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HP Pavilion ZX5180US Notebook PC (3.0 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD Combo)

HP Pavilion ZX5180US Notebook PC (3.0 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD Combo)

List Price: $2,296.00
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Product Info Reviews

Description:

Express yourself clearly and colorfully with the HP ZX5180US notebook PC. Featuring a bright widescreen 15.4-inch display, the ZX5180US comes with a suite of HP image editing and sharing software that will make it easy to travel with your photo portfolio and send to friends, family, and colleagues. The ZX5180US offers a fast 3.0 GHz hyper-threaded Pentium 4 processor, 512 MB of installed RAM, a spacious 80 GB hard drive, 54g integrated wireless connectivity, and a strong ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 video card. For a step up in price, the HP ZX5180US offers a faster processor, double the RAM, and FireWire connectivity.

The Basics

  • Hard Drive: The spacious 80 GB hard drive (4200 RPM) is at the very top of the range for notebook storage, and it offers more than enough capacity for both your work and home files as well as a good-sized multimedia library.
  • Processor: The 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology (which allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system--see more in Tech Talk section below) is a fast processor that is well suited for high-performance gaming and professional-quality image, audio, and video editing. It also has a 512 KB L2 cache and an 800 MHz front-side bus (FSB).
  • Memory: The ZX5180US comes with a 512 MB built-in memory (2 x 256 MB modules, DDR SDRAM, 333 MHz)--a good start for power users. One of the 256 MB RAM modules is built in, leaving you one slot for upgrading memory (up to 1280 MB with a 1024 MB module).
  • CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo drive that is capable of reading and writing of both DVDs and CDs. It uses the DVD+RW format, one of two formats for rewriteable DVDs.
  • Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook PC has a 101-key keyboard and touchpad with on/off button and dedicated vertical scroll up/down pad.
Sound and Graphics
The 15.4-inch WXGA TFT display provides a wide viewing angle and a 1280 x 800 native resolution. It's optimized for DVD movie playback with its 16:10 aspect ratio (versus 4:3 for standard displays) and provides a bright viewscreen for sharper images and truer color reproduction.

Video and graphics are powered by the ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 card, which provides good overall 3D performance as well as the ability to drive an external monitor in addition to the ZX5180US's own screen. It has 64 MB of dedicated DDR RAM. It features an integrated AC'97 (Audio Codec '97) sound card--producing 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio--that is built into the computer's main board. This notebook is outfitted with internal Harman Kardon speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The ZX5180US offers a good variety of external connections (though it lacks the built-in Firewire connectivity of the ZX5190US).

  • 3 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
  • 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
  • 1 VGA monitor port
  • 1 S-Video out (for connecting to a TV)
  • 1 PCMCIA (or PC Card) slot (Type I/II compatible and 32-bit card bus)
  • 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
  • 5-in-1 memory card reader, compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and Smartmedia cards.
It also has an integrated 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates), integrated 56K modem (V.92), and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
The ZX5180US comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Norton Antivirus 2003 (with 60 days of complimentary live updates), Quicken, Microsoft Money, Microsoft Encarta Online Deluxe, Adobe Acrobat Reader, InterVideo WinDVD SE (for playing DVD movies) and WinDVD Creator (for burning DVD discs), Roxio EasyCD Creator, and MusicMatch Jukebox.

The integrated HP Image Zone Plus photo and imaging software makes it easy to organize, edit, share, print, protect, and store your photos and video clips. Organize and find your photos easily by timeline, keywords, and/or location using the unique photo-globe mapping tool. Remove red eye and fix other common problems. Share your photos quickly via e-mails that include thumbnails with links to the full-sized imagesÑwithout downloading time-consuming attachments. Automatically arrange your photos to print multiple copies. Create a slide show with the HP Memories Disc Creator.

Dimensions and Weight
Measuring 11.59 x 14.25 x 1.8 inches (L x W x D), this isn't the most compact notebook available (due largely to its widescreen display). Its 8-pound weight is heavier than most road warriors look for in a laptop.

Power
The included 12-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery has an approximate 2-hour battery life (during normal use). It also comes with a 120W AC adapter.

What's in the Box
This package contains the HP Pavilion ZX5180US notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, phone cord, and operating instructions. It is backed by a limited warranty for parts and labor for one year from date of purchase.

Tech Talk
Hyper-Threading: A Hyper-Threading processor helps a PC to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.

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