Getting ready to purchase

Hello, I'm new here and was wondering if I could get some advice. Thank You in advance for any insight you can provide. I'm currently deciding between a Compaq R300z or a 2100z. This Laptop is not a replacement for my desktop, and is only used for computing on the run, so the requirments are pretty stripped down, and AMD64 computing is not a needed option. Price is the most important factor here, and both machines have their pros and cons.

I would like to know what is better for a wireless setup, an HP built in solution, or a seperately purchased WiFi card. Which works better? I'm under the impression that a seperate WiFi card would work better, please correct me if I'm wrong. My Laptop will be hardwired to my Lan when at home, but possibly adding an Air Port for taking it out back for a summer's night on the deck. What are your experiences and/or opinions?

Again, Thanks.



Greg

 

Hi Gooseman,

Let me first welcome you to the site [ ]!

Now, regarding your notebook, that'll be an R3000z correct? So your main question is regarding the wireless lan. Well, I'd recommend getting the integrated wireless card rather than an external 3rd party card. If you can, I'd also get the Intel based 802.11B/G WiFi card. The Intel cards are excellent and should also compatible with all B/G devices. The cards included with the systems will do the job and should be able to handle the AirPort Express device as well. There is no additional cards you have to carry with you and it also looks cleaner on your notebook without a card sticking out on the side.
One thing you MUST check on is regarding the security wupport for the wireless. I believe the AirPort Express require WPA encryption support, so I believe your HP or 3rd party card must also support it to work.

-Vb-

 

hey Gooseman, if you're still undecided between the 2100z and the R3000z I'd suggest going with the R3000z as I know it's a good notebook and can serve well for multimedia purposes too due to the fact it has good speakers and screen.

As Venombite says, going with an internal wireless card is the best solution. Keeps everything inside the notebook and the reception you get is neither better nor worse than having a 3rd party card that must stick out of the laptop. Plus, that extra slot on your notebook can be used for another accessory instead of being occupied by a wi-fi card.

good luck in your search!

 

Definitely get the R3000z, preferably with an Athlon 64 CPU. There's still the NX worm protection bit to consider, not just 64-bit capability.

The internal miniPCI WiFi card hooks up to two antenna panels that are mounted behind the screen (there's an illustration in one of the HP manuals). Suffice it to say that the range you'll get with those antennas blows away what a PCMCIA card with its dinky antenna can do. (I can see several neighbors' networks from here [ ].) The Broadcom 802.11b/g card HP offers is Linux-hostile (and the BIOS rejects other cards, I tried) but otherwise decent.

 

Thanks for the welcomes. I've been lurking around here for over a month now, and decided it was time to ask some questions. [ ]

Well now you've all done it, looks like I'm swaying over to the R3000Z, with an intergrated Wireless solution. I will be going ahead though with the Althon XP-M for a $100 savings. If this was going to replace my machine as my main PC I'd go with AMD64, but it is not. My question is, what is the difference between the XP-M 2800, and the XP-M 3000, they are both rated at 1.6Ghz. Is one better on battery consuption and heat output?

Everything I'd thought I use an PCMCIA card for is already intergrated into the Notebook, what's left?

Please forgive my lack of knowledge, I'm just getting into the Notebook side of computing. I'd normally build my own PC's, in if I could do the same to a notebook I would. This is as close as I can get for now.

Greg

 

I am facing the same decision and am strongly considering the Compaq R3240US. What's the deal with the Linux and wireless on these machines?

 

The XP-M 3000+ has 256KB of L2 cache and the 2800+ has 128KB. Power consumption should be about the same.

Be sure to spring for the 12-cell battery and consider Bluetooth (if only because upgrading later would be VERY difficult and/or expensive).

Broadcom refuses to release Linux drivers for their wireless chips. They're the most hated networking company in the Linux community. You can use 32-bit Windows drivers under Linux using ndiswrapper, but that won't work for 64-bit Linux. HP has rigged their BIOS to reject non-HP wireless miniPCI cards so I can't use the Linux-friendly Atheros card I went through a great deal of trouble to hunt down. It's extremely frustrating. No other notebook vendors (with the partial exception of IBM) rig their BIOSes in this manner. Most notebook vendors are using Broadcom cards (eMachines, Acer, etc).