Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with laptop and hp

To buy or not to buy?

timdicator — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:15:00 -0800

Is this laptop a good buy for the money? Does anyone have any personal experience with it? Office Max is offering an HP Paviollion for $379.99 tomorrow. Since I don't have time to do a lot of test driving, help me figure out if it's a good buy.

New laptop - help me choose!

aimeel — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:53:39 -0800

New laptop choices - Fujitsu? Sony? Dell? HP? I know what I want in a notebook, but trying to figure out which maker will best meet my needs. I'm an English and Theatre teacher soon to move to Norway and I don't think my old laptop will last much longer. Looking for a Core 2 Duo and up, a 4-500 gig hard drive, Nividia or ATI graphics, a decent amount of RAM about a 16" screen. As a teacher, I have about 60 gigs right now of documents and photos, another 60 of music, and I do a lot with music, photographs, and not a lot of gaming. (That could change she suggests unrealistically). I do a lot of work on the internet and usually don't travel around much with the laptop. If I weren't headed to Norway I'd probably get a desktop, but there it is. It would be nice to be able to help my students with editing short films on my laptop, but not vital. And oh yes, can it be a dependable machine?

Big note- I am an old school typist. I like to feel definable keys under my fingertips. And I hate the whale-snot, smear magnet surfaces of most of the laptops I saw when I went to Frys. I did like the texture of the keyboards/touchpad on Sony and Fujitsu. I know it's cosmetic, but I like a clean deck. Suggestions? And am I better off buying through Frys, Best Buy, online through ?? or manufacturer? I'll have to live with it for a long time so I want to make a good choice. And I thank the hive mind in advance - you guys are the best.

ATI Mobility Radeon 4530 driver for XP?

MattScully — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:33:18 -0800

Down (up) grading a new HP DV7T-2000 to XP. The video card is an ATI Mobility Radeon 4530. I have had no luck in finding an XP driver. Does anyone have any experience with this card and have any ideas about a possible driver or workaround?

Windows Vista Doesn't Work with VGA to HDMI Converter Box

ao4047 — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:46:02 -0800

We have an HP Slimline machine running video with an Nvidia Geforce 6150 SE graphics card. We are wanting to use a VGA->HDMI box to convert the video output of the desktop and connect it to our television: 1) We know the VGA->HDMI box works correctly.

We tested with an Asus EEE Laptop running Windows XP and the video successfully outputs to the TV.

We tested with a Macbook Pro laptop and the video successfully outputs to the TV.

2) We know the HP Slimline desktop works sometimes.

When we boot up the desktop the 'HP INVENT' splash screen shows on the tv.

Then, the green status bar with 'Microsoft Corporation' displays.

Then, something happens to the video and the signal stops. I'm guessing that once the boot begins and then Vista settles in something is interfering with the signal being sent to the the VGA->HDMI box.

Any ideas? Thanks!

I found this previous thread but I think we're a bit further along in our testing.

One cheap laptop with everything, please.

lunasol — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:10:34 -0800

Cheap, lightweight(ish) PC laptop with an optical drive? Or should I just spring for a MacBook? Yes, this is another cheap laptop question. And it might be that what I'm looking for is unreasonable. But here goes:

I need a new laptop. A small one. I don't want to spend more than $600. Normally I would just buy a MacBook, because I prefer OSX to Windows, but the budget is pretty tight and so I'm exploring my other options.

I was all set to buy a netbook (an eee PC 1000 or Samsung NC10), until I realized that they don't have optical drives, which is important to me (I like to watch DVDs on my laptop). Boo.

Other than that, I'm your standard Word/Excel/internet/mp3 computer user. Nothing fancy.

So here's what I'm looking for:

- Under 6 lbs
- Screen under 14"
- Optical drive
- at least: 120 GB Hard drive
- Under $600 (under $500 would be even better - I really don't want to go any higher unless it's a Mac)
- Long battery life would be nice but is not essential.
- No Dells, unless I can be persuaded their machines and support have improved drastically since 2004, when I had a disastrous Dell experience.

I've been stalking fatwallet, slickdeals, etc etc and I have found lots of computers with some of these things under this price point: Netbooks that are small and light but have no optical drive, larger notebooks with all the bells and whistles but weighing closer to 10 lbs. The closest thing I've found (from this question) is this HP dv5t, but it's a bit big for my purposes.

If it turns out it's impossible to find a small, light, fully-functional notebook for under $600, I will just suck it up and buy the MacBook, but if it's possible to save some money, that would be great!

And if you want to say, "it sounds like you really want a Mac," you're right, but $1000 is pretty steep on my current budget.

Video causes my HP dv6000 (dv6810us) to restart after watching fro 30-45 minutes, motherboard or video card dying?

unclezeb — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 23:26:19 -0800

HP laptop video card issues filter: Video problem with my HP dv6000 (dv6810us) - artifacts appear then increase while watching Hulu, after 30-45 minutes the computer freezes then restarts. Pausing the video then letting the computer sleep for a couple minutes resolves the issue for another 20 minutes of video watching, then it repeats ... bad integrated video? Bad VRAM? Evil monkey? I got my HP dv6810us on ebay about 5 weeks ago, no problems, in great condition ... until yesterday. While watching a video on Hulu (using Firefox with IE tab extension, but same problem with using Internet explorer independently) the video slowly beings to show artifacts, eventually becoming fuzzy and with bizarre patterns on the screen. If I keep the video playing the computer freezes then restarts and reports a hardware error in the error log.

I have tried using k-lite mega codec, Vista Codec Package.

I have tried using IE rather than Firefox with the IE Tab extension.

I have tried replacing the video drivers with old HP versions, generic nvidia 7150 drivers, the laptop2go.com drivers (current), and rolling back to those originally installed.

I have tried watching while observing the GPU temperature ... it gets quite hot (55 degrees C).

Is it possible to expose the thermal compound / gell / grease /paste to replace it with a more efficient type/brand (i.e., Artic Silver, etc)?

If so, would I need a grease/compound or paste?

Any other suggestions beyond "replace the motherboard because the integrated video card is dying"?

Finally, any ideas on where to call or look on-line to determine if my computer is still covered by the warranty? (~5 months old, I have the original receipt though I'm not the original purchaser)

Laptop running Windows Vista with all updates, 3gb ram, not overclocked. Google desktop running in background, AVG anti-virus (cleansed of Norton), essentially all OEM specs and parts.

Thanks again mefites!

HP LCD gone pinko; love it or leave it?

xz — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 21:38:28 -0800

I like pink, but not when it's all over my LCD. I like pink, but only when the other option is black. Help me confirm my novice diagnosis, please, concerning my screwed HP Pavilion dv5220us laptop. Doing lots of internet searching (and scrolling through older MeFi questions), i'm pretty sure what's wrong with my laptop is either a blown backlight or a busted inverter board or less likely, a loose cable. What I could use some help with is figuring out whether it's clearly one or the other. That will help me decide whether I get a pro to fix it, try to do it myself, or just save up to buy a new machine.

For a week, when I booted the machine up or woke it from napping (HP Pavilion dv5220us, 2.5 years old), the LCD would be pink for a bit (c.30 sec) then "warm up" and be fine. An external monitor showed no problems at all. Then, after a week of that, suddenly it went black. You could still see an image on the screen, but it was very faint. I rebooted the machine, and again, it was pink for a minute, then fine for a minute, then poof: back to black. Now, after a few days, I don't even get the pink, just the black (with ghost image). An external monitor still is 100% fine.

Repair estimates cost $75 here in Melbourne AU. I've been told "if it's the LCD backlight, we'll need to replace the whole LCD, and that's $700." (MLN Laptop Repair) No dice. The machine isn't worth that much! I found the repair guide online, so I think I could manage to replace the inverter board myself. I'm not super handy, but I've done some hardware stuff. If I need more than a screwdriver, I should probably leave it alone.

I'm just wondering if those symptoms clearly suggest one problem vs. another to one of you extra-smart people. Or, if not, if the likelihood it's just the cabling or the inverter board means I should roll the dice with a pro shop.

There are so many laptops out there!

majikstreet — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 14:24:03 -0800

Laptop recommendations for a ~600 USD budget Yep, another laptop question.

I have a ~600 USD budget. I mostly surf the web, email, type, that type of thing. No gaming, but I do occasionally edit photos/videos.

I'm planning to put some distribution of linux on it (probably Arch).

I'm not really sure about what brand even to look at, as I haven't bought a laptop for a while, and I had been looking at netbooks because I thought my budget would be a lot smaller. I'm still open to them, but I think I'd be better suited to a regular notebook. (I think I'd get a Samsung NC10, though, because it seems to be the best of the current netbooks.)

I did have an older, used IBM Thinkpad that was very good, until it broke. It did, however, survive at least three drops to the floor from at least waist height.

I'm slightly wary of Dell because I've dealt with their support before, but I may be able to be swayed..

Right now I'm looking at a Toshiba , a Lenovo, and an HP.

I definitely want a new laptop (not used!). I have seen the past few questions about laptops.

Great big doorstop. FAIL.

CwgrlUp — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:58:51 -0800

Backing up an HP laptop for the ignorant. Halp? My wife's laptop recently bit the big one and to replace it we bought an HP dv6700. We didn't even think about it until days after purchase that it was strange that the power jack is located on the right side of the laptop rather than the back like the old one. In our current setup, the power outlet is to the left of the laptop, so the power cable has to come around the cpu and make a sharp turn to plug in.

Needless to say, in less than 3 months this has ruined the jack. Now just sitting still it cycles back and forth from charging to battery power at random. You can wiggle the plug slightly and see the charging light flash on and off. I got on the HP website yesterday and chatted with a 'specialist' (eye-roll) and she told me they would fix the jack under warranty. But of course I have to mail it to them and we'll be without cpu for a good solid week. Do I have much other recourse when this is such an OBVIOUS design flaw? Despite the 'specialist's' assurances, I know this problem will repeat itself. (unless of course I make drastic changes to my setup which will be a major inconvenience)

Next, we have the newest version of Word on the laptop. She bought it online, downloaded it and the code to make it work. Now she's used the code too many times (due to all these cpu problems within the last few months) and she had to go through hell just to get it on the new laptop. If we send the laptop to HP repair, I just know they'll reformat it. Can Word be backed up somehow? For that matter, can all the programs be backed up, settings and all? We went through a lot of blood, sweat, tears and arguments to get this thing set like we want it and the idea of doing it again makes me nauseous. Halp? Thanks ya'll.

Oh, I was savvy enough to create a shared folder between the laptop and our desktop if that helps.

How to fix a broken HP LCD backlight?

nasreddin — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 07:15:06 -0800

Woke up this morning, opened my HP laptop, and found out that the LCD screen was showing a very faint and dim image. I suspect the backlight is broken. It's out of warranty. What should I do? I'm in New York City, and I'd like to somehow get this done quickly and cheaply. I can probably replace the bulb myself, if necessary, although I have very little experience with soldering and that kind of thing. How can I check if this is indeed the problem? Where can I get parts (brick and mortar store)? How much is it likely to cost if I do it myself? What about if I get it serviced (at HP, presumably, although I'd like other suggestions as well)?

It's an HP DV2000T, bought in January 2007.

Help me find and fix my wifi card problem.

philomathoholic — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:05:46 -0800

I've replaced my wireless card, but my laptop still intermittently locks up. The problem occurs whether I'm running XP or Ubuntu, and disappears when I disable the wifi in bios. * I assume the freezes are related to when the card is transmitting.
* Ubuntu will work fine until it connects to an AP. Then it immediately has problems.
* XP has problems on the login screen, but works great (immediately) after disabling the wifi (via the wifi-radio button).
* Both XP and Ubuntu are fully up to date.

* My laptop is an HP Pavilion dv5000 (custom build), with a Broadcom mini-pci a/b/g wlan card.
* I thought the old card was the culprit, so I replaced it with an identical one from HP, but the problem remains.
* Ethernet works fine.

Should I suspect the motherboard? Do people replace the motherboard on laptops? Isn't that expensive? Don't people just replace the laptop instead?

What else could/should I be checking, to narrow down the problem?

Do I buy a new laptop before I know if I need it?

Galt — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 21:28:01 -0800

LaptopFilter: Do I get a new one tomorrow because I'll have the money and it's a good machine, or do I keep on with my trusty older machine that hasn't given me a touch of trouble yet? Much (maybe too much) I’ve got a HP Pavillion dv1000 – I bought it for cheapz, on sale for around $700 and it’s served me well; it’s small, it’s keyboard is amazing, I rarely run into battery/CPU constraints. I’ve also got a 2.33GhZ iMac – I use it for most of my video/media/fun stuff. The HP has been my windows machine for two years now, and it’s got a lot of stuff installed on it – office, flash, adobe cs, two versions of cygwin, multiple versions of visual studio, eclipse, apache, five versions of java, sdks, plugins, the works. I need to have a windows machine, and I'm not spending more than a thousand dollars on a laptop, so the first person who suggests I get a MacBook and put boot camp on it can defenestrate themselves.

I’m starting grad school next week (a one year masters program), and I’m wondering if I should get a new laptop. Specifically, I’m eyeing the Sony Vaio FW, on sale for a shade over a thousand dollars at Best Buy. A part of me says that my 1.5Ghz, 1GB RAM two year old loss-leader laptop won’t survive constant use in software engineering grad classes. That part says that a 16.4” screen will be better than my 14.1” screen, and a Core 2 duo with 2.26GhZ and 3GB of RAM will be great for any needs (not to mention that I might be able to play team fortress 2 without having to reboot my computer every night, something I haven’t even attempted on the HP). And my parents are here, now, helping me move in. Through reimbursing them later, I could most easily get access to the money to buy it - but only tomorrow (because that much is over the limit of my existing credit cards, my checkbook is back at home and without my own internet, I’m hesitant to manage my money online right now. So I could have the money myself…in a week or two, maybe). Given how much I’m into technology and how much I’ll be working on the laptop, I’m not sure that I’ll be able to resist.

The other part of me looks at how much I’ve already spent moving in and looks at how much is installed on the HP. It’s worked fine so far – virus free, defect free, glitch free for two years. The only problem is that the fan introduces a whine into the audio feed, so it’s hard to watch videos or listen to music on it. I have no pressing need to get a new laptop. This part of me says to wait, see what classes are like and maybe try out team fortress 2 on the HP. Be reasonable, it says. And don’t impuse-buy. It’s important to be able to control yourself. Some stuff (Flash) I wouldn’t be able to install on the new computer, and I’m not sure of other’s compatibility with Vista (Adobe CS2?).

But then the first part kicks in and says that I’ve got some money in savings and what’s it for if not fun stuff? Most of the stuff I should be able to get onto a new machine in a week or two, and it’ll be good to clean house.

But then the second part says, “oh, yes, and you’ll make how much money this year? And can’t you clean house by /cleaning/ instead of, to continue this analogy, buidling a new house next door and wrecking the first one?”

And the first part says, “It’s a great deal, it’s a beautiful laptop, and it’ll last! Think of it as an investment. Or a continuing plan to stay on top of technology. You’ll need to be able to work with Vista. You can’t reasonably expect to build software without even having a machine that runs it. And everyone else will have Vista, too.”

And the second part says that it’s not critical and the first part says “you’ll end up buying it anyway” and the part of me that doesn’t war with its self says, “I wish I had some less biased input!”

So, hive mind, some help? Wait and see, or just get it?

What to do when laptop display dies?

SurrenderMonkey — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:17:03 -0800

The screen on my HP Pavillion dv9000 laptop suddenly went black. Is there anything I can do except sending it back to HP? It's been so good to me for 1 1/2 years... (I have a 1 year warranty deal). When I boot I get 3 beeps, long-short-short. After a while I can hear windows, so nothing wrong there. I tried hooking up a 2nd monitor, but I'm getting no signal. Also tried to unplug power and batteries. No luck.

I've been reading around on HP.com about them issuing certain Pavillion models 1 year extra warranty. This does not seem to apply to my model, wich is DV9041EA, Product No RR111EA#UUW. Doesn't seem fair to me.

And finally: Do you creative minds have any ideas on how to back up files from my laptop? I have a 2 comp network, 2nd comp running fine, but the files that I need on my laptop are not shared. Any way to control the laptop? Is there a way to install some remote control software without a functioning display?

Do I hate HP, Vista, or Walmart?

ZackTM — Tue, 20 May 2008 16:24:29 -0800

Tell me i didnt waste $1,060 on this laptop This is one of the saddest things thats ever happened to me regarding technology.

Long story short, I bought an HP Pavilion tx1417cl laptop/tablet last month. I managed to buy the display model from Walmart thinking it was a great computer. Little did I know the return period was 15 days!!! The sales lady told me it was 30, and I, of course, never checked the receipt.

The screen is too shiney to use in normal circumstances, the touch screen is super unresponsive, and it came loaded with both a ton of useless HP nonsense that eats up memory, and worst of all Windows Vista.

Since it was the display model, it had a bunch of stuff done to it that i didnt set up. I decided (after I couldnt return it) to format it, and start over from the recovery image. This was an even worse mistake apparently...

The damn thing now runs so slow, my 4 year old XP laptop puts it to shame. I can barely load web pages much less anything data intensive. This is without any new software installed at all!!

What the heck is going on?

HELP me figure out how to do any of the following:
- Get rid of this computer without losing too much money!
- Speed up Windows Vista enough to make me feel like 'hey! i can do things easier on this laptop than I could before I owned it!'
- Revert to Windows XP or maybe even Linux but still be able to use the features that made this damn thing cost so much!

Help my laptop chill out!

Happydaz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 14:43:33 -0800

My widescreen HP laptop has a cooling problem. But most commercial USB cooling pads don't seem to be the right size to fit my machine, and I'm wondering if they'll still work OK if my laptop hangs over the edge. I have a DV 9000, which I purchased a year and a half ago, and the cooling fan started to get cranky after I had the machine on my lap or a cookie tray one too many times. The laptop measures 15 1/2 by 11 1/4. This cooling pad from Vizo looks pretty nifty, but I'd rather not pay $43 for it. Most the cooling pads for smaller laptops are in the $10 to $25 range. I am aware there are a lot of products out there and I've done a few hours worth of searching for them; I'd really like to hear which models are worth having and what the noise level is.

HP Laptop died 2 months out of warranty

criticalbill — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:59:47 -0800

A few lights blink, but no-one's a home. No bios, no whirring, no help from the retailer (PC World UK, and no I didn't go there, this question is for a friend)... PC World say that the motherboard is finished and that it will cost more than the £700 original cost to fix it.

Now this thread offers some good sounding advice for someone in a very similar position but with two vital differences: it was still in warranty and they are in the US, so the tip for getting to a Level 2 rep probably won't work so well.

My main question is am I right in thinking that the warranty is not the be-all and end-all of the situation? 14 months is very much like 12 months, if you ask me, especially for a underused and never dropped, no spills, no damage etc. laptop. (This thread seems to say that EU regs say a warranty must be minimum of 2 years, does anyone know if this has any force in the UK?) Secondly, has anyone got any good tips for handling HP UK?

Christmas come late

barrakuda — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:33:27 -0800

What laptop should I buy for $2K? What should it come with? I have $2K to get a new laptop. I want to get something that will last me for 5+ years, that is quick, dependable, easy to use and pretty. I will use it mostly for work, writing, e-mailing, occasional movie watching, as a blogging device and a depository of songs and photos. In the past I had a Compaq (which I loved very much). I understand that Compaqs are out of production now (for the most part). I have been looking at the HP Pavillion dv2700t series - I like the look of it - but is it any good? Do you have any other suggestions for other solid, lasting, pretty laptops?

Also, what should this come with in terms of memory, processor, other add-ons? Is Vista as horrible as they say? Anything I should know/think about before I buy? Thanks.

My laptop is killing my sanity!

sarcasticah — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:43:24 -0800

Okay, hive mind wise ones, please help save my sanity. I have an HP Pavilion dv9000 laptop that I bought in September. In general, it works great... except at random times, when I'm online, and the whole damn thing freezes up. It only happens when I'm online, and the only way to unfreeze it is to hold the power button down until it shuts off. Then I have to wait until it mostly boots up, and then it gets stuck on a black screen until I hit CTR-ALT-DEL, and choose to restart, and then, finally, after a long wait, it's back up and running.

What gives? I'm not running anything major. I'm using Firefox, and my operating system is Vista. I updated Java on the advice of a friend, and that didn't help. It happens at least once a day, and it's driving me crazy. I've kept track, and there isn't any one program that locks it up -- it just happens randomly.

The AstroGuy broadcast network is NOT on the air...

AstroGuy — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 13:50:48 -0800

My new HP laptop has a web cam but no useful software for it. So how can I actually use this thing? It's a Pavillion dv6449t that has an integrated 1.3MP web cam. It works (I've tested it with the "QuickStart" software that's worthless) and it shows up as a device in Flash options screens, but there is no real software to actually DO anything with it.

So what the heck can I do with this thing and what kind of software do I need?

(I saw an AskMe from about a year ago with almost the exact same question, but no real answers there.)

HP Sold Me A $1400 Craptop!

my homunculus is drowning — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:14:21 -0800

My HP laptop (DV8000) crapped out on me with just over one month left on the 1 year manufacturer warranty. They've had the computer for almost a month now and are giving me the run around, even trying to sell me a brand new computer. What can I do? About a month and a half ago the internal power supply and screen went out on my laptop, I'd had it for only 10 months. When I called HP they took my information, sent me a box to send my notebook back to them for repairs, and promised an e-mail letting me know what the problem was and when it was going to be sent back to me. I was never contacted. After 2 weeks I finally got a hold of somebody who told me that they received my computer but it was completely water damaged (and therefore not covered)! I'm fairly positive that isn't true. I take good care of it and haven't had any spills on it. When I asked further questions I was told he didn't know anything. I asked to speak to a manager but none have been available any of the several times I've called. I've been told several times that I would be contacted within 24-48 business hours. I've now called and gotten this same response 4 times.
I called again this morning and was greeted with yet a different response. After being transfered for the 3rd time (and almost an hour spent on the phone) the man I spoke with tried to sell me a new computer. Here was his shtick, "as a valued customer you are entitled to receive a new computer for the low low price of $700 in lieu of having your computer repaired, I think we have your credit card on file, do you ok the purchase?". He continued to say that it would be almost $700 just to fix the computer, because the warranty that I have doesn't cover accidental spills, which again I'm certain never happened.
Do I have any legal recourse against HP? Can I force them to fix and return my laptop? Has anyone else had this sort of problem with them before? Help!!!

Warranties for laptops

Mave_80 — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 16:45:12 -0800

Buying a laptop in the USA but giving to someone in the UK - anybody know about international warranties? My mother has set her sights on a particular HP laptop, which appears to be about half the price for a similar spec in the UK (she's determined to do an HP given how the HP integrated mouse pad is set up). While warranty is not a huge issue, it would be great if we could get an extended one that worked in the UK. Does anybody know of anything (talking to HP doesn't seem to do much good) that might work?

Also, for bonus points, does anybody know what the standard HP warranty covers that comes with the PC? I can't seem to find a copy of their terms on the HP website.

Help me decide on new laptop, i'm down to the final 2 contenders.

stavx — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:29:55 -0800

Hp Pavillion dv9000t vs Dell Inspiron 1705 Help me make a final choice for a new laptop. These last two contenders are almost too similar and I wonder if I am overlooking anything significant that might set one apart. My digital activities are:
bit torrenting
backing up dvd movies
ripping, mixing and editing mp3/audio
standard to light photoshopping, video editing, MS office apps
Lots of reading comics in (cbr format), ebooks and pdf's
web surfing, blogging/journaling
gaming is running HL2, Neverwinter Nights 2, Battlefield 1942 etc. asking for too much?

Both are priced the same @ about $1500 after coupons/promo codes etc.

hp pavillion dv9000t

* – Genuine Windows XP Media Center/with vista upgrade
* – Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5500 (1.66 GHz)
* – 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
* – 512MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 760
* – 2048MB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
* – 100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
* – LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
* – Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
* – High Capacity 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

Dell Inspiron 1705

* – Genuine Windows XP Media Center/with vista upgrade
* – Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 (1.60GHz)
* – 17"UltraSharp Wide Screen UXGA Display w/ TrueLife
* – 256MB ATI MOBILITY™ RADEON® X1400 HyperMemory
* – 2GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 533MHz
* – 100GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
* – 8x CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/Double Layer DVD+R

The main difference between the two that I see is the screen type and the Video card. I'm inclined to assume the 512 of Nvidia is more gooder than the 256 ATI, but what do I know.

Newegg has a Fujitsu Lifebook N Series N6420 NoteBook for $1349 that came in 3rd place due to it being out of stock until next week and only having 1gb of memory and a hard drive that runs @ 4200rpm.

I am also willing to start the research from scratch an AM more than open to recommendations of other laptops that pack the same or better bang for my buck.
thanx in advance.

Help me identify a hardware problem with my laptop.

Pontius Pilate — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 09:40:32 -0800

Help me identify a hardware problem with my laptop. I've been having more and more problems with my HP dv4000 laptop lately. Here is a brief background. Some weeks back, my laptop stopped charging when plugged in. It is still under warranty, and so the tech support sent me a new AC adapter. That didn't do anything. I then shipped the laptop to them, and got it back a week later with a note saying something to the effect that they've replaced the "reasoning board" or something similar (presumably, they meant the motherboard). The laptop was charging fine again, and everything seemed okay.

I was able to play DVDs, use the Internet, MSOffice, etc. with no problems whatsoever. However, I ran into problems when I tried to start up games. (My laptop has a 128mb ATI Radeon x700 card.) About two minutes into the game - any 3D, computer resource-intensive game - the computer shuts down by itself in the following sequence. First, all animation etc. on the screen freezes, but I can still move the mouse. The mouse also stops responding about 15 seconds later, and another 10 seconds after that, the laptop shuts down. When I press the power button immediately afterwards, the hard drive spins up and the screen comes on, but it shuts down again a second later. (This happens either once or twice.) However, when I press the power button again right after, the boot-up sequence proceeds fine.

The last weird component to this is that all this happens only when the computer is plugged into the AC adapter. When it's running on battery power, I can play games until the battery drains with no shutdowns or other weird glitches. I do seem to recall hearing some months ago that HP laptops have some power jack problems, but I can't seem to find anything confirming this.

So - what could this be? I realize I can take this to HP tech support again, since the laptop is still under warranty. However, when I called them to address this, their first solution was for me to reformat the hard drive and reinstall Windows. I have good reason to believe that this is a hardware and not a software problem, inasmuch as it never occurs while the laptop is on battery power, but I don't know exactly where the issue lies. If someone were able to identify the hardware problem, I could simply direct the tech support to fix that particular part, and not have to go through the pain of backing up about 60 gigs of data, reformatting the hard drive, and reinstalling Windows only to discover the issue still there.

As always, any help is greatly appreciated.

Why doesn't her laptop work on one Ethernet port?

cameradv — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 11:10:12 -0800

My daughter's college dorm room has two Ethernet ports, and her laptop interacts with them differently. I can't understand what's going on, so I'm asking the hive mind. When I first plugged her laptop into the port next to her bed, Windows Home on her new HP Pavilion dv2000 reported "network or cable unplugged." So I tried a different cable, and still a third and a fourth. All received the same error.

Three other computers, using those cables, plugged into the port just fine. Two Macs and one Windows Pro SONY.

So I purchased a USB Ethernet dongle for her, thinking maybe her laptop's ethernet port was bad. Same error.

However, if we plug her computer into her roommate's port, it connects fine.

So they're in a weird arangement where long cables cross the room, and each is plugged into the other's port.

What could explain this bizarre problem? Help a computer-wise Dad regain credibility with his daughter.

laptop won't boot with battery installed

miniape — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 06:08:27 -0800

My laptop won't boot with the battery in, even when it's plugged in. Is it dead? It's an HP pavilion, about 1 year old. The batter wasn't holding a charge very long. I followed some instructions I found on the internet to re-calibrate the battery. They said to boot in BIOS, let the laptop run itself down and then charge it back up.

I did all this. Now when I turn my computer on it begins to boot but craps out during the process (shuts off completely), even with the power cord in. If I remove the battery, the computer will boot normally and work fine. Is there a way to get this thing working with the battery still in it? Is there any hope for the battery?