| The Athlon XP1800+ cpu is very fast and 256mb DDR memory is quite adequate when run on all pre Windows XP systems (we have it on others),....but when combined with Win XP this system is left without resources to be of any productive value. Windows XP and the provided Office XP trial combined to use sufficient memory resources as to prevent an excel spreadsheet from opening in less than 2 minutes and then in processing it in less than 4 minutes. In comparision, these applications will take 1/3 as long on an identically prepared Windows 98SE system. The system runs times equivalent to an old Presario 450mhz P3 192mb (non ddr) system with Windows 98SE that we have here. We ran 500 timed tests in various Compaq suggested setting. Variances were in the single digits. IE: No gain. Having no floppy drive is a little scary as well, as the CD does not act as a true boot drive, without performing some software and possibly BIOS changes as to how the system sees the CDRW drive. Compaq does not authorize this. You are in the cradle (read that as grasp)of mother Compaq here. Don't think you can wonder off and add or remove or reinstrall as technology changes. Drivers are generally unavailable for the components unless Compaq posts them. Hardware manufacturers website driver updates won't generally be acceptable, if they can be found at all. Support is generally vague and evasive, and of little use unless you have a lot of time on your hands to try and try and again. If you ask the same question enough times, you eventually get a support "specialist" that will answer "your" question inlieu of giving you the cut and paste generally nonrelavent response. The price "was" right, but the price of the frustration can outweigh the savings. If you need a toy, buy it, but not at the current prices (you'll feel violated when you find that they went for under $ in December). If you need to be productive...add $ for the necessary memory to allow it to run serious applications. If you have the nerve and the patience, Compaq does provide drivers and patches for Win2000 for this model. However you will loose the warm and fuzzy buttons and Compaq "officer friendly" screens. As the story goes, in notebooks, the price and the performance do generally go hand in hand. We have no others to recommend, but based on our tests and lack of knowledgeable support, this one gets the award for the least bang for the buck, and the most frustration per minute we have run into lately. | .jpg)
