Anybody has comments on Presario R3000Z?

Plan to buy one, but not sure if it's worth the money.
Thanks!

 

I meant the one with Athlon 64 3000+ CPU, any suggestion is appreciated.

 

Definitely worth the muney.
Why?
Because 64 bit CPUs will be main strean in one to two years, which means the software will be 64 bit. So, if you buy a computer with a 32 bit CPU, within one to two years you wont be able to run any new software. But if you buy a 64 bit computer(like the R3000Z) you will have that capability.
And the AMD Athlon 64 CPU is a great processor. It's fast, and it's not power hungry so you'll get good battery life.
I have the HP equivalent (zv5000z) and rely like it!

 

What kind of comments are you looking for?

I'm typing this on an R3000Z.

 

Thanks all for the comments.
What I want to know is
1). How long is the battery going to last for normal usage (like 12cell, or 8 cell from the configuration), word processing, web surfing and occasional big programs running (e.g. MatLab)?
2). Is the chasis going to be too hot after some use, since AMD apparently didn't release the power consumption of Athlon 64 3000+ or similar processors, it still puzzles me.

I've seen people reviewing HP ZV5000Z, although I think they could be pretty much the same, but still not conviced to buy one R3000Z. By the way, R3000Z vs. ZV5000Z, which one do you guys prefer?
Thanks again!

 

Your views on how sturdy the notebook is also would be appreciated.
I haven't seen R3000Z yet, but from the pics it doesnot look like it has a strong body.
I have a ze4500 right now, and I feel that the body or make is a bit delicate.

 

I think I've read on this site that the AMD64 chips consume the same about of total power as the P4M's. With an 8 Cell battery, you should get an average of about 2 to 2.5hrs, on the 12 cell, you'd probably get upto 4 hours.
Regarding the strength of the body, what areas are you asking about (Hinges, overall thinkness of the plastics, etc...)? I've looked at an R3000 at my local BestBuy and overall I thought it was fairly good. No unwanted flexing, the hinges were smooth but firm enough to hold the LCD in place without excessive "bobbing/bouncing" of the LCD.

-Vb-

 

Yah,
The local bestbuy near my house doesnot carry any compaq models. HP new look in zv5000z seems really strong.
I have looked at compaq in pics only. And I was not sure if it strong enough to hold the laptop properly.

 

In case you do not know: today (June 1) HP announced a new offer for R3000Z notebooks:
New notebook with Athlon 64 processors. Another $25 drop + Free Upgrade 15.4" WXGA display (1280x800).

All info is here:
http://www.xpbargains.com/st_deals.php/HP_coupons.htm

If you know this info, please, discard this message.

 

The chasis can be pretty hot if you're using a processor intensive programs (like playing games), it is pretty sturdy, if you ask me, but still could be better.

 

How are the speakers on this machine? I'm more likely to go with the HP than the Compaq, because of the looks of the machine as well as the sound capabilities... so how about your opinions on that matter?

 

I have ordered one on hpshopping.com today. Will write some info when I get it hopefully 2 weeks later, a bit long to wait.
Thanks all who have commented on this model.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by bittahbrotha

 

The HP speakers being better than the compaq ones was my view too.

The circuit city near my house had the two sitting right next to each other and the HP was noticeably better.

Personally I liked the look of the Compaq better, but I didn't think it was worth an extra 50.00 at the time esp. since the HP had the better speakers.

However, now I would probably go with the Compaq since they still offer the 9600 there.

zx5000 :: 2.4M :: 512 DDR :: 40gb 4200 RPM HD :: 15.4" :: Radeon 9600 Mobilty M10 :: Aquamark3 22,856

 

Yeah, the speaker sound quality might be a factor. But I'd rather use a pair of external speakers if I want to watch a movie, or just earbuds if I don't want to bother other people. So, with regard to the performance vs. price, I think compaq worth the money.

 

Yes, however usually the equivelant HP is cheaper and has the better speakers. With these I don't even need external speakers.

zx5000 :: 2.4M :: 512 DDR :: 40gb 4200 RPM HD :: 15.4" :: Radeon 9600 Mobilty M10 :: Aquamark3 22,856

 

I think I was talking about the Athlon 64-bit processor, it's the technology that might not expire tomorrow. Personally I don't like Pentium-4, but Centrino will cost so much more. Oh well, guess it depends on the taste. With the same setting, ZV5000Z will cost 160 bucks more, more than the cost of a pair of fairly good spearkers, although I wouldn't need it since my last two desktop computers have left me enough to use. [8D]

Athlon 64 3000+ :: 1x512 DDR :: 60gb 4200rpm HD :: 15.4" :: DVD/CDRW :: 802.11 b/g :: NVIDIA GeForce 440 with 1394 and 5-in-1

 

well i guess that takes away my theory that HP always charges more for the equivelant Compaq name, I guess its just most of the time they do that.[ ]

zx5000 :: 2.4M :: 512 DDR :: 40gb 4200 RPM HD :: 15.4" :: Radeon 9600 Mobilty M10 :: Aquamark3 22,856

 

hi there. i just purchased this laptop compaq presario r3000 and i was wondering for those of u who have this laptop, does ur fan vent make quite a bit of noise and if so is this normal? im not sure because this is my first laptop but would like to know. also during the preliminary installation i did not have the AC adapter attached does any one kow if that causes a problem? please reply back asap thank you so much.

 

The fan on my computer is pretty quiet all the time, except maybe when I run some CPU intensive program (MatLab etc) does the spinning crank up a little bit. It has nothing to do with whether you plug the AC or not. If it's unbearable, call HP and get a replacement.