HP Compaq's $300 laptop reviewed, makes strong case to bypass netbook
By Ross Miller 
posted August 2nd 2009 12:35AM
posted August 2nd 2009 12:35AM
posted August 2nd 2009 12:35AM
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Easy way to get rid of inventory.
more lyke 'comcrap'
heh.
That's reserved for Comcast.
Though "It's comcastic" is making for an apt synonym.
whats the specs?
never mind found it here:
# AMD Sempron SI-42 Processor
2.10 GHz with 512Kb L2 Cache
# 3GB Shared Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 800MHz, expandable to 4GB
3GB of memory to handle today's memory-hungry applications
# 160 GB Hard Drive SATA
Store Photos, Videos, Music and more.
# CD/DVD Writer (DVD+/-RW)
Play and create CD's and DVD's with the CD/DVD burner
# Wireless WiFi & Wired Ethernet
Connect to a broadband modem with 10/100Mbps Ethernet or Wireless connect to a WiFi signal or hotspot with built-in 802.11 b/g
# 15.6" Diagonal High Definition HP BrightView Display
NVIDIA GeForce 8200M integrated graphics with up to 1407MB Shared Video Memory
Thanks Jay Jay for specs. I might recommend this to my brother instead of a netbook.
No mention of battery life.
lol. modem jack.
I want! Can't decide!
so I "maybe"
Except that it's twice the size and weight compared to a netbook.
Everyone has different usage scenarios and for some people, this would simply just be too bulky.
Still, very affordable.
Got one does the job
I'm curious what the job is. What I don't get is how back in 1999 I could edit video on my K6-2 300Mhz machine with 64MB's of RAM and today a 2.1GHz laptop with 3GB of RAM is only good for browsing the web and checking my email. What's up with that?
someone please help me understand this too
*cough* Vista
I also have had one (for months now) and it more than does the job.
What's the job?
As a student, I can carry around my research and look at it on a screen with a comfortable size. As a human taller than you Oompa Loompas wielding netbooks, I need a keyboard that I can use two hands on and with which I can type papers, research, etc. It runs Windows 7 just fine btw.
Other than school and work purposes, it performs just fine for mobile entertainment. As for gaming, I can't imagine someone trying to 'game' on a netbook either, so that's a moot point altogether in the discussion.
Peoples expectations of a video editing computer have greatly increased. They expect the ability to edit HD and edit it fast! You can edit video on this, but it will be slow. It won't be as slow as the 600MHz computer but if you don't mind the waiting, go right on ahead!
And just what the hell do you expect for $300 bucks a Ferrari? Get real.
My dad bought one of these. It's a very nice laptop for the price, I was pretty amazed by it's GPU power, lol
What do you mean, fills the gap between netbook and laptop? An underspecced, inexpensive 15.4 inch laptop is STILL a laptop.
It bridges the gap in price.
If you can find one. They're already out of stock here (plus Walmart isn't offering it online), and the previous article suggested that this was a one time affair.
Haha... really? A numpad? That's awesome.
Got the screen space? Why not use it?
Because then your hands are over on the left while you type?
well one of my hands are typing on the left. the other hand is elsewhere..
fleshlight, sucker
Ross, I think you forgot to include a link to the review. I'm not planning on clicking through to read it or anything, but you should probably link to it, or explain why you'd post about it but not link to the source.
I got one, and for the price it performs well. I had to get to Walmart early to get one. The laptops were not out in the isles . They stocked them behind the counters. Away from prying eyes. I am glad I visit Engadget and got the heads up early!!:)
Great post to choose. This is most certainly a non-article.
Most people would choose "Hello World" BTW.
don't fit in my purse
It sounds like you would rather not want it to fit.
why do they keep making cheap laptops 15 inches? Would it make more sense for the cheaper ones to have smaller screens?
Smaller screens would also mean smaller bodies. And smaller bodies give you less room to fit all your components.
*so you need greater levels of miniaturization, which makes things more expensive.
15" is a pretty good compromise between usability and occasional portability. I wouldn't lug it with me all day every day, but if I only carried it a couple times a month then I'd rather have the bigger screen for easier use.
Having a modem isn't a bad idea. Many travelers don't want to pay $10 a day for hotel Internet access because they need to check their email - so instead, they go to Best Buy and pick up a NetZero trial disc and just cancel it. I'm not one of those people - there's no way in hell you'll find me on a dial-up connection, no matter what. Not even if zombies shut down the nation's broadband connections!
The kind of people who buy full-sized but cheap laptops aren't the kind of people who stay at hotels that charge $10 extra for internet. It's expensive hotels that have a separate fee for internet access, since they have already determined that price sensitivity is not the greatest deciding factor for their clientele.
There are still plenty of seniors on a low fixed income budget who still rely on cheap dial up to get their email (i personally know few in Florida) and people living in rural areas that cannot get DSL, cable, FIOS, and dont want to pay $100 or more for satellite internet.
(Hit add comment before I was done)
For those old people like Senator Ted Stevens, dial up is the only way they can connect to the interwebs.
If you are a sales person visiting someone else and need to print something simple like a sales order, there are many different ways to do it, and not all of them match companies' security policies regarding having an "alien" laptop connecting to a local printer. using a Fax modem is a quick and simple way to to address that.
If HP is releasing Compaqs for $300 you can bet everyone else will soon be too.
The Race to the Bottom is on...
Tell you what, offer it with no operating system for $50 more and I'll think about it.
So you want to pay $50 more to have the OS stripped. Hmmm...
No, I'll pay $50 to make sure Microsoft gets $0. I can wipe a disk myself.
Heck, offer it for $50 LESS and I'll probably pick one up.
I like that thought.
Nah ... unless we get a huge price break, I actually like buying PCs with Windows installed. I can always just install the (rather obvious) OS of my choosing. I'm not going to pay MORE for something with LESS functionality out of the box.
Ah microsoft haters. Its like rpg gamers being called nerds by people who play Halo all day. I'm better than you because I'm different. GO MAC! (sigh)
Microsoft isn't going to wither away until people stop throwing money at them. Since that's what I want, I will not buy their products, not even their admittedly awesome game console, games, and optical mice.