant this like games, it is still good, but if you want to play top notch 3D graphic computer games like Halo for PC, it will still work but, the 3D features will be less then it is if you have a top notch video card. It is very reliable to keep all your important, and unimportant files. Has lots of options, runs really quickly, so you don't have to wait for a long time for it to load up microsoft word, or anything. It doesn't have a floppy disc drive though. But it has a big memory space, so you don't have to save it on a floppy disc, you can just write the file on a CD-R or CD-RW. It has 2 PC card drives, about 4 or 5 USB ports, a parellel port, and more. It is very convienient. I recommend this computer to anybody who wants a computer that works just as good or better as the other leading brand, but for a lower price. It's not too fancy if you look at it on the outside, but it is like a house for any files, etc. when you open it up and save it to the memory. It keeps you entertained for hours, DVD, music, internet, etc. It can't burn DVDs, but can burn to Video CD(VCD) or Super Video CD(SVCD). I recommend this computer to anyone, except for people who wants a computer just for gaming. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Designed to maximize performance while minimizing expense, the HP Pavilion ze5730us Notebook PC is a solid entry-level mobile computer that features wireless connectivity and is ready for most typical light- to medium-duty notebook tasks. If price is your most critical parameter and you can do without heavy-duty power and amenities such as DVD burning, the Pavilion ze5730us should warrant serious consideration.

Running at 2.8 GHz, the unit's Intel Celeron CPU is the heart of a cost-efficient processing engine that also incorporates a minimal 256 DDR SDRAM main memory (expandable to 1024 MB) and an ATI Mobility Radeon graphics controller with 64 MB shared (not dedicated) video memory. You definitely won't want to rely on this system for 3-D gaming, 3-D graphics design or demanding business applications and multitasking, but it will suffice nicely for basic duties such as contact management, word processing, email communications, spreadsheets and the like.

The Pavilion ze5730us features a midsize 40 GB hard disk on which to store your programs and files, and a DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive through which you can burn and play audio CDs, archive files and watch the latest DVD movies. DVD burning is not supported in this stock configuration. The unit's 15-inch XGA TFT display will convey crisp, clean images to a maximum 1024 by 768 resolution, and its 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio chipset and integrated Altec-Lansing speakers deliver satisfying mobile sound.

Controlling the Pavilion ze5730us 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 three high-speed USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripherals, a parallel port, serial port, VGA and TV outs, a 56K modem for low-speed e-communication, integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN for fast networking, and 802.11b/g capable wireless LAN for those times when you just can't plug in. The system does not offer IEEE 1394 FireWire or infrared connections.

Pre-installed software includes Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition operating system, Microsoft's Works productivity suite, Intuit Quicken New Users Edition financial center, and an assorent of multimedia utilities. At 12.96 by 10.72 by 1.79 inches at 7.5 pounds, the unit is of average size. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A VERY GOOD LITTLE NOTEBOOK FOR THE PRICE
I bought this computer with the understanding that any computer I purchase will be old technology within one year. Purchasing this HP ZE5730US, I received a computer that had decent memory, the latest Windows operating system, DVD & CD-RW capabilities, and wireless technology capability. (...). How can you go wrong. After a year or two, I'll buy another <$1000 deal and get even more technology than the guy who bought the expensive version when I bought this one, and still I'll have spent less than him! This computer serves me well, I'm happy to not be tied to a desktop anymore! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Sony's Vaio S Series notebooks unite desktop PC power and functionality with performance rivaling any desktop. The Centrino Mobile technology runs cool and quiet, while helping to keep the profile light and slim with enhanced battery performance. The VGN-S150 features fast 802.11g wireless connectivity, a decent-sized 60 GB hard drive, 1.6 GHz Pentium M processor, 512 MB of installed RAM, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive, 13.3-inch screen, and a bevy of Sony multimedia software.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The ample 60 GB hard drive offers more than enough storage for both your work and home files.
• Processor: The 1.6 GHz Pentium M processor is near the top of the Centrino speed range. Because of its design, the Intel Pentium M gets more done per clock tick than a Mobile Intel Pentium 4, thus providing the discrepancy in GHz measurement (i.e., 1.7 versus 3.2). The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It also has an L2 cache of 2 MB and a front-side bus (FSB) speed of 400 MHz.
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory is a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 2 GB (2 x 1 GB).
• CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive. For DVDs it reads at 8x. For CDs, it has a 10x write/24x rewrite/24x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has an 82-key QWERY keyboard and electro-static touch pad.

S Series notebooks pack blazing power into a sleek, lightweight body.

Dimensions and Weight
The S150 measures 12.3" x 1.16" inches (in the closed position) and weighs 4.2 pounds (with battery).

Sound and Graphics
With the 32 MB ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics card, the S150 delivers an adequate visual experience optimized to support most 3D gaming environments of today. Sony's exclusive XBRITE LCD technology delivers ultra crisp and super bright graphics, and the Smart Display Sensor automatically adjusts to any projector or display resolution. It also has two built-in stereo speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The S150 has an integrated 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates). You get a decent--but not overpowering--offering of connectivity options, including both high-speed USB 2.0 and FireWire:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 A/V mini jack
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• 1 Memory Stick slot (Memory Stick Pro compatible)

Preloaded System and Software
This S150 comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it features Microsoft Works 7.0 (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). It's also loaded with Sony's Vaio Creative suite of multimedia applications, which includes PictureGear Studio (digital photo), SonicStage (digital music), Sony MovieShaker, DVGate Plus (digital video), and VAIO Media (network file sharing). Other preloaded titles include a 60-day trial of Microsoft Office, Quicken 2004, Norton Internet Security (with 90-day trial subscription), and a 90-day trial of AOL.

Power
The S150 comes with the PCGA-BPS2 rechargeable lithium ion battery; it has an estimated battery life of 2.0 to 5.0 hours.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony Vaio VGN-S150 notebook, rechargeable battery, AC adapter, and printed instruction manual. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Enjoy freedom of mobility with the lightweight Compaq Presario V2010US notebook PC, which weighs just 5.2 pounds and measures only 1.3 inches high. It features a built-in 54g wi-fi connection with SpeedBooster support of next-generation 125 Mbps wireless LANs. Other features include a 1.4 GHz Intel Celeron M processor, 512 MB of installed RAM, a 60 GB hard drive, 3 USB 2.0 and 1 Firewire port, 14-inch screen, and a CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive is becoming the average size for notebook PCs, and it's a good size for storing a decent sized digital audio library as well as an office productivity suite.
• Processor: The younger sibling to Intel's Centrino processor, the Celeron M processor is also closely related to its desktop and Mobile Celeron predecessors. The 1.4 GHz speed measurement is similar to the 2.0 GHz Mobile Celeron processor, which puts it in the middle of the speed spectrum for this processor class. It will aby execute tasks from productivity and multimedia applications, but it's not recommended for high-end video needs. Its M classification denotes its built-in power-saving technologies, so you'll get good battery performance while on the road.
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, 266 MHz, DDR SDRAM) is becoming standard on notebooks and it's a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 1 GB (2 x 512 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: The combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive can write and read CDs at 24x and rewrite at 10x speeds. It can read DVDs at 16x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 101-key keyboard and two-button touchpad with on/off button and dedictated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The V2010US has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. The 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support will enable it to be ready for tomorrow's 125 Mbps wireless LANs. You get a good offering of connectivity options, including super-fast USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 parallel port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Microsoft Money, Quicken New User Edition, Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 60-day LiveUpdate subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Encarta Plus, HP Image Zone Plus, InterVideo WinDVD Creator,Sonic RecordNow, and Apple iTunes.

Dimensions and Weight
It measures 13.15 x 9.1 x 1.29 inches (L x W x H) and weighs just 5.2 pounds.

Power
It's powered by a 6-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which provides an average of battery life of around 1.5 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Compaq Presario V2010US US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Compaq Presario R3320US notebook PC blends the bold and the beautiful, with a powerful, hyper-threaded 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor and a widescreen 15.4-inch display that's perfect for both business presentations and watching DVD movies. It also features a 60 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, integrated 54g Wi-Fi connectivity, and a DVD+RW drive that can write both DVDs and CDs. For a step up in price, the R3340US has a 64-bit AMD Athlon 3200+ processor and an 80 GB hard drive.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 60 GB hard drive is becoming the average size for notebook PCs, enabling road warriors enough capacity for storing documents, digital media files, and productivity software.
• Processor: The 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor offers Hyper-Threading technology that allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking. It is well suited for professional-quality image, audio, and video editing. It also has A 1 MB L2 cache and an 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, PC2700 DDR SDRAM) is becoming standard on notebooks and it's a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 1.2 GB. One memory slot is occupied with 256 MB of non-removeable RAM.
• CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 1x write/rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 2x write/rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 5x). For CDs, it has a 16x write/8x rewrite/24x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a standard 101-key keyboard and two-button touchpad with on/off button and dedictated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This R3320US model has an integrated 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates). You get a basic offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0:

• 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 parallel port
• 1 S-Video out
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Microsoft Money, Quicken New User Edition, Norton Antivirus 2004 (with 60-day LiveUpdate subscription), Adobe Acrobat Reader, Encarta Plus, HP Image Zone Plus, InterVideo WinDVD Creator,Sonic RecordNow, and Apple iTunes.

Dimensions and Weight
At 14.25 x 10.96 x 1.8 inches and 7.8 pounds, the R3310US is a bit larger in size compared to other notebooks in its class.

Power
It's powered by a 8-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which provides an average of battery life of around 2 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Compaq Presario R3320US US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Sony's new K series of VAIO portable computers is a fine middle ground for those who can't afford the absolute fastest or smallest super-notebooks but don't want to be saddled with a bulky, sluggish bargain-basement offering either. This model, the VAIO PCG-K13, is the most attractively priced unit in the K series. Though very cost effective, it nevertheless retains many of the perks of its slightly more expensive brethren and is thusly a smart choice for school, home or light office duties.

Tastefully clad a two-tone paint scheme and reasonably diminutive at 7.3 pounds and slopes from 1.6 inches to 2.7 inches high when closed by 13 by 10.9 inches, the VAIO PCG-K13 is a stylish and comfortably portable unit. Surprisingly, this affordable system is driven by a high-end 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor and a capable alloent of 512 MB DDR SDRAM memory. The video card, an ATI Radeon IGP 345M, is certainly not the pinnacle of 3-D gaming or 3-D animation performance, though it does support dual displays for those times when two monitors are necessary. Furthermore, the unit's 15-inch XGA TFT display (1024 by 768 maximum resolution) features Sony's new Xbrite technology for superior brightness, contrast and viewing angles than many other notebook displays.

For your data storage needs, the VAIO PCG-K13 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 writing is not supported in this stock configuration.

The unit is equipped with a number of standard amenities, including an 86-key keyboard with electro-static touch pad, a Memory Stick PRO media slot for data transfers from external devices, one Type III or two Type I or Type II PC Card capability, 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, three high-speed USB 2.0 ports for plug and play peripheral connections, a 56K modem for low-speed dial-up Internet and email, a high-speed RJ-45 LAN network connector, and integrated wireless LAN for cord-free network and e-communication access.

The impressive software bundle includes the Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition operating system, Microsoft's Works 7.0 productivity suite, Intuit's Quicken New User Edition financial center, and a wide range of Sony's own multimedia utilities. Estimated battery life is somewhat less than stellar at 1.0 to 2.5 hours per charge. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Great Buy! Sleek..Powerful and light
This machine is as good as it gets! From an aesthetics point-of-view, it is plain flat awesome. The XBRITE Screen gives you excellent contrast and clarity, making it a winner in the movie/picture viewing category. The Silver-Grey tinge to the laptop is also something to be cherished. The layout of the keyboard and ports is very ergonomic.

Also the Laptop is light for a P-4. It has about 2 hours of backup on the battery.

The laptop comes with 512 MB RAM (Mind you it is shared with the video memory..so you get a little less), and combined with a 2.8 GHz P-4 it gives you the speed you need for most heavy applications. I have been able to use it for regular internet and word-processing tasks, as well as programming. The complement of software on the laptop is pretty good too.

The only drawback to me is that the adapter is big and heavy. Maybe SONY could work on that a little bit.

Over-all a highly recommended purchase for any professional or student.

Excellent low-end budget notebook
I bought Sony Vaio PCG-K13 a few weeks ago. I have been impressed and throughly satisfied for the following reasons:

1) It has a fast processor, P4 2.8 GHz which completely satisfies serious computational needs.
2) Attractive display. The screen has a coating which seems to enchance the color quality thus the webpages look rich. Also, when the screen is viewed from an angle and not right from front, it does not turn negative unlike most of LCD displays.
3) Comes with a 512 MB RAM. This makes the applications fast to open and run.
4) For a Sony quality, a price tag of $1400 is worth it.
5) Has an inbuilt LAN wireless card for wireless connectivity.
6) Sturdy body, can sustain some banging and rough handling.
7) Comes with a Sony memory stick slot. So if you are using a Sony PDA or a digital camera, it's very handy.
8) Comes with many Sony registered softwares and a partitioned hard drive.
9) Has a cool feature, "Sony recovery wizard". If something goes wrong, data can be backed up and the computer can be set to "factory setting".

And.....what's not good...

1) The battery is ENORMOUS!! It's more like a BRICK than something sleek. But a small one can be bought at a Sony store.
2) 7.5 lbs is too heavy to carry especially at the airport.
3) Battery typically lasts only 2Hrs (under normal use) and takes quite a long time to charge.

So, at the end, the pros dominate the cons. It's worth it, IT'S A SONY!!

The pros just barely outweigh the cons...
It looks like Sony is really stretching for cash on this one. While it does boast a nice 2.8Ghz P4 Soket 478 FCPGA2 Northwood Processor at 533mhz FSB. No real extra code functions included, like Hyper threading. Just the standard MMX, SSE, SEE2.

512MB (256MB X 2) of (SODIM) DDR PC2100 RAM. SODIM is generally what you expect on a modern mid range notebook, however SODIM os very slow and really drags down the performance, it doesn't help that the ram is also made by one of the most low branded memory company's in business, infenion. Now theoretically because the processor has 533Mhz FSB you should be able to handle SODIM PC2700 and you can, however Sony only ships with 2100. My recommendation is go to Kingston and buy some high quality SODIM modules at PC2700. It helps quite a bit. It can be expanded up to 1GB

Battery life is utterly pathetic. One hour at best using low brow applications... The desktop based P4 sucks power like no tomorrow. The AC Adapter is horrendously bulky and the battery adds quite the load to an already heavy notebook.

The screen is absolutely beautiful and boasts some of the brightest, sharpest and most clear cut colorful images on a notebook screen in this price range. However after one week after purchase, I already have a dead pixel!

The software sweep included is nice, however, sony likes to squeeze every penny and doesn't include a recovery dvd or cd set. However sony does include some spyware /adware chocked apps as well like Real Player. My suggestion is to completely wipe the stock home and do a fresh install of Home or Pro, considering all the drivers are now available on the web. I should mention that when I first purchased this notebook they went and I was forced to order a recovery dvd from sony.

The RADEON IGP345M is a decent card, however ATI's catalyst drivers doesn't support it, so other than the shipped drivers, your only other choice is the omega series, witch out perform the shipped ones anyway. What I find extremely irritating is the 64MB that makes up your video card is hared by your physicals ram, so stock wise you really only have 408MB of physical RAM. The BIOS isn't associable rather, so you can't configure how much ram is actually shared. It does support dual displays, but with the shipped drivers the alternative display can only achieve a max resolution of 1024x768. Other than web browsing and some small Photoshop projects the card is utterly useless.

Enough of the bad, on the flipside, the processor is fast despite HT, the keyboard is big and comfortable, the electronic touch pad is nice and responsive. A plethora of IO really delivers in external devices, usb 2.0, Firewire. The speakers are loud and adequate for notebook speakers, the speaker output sounds decent as well. A PCMCIA slot, Sony memory card slot and a surprisingly powerful intergraded wireless antenna. Lets not forget the built in 10/100 and every useful Printer Port.

The rest of this notebook is pretty much standard issue, the 40GB is about what you expect to pay and is quite speedy for 4200 RPM and the CD/DVD burner is pretty high quality from QSI. I also really like the idea that the RAM, Hard Drive and Video Controller and completely user upgradeable. Very smart!

Did I mention is looks VERY SEXY. A nice silver paint job gives a strait forward futuristic look. The final verdict is if you're a skilled computer user this would be a decent buy for a midrange desktop replacement.

The pros just barely outweigh the cons.

take my word for it
well, i would like to say that i brought this laptop after ~4 ms of continuous survey for a product that ranges from 1200-1400$.

+ve:
1. system is very stable.
2. sound quality is amazing.
3. the screen is very bright.
4. the laptop looks stylish.

Cons:
1. the power supply is really big and heavy.
2. the startup is slow.
3. you have to perform system recovery to gain the 5gb space on the hard disk (before you install anything, you'll lose it).
4. mine has one dead pixel, but it is very peripheral.

Good Value Solid Performer
After looking over several models of laptops and owning about 1 new one each year, I drifted away from the super small, lightweights and back to a work horse, this thing seems rugged enough, has enough memory and I just replaced a hard drive in an older Sony Vaio that I had running non-stop for a couple years at the office.
So I'm giving Sony another shot. I did upgrade to XP-Pro right after I unboxed it. A couple minor problems, I would recommend at the very least getting copy of all the drivers for it before doing that again!!.
Sony support was what I expected, I called to ask them if it would support XP-Pro and she said yes, but the warranty is void as far as support, no big loss there. I had to re-install the wireless driver and the thing hung up bad on the first go, but so far it's working fine on XP-Pro.

Time will tell. The screen is great, the price was right and it looks like a work horse that won't break the bank.

Oh yeah, whoever said the power supply was big, you're right, I think it's heavier than the laptop.

I'm still happy with the purchase... no problems!!

After a month, I'll add a few more positive notes.. did I mention it had a great screen, though a higher resolution would be great, it's fine.

A wireless on/off switch on the front makes turning off the power consuming wifi easy. I've added a few extras. An LCD monitor makes the DualView feature extend the desktop to twice the normal size. A decent set of speakers, external keyboard by IBM and external mouse and this thing Rocks. Nice Desktop replacement. !! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Compaq's Presario SR1210NX is one of the least expensive yet most cost-effective desktop PCs available today, a perfect fit for a wide variety of users--from financially strapped students to families with multimedia needs. While fitting within your budget is a high priority, the SR1210NX is well apportioned with an 80 GB hard drive, 2.66 GHz Intel Celeron D processor, a video/graphics card with 64 MB of shared memory, a DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, ultra-fast USB 2.0 ports, and a multi-format memory card reader.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 80 GB Ultra DMA hard drive (7200 RPM) is small in comparison to other desktop PCs in this range, and certainly smaller than you'll need if editing a lot of digital video. It does have more than adequate storage for all your documents and a good-sized library of digital photos and MP3s.
• Processor: While not as strong a performer as the Intel Pentium 4, the Intel Celeron D 330 processor helps make this package affordable. The 2.66 GHz speed is powerful enough for Internet, home office, educational and productivity applications. It also features a decently fast 533 MHz front-side bus (FSB) and 256 KB L2 cache.
• Memory: The installed 256 MB of RAM (PC2700) is small compared to other desktops in this class, but it helps keep this package within your budget range. That said, you'll want to upgrade to at least 512 MB. The SR1210NX has a 1 GB maximum (2 x 512 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: The combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive can write and read CDs at 48x and rewrite at 32x speeds. It can read DVDs at 16x.
• Keyboard & Mouse: The SR1210NX comes with Compaq productivity keyboard and scroller mouse (both with PS/2 connections).

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the SR1210NX has two 5.25-inch external bays (one available), two 3.5-inch bays (one available), and three PCI slots (two available). It comes with a built-in floppy drive and the following external connectors:

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

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

Dimensions and Weight
This desktop unit measures 15.25 x 7.17 x 16.54 inches (H x W x D).

What's in the Box
This package contains the Compaq Presario SR1210NX desktop PC, power cable, keyboard, and mouse. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Use the innovative TravelMate C110 tablet PC like a clipboard by writing directly on the display with the included EMR pen or stylus. When you're ready to use the keyboard, just flip the display and you have a full-functioned notebook computer. The TravelMate C110 offers Intel Centrino mobile technology--with a 1.0 GHz Pentium M processor--which provides you 54g wireless connectivity and extended battery life. And it weighs just 3.2 pounds (without any external drives). Other features include a 40 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, and wireless Bluetooth connectivity.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 40 GB Enhanced IDE hard drive is on the small side compared to other notebooks. However, it does offer a decent enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors--but not enough for much multimedia storage.
• Processor: The 1.0 Ghz Pentium M processor is at the low end of speeds compared with other Centrino notebooks (with current speed topping out at 1.7 GHz). Because of itsdesign, the Intel Pentium M gets more done per clock tick than a Mobile Intel Pentium 4, thus providing the discrepency in GHz measurement (i.e., 1.7 versus 3.2). The Pentium M processor is designed specifically for low-power mobile usage, and it features the latest in power-saving technologies--ensuring you push your battery and productivity to the max. It has a front-side bus (FSB) of 400 MHz and a 1 MB L2 cache.
• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (DDR SDRAM) is a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 2 GB (2 x 1024 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: This TravelMate C110 does not include an optical CD or DVD drive.
• Keyboard & Mouse: The TravelMate C110 comes with an Electromagnetic Resonance (EMR) stylus for input onto the tablet screen. The standard keyboard also includes 12 function keys, 4 cursor keys, and 5 easy launch buttons (Internet, email with LED, wireless on/off, and 2 user-programmable buttons). It also has a touchpad with 4-way Internet scroll key.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
This Travelmate C110 model has an integrated 802.11g (or 54g) wireless LAN, which is quickly becoming the most popular wireless standard and is compatible with 802.11b connections as well. You get a smallish range of external connections, including:

• 2 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 fast infrared (FIR) port
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type II)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
The Travelmate C110 comes with the Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system. Other preloaded software includes Norton AntiVirus 2003 and Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Dimensions and Weight
Measuring 8.5 x 10.1 x 1.2 inches (L x W x D) and weighing just 3.2 pounds without any optional external drives, the Travelmate C110 is amazingly light and portable--just what you want out of a tablet PC.

Power
It's powered by a 26 WHr rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, which features a 3-hour battery life, 1.5-hour rapid charge, and 2.5-hour in-use charge time.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Acer Travelmate C110 tablet PC, EMR stylus, AC power adapter, and printed operating instructions. It's backed by a 1-year limited warranty for parts and labor as well as a 1-year International Traveller's warranty (ITW). ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Replace your desktop PC with a notebook that rivals it in power. The Compaq Presario X6110US notebook PC offers an extra-large 17-inch display, ATI Mobility Radeon X600 video card with 128 MB of dedicated memory, and a fast, hyper-threaded 3.0 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor. But it's also ready to hit the road with built-in 54g wireless connectivity with 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support. The X6110US also features an 80 GB hard drive, 512 MB of installed RAM, ExpressCard/54 slot, and multi-format memory card reader.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: The 80 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is a bit above average in size for notebook PCs. It offers more than enough capacity for storing documents and productivity software for road warriors. You'll also be able to store a good-sized digital audio library.
• Processor: The hyper-threaded Intel Pentium 4 530 processor (3.0 GHz) allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system, helping to deliver faster transistors and increased performance. It also features a blazingly fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed, which measures how fast a processor and the main memory communicate, and a 1 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)

  A Hyper-Threading processor helps a PC to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.

• Memory: The 512 MB of built-in memory (2 x 256 MB, DDR SDRAM, 266 MHz) is a good start for power users. It has two memory slots in total, with a maximum memory expansion up to 2 GB (2 x 1024 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the X6110US multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook has a 101-key keyboard and a touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical/horizontal Scroll Up/Down pad.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The X6110US has an integrated 54g wireless LAN that's fully compatible with 802.11b/g wireless networks. The 125 HSM/SpeedBooster support will enable it to be ready for tomorrow's 125 Mbps wireless LANs. It also includes a next-generation ExpressCard 54/34 card slot, which lets you take advantage of thinner, faster, and lighter expansion cards for even more advanced wireless, networking, storage, and security features. You get a decent offering of connectivity options, which does include super-fast USB 2.0 and Firewire:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 VGA monitor port
• 1 S-Video port for connecting to a TV
• 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II, 32-bit)
• 1 ExpressCard/54 slot
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• 6-in-1 Digital Media Reader for Secure Digital cards, MultiMedia cards, Memory Sticks, Memory Stick Pro, SmartMedia and xD Picture cards

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes preloaded with Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents), Norton Internet Security 2005 (with 60 days of complimentary updates), Microsoft Money 2005, Sonic RecordNow, Apple iTunes, Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition, Intervideo WinDVD, MuVee Autoproducer, and MSN Encarta Plus.

Dimensions and Weight
A good choice for a desktop replacement that can also be mobile, this notebook measures 11.14 x 15.67 x 2 inches (LxWxD) and weighs 9.4 pounds.

Power
It's powered by a 12-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which has a battery life of up to 3 hours (depending on usage).

What's in the Box
This package contains the X6110US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions. It is backed by a one-year limiited hardware warranty and 30-day free software support. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Regarding heat sink problem.
I don't own this notebook but I own a presario 1525 model.
The reason I'm writing this review is to help those people getting inflicted by heatsink problem, which causes an sudden computer shutdown.
In my case, my presari 1525 had worked quite well for about 8 months and then I started getting system shutdown problem especially when I performed CPU intensive works like computer games, large file compression, etc. After quite a while, I found out heatsink was causing the problem so I disassembled the notebook and what I found out was a lot of dirst inside the heatsink and that was the cause of all the troubles. So I cleaned it and the problem is gone now. Now I can play games all day long and the computer never goes down.

I guess you should clean the heatsink every 6 months and all you need is T8 torx driver and thermal grease, which totally cost less than $10.

Extrapolating the quality of X6110US model with my past experience with 1525 model, I guess the new model still has the heatsink problem and since newer P4 CPU produces more heat, it's more likely to have heatsink problem. Except that, since I didn't have any problem at all with 1525 US model, I'd recommend this notebook to everybody who is willing to open up the case and clean the heatsink every 6 months.

And take a look at the spec of this notebook, it's fantastic.

I cannot stress this enough...
do NOT get a Compaq laptop. If you are looking for a laptop of quality that will last you more than six months, stay away from this one. As another review stated, Compaq is plagued with quality issues, while most people still think it's one of the best brands out there. There were so many little things that went wrong, I could fill up this review with them, but I want to focus on the worst, most expensive, and most common issue. It's one that Compaq is fully aware of, but refuses to change. It would cost them a measly few cents to upgrade this part, but again, they refuse. To put it simply, the jack in the back of the computer broke. That means the notebook WILL NOT charge anymore without me standing there holding it and wiggling it around every few minutes. If you look at pictures of the jack, it is a cheap, thin piece of flimsy plastic. Another thing you would notice is that you can purchase this piece of plastic for five dollars on Ebay. However, Compaq doesn't cover this extremely common issue under their warantee and charges $600 to fix it, even if you have the replacement part already. I spent $950 on the laptop itself. I can't find a computer repair shop that is willing to get inside of the computer and fix it either, because so few repairmen work with laptops due to their fragile state. This piece must be soldered in, after following seemingly hundreds of steps to take it apart.

The laptop has also started shutting down at random moments. I can no longer do school work, write lengthy emails, or begin any downloads on this notebook, because of it's random shutdowns. This review had to be typed in Word and saved every minute. These are not just shutdowns, mind you, they are periods when the computer just stops. It takes a few minutes to even get it to turn on again. This happens because I have to have the battery in it constantly due to it's faulty charger and the battery is being literally sucked dry.

PLEASE do NOT buy this computer. If you research a little, you will see how very common this issue is! You will spend much more money on this laptop than you are probably looking to spend, no matter what your actual buying cost is. After many recommendations, I have decided the next computer I buy (whenever I can scrape together the cash), will be a Dell. My brother (a computer junkie) highly recommends their customer service. They believe in actually fixing problems their customers have. I wish I'd known that before I bought this piece of junk.

If you do not or did not have this problem with a Compaq notebook, you are/were one of the lucky ones. The rest of us are out a thousand bucks.

Stylish and good feature set, but poor quality
The new Compaq Presario X6110US laptop is HP's attempt at injecting some consumer-friendly features into Compaq's traditional business-oriented product lines.The laptop has clean, sharp edges which give it a stylish look open or closed.It's well-equipped and performance is snappy.The screen is quite good, especially considering how past Compaq laptops had subpar LCD screens.

The big question, however, is quality.I fondly remember the old days, about 15 years ago, when the name Compaq was equated with performance, quality and value (value as in great bang for the buck, not in "cheap").Unfortunately today's Compaq desktops and laptops are plagued with quality problems.I had my X6110US for two weeks and on two occasions the machine would not boot.The backslash (\) key decided to take early retirement after a week.I've heard from a friend in the retail channel that recent Compaq laptops seem to suffer from some serious quality control problems.Yo