Watch out for performance problems
Written: Oct 05 '00 (Updated Oct 14 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: cheap, large hard drive (30 MB)
Cons: extremely poor support, poor performance because of video
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| bkiser's Full Review: Compaq Presario 7478 (161494-563) PC Desktop |
Don't be fooled by the AMD K6-533 mhz processor. That's still a fairly powerful processor these days, even with the gigahertz coming out. It might lead you to believe this PC will really rock. The onboard video uses your PC's RAM, and that means when you do anything that displays graphics, you get an INCREDIBLE slowdown in processing speed. Now, don't think "Well, that's okay because I'm a business user", because when I say anything that uses graphics, I mean it. I've experienced slowdowns just copying files because Win98 displays an AVI movie of folders being copied! Lots of times individual windows wouldn't close instantly. You might be tempted to install extra memory to defeat this problem. Don't bother. I installed an extra 64 MB for a total of 128 MB, and saw some improvement, but nothing dramatic.
I verified this video problem with Compaq support, and then installed my Voodoo 3 2000 video card that is pretty quick and has 16 MB. That solved my video speed problem, but then my sound quit working, my PC would lock up, and DVDs wouldn't play anymore. As of today, I have talked to Compaq twice and resolved everything except the DVD player problem--they are laying it on the Voodoo 3 2000, citing a "possible compatibility problem."
Anther problem hurting your performance is that Compaq loads your system tray with several utility packages that are supposed to check for upgrades, do minor system repairs, etc, etc. This stuff takes up a lot of memory. You won't find it in your startup, so it's difficult to remove unless you're very knowledgeable with Windows. (You can actually remove this junk by going to the RUN prompt, typing in MSCONFIG, and hitting enter.)
I'm fairly disappointed with the machine. It's usable as long as I keep my Voodoo 3 card inside, but it's a real pain that my DVD player won't work. Compaq doesn't seem very interested in helping me solve the problem. I regret buying this computer and would never pay $650 again for it. I'd rather buy an eMachine for that price.
This note added 10/15/2000:
The writable CD-ROM erased a CD-RW that I was copying 12 files to. It erased my backup I use for my work applications! Keeping my panic under control, I called support, hoping they could help. We went round and round, with the support guy telling me "it can't possibly delete your CD-RW" and me saying "Why not? It just did!" I am certain it deleted my entire CD-RW. One minute my stuff is there. I send 12 files to the CD-RW, then it's blank! We were not able to recover my backup, so I now have 2 months of work to try to repeat.
When I also asked why my DVDs won't play, he replied that (paraphrased, but this is VERY close to his exact words): "I honestly don't know. Hold on, Let me ask one of the chief technical advisors, but I'll warn you--another person just asked about poor performance with the DVD-ROM. He told them that it wasn't a home theatre system." I told him that if the guy said that regarding my DVD not playing AT ALL, then I want my money back. He laughed. I wasn't joking. That kind of sarcastic response is uncalled for, especially from a large organization like Compaq, who is supposed to be professional and service-oriented. Compaq, I hope you're reading this!
When asked about getting a replacement because of so many problems, he said Compaq "doesn't work that way", and they prefer to repair things rather than replace. When I asked about a technician coming to my house to fix the problem, he said my warranty doesn't cover that, and that I would have to take it to an authorized service center. I asked him to locate one, and he tried, but couldn't because of a computer problem. He couldn't tell me where the closest one is.
As it is, looks like I'm stuck. My initial unhappiness with this PC has just increased geometrically. This PC has caused me more work, instead of saving me time.
Recommended:
No
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Epinions.com ID:
bkiser
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Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 18 members
About Me:
I'm a Systems Consultant for the Kentucky Commonwealth Office of Technology.
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