Compaq Presario R3340US Notebook PC (AMD Athlon 64 Processor 3200+ with PowerNow! Technology, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive)

Rating:
Summary: Great Value Solid Machine
Review: My kids use it as a gamer, My wife and I for home office. Machine is always on just about replacing our desktop. Tied in nicely to our wireless network with ease. Widescreen with brightscreen is great for dvds in the suv. So far no problems. Going to try converting some home vhs to dvd next will let you know.

Rating:
Summary: Good value...
Review: My system is configured slightly different; I have a 60 GB hard drive. I like the system very much. It has great performance. When I bought the laptop, I was not sure if I would like having the widescreen. It's heavier and doesn't fit in a normal-size laptop carrying case. But I love the wider screen. I can keep the Favorites explorer bar displayed all the time when using Internet Explorer. And the display quality when playing DVD movies is awesome.

Despite my love affair with this machine, there are some concerns. My first concern is the durability. This unit is made in China (that's why the price is so good). The plastic seems a bit thin. You can see this when you remove the battery and look at the plastic on the battery. Also, the button for the PCMCIA slot has fallen off. The rubber feet are always coming off as well (they are just glued on). Finally, the power cord keeps falling out. A few times, I didn't notice and the computer went into hibernation mode when the battery is used up. But it always comes back up right where I left off.

Speaking of battery, I seem to get 2 to 3 hours of battery life. Unfortunately, this unit does not accept a second battery. So keeping a spare battery will only make sense if there is an external charger.

I would recommend buying this unit, but treat it with care.