 [Larger view] | Compaq Presario 2701US Notebook (1-GHz Pentium III, 512 MB RAM, 30 GB hard drive)
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Average user rating:  | |
 Solid Computer. Competitive Price. | |
| I had some problems installing win2k server on this, but it may very well be because both w2k server cd's that I have are scratched. I wiped XPhome off and put on XPpro just fine. Compaq has [bad] customer service and finding drivers for certain devices if you want to deviate from XP may be troubling -- they only have some on their site. I wish it could play CDs even when its not booted up (pretty common feature now). Other than that, it's nice to have the dual optical drives rather than the combo drives that everyone has -- that way you can burn straight from one to the other and cut out a lot of time. Graphics are solid for it's price -- I'll have to upgrade in 9-12 months though. It can handle most any 3d games that are out right now if I take off the vSync option and optimize the card for performance over graphics in the control panel. Good price. Looks nice (graphically and physically). Runs quiet. Very stable (I leave it on for weeks sometimes). Comes with an extra battery and swappable drive capability (swap a HD, floppy, extra battery or whatever). Great battery life! Woops my friends HP. P.S. Be wary of any laptops with "good" native resolutions. This is 1400x1050...anything higher on a 15" laptop is almost unusable. | |
 Excellent desktop replacement/supplement | |
| I've had the Presario for a week or so, and so far I have been really impressed. My initial concerns about possibly inferior Compaq quality (judging by my experience with their desktops) have been proven unfounded: this is a nicely crafted piece of machinery, good design, great ergonomics, solid, sturdy, ports nicely located, drive bays function well. You get everything you could possibly want in the way of connections and options - double USB, Firewire, PS/2, built-in modem and NIC, docking option, and with the two optical drives plus the drive bay battery you're really set to configure yourself for anything. This is *not* a Vaio killer - it has the heft of an old fashion laptop, but with that comes a sense that it'll last through a few hundred flights and being thrown around the office. If you don't mind the schlep you are rewarded with an incredible screen (with XP's Cleartype on it is simply astounding - I prefer it over my desktop's 15" KDS RAD5 LCD screen), excellent performance (the PIII and 512Mb RAM makes most everything I've thrown at it hum along happily: Photoshop, Premiere, Quark Express, software development tools, VPN internet connections - so far not a single crash). I'll let others rave or rant about XP, but contrary to other reviewers here I've had no problems what so ever with the configuration shipped - it works out of the box, no problems. My other choice would have been a Dell Inspiron, but having compared the two, I'm confident I made the right choice. | |
 REVIEW UPDATE - 06/25/2004 CLASS ACTION SUIT TIME - ANYONE?? | |
| I wrote a review on here about 9 month ago - and have received over 50+ mails with the same complaint - melted standoffs.. and HP/CPQ is STILL denying any knowledge of this problem!!! (This was independantly verified from an email from HP C/S received 3 days ago from another guy having a meltdown with his 2710 and HP service (or lack of))... - Even though "the fix" and remedy is posted all over CPQ's own tech web site as well as HP's!! -- You doubt me? Call them up, and they'll give you the replacement part # for the needed standoff screws for this "unknown problem".... Sigh... Anyway, it has been suggested to me, since I seem to be the unofficial point guard for this one - that we file a class-action lawsuit of sorts - I'm not big on this - and really don't have the time - But I am so pissed off at CPQ/HP and their plain ignorance and constant denial of "any problems" that I do think it's time we do something about this collectively. So, if anyone else is interested in filing, write me at: CLASSACTION@KAL-TEX.COM Tell me your woes, what part of the country you're in (or abroad... as one chap from the UK has emailed me) - and we'll see what kind of headcount we'll get, and if it's worth going after? I know personally that I am out the cost of the 2701 unit ($1900) + the bogus repair ($400) and the cost to replace - $1750 -- So, if we get enough folks together - I think that'll catch their attention. GOOD LUCK! Brent |
