Hi everyone,
I'm new here (first post) and also fairly new to laptops, but learning fast...
Been shopping around and have now stuck my neck out by buying
the just-out HP model ZV5034. (Should I be saying 'oops'?) Maybe being new, I'm too over-awed by the newness and sex appeal of this thing compared to my old Sony AMD K6-II...
Got what seems like a really good deal, as it was a recent demo with 10% off, plus $400 in rebates. But I am fully ready to return it within the 2 week refund period if it doesn't shape up. Hoping you guys can help me with a few questions...
Previously, I was looking at the new 17" model from Micro Express with the 7200rpm HD. Though it was a stretch budget-wise, I could go back to that if the HP turns out to be too limited. What drawbacks can I expect from the HP? (OK, they are a 'conservative' company, and I have read negative reviews of their computers and service, though I've had great experience with their test equipment for years).
So far, the HP's 'glaring faults' would seem to be (am I right on this?):
1/ Slow (4200 rpm) hard drive, as opposed to say, the Micro Express' 60GB 7200rpm Fujitsu(?) HD.
2/ Shared video memory used on HPs(?)
3/ Questionable quality (Made in China, etc.)? (not sure, this remains to be seen on mine as it seems solid...)
Oh, another thing: System Properties says there's only 384 MB of RAM, whereas the machine's supposed to come with 512 MB. The Best Buy salesman says that this is because of the shared video memory! Is he ****tin' me? It would be easy for someone to have pulled a memory module on a display laptop...
BTW, I want this machine to do multitrack pro-audio, flight sims, games, DVD-watching, and photo editing, and I want to avoid future 'upgrade shopping' for as long as possible.
Thanks for any advice, and best of luck!
Dave ('groovon')
I'm new here (first post) and also fairly new to laptops, but learning fast...
Been shopping around and have now stuck my neck out by buying
the just-out HP model ZV5034. (Should I be saying 'oops'?) Maybe being new, I'm too over-awed by the newness and sex appeal of this thing compared to my old Sony AMD K6-II...
Got what seems like a really good deal, as it was a recent demo with 10% off, plus $400 in rebates. But I am fully ready to return it within the 2 week refund period if it doesn't shape up. Hoping you guys can help me with a few questions...
Previously, I was looking at the new 17" model from Micro Express with the 7200rpm HD. Though it was a stretch budget-wise, I could go back to that if the HP turns out to be too limited. What drawbacks can I expect from the HP? (OK, they are a 'conservative' company, and I have read negative reviews of their computers and service, though I've had great experience with their test equipment for years).
So far, the HP's 'glaring faults' would seem to be (am I right on this?):
1/ Slow (4200 rpm) hard drive, as opposed to say, the Micro Express' 60GB 7200rpm Fujitsu(?) HD.
2/ Shared video memory used on HPs(?)
3/ Questionable quality (Made in China, etc.)? (not sure, this remains to be seen on mine as it seems solid...)
Oh, another thing: System Properties says there's only 384 MB of RAM, whereas the machine's supposed to come with 512 MB. The Best Buy salesman says that this is because of the shared video memory! Is he ****tin' me? It would be easy for someone to have pulled a memory module on a display laptop...
BTW, I want this machine to do multitrack pro-audio, flight sims, games, DVD-watching, and photo editing, and I want to avoid future 'upgrade shopping' for as long as possible.
Thanks for any advice, and best of luck!
Dave ('groovon')
