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"This machine is booby trapped and I'm the Booby" on by fkampa
Pros: It does have reasonable specs for the price and seemed like a good deal up front.
Cons: Very hard to add anything internally.
The blue LED on the front could be used as a flashlight.
The HP setup documentation is misleading and dangerous to the system.Summary: Adding a second internal DVD drive is next to impossible. The length of the wiring harness will only allow a sata connection, and there is only enough wire for the connection to be on the right side of the drive The older style drive connectors on the cable won't reach the left side of the open bay.
There are tiny wires, probably antenna leads for the wireless strung through the top panel both front and back and no warnings they are easily torn loose if you slide the top panel trying to gain access to the internal bays. I finally gave up and settled for buying an external USB writer to get my second disk drive.
The thought of trying to add a second internal hard drive was fleeting once I saw what was necessary. The solution, once again is an external drive.
The instruction sheets with the computer and monitor are abysmal. I purchased an HP2408 monitor to go with the computer. The monitor comes with a software disk. The instruction sheet for the computer has several pictures that I guess are supposed to be worth several thousand words as there is only one brief paragraph with 10 words that says "see the instructions in the monitor box". The instruction sheet for the monitor says check the enclosed DVD for instructions and software. The disk offers to install the "HP My Display" program for additional functionality. When the software is installed, it reports it is not for this monitor. From this point on, whenever the computer is started it says the monitor driver is missing, and when you try to install the driver, it says you don't have permission to remove the existing driver (even when using the driver recovery program that comes with the computer). I've spent a week or so ignoring the dialog and installing my software programs I need to get back in operation for my current projects. When I contacted HP support yesterday, after 3 hours on the phone and numerous attempts to fix the problem, the message was that I would probably have to use the recovery disks to wipe the machine back to it's original state and start all over, omitting the step to install HP's monitor software that apparently has corrupted the system.
This is not my very first computer. I've been working with computers since the early 80's. It is however, the very worst experience I've had with a new computer, and I don't think it has been all my fault. Caveat Emptor folks. -
"Buyer Beware: failed product and failed support" on by kenriley02
Pros: I like the idea, unfortunatly if fails to deliver.
Lots of memory, Fast Quad Core machine, big harddrive.
Comprehensive Multimedia FeaturesCons: Slow system.
Failures out of the box.
Recorded TV programs corrupted
Consistent Video Errors 50% of the time.
Burn failures 50% of the time.
Support lacking skills to support
Third party software also unstable.Summary: This product was sold as a multimedia center and a type of DVR replacement. It has completely failed to function in that role.
From day one core functions like, recording tv programs, playback of previously viewed programs, and burning Video DVD's from the recorded TV programs fails as much as 50% of the time.
After 60 personal hours of troubleshooting with vendor intervention (30 hours of
direct vendor support), numerous reconfigures and reinstalls, a complete factory restoration (done by me), a replacement of TV Tuner (by me, and a trip back to vendor for repair (optical drive replaced by them), they've failed to address the problem. In fact they don't even try to duplicate the problem, but rely only on basic low level diagnostics to tell them the hardware is OK. They didn't even attempts, based on the repair report to burn a DVD of any kind (only are read test).
Vendor has now completey walked away from the product indicating that the problem is not thier problem since they only deal with hardware. Additionally, they've indicated that if it works 50% of the time (being there's a 50% failure rate) then I must be the problem and there's nothing wrong with the system. Of course I'm only using the TV remote to pressing record from the program guide, and pressing play at from the recorded program list, and selecting the burn to DVD to burn programs to the DVD (and of course I'm putting in fresh DVD; two diffent types from three different vendors).
Apparently 50% failure is an acceptable failure rate for them.
On top of all of this, the vendor expired the 90 warranty on my maching at 71 days from the date the order was placed (66 days after I received the product).
Vendor factory repair falsely reported procedures that were absolutely not done.
After all this, I do have some improvement. TV programs now record properly. Video Error's on playback are down from 50% to 20%. DVD burn failures still failing 50% of the time(my collections of 40 DVD coasters due to burn failures continues to grow).
Having limited third party installs on this system from the beginning in order to avoided conflicts, only now have attempted to use third party solutions. These to work around the failures delivered with the original product. The too are failing. Even the onese recommened by vendor. So far the system has been highly unstable and as a factory install.
Repeated Email's to the Vendor Ethics does no good because they simply refers it back to the same support group that now refuses to acknowledge the problem. This is what I call grading your own homework.
It appears that this vendor has dumped an unstable product on unsuspecting customers leaving them on the hook. And that, refurbished is simply a factory refreshing of software and a sending it back out the door and terminating warrantly as soon as possible to get it off the books.
As much as I hate to say it, owning now many product from this vendor (5 computers, two scanners and 5 printers), they no longer are concerned about quality or reputation.
So I suggest the buyer beware of this product and dependence on vendor support. -
"Good starting platform but needed a few updates..." on by sprungej
Pros: Quad Core
8GB of RAM --> Expandable to 16GB
TV Tuner
Big Enough Drive
Wireless NIC in a desktop makes it easier to put in places without a wired drop available.
Light Scribe DVD - Very Cool
BluRay - Still not that common in today's PCs.Cons: Small Form Factor
Underpowered Out of the Box
Bloatware
Poor Video CardSummary: I bought this model from Best Buy with the intention of using it as an HT PC. That being said, I needed a better gaming platform and thus its status changed. I agree with the other reviewers, but all of the complaints can be fixed...
1. It comes/came with Vista... Go to 7 (64 bit)
2. It comes/came with an NVidia GeForce 9600GS... Replace it! I am running an AMD/ATI Radeon 9950*. *To accomplish this, I had to modify some of the case and remove a few un-used cables.
3. It comes with what I believe was a 350 Watt Power Supply... I put in a 1000 Watt (admittedly this was overkill, a 650 would do just fine as well).
If you are not the computer modification savvy type, this PC will undoubtedly come across as an underpowered POS. What you have to understand however, is that for base of what you are getting it is a decent system.
I put in a few extra bucks for the new PS, Video Card, and more memory (my choice, not required) and I have one heck of a gaming system now. That is the great thing about desktop PCs such as this, you can modify them, to a point, to fit your needs.
One last thing for the technical folks out there... This board is expandable to 16GB with 4 DDR2 slots. I've been looking at other boards that support the AMD 9850 w/ DDR2 memory and I've not been able to find a whole lot that allow more than 8GB max (2 DDR2 slots).
Thanks, and I hope this helps someone. -
"Great but could be better" on by Flaresoft
Pros: HD Imput
Blue Ray
BackupCons: To noisy
To heavySummary: Great computer, compared to the other reviewers I have not had any of these problems, maybe it's because I'm a certified IT, but bottom line
"If you want respect, Treat the computer like a pet." -
"God-Awful machine and service" on by obooker01
Pros: It was on the shelf at Sam's Club. That's it.
Cons: Crashes, slow, choppy, dies. Terrible phone support.
Summary: I bought the m9517c from Sam's in May 09, but of course they don't sell it anymore. Nothing but problems with the machine. Right after I got it, had to send it back to HP cause it died. After I got it back, it went downhill until it didn't boot anymore (bad hard drive). HP convinced me to let them mail me a new HDD and install it myself. Bad idea. I did exactly as I was told and the puter bricked. The tech on the phone had me tear the puter apart only to screw it up even more. It is now gone back to them for repair. I bought a Dell and have been very happy. My Dell just works. Do not buy HP!
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