Update: Pictures are here http://www.hostoptics.com/4780/ . Please note these are just temporary until I can take some in better lighting, and with the higher quality settings on. These are on low.
*Note* This is my "first impression" review. I will update this with another very large review after a week or so of use. I have been using this thing for about 10 hours now, and am going to write about what I think so far. */end Note*
Where to start. I ordered my 4780 on Feb. 6, 2004. I went with the 3.0ghz, 1gig ram, 60gig 7,200rpm, internal wireless, non-OS setup. It arrived today, Feb. 12, 2004. PCTorques service was A+. Never before have I dealt with a reseller that has met such high expectations. I love them.
I opened the box when it arrived to find the same things everyone finds when they order a 4780. The laptop itself securely packed, the case, all the cd's, remote, TV hookup, power block, etc.. Seeing a 4780 in person almost made me cry.
First impressions: Very impressed. Never before have I been in such awe of a machine. It is heavy, but not too heavy. I was looking at other widescreen laptops at best buy, and thought the 4780 was going to be gigantic. It is large, but not as large as others. This is a good thing. I find the size to be perfect. It also fits on my Podium CoolPad by Targus perfectly.
Installation: I ordered the 4780 without an OS, so I popped in my new copy of XP Pro that I got a good deal on, saving me money. Installing XP took all of 30 minutes, and I encountered no errors at all.
Drivers/Tweaks/Apps: I immediately did all windows updates, installed all the drivers on the cd's, all programs, and did many services/registry tweaks. Everything worked like a charm. I really liked how easy it was to install all the drivers on the driver CD. The only complaint I have about it is that the USB 2.0 stuff should be on there for XP, not just 2000.
Speed: OMG. This thing boots up in about 15 seconds. From hitting the power button to the desktop. I have never in my life seen even a desktop boot this fast. Amazing. Everything runs this fast as well. I don't wait even a second for applications to load.
Games: So far I have loaded BF1942, and the new UT2004 demo. Both run great. No complaints at all.
Heat: I still have not noticed whatever "insane heat" everyone talks about. I have not once heard the fan turn on, and the keyboard stays a little warm on the left side, but nothing more then any other laptop I've used. I've had this thing on for 10 hours now and it has stayed at the same temp all day. I do however have it propped up about 2 inches in the back with my coolpad. During games, and DVD's it hasn't gotten hot enough for the fan to kick in yet. My room is about 70 degrees, so I'm sure this helps too.
Keyboard: Wow. Best laptop keyboard ever. Very solid with no flex at all. Love it. Can't really say anything else.
The Screen: I saved this for last because it is the most important part of the system I believe. I am both happy and unhappy about it. During installation of XP I was amazed, and my mouth was watering at the beauty of this LCD. Once XP was installed, and I was up at the full resolution(also after ATI drivers from CD) I did however notice the one complaint I have about my laptop. I have a stuck green pixel in the top left of the laptop. It's almost in the center enough for me to see it on dark backgrounds, during DVD's, and during most games. It is bright as can be, and on a dark background is noticeable a ways away. I've tried massaging it some with no luck. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I wish it was just dead, not stuck. I'm going to keep it for a week at least and then decide if I want to send it back and order another. This isn't really something I'd like to do though because I spent hours getting this baby up and running, and I love it. I don’t want to risk more dead/stuck pixels and/or a dud machine.
Overall: I am in love with this machine. I know it has only been 10 hours, but I can’t really find anything I dislike exept for the stuck pixel. I am really hoping it goes away in the next week, or I can massage it out. I will be installing more games, apps, and other misc stuff over the next few days and will get benchmarks up with my big review. I am also taking pictures tomorrow, and will post them tomorrow night. If anyone has any questions or requests feel free to ask.
*Note* This is my "first impression" review. I will update this with another very large review after a week or so of use. I have been using this thing for about 10 hours now, and am going to write about what I think so far. */end Note*
Where to start. I ordered my 4780 on Feb. 6, 2004. I went with the 3.0ghz, 1gig ram, 60gig 7,200rpm, internal wireless, non-OS setup. It arrived today, Feb. 12, 2004. PCTorques service was A+. Never before have I dealt with a reseller that has met such high expectations. I love them.
I opened the box when it arrived to find the same things everyone finds when they order a 4780. The laptop itself securely packed, the case, all the cd's, remote, TV hookup, power block, etc.. Seeing a 4780 in person almost made me cry.
First impressions: Very impressed. Never before have I been in such awe of a machine. It is heavy, but not too heavy. I was looking at other widescreen laptops at best buy, and thought the 4780 was going to be gigantic. It is large, but not as large as others. This is a good thing. I find the size to be perfect. It also fits on my Podium CoolPad by Targus perfectly.
Installation: I ordered the 4780 without an OS, so I popped in my new copy of XP Pro that I got a good deal on, saving me money. Installing XP took all of 30 minutes, and I encountered no errors at all.
Drivers/Tweaks/Apps: I immediately did all windows updates, installed all the drivers on the cd's, all programs, and did many services/registry tweaks. Everything worked like a charm. I really liked how easy it was to install all the drivers on the driver CD. The only complaint I have about it is that the USB 2.0 stuff should be on there for XP, not just 2000.
Speed: OMG. This thing boots up in about 15 seconds. From hitting the power button to the desktop. I have never in my life seen even a desktop boot this fast. Amazing. Everything runs this fast as well. I don't wait even a second for applications to load.
Games: So far I have loaded BF1942, and the new UT2004 demo. Both run great. No complaints at all.
Heat: I still have not noticed whatever "insane heat" everyone talks about. I have not once heard the fan turn on, and the keyboard stays a little warm on the left side, but nothing more then any other laptop I've used. I've had this thing on for 10 hours now and it has stayed at the same temp all day. I do however have it propped up about 2 inches in the back with my coolpad. During games, and DVD's it hasn't gotten hot enough for the fan to kick in yet. My room is about 70 degrees, so I'm sure this helps too.
Keyboard: Wow. Best laptop keyboard ever. Very solid with no flex at all. Love it. Can't really say anything else.
The Screen: I saved this for last because it is the most important part of the system I believe. I am both happy and unhappy about it. During installation of XP I was amazed, and my mouth was watering at the beauty of this LCD. Once XP was installed, and I was up at the full resolution(also after ATI drivers from CD) I did however notice the one complaint I have about my laptop. I have a stuck green pixel in the top left of the laptop. It's almost in the center enough for me to see it on dark backgrounds, during DVD's, and during most games. It is bright as can be, and on a dark background is noticeable a ways away. I've tried massaging it some with no luck. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I wish it was just dead, not stuck. I'm going to keep it for a week at least and then decide if I want to send it back and order another. This isn't really something I'd like to do though because I spent hours getting this baby up and running, and I love it. I don’t want to risk more dead/stuck pixels and/or a dud machine.
Overall: I am in love with this machine. I know it has only been 10 hours, but I can’t really find anything I dislike exept for the stuck pixel. I am really hoping it goes away in the next week, or I can massage it out. I will be installing more games, apps, and other misc stuff over the next few days and will get benchmarks up with my big review. I am also taking pictures tomorrow, and will post them tomorrow night. If anyone has any questions or requests feel free to ask.
I cant find the links...
