*HP HDX DRAGON Owners Lounge, Part 1*

It's not possible. You can install XP, but you lose quick launch, subwoofer, and there are some stability issues.

At this point, there's not a huge gap anymore in performance, and with 4gb of memory Vista does have an advantage in some things. SupCom runs quite a bit faster on big maps for instance.

 

...a couple of posts and a couple of NOs later:

I do too enjoy asking me questions just for the pleasure to give me the answer I'd like to hear...




This system is built for vista, one of the reasons we say that is about a certain lack of driver availability... but hey if you don't believe us you can just read the last 190 pages and search for details...

 

...im running a dual boot system, Vista Ultimate 64bit and XP pro 32bit. Runs perfectly!

 

Look to the left of your DVD tray eject Quicklaunch button (blue led) on the right side just above the keypad. If you look right above the "home" key, you'll see Treble and Bass. Touch on Treble or Bass to select - the led will change as you tap it. Then use the +/- to increase or decrease as you want. The levels will display on your screen as you tap on the +/- led's. Same goes for Volume as well.

 

OOPS - wrong quote above... Must be 0 dark 30..

Look to the left of your DVD Quicklaunch button (blue led) on the right side just above the keypad. If you look right above the "home" key, you'll see Treble and Bass. Touch on Treble or Bass to select - the led will change as you tap it. Then use the +/- to increase or decrease as you want. The levels will display on your screen.

 

For those having Blu-Ray playback issues on the HDX -

Some may remember I posted an inquiry about getting a firmware update for the BD-ROM since, even though HP recommends it in their solution, they've failed to provide it. Using an OEM firmware update isn't recommended unless it's a generic update - so far I've yet to find one. I went through the firmware update problem with HP until I was blue in the face and extremely pissed - they just don't understand that a fix that engineering posted doesn't have the update posted that it recommends, which is also what the Blu-Ray Association recommends as well.

However - If you haven't already, update your QuickPlay software to the latest version - that'll usually get you out of the system hang and playback issues.

As for Menu selections - One thing that some idiot engineer decided to do, but that HP failed to make widely known, is that on BD's you can't use your mouse or touchpad to select any additional menu functions other than the Play button. The reason for this? Engineers disabled that function because they ASSUME that the BD-ROM would be controlled via the remote, like a standard BD player. Silly us - who could POSSIBLY THINK that a computer user would EVER want to use a mouse/touchpad to select a menu button??

Here is the URL for the Blu-Ray Support Bulletin on playback issues:
http://tinyurl.com/6zz9p2

Again, don't flash your firmware with an update from the OEM as you'll likely wind up having to replace it. Vendor supplied units have firmware changes that allow them to operate with the system their installed in.

 

Wolf,
See my reply above to Z-Man concerning Blu-Ray issues.

 

Is it possible to run full 4gb ram after installing the Vista Ultimate 64 bit on current Home Premium Vista?

Or should we do more than this?


- HP Pavilion HDX 9250 Dragon T9300 2.5
- 512MB 8800M GTS
- 20.1" 1080p Widescreen
- 2 x 250 GB SATA Drives
- Blu-Ray DVD-ROM
- Vista Home Premium 32-bit | Creative X-Fi Xtreme Audio
- Altec Lansing Speakers
- HP Subwoofer
- Fingerprint Reader/Webcam
- Adobe Master Collection / 1 year Norton Subs.
(Turkey configuration)

 

All 64-bit Windows operating systems will address the full 4GB if that's what you're asking. Since the HDX has a TPM chip, you'll have the option to use Bitlocker by moving to Vista Ultimate. That will enable you to encrypt the entire hard drive on your HDX.

 

Thanks for writting back but still no joy. I am running stock vc drivers that i can seem to up date. My problem might be my vc related.

 

I can't seem to undate my vc drivers, i am running stock driver right now 175.??
Is there a trick to updating vc drivers? Can someone please walk me thru it?
B

 

I know it's a pain, but try completely uninstalling the game. Then install the game using admin account. DO NOT START THE GAME. Manually go to the site and download patch 1.61 and 1.7? Install each one. Then install BTS. DO NOT RUN THE GAME. Manually download and install the latest patch for BTS. Then hopefully it will run right.

I only have Civ 4 standalone game. If BTS is part of a new complete package and has to install that way, the above probably won't work. It may not work anyway, but is the heart of what I gathered from the Civfanatics guys.

As for the graphics driver, go back a few pages until you find rumba's link to the latest HP(listed as Compaq) driver. It is the best I have installed so far. I tried the 177.92 you mentioned last nite, and although performance didn't suffer, my GPU temp went up 3 degrees at idle, and the colors seem off to me.

Once you have the driver downloaded, go to control panel>programs and uninstall nVidia drivers. (recommend you download program called driver cleaner b4 you do this)
-After uninstall, boot is required.
-f8 into safemode.
-Run Driver Cleaner (if you got it) and select clean using nvidia filter(or somesuch language). When this is done, reboot required.
-When normal windows loads, run the driver file you downloaded. Should unzip into swsetup folder>video
-open folder and run setup file
-voila, you r done

If you use laptopvideo2go drivers (177.92 or others) the process is the same except for one thing. These drivers are machine and/or desktop specific drivers. The folks at LV2G have devised an INF file to make these drivers compatible with virtually all mobile graphics cards. At the top of each post, where you click the download button ("driver" link), right next to it you should see a link to "modded INF". You have to download this as well. Once you unzip your driver package, simply place the INF into the driver folder (it might/should ask you to replace the original). At this point run setup and follow the directions above.

Good luck

Actually, here is the link to driver I referred to: ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp39501-40000/sp39905.exe

 

Another link with some info on the nVidia GPU issues...a fairly long, but pretty interesting read...

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Nvidia-GPU-failure,6248.html

 

Thanks . When I get my hdx back from repair, I will update the quick play and try the movie again.

 

Hello

New to the board. Just placed an order for the Dragon using the 30% off coupon. I am homing that the unit does as well for me as my other HP Laptop the dv9000.

I have a few questions on the Dragon. I ordered it on a bit of a whim, with just an hour of research, but as mentioned the other HP laptop has been great.

My thought is the Dragon with the Intel Cpu will be faster then the DV9000 with the AMD chip. I also think the screen size will be a boon for Photoshop work, the laptop's primary use outside surfing.

My only fear in the purchase is the graphics card. I'll post the detailed specs below.

Is this a stand alone graphics card? My research says yes, but not clearly. I think it may share with system memory if needed.

Second is this a decent Intel Cpu or did I lowball myself there?

Finally did I make a mistake in not getting the 1080 display.

Thanks for any input.

Scott

- HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Series CTO
- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T5850 (2.16GHz)
- 20.1" diagonal WSXGA+ High-Definition HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen Display (1680 x 1050)
- 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
- 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS
- 240GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (120GB x 2)
- Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
- Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
- LightScribe SuperMulti 8X DVD+/-RW with Double Layer Support
- Integrated HP HDTV Hybrid TV Tuner and 4 Altec Lansing speakers +the HP Triple Bass Reflex subwoofer
- 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- Power Pack software - muvee autoProducer Premium, Cyberlink DVD Suite Premium and Serif Web Plus
- Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
- HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

 

and another.....

http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=58&action=printpage;topic=48290.0

It sucks cause I really wanted to get this thing, but if I do, I feel like I have no choice but to get their 3 or 4 year warranty to be on the safe side . I don't want to get it at their "steal of a price" just to have it break down on me coincidentally after the 1 year warranty expires. Suppossedly, even Microsoft is suing them because, according to Microsoft, the Nvidia chips are causing Vista to crash. Ofcourse MS might just be passing the blame, but on the other hand, maybe they're right. I want this thing, but I want HP to guarantee it against any defects resulting from the Nvidia chip - not just for a year. Why should I have to run my fan on 100% of the time due to a faulty chip?

 

Welcome to the club of Dragon owners. the 8800GTS is a dedicated graphics card and I believe has access to system RAM. The only spec that you got would be 4GB of RAM instead of the 2GB, but you can always add that in later. the processor is strong, I have it in mine and run 3+ virtual machines for school (one being a server running some pretty intense functionalities for a VM) as for working outside on it, I would recommend a source of power for this beast because the battery only seems to last 2 hours while in power saver mode.

 

Giga,

Thanks for the reply. I will be buying the RAM from Newegg ASAP.

2 more questions...

On the spec it says for HD's 120 X 2....Does that mean it has 2 120gig drives? That is kind of odd.

Second is there a 12 cell battery available? I may buy that if it exists.

Regards,
Scott

 

Rumba is correct, I was going to state that but had to run off to a meeting. the laptop does in fact have 2 hard drives. No it isn't capable of RAID (already had that discussion). the way the chassis is designed I don't think there is a 12-cell battery for it, at least there isn't one on the HP site that I could find.

 

ok... so I'm a computer engineer, I've been working with computers for years... I went to fire up my web cam to take a still like I used to be able to with my last laptop and couldn't figure it out... what am I missing?

 

So hear me out on this. What I am thinking of doing is buying a 7200rpm drive, maybe 200gb...I can use that in the second drive bay of my dv9000 to get some data off of it. Then I could put it in bay 2 of the new dragon?

What would be slick is if I could then copy that data to the primary Dragon drive. Then finally swap out that primary Dragon drive for the faster 7200 drive and do a system restore?

Speaking of system restore, I have never used the HP partition on my DV9000. Can I restore my system from that D(hp system) drive? Or do I need to make DVD's?

I am surprised that there is not a 12 cell for the Dragon. You's think the aftermarket battery guys would be all over that for a monster like the Dragon..

Regards,

Scott

 

I run my webcam with Cyberlink Youcam.

 

This computer is very efficient. The one battery will last me through a movie. I have 2 batteries and watched movies all the way from Las Vegas to Chicago.

 

My dv9000 has the built in cam. The app I have never used that came pre installed is cyberlink youcam...Not sure if that helps. When I fire up the app, the cam comes on.

Scott

 

The ram I will certainly order from new egg....

The display is the one thing that just seemed a bit too pricey. I could not really justify it, having never seen it.

Could you please list the specs on your ram and HD. I want to be sure I do not order the wrong stuff.

BTW, I run PSCS3 and not any other Adobe apps. Occasionally Illustrator, but that is rare.

Also why the upgrade to the wireless? Is there an advantage there? I thoiught they were all fairly similar...

I will also look into the ultimate vista, although I thought the only thing ultimate offered was domain type network and some minor bells and whistles. Nothing really different in the core OS....

Thanks for the reply,
Scott

 

I have the HDX with Ultimate 64, and 4gb DDR2. With the X9000 processor, the HDX screams - I actually can't believe how slow my desktop is compared to it.

Having said that, keep in mind that few companies out there have jumped on the 64bit train, and that includes Adobe. Even though I'm using the CS3 Master also, so far I haven't had any problems, and I typically use PS, Illustrator, FW, Flash, Acrobat Pro 9, DW, ID, and some of the peripheral programs that come with it. The only thing I haven't used yet is Premier and After Effects. And I usually run several programs open at the same time when I'm working on site design/development without any problems. In fact, Ultimate is so good at utilizing the system and video RAM you don't even notice a drop in performance with several Adobe programs open, and you know what memory hogs they are.

Adobe's official position, regardless, is that none of their programs are compatible with 64 bit technology, even though it happens to work with it. I expect they're just covering their butts. You can go to Start64.com to see what's available for 64bit systems.

The only problem I've had to date is with the BD-ROM, but if you go back to page 193 (post 1927) you can read about the problems and solutions. After that I haven't had any issues.

 

INTERNET EXPLORER 8 BETA 2

NOW AVALIABLE!!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/beta/worldwide-sites.aspx

 

I prefer Firefox 3 over any IE these days.

 

My RAM and HD specs are in my signature - 2x320gb SATA's, 4gb DDR2 RAM. The RAM was 50% off when I got mine, even though I would've gotten it anyway if it wasn't. I also use an external 300gb Maxtor, and I plan to get another 500gb or 1TB drive this week. The SATA speeds are a bit slower, but I don't notice it, and you can't hear them when they're accessing. Keep in mind also that with 2 drives, HP makes a 14gb partition on one for the Recovery drive.

Ultimate - aside from the additional capability of utilizing the maximum amount of RAM configuration, Ultimate's biggest draw (for me and others like me) is it's stability. I've yet to have any real problem with it, other than the compatibility issues with 32bit programs, but I already knew that before I got it. There's also a lot more that Ultimate has on the "extras" side than the others. I've typically run one or more utility programs (System Suite is my favorite, along with Diskeeper and Memory Boost) to make up for the lack of tools that XP and older Windows platforms have. I planned to add the same to my Ultimate setup, but I've found that most of what I got those other programs for is already incorporated into Vista, the one exception being Diskeeper. DK allows you to defrag things that Windows can't, simply because Windows can't be booted in order for those defrag operations to be performed. There's a couple of things that Memory Boost has that Ultimate doesn't, but it's not enough to have to install it again in my current system. In fact, I did install it, but took it out once I realized it wasn't really needed.

Wireless Adapters - The letters in the wireless model indicate the wireless standard that they access - Wireless A,B,G, or N. Since my business relies on network access speed to the 'net, I run a Dual Band N Router (Linksys). The N standard uses 2 frequencies - 2.4ghz and 5ghz, just like a wireless phone at home. Using Dual-Band enables the user to access both frequencies individually - standard N adapters can only access the 2.4ghz frequency. The advantage to having 2 freq. access is that you can stream, say, gaming or multimedia content on one frequency, while someone else is downloading on the other without interfering.

Example - I use the 5ghz frequency for both my HDX and my PS3 online access. I have my wife and daughter's systems set to access the 2.4ghz frequency. Anyone out there who has ever tried to do any online gaming while their kid is downloading MP3's knows how it affects everything. By separating the resources in to 2 frequencies instead of one, each user can get the full speed benefit of N in addition to not having to worry about interference from others on the 'net at the same time.

In order to get the benefit of using both frequencies, you need both a Dual-Band router and a Dual-Band Adapter as well, whether it's a gaming/media adapter or USB. So far I've yet to see anyone come out with an Express54 network adapter of any kind at all.

The other advantage of Dual-Band N is with the new Media Adapters that are coming out, like Slingbox (the HDX comes with the demo) and Sony's Location Free Base. These devices allow you to stream media content from anywhere in your home to the 'net, and by extension to you anywhere you have a connection. Say you're traveling and want to watch all of the Generation Kill Episodes from HBO On Demand. With one of the media adapters, you can access your cable box and stream that content directly to your system.

In the end, it all depends on your particular situation - as a Consultant, I provide website hosting, design and maintenance services, and for support I also have Cisco Webex for remote technical access if I need to hook into a client's system, so for me it's a no-brainer. If like me you access the 'net frequently and need the download speed, then N is worth it. If not, then don't worry about it.

Also, regardless of whether or not I have an installed adapter, I usually get a separate adapter that's compatible with my router. Whether or not an adapter or router are the same wireless standard, different companies build their hardware different, and I like to keep things in the family hardware wise. I know there are plenty of people who swear that everything works together if it's the same standard, but I've been doing this for a "few" years, and experience has taught me otherwise.

HD Display - As far as the 1080p display goes, as I said in my previous post, unless you've seen it and used it, it's tough to understand the difference. I have a 32" Aquos that I use for gaming as well as BD's and cable, so I know the difference in display quality that 1080p gives you. I also use a 21" Samsung monitor with my desktop, and even though it's not HD, it's pretty **** nice. But as you said, you have to be able to justify the expenditure. For me, I had the benefit of an HP Employee discount, so that took a pretty good chunk off of the total cost of the unit, so I could afford to max out the configuration.

2 other unrelated thoughts - First, you'll figure out soon enough that there aren't many case options for a 20" notebook. I have the HP roller case that they offer with the HDX - it's not bad, but it could be better. Despite what others have posted, there is in fact ONE company that makes a traditional notebook case that will fit a 20" system. It's made by Dicota, and the model is the Multigiant. Believe it or not, the main US supplier is the Dell Online Store. I've had mine on order for about 2 months now, supposed to get it in a couple of weeks as it was delayed. I thought it was pretty lame of HP that they don't have an option for their 20" system that Dell does for theirs. Most reviews I've seen online for it are very positive, and it's about half what the roller case costs. However, once you start adding batteries, adapters, and other crap, it gets pretty heavy - the HDX is about 15lbs anyway, so I suspect the reason HP doesn't carry the MG is because they probably feel it was too heavy for a traditional case. Point is, get a case now, either the one that HP has or the one that Dell does. The advantage of the roller case is that you don't have to take your system out at airport security like you would a traditional case.

Second thought - one other accessory I got with mine (I got the quickdock, Vista switch and System switch and BT mouse) is the Bluetooth mouse. The main reason I got the HDX is that I've been retired on disablity for almost 10 years, after having 3 spinal surgeries that have left me with pretty high levels of chronic pain. There are many days it's hard for me to get out of bed just to go down to my office in my basement, so I wind up literally working in bed. (those of you that think it would be great, think again - you don't ever want to be in my position - ever) What I've found is that I can use the BT mouse on the bezel space between the keyboard and the edge, next to the touchpad, and I'm able to cover the entire screen. Just something I thought I'd throw in for further knowledge.

Hope all of this blabber helps. Let me know if there's anything else I can enlighten you on...

 

I got a laplander lap desk for this today. There is however not enough extra space on it for a blue tooth mouse. I'm sending my less than 30 day old baby in tomorrow ( packaging arrives ). Hoping and praying they repair/replace it and within a decent amount of time... I will be needing a blue tooth mouse, and am curious what kind you use, and if it works well with it. I am going to try to figure out some sort of modification on this lap desk to set the mouse on. But in case I don't how comfortable is it to use on the wrist area on the laptop itself?? Thanks .

 

If you have Cyberlink YouCam (which is what most of us have) -

1. Click Start, All Programs, Cyberlink YouCam. Dbl-click the YouCam link when you open the folder up to start it.
2. Adjust your monitor to the best viewing angle of your ugly mug, or whatever it is you want take a still of.
3. At this point you can use a distortion filter, frame, or some other idiotic addition to the picture on the screen before you capture. Click on the various icons below the camera shot.
4. Once you've got the shot the way you want to take it, Click on the "Snapshot" tab in the upper left corner of the YC window. The pic will be displayed in the right hand column, and automatically saved in the folder specified in the settings, usually Documents/YouCam.

If you want, you can also click on the icons in the upper right corner to email your pic to whoever you think would want to look at it - FBI, etc. Or you can delete it or, heaven forbid, waste even more space on YouTube.

 

The wrist area IS where I use my BT mouse. With the right setting, you can literally move the cursor the entire width/length of the display without any problem in the space the area provides.

As far as the kind of mouse, I just got the HP Bluetooth mouse that's listed in the accessories section of the HDX online configuration when you're setting it up prior to ordering it. Even though I use a Logitech multifunction mouse with my desktop, I've found that the HP BT suits me just fine for what I need on my notebook. And as I said, the footprint is small enough to let you use it in the wrist area. If I'm laying down and using it, I'll be lazy and use a DVD case or small book as a pad, but nothing really big.

The HP BT mouse uses 2 AA's, and also comes with a cover that matches the Dragon imprint design on the HDX bezel.

If you look at the 2nd tab of the HDX customization pages, it's at the top under Accessories, Mice and Keyboards. It's the 3rd mouse on the bottom for $59.99.

Besides the other accessories I mentioned before, I also got an extra battery and an extra AC adapter. You'll be surprised at how cool it runs and how efficient the battery usage is. I've accidentally unplugged mine before without realizing it until the low battery alarm came on.

 

Ok thanks, yeah I'm hoping that if they don't just end up replacing it that it is in much better working order than when I bought it!! I'm starting to wonder if this thing is just a lemon . Everyone I've seen post just love theirs, and I too hope on getting mine back that I will love mine!! I love the looks of it, but without a great functioning inside it's just a really nice (huge) paper weight.

 

CyberVisions

Thanks for the detailed post. It is appreciated. Funny I consult also. Actually in a hotel at a gig. I suppose I have a few more questions if you do not mind.

Do you happen to know the specific DDR2 memory? Would this be correct:

200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 667 (PC2 5300)

Also any issues with the additional hard drive? Any feel on how it effects battery? Also do you use the second drive, or more likely a portion of it for PSCS3 swap space?


On the notebook bad I have my fingers crossed. My current bag is pretty big and has a bit of room with my normal 17" dv9000. I love it and hope it will accommodate this new beast..

This is the bag:
http://www.altrec.com/osprey-packs/transit-messenger-bag

Fingers crossed on that.....

Scott

 

I wish the HP web page was a lot more specific on the specs? Like a belarc adviser report...lol

Scott

 

I'm in the market to buy a new laptop and I am leaning towards the HDX. But then I noticed HP's new TouchSmart IQ506t series. I like the touchscreen feature on the new TouchSmart models, but it isnt too mobile friendly like laptops are. I even went to my local BestBuy to check out the latest TouchSmart series and it weighs a ton! And then I also noticed that the TouchSmart's screen doesnt come with true HD 1080 format like the HDX ones do... and also the TouchSmart's 2.16 GHz processor is little to be desired compared to HDX's X9000 2.80. So I'm back to configuring an HDX to my specs... and of course I'm maxing it out with the exception to the HDD which I'm opting for the 400gb (2x200 @ 7200rpm) rather than the 640gb HDD (2x320 @ 5400rpm).

So far my configuration looks like this.... (copied from my HP Shopping Cart)

– Upgrade to Genuine Windows Vista Ultimate with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
– Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Extreme Processor X9000 (2.80GHz)
– 20.1" diagonal WUXGA High-Definition HP Ultra Brightview Widescreen (1920x1200)-"True HD" 1080p res
– 4GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)
– 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800M GTS
– 400GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (200GB x 2)
– Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
– Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN Network Connection and Bluetooth(TM)
– Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer
– Integrated HP HDTV Hybrid TV Tuner and 4 Altec Lansing speakers +the HP Triple Bass Reflex subwoofer
– 9 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
– Power Pack software - muvee autoProducer Premium, Cyberlink DVD Suite Premium and Serif Web Plus
– Microsoft(R) Works 9.0
– HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope

... with all that said, my question is this... Will HP come out with an HDX model with the above specs that will feature a TouchScreen ala TouchSmart IQ series models? Does anyone on this board know of any of HP's future plans on upcoming new laptops and it's features? Or should I just order my HDX today and forget about a 20" 1080 HD HP Laptop with TouchScreen?

 

Thank you for your explanation. The main problem of me is to show to the system other 1 gb beside 3 gb ram.

Home Premiun doesn't see the 4 gb full.

 

Home Premium sees my full 4gb. I *AM* using 64bit, however.

I do have a RAM question. I purchased Crucial 533MHz memory -- my system is reporting the RAM as 333. Is this some kind of limitation, or did I get some bum RAM?

I figure I'd ask first before I go screwing around with the RAM. I've got a Toshiba laptop running Home Premium as well (32-bit) I can always test this in. But like I said, I'd rather ask here first.

 

South Beach,
I spend a lot of time on the HP Support Forums helping others there as well. I've noticed recently a lot of touchscreen operation issues being reported with that particular Touchscreen model. If you're interested, go to this link at HP:

http://tinyurl.com/5gfvml

It's the search results on the business forums for that model - note the dates on them.

This link will take you to the Touchscreen's Support page for Problem Solving - it's good for checking the kind of problems you might encounter.

http://tinyurl.com/5tj5b9

I can say, though, that I've only seen one HDX problem posted on the HP forums, and it was a problem I responded to. It dealt with the system appearing to hang for a few seconds between applications. The best I could figure is that even though he was using Ultimate 64 and 4g/RAM, he was only using a 2.1ghz processor. Ultimate is great, but like any OS that's got more processes, it needs more processing power, not less. He was also running Norton - 'nuff said.

What I normally tell clients that ask about getting a new system is to check the reviews like the have here, but don't necessarily believe them 100% - the best way to find out if a system is worth getting is to check the company's support areas to find out how many complaints and problems there are. Of course that doesn't necessarily mean that all problems mean a bad system, so you've got to check what the problems are. In my experience most problems are caused by the User's lack of knowledge of system operation and maintenance, and not willing to spend what's necessary for a system to perform well. Of course that problem can be laid at the companies' doorstep also - they sell systems with minimum configurations and then tell people it'll run like a supercomputer. Yeah, right.

 

Hello everybody,

I'm planning to buy a HDX in France. There is good deal actually on this product.
Some questions :
- is the graphic card MXM size ?
- is there some problem with NVidia GPU (like some others type of notebook) ?
- is it a noisy product ?

Thanks a lot to reply me.

Crys ;-)

 

Scott,
On the bag issue, hate to say it, but - not likely. I bought a new Targus 17" case (roomy) when I was in Cali in May, but primarily as a soft briefcase more than anything else. My HDX wouldn't even come close to fitting. Works good for my daughter's new ASUS, though, so she was at least happy about that.

The HDX dimensions are:

Width 47.5 cm | 18.70 in
Depth 33.9 cm | 13.35 in
Height 5.9 cm | 2.32 in

RAM -You're right - 2 SODIMM slots PC2-5300, 667-MHz, DDR2.
Memory configurations are:
● 4096-MB total system memory (2048 MB × 2)
● 3072-MB total system memory (2048 MB + 1024 MB)
● 2048-MB total system memory (1024 MB × 2)
● 1024-MB total system memory (512 MB × 2)

Drives - I do use both, as I'm used to using 2 internals on my desktop with a 3rd external Firewire. The way HP configures (at least my particular setup with 2 320gb SATA's) the drives is essentially one drive is for Programs, executables, User files, etc. the secondary if for data and is where the Recovery Partition is created from. Th HP setup is as follows:

C: Operating System, 2 Program File directories (one is for 32bit programs) Users, Documents, Music, etc.

D: Data - This is where they have a folder for recorded media (TV), and where they partition the Recovery Drive from. I also use it for Multimedia files, website files, and similar data. I also use it as one of my scratch disks.

E: Recovery Partition (14gb)

G: My External 300gb Maxtor - I'm using it quite a bit because I keep a lot of files on there that I use on both the HDX and my desktop, although I have copied some files over to the D drive. It's getting low on space, so as I said I'm probably going to get another external 500 or 1tb drive this week.

Drive issues - None that come to mind. In fact, as I've said, they're so quiet even when accessing that you can't hear them. The whole system is a lot quieter and runs much cooler than I expected. Part of that I know is my particular processor, but still it runs a lot cooler than I expected. One of my clients uses Toshiba's, and they run hot enough to be uncomfortable if you're not careful.

As far as battery usage, frankly I'm surprised at how much battery life I get with these drives - but thinking about it, they run at a 5400 RPM, so that would make sense. Battery life of course is also dependent on your power setup, and of course what you're working on program-wise.

Here's the link to the PDF copy of the HDX manual if you want to look at some of the more precise specifications and configurations:

http://tinyurl.com/6x8g6a

 

Speaking of Firefox:

The 64-bit version of Firefox:

http://tinyurl.com/5udoa8

Of course, I'm still using NS-9..

 

64 bit OS will not only see the 4GB RAM, but uses it. Vista Home Premium 64 bit is no exception. 32bit OS's can't address higher than about 3.2 GB.

 

I can't answer the question, but just curious...why go with 533 instead of 667?

 

Are you using CPU-Z?

If not D/L it from here: http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

Extract all the files to a directory, then click on the SPD tab. That'll tell you all the info you need to know. If it's 533, then your max bandwidth should read 266.

 

1. Yes, it's definitely MXM, but it's not exactly upgradeable.
2. No definitive info, but I seriously doubt it considering how much cooler it runs than the defective GPUs of the 8400/8600 variety.
3. No, runs very quietly. Fans will kick in to high while gaming but you won't be able to hear them over the sound of the game.

 

This question has likely been answered, but I can't find it.

Can the blu-ray player in the HDX record onto cd-r's or is it a player only?

Thanks.

 

First, touchscreen isn't as great as it seems. You'll be cleaning your screen a lot from finger prints. And if you don't put a creen protector on it, you'll be dealing with scratches. Those of us with tablet PCs tend not to touch the screen for this reason and use a stylus instead. Touch belongs on PDA's and iPhones.

Next up, very, very low likelihood of HP coming out with even another 20" HDX. Next size if they do will be 18.4" as that yields a HD friendly 16:9 aspect ratio as opposed to the 16:10 of the 20".

As for HP's plans, they've stated that they are looking to come out with touchscreen (Touchsmart) Notebooks sometime in 2010. And that's according to an article in the WSJ.

 

It's Blu-Ray read only, but writes DVD & CDs.