A more than capable computer for a collegiate computer nerd.
Written: Jul 28 '03 (Updated Jul 29 '03)
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Pros: Easy setup and workable system; accessibility to all major programs is a +
Cons: Microsoft's excessive amount of "hidden spam;" converting documents to XP format
The Bottom Line: An extraordinary PC for families and students alike, with the quality of class, yet the possibility of expansion.
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| inkedfingers's Full Review: Hewlett Packard Pavilion 515n (DC471A#ABA) PC Desk... |
As a full time college student and full time computer nerd I was looking for a PC with enough ram to sustain my massive software compilation, simultaneously affordable enough for moi. At Circuit City, after a slew of rebates, I believe I paid approx. $500 for my HP 515n! And it is a machine.
Here are the stats:
Windows XP
2.3 Ghz Intel Celeron processor
256 MB
80 GB hard drive
CD-RW
DVD-ROM
For all of those computer illiterate, this translates to a pretty big hard drive (could be bigger, but I did end up buying a slide-in extra 120 megs of ram) a DVD player and CD read and write capabilities. Overall in appearance, it is a silverish grey, complimented with a sleek deep blue. Quite stylish indeed. I can't help but mention the fancy keyboard with "shortcut buttons" from everything to email, shopping, music, chat... all of the above.
A big seller for me was the dual USB ports on the front of the hard drive. Talk about easy accessibility! This is great for any electronic device using USB ports, which seem to be everything these days, and you're saved from reaching your skinny arm behind the dusty computer!!
As far as the space on the hard drive, before I bought that extra 120 megs, I was working on a slide show which required me to scan in almost 40 pictures. This majorly slowed me down and kind of reminded me of my former AOL days. Not good. So I bought an extra insert and I'm back up to speed.
I've definitely experienced trouble loading some of my older software onto the XP system, since the programs were DOS based. They provide you with a converter program which supposedly walks you through converting documents and such, but the help system is ultimately lacking. I was not impressed.
When setting up the computer I experienced no difficulty whatsoever, (besides default trouble with the little HP helpguide which I could not switch off.) After a quick reboot he disappeared. I was happy for this. Overall, my HP went up rather quickly and connection to the internet went slick. I did encounter problems in registering my HP using the entrance on the desktop because the setup was designed for dialup modem; I am on cable. Nevertheless, I went on line to register.
An incredible problem I had, that I did not even know of directly until my father pinpointed it, was that I was receiving an unneccessary amount of spam. Seriously, it was a load and a half every few minutes. After discussing this problem with my father, we discovered the ads were derived internally, and not from the net, which was puzzling. After deleting literally every program I was not using or completely foreign, (which were quite a few,) spam was eliminated by 90%. No kidding. So Microsoft has endorsed all of these tiny companies by loading their ads and such on my hard drive. I was not impressed at the extraordinary amount of advertising that had been "built into" my computer. Indeed, it needed a deep cleansing!!
On the other hand, there were already programs loaded that I found some what entertaining and nifty. Arc Picture Software and Windows Movie Maker were two I did not delete. An upgrade to Movie Maker is offered on the web through downloads, which is also a bonus.
As far as the accessibility of Windows Explorer and deleting/adding programs, XP is practically a genius. I love the new clean set up of the control panel and the practical location of all major programs.
A feature I have no use for, but would be excellent for families, is HP's ability to create different computer accounts on the hard drive and save documents solely to these "personal accounts." Even passwords could be used. I see this as a plus for a big family who shares the same computer yet they each enjoy personalizing things such as the desktop theme, color scheme, titles, etc. My slideshow pictures, if saved to a different account than the one I was working on, would not have affected my speed whatsoever.
Ah yes, and the most ingenuous installation was a built-in microphone on the monitor. (Did I already mention this-- I did not get the plasma monitor, I got the HP mx70 which I highly recommend.)
Ultimately, this computer was more than I expected. I got more than what I paid for. I have experienced no major difficulties in its performance and I am especially enjoying the built in DVD player/cd burner! If you are looking for an updated PC with the possibility of expansion, this is your machine.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 510.00
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Celeron
Processor speed: Don't Know
RAM: 256
Internal Storage: CD-RW and DVD
Hard Drive (GB): Over 50
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Epinions.com ID:
inkedfingers
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Member: Carli
Location: TX
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
May you live every day of your life.
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