- Average user rating:
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Amazing Bang for the Buck"
Pros: all the high-end specs for great cost
Cons: sticky keyboard, no standard mouse plug
Summary: I love this computer not because it's especially better than other comparable computers, but because it's so much more affordable.
First, let me tell you about my R4000's specs:
2.4 GHz AMD Athlon processor w/ 1MB L2 cache.
1G Ram
CD/DVD-/+RW DL (Double layer support)
Brightview Widescreen 15in Screen
128 MB VideoRam (ATI)
60G 5,400 Rpm Hard Drive
Internal Ethernet, Wireless B/G card
2 year pick-up warranty service
All that cost me just $1,350. I know that may seem like a lot, but any Dell or Sony laptop with comparable specs doesn't start below $2,000.
There are several specific things about my R4000 that I noticed and particularly like. First, the screen is incredibaly sharp and colorful. Even my brother's Dell desktop flat panel monitor doesn't look as bright or crisp. Second, a double layer DVD burner only costs $25 more (they go for about a $100 in stores). In case you don't know what that means, double layer DVDs have just hit the market and can hold up to 8.4G of data on one disk, on one side. So no more compressing long movies and losing picture or play quality. The burner is also very fast at 8x. Third, the laptop runs very quietly.
There are a few things I didn't like. First, the keys on the keyboard are slightly stubborn. You have to press down a little harder than usual, and sometimes they stay down for a second after you've released them. That's a little annoying when you're gaming (I often play Counter-Strike, and it runs like a dream on this machine). Second, there's no P/2 mouse port, so you'll need a USB mouse. That was a bit annoying too. Third, you have to pay extra for Microsoft Office (about $90). That wasn't a big deal for me beacuse I'm a student and can get Office for free from my University. However, that may be a drawback for others. Still, these are small complaints and don't really matter compared to the product and it's cost.
To get an idea of the computer's speed, here are a few Apps I use that run smoothly without any lag: Photoshop, Counter-Strike, Word, Opera, Civilization III, Internet Explorer, DVD Shrink, Norton, Spysweeper (the computer runs smoothly even while Spysweeper is conducting a system-wide sweep).
And for those of you who may be wondering, I am in no way affiliated with or employed by HP or Compaq. I'm just a guy who really likes his new computer.
