$899 Compaq laptop - Is this a hot deal?

[redmaple]

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/prodde...gon=&langid=EN



I've been looking for a relatively cheap/portable laptop for school and came across this. Is this any good? Or should I wait and see if a better deal would come along with the 14 days of bestbuy deals?
I don't download movies or play games. I'll probably only use this for internet surfing, music and to take notes during lectures. But i don't want it to be super slow or anything either.
Is the processor any good?
Battery life - 2 hours (no good for 3 hour lectures then??)
Removable storage - no (does this mean no usb port??)

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Product Features


Mobile AMD Sempron 3000+ Processor with PowerNow Technology

14" WXGA High-Definition BrightView Widescreen Display with 1280 x 768 Resolution

60GB Hard Drive (4200 RPM)

512MB DDR memory for for multitasking power, expandable to 2048MB

CD-RW/DVD-ROM Combo Drive

Built-in 802.11g Wireless LAN with Speedbooster

Weighs only 2.45 kg and measures just 3.9 cm thin for easy portability.

128MB ATI Radeon Express 200M IGP Graphics

Pointing Device: Touchpad With On/Off Button & Dedicated Vertical Scroll Up/Down Pad; QuickPlay Music & DVD Buttons

I/O Ports: 2 x Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0; 1 x Headphone-Out; 1 x Microphone-In; 1 x VGA (15-Pin); 1 x TV-Out (S-video); 1 x RJ-11 (Modem); 1 x RJ -45 (LAN)

Software: Microsoft Works; Microsoft Money; MSN Encarta Plus; InterVideo WinDVD; Sonic RecordNow, Microsoft Office 2003 Student and Teacher Edition (60-Day Trial Version); Adobe PhotoShop Album STE; Apple iTunes and Apple iTunes Music Store(m); Adobe Acrobat Reader; Symantec Norton Internet Security 2005 (Including 60 Days Complimentary Live Update)

Staying power: Benefit from up to 2 hours of battery life with the standard 6-cell Lithium-Ion battery.

Archive and share: DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive allows you to back up your data files with CDs capturing up to 650MB of data.
Please Note: This product only contains English operating instructions and system software.


Product Details

Web Code: 10063265
Mfr. Part Number: EC180UA#ABL
Processor Type AMD Mobile Sempron 3000+
Screen Size 14.0"
RAM (Preloaded / Maximum) 512MB DDR RAM
Hard Drive 60GB 4200
Optical Drives 24X DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo Drive
Graphics ATI Radeon Xpress 200M IGP; w/128MB DDR
Average Battery Life 2 Hours
Product Weight 2.45 kg
Audio Type Altec Lansing
Battery Type 6-Cell Lithium-Ion
Cache 128KB L2
Fax/Modem High Speed 56K
I/O Ports See The Features Section
Included In Box Info Not Available
Network Card Integrated 10/100 BASE-T Ethernet LAN
Other Software See The Features Section
PC Card Slots 1 Type I/II 32-Bit Card Bus
Pointing Device Touchpad with On/Off Button
Preloaded Operating System Microsoft Win XP Home Ed.+ Serice Pack 2
Processor Speed 1.8GHz
Product Dimensions 23.1(W) x 3.9(H) x 33.4(D) cm
Removable Storage No
Screen Type 14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen
Speakers Altec Lansing Speakers
System Bus Info Not Available
Warranty 1 Year Limited Parts & Labour

[TinyTank]

not a bad deal. But compaq sux(yes i know HP bought them). I would rather get that dell notebook for $1100.

[carabunny]

2 hrs is.. not good.

i use my laptop mostly for notes as well, when its a 3 hr lecture + a 2 hr lecture... on lowest everything settings... it lasts so i don't have to bring the a/c adaptor and charge between classes or sit far away and charge it

but yeah 2 hrs is not enough for classes for myself. i need at least 3 b/c of the 3 hrs

i don't like compaq either so yeah...

[Badman]

Although the price is right i think u shud wait for something diffrent. The procceser is preety good but its more low end. I think all computers no matter what has a usb port. and one major turn down is the battery life. i have a laptop that last's 2hrs 30 min on average and even thats bad. plus i think that batery life doesn't include if u turn on the wireless. soo that will worsen the battery. maybe u shud wait for one of best buys 14 day deals or even look at dell computers for their sale thats going on.

[TheBlueShirt]

CompUSA used to carry the similar one for USD $499 after rebate, I think I will wait the next $750 off $1500 dell promo to get a 17" 9300 instead.

[weilyan]

2 hours isn't enough....usually it means 2 hrs when you're doing nothing....

[Cisco KId]

not a bad deal. But compaq sux(yes i know HP bought them). I would rather get that dell notebook for $1100.

Can you explain why Compaq sux? Did you have an issue which can happen to any brand or is that just you own personal opinion backed up by no data what so ever?

Personally imho and based on some reviews I could provide Compaq is decent and for the price on that unit you will not find much from Dell that can match.

I own a R3230 Compaq and it rox notan issue ever. Also with Compaq you can buy an extended warranty online 60 days prior to original warranty expiring.

I think the deal at 900 is decent, I would buy the Best Buy coupon off RFD, check the "buy sell area" someone has a 375 for 325 or 400 for 350, whatever way it is another 50 off

I would get near 3 hrs on my R3230, but I have never used the battery since I bought but friend has same notebook and he gets 3 reading text.

I would try for the Averatec if the uit is for school, lets hear the ridicule on that one, but I can tell you this it is reliable and great on battery life and very portable

[chestnut]

not a bad deal. But compaq sux(yes i know HP bought them). I would rather get that dell notebook for $1100.

You do know that whether it be Compaq, Dell, HP... there are pretty much just outsourced to either Quanta or Compal. So your argument that a Dell is better is moot.. they are made from the same place (depending on model), just with different specs.

If you do a search you will find some Compaq models are rebranded and sold to other countries since they just buy the "specs" from the manufacturers. They don't even need to do R&D now. It really has become a commodity.

btw. Quanta builds the iMacs.

[Tang Van]

I actually bought Compaq V2305 home and use it for a few days. Im my opinion it sucks!

1) The laptops get hot, i mean very hot even used for a short while (especially under the LCD screen).

2) The laptops is cheaply built. the plastic is soft, especially the LCD screen. When i was flipping it up and down, it seem like it will break and second.

3) Even though it's only 2.45 kg, it is still very bulky and thick. The picture is decieving, you got to go take a look for yourself.

Howver,despite those faults, the laptop's performance is not bad and the processor is quite fast.

[Menace]

Never being cheap when buying laptop.

[carabunny]

I actually bought Compaq V2305 home and use it for a few days. Im my opinion it sucks!

1) The laptops get hot, i mean very hot even used for a short while (especially under the LCD screen).

2) The laptops is cheaply built. the plastic is soft, especially the LCD screen. When i was flipping it up and down, it seem like it will break and second.

3) Even though it's only 2.45 kg, it is still very bulky and thick. The picture is decieving, you got to go take a look for yourself.

Howver,despite those faults, the laptop's performance is not bad and the processor is quite fast.

... are those faults not enough? haha +_+


and i agree with Menace. i do not regret spending over 1k on my ibm. worth every penny imo.

[Hugh]

Notebooks are about tradeoffs. You really have to decide what you want it for.

Notes in class? I assume that you have several classes in a day and therefore need much more than 2 hours of battery. Carrying a heavy notebook between classes is really burdensome -- remember all those textbooks that you are also carrying. Go for thin & light with a long battery life. It is very likely that the battery life will decrease as the notebook gets older, so be sure to get a battery with a lot of margin. Probably you should go for a Centrino / Pentium M (Turion *might* be OK -- are there good chipsets for it?). Perhaps a PDA with a decent keyboard would make even more sense.

If you don't need to carry it around much, you can accept a heavier notebook. Then you can get all sorts of improvements: cheaper, faster, bigger screen, more toys (DVD burner, floppy, flash reader, ...). I have such a notebook (HP Pavilion zv5000z with AMD 64); boy is it a a pain to carry but the display (1680x1050) is a joy.

The tradeoffs get nasty if you try to accomplish too many things with the notebook. Say: heavy-duty gaming AND batteries that last throughout a trans-pacific flight. That's why many people have both a desktop and a notebook.

[kunderam]

After getting it home for 3 days, this is my 2 cents.

Cons:
it gets quite warm (hot) - but I tested it for straight 8 hours and it did not freeze or reset.
the battery doesen't last more than 2.5 hours
shared video memory

Pros:
it is a fast processor
512 MB
the screen high-res
same case as V2310, and it looks cool

It is a reasonable deal for $900. Like always, the price of laptops in general will drop more. I check around and this is the best spec I can get at this point of time.

[Jusdem]

Honestly, I would buy this laptop if I didnt already get a Dell 700m. I am a college student, and this laptop is nice looking, and small. It is kinda heavy, and it may run hot. But for the price, and as a student... this isnt a bad piece of hardware. Compaq IS good, and the only things I think you should be thinking about here is...

- Is battery life (2hrs) a concern? (you can plug it in, in your lecture classes)
- Is the temp too hot? (according to that 'other' guy it gets hot, are you placing on your lap often? i.e. travelling)
- And weight. I mean it is light compared to most, but it still is kinda heavy, not ultra light thats for sure.
- Are you a gamer? (no good for gaming, perfect for students work)

Other than that, I've seen this laptop. Very nice looking, thin compared to most systems. Widescreen is SWEET. And it DOES have USB ports. Not for gaming. And battery life sux, unless you dont need long life (use the plug!). I've been looking into buying a laptop for quite some time, and this one definately caught my eye, but I already got a Dell 700m (spent the little extra). Otherwise I would DEFINATELY buy this one. Best bang for your buck now (for spending $900).

Definately!

The CPU is good, RAM is good, and HDD is good. I would buy it, unless you want to pay like 2 or 300 more, for longer battery life, and cooler temps. Other than that, this is a good deal in my mind.

If you have any other questions, send me a PM.

[scoober140]

I went and looked at this at bestbuy and it's one nice looking machine.

I don't know too much about computers but i have a pentium 4, 2.4ghz laptop from dell already ... will this be a huge downgrade if i switched ???

I just want a lighter laptop that still does the job???

any help would be greatly appreciated