Rating: 
Summary: A great, affordable XP PC.
Review: The Compaq 5300US is an easy top pick for a pre-installed, affordable Windows XP Home Edition PC. I've been using XP at work since the beginning of the year, and have nothing to say about it here except it's very, very good. (NTFS on a home PC! ClearType on an LCD panel is incredible!)The 5300US doesn't include a monitor or speakers, but I already have them. I yanked the modem and replaced it with an ethernet card (SMC EZ) before powering up the 5300US. The case is really easy to work with, but a Phillips head screwdriver is needed to remove one screw. A tool-free screw would have been nicer. After defining the users, setting the time zone, etc., and logging on, I checked the Device Manager, and everything was in order, including the network adapter. Attaching a USB printer (Lexmark Z22) went flawlessly, with the driver loading from within XP - including the cartridge installation and alignment steps, without need for Lexmark's installation CD. The printer uses the second USB port in the back. The other one is needed by the keyboard. The mouse is old-fashioned PS/2 style. There's a DIN connector for the keyboard, but it's not used. What's REALLY nice is the flip-open panel next to the floppy drive. Instead of being "dead space" it has two more USB ports, ready for a Web Cam or whatever. Of less obvious value is the 5-disc CD holder in a click-open panel. Too much trouble to use for frequently swapped discs. The only disc of interest that comes with the 5300US is the Recovery CD. I'll stick that in the cubby, along with the Lexmark disc I didn't need. The Compaq 5300US runs very fast and smooth, with a 1.1 GHz Celeron and 256MB of PC100 memory (it might be 133 memory, but the bus is 100). Not scrimping on memory is what raises the Compaq above other products in this price range (a single 256 MB DIMM and one open slot). The hard drive is "only" 20GB, but that's plenty. More memory is what makes XP sing. Anyway, from the moment this machine first booted, it was obvious it's a real winner. For super-fast 3D video, DVD-ROM and CD-RW I have my primary machine, a Dell 4100. What the 5300US needs to be is a really fast Web browser for broadband, a general-purpose family PC, etc., and for that it's absolutely perfect -- after you install an ethernet card, that is. The Compaq 5300US is a deal, if not a steal. I'm a happy Dell customer, but at the moment Dell just doesn't have a package that comes close to this one from Compaq. For me, it really hits the sweet spot.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Computer
Review: This computer is AWESOME! I just got it and it has never frozen in the month that i've had it. It has alot (512 MB) of RAM which makes windows XP run great. The 1.7 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor is flawless and makes the computer run fast, very fast. The 80 GB hard drive is great for storing big files. It also has a great graphics card (GeForce MX 400) which makes games such as Max Payne run really well, and the graphics card also has a whopping 64 MB of memory and an S-Video TV out port. The EA Games and EA Sports bundles that came with it includes awesome games, such as Need For Speed: Porcshe Unleashed, Simcity 3000 Unlimited, Tiger Wood's Pro PGA Golf 2001, Madden 2001, and Triple Play Baseball. DVD's run on it great, due to the fast DVD drive. And with the fast CD-RW drive and Roxio's Easy CD Creator 5 Software making CD's is very easy. The Smart Credit Card Keyboard is conveinent, if you have a Smart Credit Card and don't know what to do with it. The Ethernet Card is also a nice feature if you want to hook up a network, or if you have or want to get Broadband Communications. Overall this computer deserves 5 stars because it's a steal at ... and it has great features.
Rating:
Summary: It is a really FAST PC. I was astonished!
Review: This computer, i bought and it arrived yesterday. It is really fast. Team it up with a good sound system, and you will enjoy your DVD experience even more on your PC. it is a fast DVD player. 12x DVD, 8x cd writer... complete! It has network card installed for your broadband connections (DSL). Well... for me. i am completely satisfied. this computer is fast. :)
Rating:
Summary: It is a really FAST PC. I was astonished!
Review: This computer, i bought and it arrived yesterday. It is really fast. Team it up with a good sound system, and you will enjoy your DVD experience even more on your PC. it is a fast DVD player. 12x DVD, 8x cd writer... complete! It has network card installed for your broadband connections (DSL). Well... for me. i am completely satisfied. this computer is fast. :)
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