Are there good reasons *not* to buy a 5000t?

Hi,

I've been researching a replacement for an Inspiron 8100, and from what I'm hearing, I'm kind of afraid to go with another Dell. I was also planning to go with something on the small side, but I was in a store the other day and really fell in love with the 5000 series system they had there - gorgeous screen, nice feeling keyboard, and all the specs I'm looking for. Granted, it's bigger than I was really looking for, but since I almost never use my system away from my desk and do pretty much all my DVD watching on my computer...maybe I'm silly to go with anything smaller than 15.4".

However...seems like every time I really start researching a model, I find out it potentially has a major flaw that could require sending it back - like the screens on the Dell Inspiron E1405, which isn't a hassle I'd want to deal with! Are there any things I should be worried about regarding the 5000t? On paper, it sounds like it may be my perfect system...

Epsi

 

Ugly blue lights, the rest is perfect.

 

The dv5000t isnt too big. And the blue lights are kinda kool, IMHO.

 

I rather like the blue lights. ;-) So long as I don't have to worry that a part is likely to be bad when I get it...I think this is my next system.

 

It is a good system I have had mine 2 months and not one problem yet. One thing, the 12 cell battery gets 5 hours and I love how it tips the keyboard at me. It seems much easier to type.

 

I'm thinking it's possible the tilt could help keep the system cooler too, no? Doesn't it mean there's a bit of airflow under the laptop?

I'd kind of like to get one small battery and one large, but it doesn't look like there's an easy option for that when customizing - you can order two six cell batteries or two twelve, but not one of each. Perplexing.

 

Not sure if this is any assistance, but I purchased the dv1000t, a very simalar system, about a month ago and love it!

I get over seven hours with the 12 cell battery, and highly recommend it. I like how it raises the screen up, and it really doesn't add much (1/2 lb) to the weight, hardly noticable.

I also like the blue lights. Even in the dark, they're not bright or obnoxious, they simply make it easier to find certain buttons, and provide a nice soft blue glow to your keyboard.

 

There is an air intake on the bottom of the laptop that get much better air flow. I noticed there is a market for laptop cooler and unless you over clock you won't notice any heat from this, I haven't. Get one 12 and I belive you can buy a 6 cell after market from HP. I just have the one 15 and haven't wanted to change batteries yet. it lasts as long as I need it under battery.

 

I recently got a dv5120us (all the dv5000s are very similar), and I love it. I like the blue lights, too.

 

Thanks for the input! I'm still torn between the dv1000t and the dv5000t. I'm worried about the extra weight, but I love that screen, and the keyboard seems a bit different, too. Also I'm wondering if Windows Media Center is worth springing for...and that wouldn't be an option for the dv1000t.

I'm not sure if it's worth starting more threads for those questions...I hate to bother people with my dithering! The other question I'd have is whether it's best to order from hpshopping.com or if there are other places that it would be better to get my system from if and when I *finally* make up my mind.

Epsi

 

best place to get your laptop is hp.com. There you can custom fit your needs for a laptop and not worry about the store and worrying about getting the right model. Also what would you rather have? A laptop that can play games at good quality and also not worry about integrated options? Or do you need a laptop for decent media usage?

 

Music and movies are the majority of what I'll be using it for - that and basic office type use. I don't play anything more graphically intense than, say, Age of Empires. Yeah...I'm still in the Dark Ages. ;-) So integrated graphics will likely be all I need regardless of which system I go for. I do think the dv5000t is likely to have better sound, though...which is a consideration.

I don't like that I can't ask for a Windows CD at the store, and also want the bigger battery and a longer warranty (I think?), so guess I'd have to go hp.com for that anyway.

 

I have been very pleased overall with my dv5000t. Weight isn't an issue - and that's one I had been a bit worried about. For it's size, though, it seems very thin and light. Battery life is excellent, and the screen is very nice.

My two complaints at this point are the keyboard and the little remote. The keyboard works well most of the time, but it seems to have some issues. Part of this is just the difference between the laptop keys and my desktop keys - so in other words an adjustment issue on my part. None-the-less, Dell's keyboards, while seemingly no better in overall quality, fit me better for some reason.

Part of the problem, though, seems to be with whatever software controls the input devices for the laptop. Every once in awhile, the scroll feature stops working on the touchpad, the keyboard only types in CAPS, and when I click a link in an internet window, instead of simply redirecting me in that same window, it opens an entirely new window. All of this occurs at the same time. Not quite sure what to make of it, it shows up at the same time, and requires me to restart the computer, at which point none of the symptoms remain. So, my guess is a BIOS issue or a driver issue, which I will get around to contacting HP about at some point here. In the mean time, it's not a big issue, but it is a bit irritating when it does occur.

The other problem is that the little remote that fits in the side of the laptop, doesn't always stay put, despite being "pressed and clicked" into place. While not a huge ordeal for the most part, it makes its occurence known when you suddenly find you have no remote and you don't know where it went; or, as in my case, when your Jack Russell finds it before you do and chews it up. Either of which could be avoided by the stupid thing staying put in the laptop.

Overall, though, I am very pleased with the laptop. The battery life is excellent, the screen looks gorgeous and is plenty bright on its lowest setting, weight is not an issue, and the computing power is great. I hope to resolve my two issues (partly by just buying a new remote) in the near future when I have a bit of time.

 

epsi, i'm also a 2 month 5000t owner and no complaints. as much as the 12 cell battery is cool, i think, (b/c you would have more battery life than any other 15.4) i got two 6 cells and am very happy. I find i'm rarely out mobile computing for much longer than 2 or 3 hours anyway. and I always have the spare if i really need it. obviously, costs more.

also, astro, i'm shocked. i've been training myself to ignore it, but i also have the intermittent scroll wheel and caps lock problem. the caps i've found can be rectified by double tapping one, or the other shift buttons (but it matters which one). and the scroll wheel thing sometimes goes away on its own. other than that, though, i love this laptop. smooth, very fast, no wear and tear problems (and i carry mine around my apt all the time). i also work from home on it, and it's pretty much operating 12 hours a day, and i rarely shut it off). big fan.

on the buying tip, if you live near a costco--might be worth your while to check them out. it's where i bought mine. you can customize the same as hp.com (save some of the dumbass extras, which aren't there). sometimes there's a slight difference in price for some options (up and down). and in my case, i can walk into the store and just return the sucker any time in the next six months, on costco's warranty. don't have to worry about mailing it in, etc.

oh, and i'm running the same stats as astro, but with 2GBs of RAM.

 

^^I have an additional variety of the CAPS lock problem that's easy to fix - I just backspace to where it wasn't doing it, maybe a few characters back, and it goes back to normal. I'll have to try the tapping the shift button to see if that works for the one that's more of an issue.

How's the fan noise on yours? Mine is pretty quite most of the time, some times it seems to ramp up, but then go down again. Do you know of a way to find the operating temps of the CPU or maybe even the GPU?

 

The Caps Lock thing is bizarre, but rarely occurs and is easily rectified. I am curious if there is a certain trigger for causing it.

The scroll bar on the touchpad works most of the time, and if it stops working, beginning to scroll again is no more difficult than restarting the scrolling motion with your finger.

I had to turn off tapping on the touchpad, though... I found that it caused problems for me in inadvertantly clicking and dragging things. I had to download the drivers from HP's site to get it disabled properly, though (the settings wouldn't remain saved prior to installing the drivers).

The screen is spectacular, I love the keyboard, the lighted media controls make it extremely easy to use them in a dark environment, DVDs look amazing, the sound is far better than I could have expected from a notebook, and the fan is quiet while the machine manages to still run without becoming too warm.

I love it.

My remote remains in its little slot impressively well, hasn't fallen out yet.

 

Out of curiousity, how does the Costco thing work if you aren't currently a member? There's one nearby...but I've never been inside.

I'm still going in circles regarding what I want. Some of the time I look at glossy screens and think I couldn't live with that...other times (usually when watching video) I think that's the only thing I could possibly want. I'm also still going back and forth over sizes. And then there's the fact that my current system isn't actually quite dead...just slow and with no USB 2.0 and not enough storage...so it may be a bit before I nail down a replacement. But I still like the look of the dv5000t every time I see one.

 

well, you can actually customize it online on the costco site. i don't think you can buy anything from the store, but if you order online, they charge you an additional 5% if you don't have a membership. costco is worth the membership. you can always buy the membership and then refund it.