Rating: 
Summary: Presario 2190us
Review: Here's why I'd rate this computer a 5 out of 5:First off, the specs aren't too shabby for less than 900 dollars, IE, Celeron-M 2.40 Ghz, 256 Megs of Ram, ATI Mobility Radeon 7000 (this thing gets 128 megs of shared video memory if you go to half a gig of Ram), 1024x768 at 15", 40gig hard drive, DVD/CD-RW drive, Firewire, 2 USB ports, 5-One Touch buttons, Touchpad On/Off button (very handy if you are typing something lengthy and constantly have to rest your arms on the touchpad), VGA port, Serial Port, Parallel Port, PS/2 Port, built-in 56k Modem/10/100 LAN combo, Mic Port, Headphone Port, mute button, volume controls on the side of the machine, and an S-Video Port, all weighing just around 6.5 pounds and getting a LONG 4.5 hours from battery. I did a lot of research on several other computers before I decided to buy this one and I will tell you why I chose the Presario 2190US. Now, I had originally set out to buy a Sony Vaio, either the PCG-FRV25 or -FRV26. Sure, they both come with the faster 2.66 and 2.8 GHz processors respectively and are coupled with 512 megs of Ram. However, they are quite pricey at nearly 2000 dollars (You can also get a Dell Inspiron 5100 with similar specs for around 1300 - 1500). On top of this, they only have 64 Meg shared memory video cards and don't have S-video ports. Plus, with their desktop P4s, they only get about 90 minutes of battery time (my girlfriend bought one and still hates the fact she can only get halfway through LOTR on her battery). That's not to say that Vaios are bad laptops, they just aren't very mobile and weigh a ton (close to 10 pounds). They also do not have internal mini-pci expansion slots. So, if you've got a lot of money to spend and don't plan on having to take your laptop on long trips or flights longer than a couple hours (Vaios can't be connected to inflight power - they would blow the fuse in a few seconds), get a Vaio. Now, here's what I've found about the Presario 2190US. Aside from the specs that I've told you before, you can double your RAM for hardly anything. I recently went from 256 Megs of Ram to 512 Via Ebay for less than 16 dollars! Also, if you need to go wireless, you can get a mini-pci 802.11g wireless card for 50 dollars, then buy the Compaq Internal Antenna Assembly for 24, and have a great mobile networking system, all while keeping your PC Card slot free. Another thing I discovered about the Presario 2190US is that the processor is upgradeable. If you want to go to a P4-M, you might have to spend 150 bucks off Ebay to buy the processor and spend 45 minutes of your time to install it (I've done this before, if you want to know how, email me at frombloodtosnow@softhome.net). So, all in all, for an extra 200 dollars, you can transform your Presario 2190US from a 2.4 GHz Celeron to a P4-M 2.5Ghz machine with internal 802.11G (54 Mbits/sec) wireless networking capabilities, bringing your final cost to just under 1100 dollars (Just make sure that before you go to a faster, later-model processor, flash the bios the the latest version - you can get the bios-flasher at HP.com for free). A comparable system from Dell, Sony, or Toshiba may cost you anywhere from 1500 - 2500 dollars. Here's one satisfied customer. Save yourself the money and go Presario - you won't find a better deal!
Rating: 
Summary: Caution
Review: I bought a factory refurbished unit from J&R via Amazon. Product turned up okay and appeared to be brand new. Unfortunately the computer continually crashed from the first time I used it. As soon as I tried to use the burner or the associated supplied software it dumped and rebooted. I used the supplied installation discs and reformatted in case there was a problem but this did not cure the continual crashing. So I did what it said in the product manual and contacted Compaq's help line. And as per pretty much everyone else's experience found them to be a waste of time. Helplines are for routine computer problems caused by lack of knowledge. As soon as you actually need them to solve something they are a waste of time, which proved to be the case here. I got through to the helpline based in India or some other non English speaking country and was given advice which proved to be of no use at all along with a case number. And of course when I tried to call back through the automated telephone exchange, the case number was not recognised. I gave up and called J&R who gave me a return number and I've sent it back. This means that I will have about a two week delay before I recieve a replacement. Still, Compaq - nil points, J&R 5 points. So far.
Rating:
Summary: Caution
Review: I bought a factory refurbished unit from J&R via Amazon. Product turned up okay and appeared to be brand new. Unfortunately the computer continually crashed from the first time I used it. As soon as I tried to use the burner or the associated supplied software it dumped and rebooted. I used the supplied installation discs and reformatted in case there was a problem but this did not cure the continual crashing. So I did what it said in the product manual and contacted Compaq's help line. And as per pretty much everyone else's experience found them to be a waste of time. Helplines are for routine computer problems caused by lack of knowledge. As soon as you actually need them to solve something they are a waste of time, which proved to be the case here. I got through to the helpline based in India or some other non English speaking country and was given advice which proved to be of no use at all along with a case number. And of course when I tried to call back through the automated telephone exchange, the case number was not recognised. I gave up and called J&R who gave me a return number and I've sent it back. This means that I will have about a two week delay before I recieve a replacement. Still, Compaq - nil points, J&R 5 points. So far.
Rating:
Summary: Presario 2190us
Review: I bought this laptop for my daughter instead of getting her a desktop computer. It is just slightly more than buying a desktop, has almost all the same features and doesn't take up as much room. It is cheaper than buying a desktop with an LCD monitor. This computer has just enough features to do all the basic work. It is more powerful than any desktop you could buy 2 years ago. It is perfect, if all you want to do are the basics:
-internet
-email
-word processing
-taxes
-watch DVD's -download music and create CD's In addition, it has a 40GB hard drive, so you almost never have to worry about filling it up. The 15 inch LCD screen has the same viewable area as a 16 inch CRT.
If you look a hard enough, you can find this laptop deeply discounted, making it a real steal. Otherwise, this laptop is only $150 less than the next better Compaq model 2195. If you are a little bit more sophisticated user, you might want to spend the extra $150 for the extra features. The 2195 has better graphics, USB2.0 ports for quicker access to files on digital cameras and other devices, fire wire to load video from digital video cameras, more memory for video editing and playing games and an integrated 802.11g wireless network card. This laptop is bulky and heavy. It weighs over 7 pounds. It is very thick, but the lenghth and width are only slightly bigger than the screen. It wouldn't be a great laptop for the salesman who is always travelling. But, it is OK as a replacement for a desktop and to ocassionally take around the house or on a car trip. When we go on vacation, my daughter takes it along so she can watch DVD's on a long drive. Like almost all computers, the software included in this laptop is the stripped down versions, that only do the basic functions. With the included software, you can download music and record CD's. But if you want to get into editing the music, you will need to get an upgraded version of the CD software. The word processor is Microsoft Works, which has most of the Word features stripped out. You can do spreadsheets and charts, but it is limited. You if want to do more, you need to upgrade to Microsoft office. I haven't had any problems with the laptop yet. However, the defaults for the wireless connection are not set right, so you lose connection whenever the signal is weak (using a wireless card inserted in the PCIA slot). You just need to figure out how to reset the wireless network configuration. I had a horror story with the Compaq technical support. I had a wireless connectivity problem with another Compaq laptop (2195). I called the techncial support on a Sunday, waited on hold for 30 minutes and was told I had the wrong department. I would then get transferred, sit on hold for another 30 minutes, only to be told I had the wrong department again. Then, I would get disconnected and have to start all over again. After my fourth or fifth call, and being sent to the wrong department, I finally got transferred to the correct department. The technician and his manager told me there was nothing that could be done to correct the problem. So, I sent an email to the Compaq's technical support. They guarantee a response in one hour, but it took about 4 hours. They sent back an email with directions on how to correct my problem, which worked. At the end of the email, they wrote to reply to the email if I had anymore questions. I did have another question and sent a reply. Compaq's response was for me to call the technical line.
Rating: 
Summary: Good value, basic laptop
Review: I bought this laptop for my daughter instead of getting her a desktop computer. It is just slightly more than buying a desktop, has almost all the same features and doesn't take up as much room. It is cheaper than buying a desktop with an LCD monitor. This computer has just enough features to do all the basic work. It is more powerful than any desktop you could buy 2 years ago. It is perfect, if all you want to do are the basics:
-internet
-email
-word processing
-taxes
-watch DVD's -download music and create CD's In addition, it has a 40GB hard drive, so you almost never have to worry about filling it up. The 15 inch LCD screen has the same viewable area as a 16 inch CRT.
If you look a hard enough, you can find this laptop deeply discounted, making it a real steal. Otherwise, this laptop is only $150 less than the next better Compaq model 2195. If you are a little bit more sophisticated user, you might want to spend the extra $150 for the extra features. The 2195 has better graphics, USB2.0 ports for quicker access to files on digital cameras and other devices, fire wire to load video from digital video cameras, more memory for video editing and playing games and an integrated 802.11g wireless network card. This laptop is bulky and heavy. It weighs over 7 pounds. It is very thick, but the lenghth and width are only slightly bigger than the screen. It wouldn't be a great laptop for the salesman who is always travelling. But, it is OK as a replacement for a desktop and to ocassionally take around the house or on a car trip. When we go on vacation, my daughter takes it along so she can watch DVD's on a long drive. Like almost all computers, the software included in this laptop is the stripped down versions, that only do the basic functions. With the included software, you can download music and record CD's. But if you want to get into editing the music, you will need to get an upgraded version of the CD software. The word processor is Microsoft Works, which has most of the Word features stripped out. You can do spreadsheets and charts, but it is limited. You if want to do more, you need to upgrade to Microsoft office. I haven't had any problems with the laptop yet. However, the defaults for the wireless connection are not set right, so you lose connection whenever the signal is weak (using a wireless card inserted in the PCIA slot). You just need to figure out how to reset the wireless network configuration. I had a horror story with the Compaq technical support. I had a wireless connectivity problem with another Compaq laptop (2195). I called the techncial support on a Sunday, waited on hold for 30 minutes and was told I had the wrong department. I would then get transferred, sit on hold for another 30 minutes, only to be told I had the wrong department again. Then, I would get disconnected and have to start all over again. After my fourth or fifth call, and being sent to the wrong department, I finally got transferred to the correct department. The technician and his manager told me there was nothing that could be done to correct the problem. So, I sent an email to the Compaq's technical support. They guarantee a response in one hour, but it took about 4 hours. They sent back an email with directions on how to correct my problem, which worked. At the end of the email, they wrote to reply to the email if I had anymore questions. I did have another question and sent a reply. Compaq's response was for me to call the technical line.
Rating:
Summary: a disappointing product
Review: I bought this laptop on Christmas and it turned out to be an unpleasant Christmas gift for myself. The hard drive died all of a sudden after two months. Although Compaq replaced the hard drive for me eventually, I had to pay myself for rescuing my two weeks' work. The repaired laptop I got back from Compaq works poorly and I have encountered a lot of unexpected problems when running programs. In addition, the keyboard of the laptop is not reacing very well and the noise of the laptop is tremedous. These were problems even before the original hard drive died.
Rating: 
Summary: Post warranty death
Review: Just two weeks past the end of the warranty period, and the machine is dead. Guess I'll see whether it can be fixed, but I sure wouldn't buy another one.
Rating: 
Summary: Ups and downs...
Review: Problems:
1. Combo CDRW/DVD drive at first had difficulty recognizing music cds and eventually refused to recognize them altogether. It deteriorated slowly, which was odd. Drive was replaced with a sony model (I forget the original brand, but it wasn't anything I had heard of) which hasn't given any problems since.
2. Clock setting problems which I thought were malware related but turned out to be bios related. Updated the bios and everything was fine.
3. The tech support, a call center out of country, was great for one of the problems and like pulling nails for the other. They got me a new cd drive the next day, even though their official policy was that the laptop would have to be shipped back for repair. They didn't require that the fragged drive be shipped back first which was a bonus.
4. The battery, mine at least, does not last 4.5 hours as is the noted time elsewhere. I'd say 2.5 would be optimistic, and I am pretty conservative with the energy utilization.
5. It is louder than I would like.
6. 256M of ram, with 64 being shared with the video, is borderline realistic running winxp while multi-tasking. Turning off all the visual effects in XP helps. Memory is cheap, upgrade.
7. The case isn't rugged, it has a bit of a plasticky feel.
The plusses
1. Tech support, as noted above, was 50/50 with one really good experience.
2. I'm impressed with the display, though I am not a serious graphical user.
3. When I purchased this (~Nov 03) the price was exceptional (~750).
4. External volume controls are nice, though the built in speakers are weak (it is a laptop).
5. I'm just mostly happy b/c a desktop replacement of this quality would have cost a couple of thousand a few years ago.
Rating:
Summary: very capable product
Review: this laptop is aimed squarely at the mid- to low-end market. it succeeds admirably. it is equipped with features that are adequate without being cutting-edge. the price is very fair(...).
some minuses: usb1.1, not 2.0; display is svga, not xvga; no wireless built-in; no dvd-burner; no firewire; shared video ram; integrated speakers are cheap.
some pluses: the price; large hard drive, 40GB; fast cd-burner and DVD player; big screen 15.1"; (...) ram, 256MB DDR; very attactive styling; you can run laptop screen and attached monitor simultaneously; excellent online support by compaq; integrated NIC; integrated modem; good performance.
Rating:
Summary: very capable product
Review: this laptop is aimed squarely at the mid- to low-end market. it succeeds admirably. it is equipped with features that are adequate without being cutting-edge. the price is very fair(...).
some minuses: usb1.1, not 2.0; display is svga, not xvga; no wireless built-in; no dvd-burner; no firewire; shared video ram; integrated speakers are cheap.
some pluses: the price; large hard drive, 40GB; fast cd-burner and DVD player; big screen 15.1"; (...) ram, 256MB DDR; very attactive styling; you can run laptop screen and attached monitor simultaneously; excellent online support by compaq; integrated NIC; integrated modem; good performance.
|
