*HP HDX DRAGON Owners Lounge, Part 1*

HDX LASER GAMING MOUSE

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01532210.pdf

Just more confirmation of the HDX becoming a branding...

 

Any idea what to install to get the function keys working again? I have no brightness control from keyboard since my clean install.

 

[fact check about Vista:]

There is....

ZERO core difference between Ultimate and Home premium. Ultimate comes with add ons the are not useful for the grand majority of users. Bit Locker hard drive encryption is useless for all but enterprise consumers. (Well also to hide your **** movie downloads from your wife's hacker skilz. Or you could use Ccleaner.) The ability to run UNIX apps in Vista is another useless add on for the grand majority of users except niche enterprise users. Multiple users with multiple language interfaces? In a home setting? Not even in a small business. Incoming remote desktop and non-crippled IIS? Nah. The majority do not have a need for it. They don't even know what it is.

Complete back up and restore? Nice, and odd that they saved it for ultimate. But of course, there are better third party software apps that are equally as stable and far more powerful. Like Genie Pro for instance.

Ultimate extras? Nice but again, there are third party theme apps that do as good if not better. Dreamscene? Not worth worth more the $5.

Last but not least, Texas hold' em poker. Nuff said.

As for stability, there is no stability advantage for ultimate versus home premium. None. All version of Vista of the same bit use the same core. Ultimate is more... bloated with more services which most do not use which in turn suck up more resources.

The business edition is the leanest of the two (HomeP & Ultimate).

64 bit editions of Vista have been noted to be faster in most respects and more stable.

Another case of "bigger seems better" and "wait, I thought I'm supposed to be getting what I paid for." Well, the old adage applies especially to tech purchases where they use all sorts of fancy terms to describe simple often marginally useful things...

All that glitters is not gold.

Bose (audio equipment) is an expert at this sort of thing.

[/fact check]


Rantish, yes. But I don't want to see people plunking down $xxx on Ultimate thinking it is somehow inherently better than Home Premium or that it makes sense to get it if you have a hi-performance computer. If some one needs what ultimate has, that you can't get elsewhere, by all means do get it. But the odds are, one will be wasting money.

It's like the X9000. If you do something that needs it so much so that one can justify the almost obscene price to performance ratio, get it. But if you have to think twice, think a third time and realize what you need rather than thinking that somehow a fully loaded system meaningfully outperforms one with a better price to performance ratio. Where's not talking about Porsches or Ferraris here. We're talking about rapidly depreciating and quickly obsolesced technology.

 

Quick Launch buttons.

 

Mobile,
First, about Blu-Ray, call the HP online store # with your order number in hand and ask them if you can get the credit. No reason you shouldn't get it.

Do you know authoritatively that the 20.1 inch model is ended?

I'll defer to 2.0's knowledge about the 20" issue for now- frankly, if it's true, I think it's a bad call, but that's me. But you know, those marketing dudes know everything there is to know about what the consumer wants.... Just ask them.

I'm not going to completely give up hope on another 20" down the road - maybe not this coming year, but I think it'll be there at some point.

Why?

The numbers of 64 bit systems being purchased have increased exponentially in the last several months, nationally and globally. There are also going to be more 64 bit system offerings in stores where more people can actually see them. When more people get a taste of what we already have, they're going to want bigger monitors. I already use a 21" SS WS for my desktop - getting a 20" was a no brainer for the HDX. When the first flatscreens came out, people were just getting 17"'s, until the WS models hit the street - now they're much more common on desktops. And dimension wise, the actual 20" system isn't that much bigger than a 17" - people don't realize that screen size is what's marketed, and they don't know it's measured diagonally. So they automatically assume it's the actual notebook dimensions. 2.0 may know whether the 18" dimension he refers to is the screen size or the actual notebook dimension, which is really the HDX 20" size. It's one of those marketing screwups - sometimes bigger isn't better in some respects.
Too heavy? Well...

RAM prices have come down dramatically, and with 64 bit support for much greater amounts of RAM, more people are going to want the kind of media experience we already have with our HDX's, and increased RAM and a 64 bit OS will give them that and more. You've seen how many are snapping up huge widescreen HDTV's and Plasma's for home theatres - do you think they're going to settle for a dumpy 17" screen on a media powerhouse notebook? Sure they can plug it into a bigger monitor or HDTV, but it ain't portable, and portable is why people by notebooks. Sure, they can get a portable DVD player too, but why get one of those when you can bring your home theater with you on a camping trip in the mountains? You get the idea.

Those of us with 20" HDX's bought them primarily for the same reasons - we either like or use that size display for work usage, and need the power that only a media notebook has right now. The average user wouldn't even think about getting a system like this - hell, most probably don't know it even exists in 20". But that's because they've never seen one, and/or it's too expensive for them. Not everyone has a few grand to shell out for a notebook. But when prices come down and 64 bit media notebooks start hitting the stores, I think the result is going to be a much bigger demand.

So I don't think the 20" system is complete history just yet. Most people don't even remember that the DVD was once called a Laserdisc and was big as an LP record. They said that was dead too. Yeah, right.

What do I think about the 8800GTS?

I usually use Matrox boards in my desktops, but so far I've had no issues with it - of course I haven't done any Video production with it yet, just design stuff with Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, InDesign, etc.

Something else you need to understand - the reason I put off getting a notebook for so long is that until the HDX and Dell's 20" came out, there really wasn't a notebook that I felt could run the kind of design programs I use on my desktop. And I mean simultaneous use. The pressure to get one was there also, but I won't get something just for the sake of having it. So far I've got nothing to complain about - in fact, after using this thing I can't believe how slow my desktop is. But I made sure of that with the particular configuration I have.

As far as the GPU updates, realistically unless you're talking about specifically running Autodesk programs (like Maya or one of their CAD programs) then the questions about the cards aren't really that big of a deal. It's only with those kinds of programs that there are specific rendering issues that a different card like Quadro might address.

There's an interesting comparison PDF between the Quadro and GTS GPU's on the NVIDIA site if you're interested: http://tinyurl.com/27oxzp

Of course if you're talking about gaming in regard to the 8800, that's a different story, Gaming problems aren't hardware, and (I'm sure there's more than one person here who disagrees) - the problems are the games themselves, (or should I say game QA) and a lot of the problems that have plagued the PC games for years are now starting to show up on more console games now that downloadable updates and fixes can be delivered to new consoles. The problem is that developers, under time and money constraints, put games out before they're completely debugged. PC games will never be completely debugged because of the many multiple configurations. That's why I stopped playing PC games a long time ago, I got fed up with getting a game then having it get stuck at a certain level because it wasn't compatible with something. Console games have to meet a certain standard before they're released, but online update delivery has made that a joke also. QA means nothing anymore except for a few good companies.

What do I think about HP's Service and Repair?

Tell you what - I'll cover that in a separate post so everyone can understand my viewpoint of what's happened to HP.

 

Well said.

 

Mobile,
I've actually been waiting for someone to ask me this question. Bear with me.

What do I think about HP's Service and Repair?

Ouch - sore subject. As I said before, I'm doing a separate post on that question since it's been such a sore subject for a long time. I just hope you have the patience for the answer. The state of HP Support was one reason I seriously considered getting the Dell 20", but after looking at both it's clear the HDX is the better of the 2. I have other options if my system has problems, but I know others don't which is why I don't mind helping people on the HP Forums, or on this site.

A little background so you understand where I'm coming from.

One of my first jobs out of the Navy in '88 was as an HP OEM Service and Repair Center Manager here in the D.C. area (Rockville, MD, specifically). Back then, and even as little as 10 years ago, no one could hold a candle to HP's Engineering, Training and Support. They were the standard in the industry.

What hurt them the most was "The Wench" - I hate her so much I won't even mention her name here as she doesn't deserve it being mentioned at all, even in a bad context. I'm referring to the "female CEO" that practically drove HP to also-ran status. They're on the way back, but it's going to take years to repair the damage she's caused. In addition to gutting everything that made HP what it was, the real screwup was making things bad enough that most, if not all of HP's key Engineers have retired, and the loose-knit community style operation that made them what they were is all but gone.

A close friend of mine was on the last retirement cycle before HP switched their retirement system to what it is now. In better days, companies like HP and IBM took good care of their employees - IBM used to set aside $1 million for each employee to take care of him/her. Little wonder why they had long term employees.

When I was home in May, he told me about an incident at HP where a new manager from outside of HP (HP was the kind of company that promoted from within - they rarely took in outsiders) who, after viewing several Engineers milling around the coffee pot talking at different times, had the pot removed from the common area. To say the least, this caused a bit of a stir. You might think it silly, but then you don't know how HP used to be. I suspect 2.0 does - I get the feeling that like me, he has HP in his background somewhere.

Anyway, the incident caused enough waves that it made it all the way up to Bill Hewlett. Hearing about this, the manager in question was called into Hewlett's office to explain himself. "Engineers wasting time" around the coffee pot, etc. was his defense. Hewlett told him that he didn't understand how HP worked - getting together on a break and having coffee with other Engineers was how they solved problems. By removing the machine, he had taken that away from them. He was ordered to have it in place by the end of the day or have his office packed. The machine was there at the end of the day.

Customers were the number one consideration of HP for many years. It was the Wench who changed HP from a customer oriented company to a profit oriented company, and they (as well as consumers) have paid for it dearly. HP was never really good at PC's when they first hit the market, but just about everything else was great. With the advent of profit over consumer, just about all products suffered. It took heavy losses for HP's investors to finally rid themselves of her. Unfortunately, to keep HP from going under for good, they had to bring in a hatchet man, and that didn't help much. But in the long run it'll help the company.

Her legacy? Poorer quality machines made overseas rather than here in the US, basic warranty support outsourced to foreign countries just to name a couple. I spent 9 years as a Government QA Representative working on NASA programs, and I can tell you which countries are known for their manufacturing quality, and China ain't on my list of "Top 10's" if you get my drift. Profit, pure and simple.

For those of you that are thinking it, no, nothing I ever inspected ever blew up - in fact, everything I bought off for the Gov't is either still flying or worked without incident on orbit. 'Nuff said.

On the pure Support end, what used to be fantastic support for everyone has now become fantastic support - if you pay for it.

The Support problem has 3 main culprits:

More Non-Technical Users

With the advent of PC's and more average, non-technical users buying more computers and peripherals, the need for clear language support documents has never been greater. However, companies like HP don't understand that. Support documents are now, as they have always been, written by technical or engineering personnel, using technical language that the average user needs a college degree to understand. Or a 10 yr old.

Since the average user can't decipher support documentation, who are they gonna call? HP Support of course! "How do I turn on my computer?" is a common question. Most of you understand that the planet is full of the stupidest people that our species has ever produced - multiply that times several million, and you've got people calling support lines constantly asking stupid questions. In times past, it was usually a company tech representative calling about tech issues, and HP and companies like them could afford to provide the support necessary. But with the flood of Darwin Award candidates flooding the phone and email support lines, they've had no choice but to go to a paid support system for their top consumers, which are upper end users or businesses.

It really shouldn't be like that, but in 37 years of doing this I've encountered some pretty stupid things myself and I can't blame them. Companies have to prioritize their resources, and the home user isn't their cash cow - businesses are, and specifically businesses that can afford to pay for tech support get top response. Idiots that can't read tech language written by Engineers who don't know any better get Bangladesh, India or some other RH telling you they "don't appreciate your attitude" because after an hour of dealing with language issues and even more stupidity, you're ready to reach through the phone line and strangle him or use a sledgehammer on your system. One wonders if the Unabomber was psychic and saw this kind of thing coming. Others, if they're lucky, have some of us on the HP Forums helping out.


Technicians, Troubleshooting and Smart Systems

The second problem is today's "technician", if you want to call him/her that. HP's phone and email support techs are not techs in the true sense of the word - they're database and book support employees, but not people who have actual hours working on systems. As an example, on the initial Blu-Ray problem I had with my HDX, I had no less than 4 different incorrect solutions provided by as many "techs" on the email support line, after chat support couldn't do anything. I already knew the answer as it was published on the Support Bulletin for my HDX, but the update it referenced was never uploaded to the HP server. Yet I kept getting bad solutions because they just couldn't grasp the technical aspect of what I was telling them. They're training is partly to blame as well, since they're trained to believe (and correctly so) that the average user and caller isn't technically savvy, even though they may profess to be. It makes it almost intolerable for those of us that have been doing this since before their parents became welfare recipients.

This kind of support is the evolution apex of so-called "Smart Systems", what they called it 20 years ago. In the days of actual electronic components like resistors, capacitors, diodes, etc., making up systems, the tech had to use an O-scope, signal generator and various probes/multimeters to find and replace the bad component. The kind of troubleshooting technique we used was called "half-splitting" - narrow down the problem to 2 areas, then one of those 2, then one of the second 2, and so on until you found the problem.

However, with the advent of digital microelectronics and Surface Mount Technology, finding and replacing individual components can't be done in the field. Also, the complexity of logical circuits makes it much harder to trace to an individual component, so flowchart problem solving was invented. The tech follows the chart until he/she narrows it down to a module, then replaces the module. Of course this assumes the tech has a spares kit to check to see for sure if the module is bad. In any event, replacing modules is now the standard because they need specialized repair facilities to diagnose and repair.

This evolved into Smart Systems, which is an outgrowth of flowcharting. Supposedly, anything that can go wrong and its solution can be found by a tech using such a system. Reality is much different, however. A book or database can never tell you what actual experience does, and it's this problem that is systemic within many parts of our society.


Engineering Changes and Systemic Problems

Unlike many Engineers, I learned my knowledge OJT over many years, starting when I was a kid, before learning the stuff you learn in school. Engineers who are book trained but don't have much practical experience somehow believe that what works on paper must absolutely work in, say, a Satellite, the Shuttle, etc. Many Engineers who are book smart also never learn Common Sense either. Some are lucky enough to be born with it, some like me have had to learn it. But others don't and will never have a clue, and too many of those types are winding up as Engineers.

With computers and the ability to inject realistic test simulations into projected situations, Engineers have become even more complacent. If it works on a computer and in computer simulations, then it HAS to work in the real world. In QA, the thinking is "In what way is Reality going to work against the way this thing is designed?" Murphy is omnipotent and waiting. Always.
That kind of thinking is why we lost several Mars probes. That and Goldin's "Faster Better Cheaper" BS - anyone who knows the "Business Triangle" theory knows that FBC doesn't work, and he sure proved it in spades.

There was a satellite launched the day before I went to the Kennedy Space Center in '97 to do some work with the Astronauts prior to the second Hubble Servicing Mission. It was on a Delta rocket platform, a design that has worked well for us many times. Some idiot figured that it would be a "great idea" to save money by taking off the insurance policy for that flight (you can see this coming) since they had previously launched 20 Delta's without a hitch.

Yep - blew up 1000' off the launch pad, parts went as far as Cocoa Beach. Burned cars and everything around the launch area (once solid fuel starts burning, you can't put it out). The insurance policy on Christa McAuliffe also comes to mind when I think about this story.

The point is that today's Engineers rely too much on technology to solve technical problems. In the days of the Apollo missions, they solved problems by trial and error. More expensive? Absolutely. But the knowledge gained was that much more because they couldn't afford to screw up the next time around. At the least, it's more money down the tube. At worst, it could cost someone their life. With computer simulations there's no risk involved, except to the end user who suffers because of Engineering arrogance and ignorance. Especially when dealing with Manned Flight programs. I was actually glad I had to retire when I did. There was a cycle after the Challenger accident where Engineering, Manufacturing, and Quality Assurance were all on the same page. Over the years when Clinton was in office, we saw budget constraints erode that, and saw more and more risk taking based on simulations and lack of any problem. Some Engineers actually think that if there's never been a problem with something then there never will be, because it didn't show up in the simulations or design. That's like saying that if I've got a perfectly engineered car and I've never had an accident, then I'll never have one. Uh huh. Some Astronauts working in NASA Administration and as executives at large Aerospace companies saw this trend as well, and opted to leave before another vehicle was lost. When we lost the second shuttle, I was actually surprised it hadn't happened sooner.

I know there doesn't appear to be much connection to HP in that story, but the connection is with new Engineers who think that same way, and not like the old Engineers around the coffee pot solving problems. I've always felt the problem is systemic in our colleges in the way that Engineers are taught. My cousin, who has a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering and has a similar background as I do, has the same viewpoint on that. Like me, he learned how to fix things before going to college to learn it.

To be honest, the best protection any user has today is knowing everything there is to know about your particular system, but most people treat computers like cars - they buy them, use them, and if they break they take it to someone like us who can fix it for them. As long as people are like that, we'll always be able to make a buck or two. But it shouldn't be like that, and please don't misunderstand me - I like money as much as the next, but as a professional I'd rather see the state of industry back where it was 15 years ago when customers, and not profits, were the focus of tech companies. HP could learn a lot from Sony. My parents have a Sony shortwave they bought in the late 60's that they still use.

I know that's an extremely long answer to a short question, but it's too much of a personal and professional issue to answer with "It sucks". So I hope you and others got something out of it.

 

Before buying the HDX I spent one week with an Acer 8920G (18,4 @1920 x 1080). Too much dpi for me and I didn't like 16:9. I checked another one with the 16xx-Resolution but then find the HDX. If it really will be discontinued, maybe I will buy a second one if the price is OK.

 

OK cool....looks like i might have the higher res screen then unless there is a glitch in Vista (unlikely, for this anyway!).

I'll d/l a 1920x1200 piccy and see if it fits at 100% size to my screen without cutting anything off.

 

Uhh...Laserdisc is dead, because it was supplanted with a much smaller version. Hence, the analogy seems counterproductive for your arguement. While I agree with you in general, HDX=Laserdisc and Smaller Notebooks=DVD.

At least that is how I read it!

 

I wish that there the case! Are you speaking about only in the UK, because the US website still shows a $350 increase to go to WUXGA.

My new HDX will be delivered TODAY and I guess that I can only hope to be so lucky as to get a free WUXGA (on top of the $200 credit that I already received from HP for the blu-ray promotion that I didn't even order in the first place!).

 

my HDX will be delivered friday along with my multigiant bag from amazon. i guess i missed out on the blu-ray deal, disappointed. i used the 30% off coupon and got a good deal anyways. no dead pixels (crosses fingers).

should i ghost the drive when i recieve the laptop ? what is the easiest way to do that? my friend at work said he has 8 gb ram in his HDX. i guess raid0 is not an option. heres my order.

- HP Pavilion HDX Entertainment Series CTO
- Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo Processor T8100 (2.10GHz)
- 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
- 240GB 7200RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (120GB x 2)
- Webcam + Fingerprint Reader
- Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 4965AGN 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

i still need to buy some sort of Security Cable Lock and Notebook Cooler. anyone care to comment on the articles "Nvidia's chips are defective" at theinquirer.net

 

Just done this and i confirm it is a 1920x1200 screen.

 

Sven,

I am waiting on delivery of mine. I did not get a few features you did, the HD screen and went with 2 gigs of memory and ordered aftermarket 4 gigs...

Any ideas on the notebook cooler. I use my current dv9000 in bed alot and it does get warm on my lap. I'd like something for this new beast to make working more comfortable...

On the nvidia chip deal, from what I have read here, the temps in the dragon are not bad and we will likely not see the nvidia issue. Anyone who knows better feel free to correct me if I am wrong.

Scott

 

Lancorp,
Stop being a Jarhead and remember how to READ! It was an example of how one product evolved into something different based on the same technology.

DVD in effect are laserdiscs - they just don't call them that, but the technology is the same - the disks are just a lot smaller.

 

Sven,
Forget the cable lock - they're worthless against a determined thief, and a rookie is just going to damage your system trying to bypass it. If you didn't get it with your system, get Computrace either online or at Best Buy - 3 years, $99. Excellent recovery rate.

You can always get a BD-ROM later.

You won't need a cooler either - you won't believe it until you actually use it how cool it really runs, even when multitasking several programs at the same time. Combination of interior space and cooler running CP.

I finally got my Dicota bag yesterday from the Dell online store - nice case for $47, but having used the HP Targus roller case also, I'd say if you're going to be hauling it around a lot, get the HP case or something similar as well. Once you start adding batteries and adapters and other accessories, it gets pretty heavy. I got my Dicota for quick once-in-a-while local client calls / trips, but for anything on a regular basis or if I'm flying, I use the HP case. The roller case has another advantage when flying - since the Dicota MG is a traditional laptop case, you'll have to remove it from the case when you go through security. Not so with the HP, since it's considered carry-on luggage.

 

I was wondering if anyone knew if the Fujitsu MBB2147RC 147gb HDD would work in the HDX. It states that it's SAS, and I wasn't entirely sure if it was compatible or not. It would be nice to hook up two of these 10k rpm drives in it. Also, would I be fine running that and one 7.2k rpm drive at the same time?
Thanks!

 

ei joshyy, did you finally get the alienware orion backpack for the dragon?

did it fit?

seems that the market is all out of the alienware malx backpack so this is the next best choice

 

Nope, won't work. Different interface type. SAS is incompatible with SATA.

 

Ahh..name calling...very mature Cybervisions. My comment, and it was not a criticism of what you said, was based on the discussion that preceded your Laserdisc/DVD comparison. Your own quote was that people aren't going to "settle for a dumpy 17" screen on a media powerhouse notebook", and instead want a bigger screen. To me, that sounds like something smaller evolves into something bigger, the opposite of Laserdisc-to-DVD, where something bigger evolved into something smaller (and still today, ultraportables are all the rage).

Again, as I stated at the end of my post, "at least that is how I read it".

BTW, I can read just fine. Maybe too well?

 

Cybervisions,

Just wanted to tell you that your long post back there really took the words out of my heart.

Having worked for HP before, I can definitely say that unfortunately, it can be true. Not all "techs" are incompetent though... there's the really good ones.. and there's the really clueless arrogant and/or ignorant ones.

I guess this can be true for any company out there and it's not just HP. In fact, the company I work for now loves HP products so much they curse themselves for choosing Lenovo for their current rig.

Fact is.. no one is perfect. Any company out there, no matter how great, is bound to have lemons.

It takes a company like Blizzard to honestly throw away a game they find subpar rather than to release it just to make a buck. (referring to Warcraft Thrall game that was never released). If you want the exact opposite, maybe perhaps.. Electronic Arts... look what they did to Origin. Poor Lord British.

Uh.... Something HDX-related... my aunt probably has it already.. but it'll be months before I get it. T_T What a pain it is to hope for it everyday since the day it was ordered.

2.0 - I truly respect the way you think. Nice post about Windows Ultimate versus Home Premium and about getting the latest greatest versus the best price performance ratio setup. I have fun reading your posts and what rumba has to say about it.

And... where's TheOriginalGiga?

 

My new HDX was finally delivered today! Yippee!

Having had many notebooks over the years (practically every model of Dell has passed through my hands), and a current owner of an XPS M2010 20" notebook, I though I would give some "first impressions" of the HDX.

First and foremost, somehow the unit seems smaller than the M2010, which I'm certainly not complaining about!

Before even turning it on, I imaged the first drive so I'd have a clean copy of the OS should I need it. Plus, I did an upgrade to 4GB RAM (OCZ from Newegg).

After firing it up and removing all the "junk", I'm finally loading up my stuff.

Appearance-wise, the LCD is very nice. Not, in my opinion, as nice as the M2010 which has a fabuouls LG panel, but very nice still. One little thing is the bezel around my LCD has lots of tiny micro-scratches in it...visable under the right light. I haven't cleaned it or anything yet, and they were there. I'm a bit of a stickler about things like scratches, so that will probably annoy me.

I also notice a bit of light bleed along the bottom of the panel on dark or black screens.

Overall, the appearance of the HDX borders on "consumer" with lots of plastic, unlike the M2010 which, with the hidden pop-up DVD drive and brushed metal top, had more of a "cool factor" (IMHO). But, it's still a very beautifully designed unit. I think I would prefer the remote control not be on top. Dell has a remote that plug into the Express card slot so it is hidden. The remote on the top detracts from the looks, I think. Again, not a big deal.

One of the best things, though, is how COOL (thermally) this unit runs! I've read it in many posts here, but now I believe it. Even running PRIME95, there isn't much heat being put out. Amazing.

And, for those wondering or for future reference, I did some wattage measurements of the big 180W brick, and found that under normal usage, with network and lots of hard drive activity (but no game playing), that the HDX and power supply used no more than 80 watts. No wonder it runs so cool. Considering the low power draw, it was time to experiment.

I desperately wanted to use my Kensington 120W universal thin and light power adapter with this, and because of the difference between 120W and 180W, I didn't think it would work. But, since the HDX power draw was so low, I thought I'd give it a try. I popped on my N30B tip (HP) on my Kensington, and connected it up. Plugged into my watt meter, and turned on my HDX. Power draw was averaging around 60-70 watts during activity, with plenty of idle time in the 40w range! For those who don't know, this Kensington power adapter weighs next to nothing, and is very thin and light. It's a miracle how they get 120W out of it, but I've been using them for a couple of years with notebooks, cell phones, portable items, etc., and they work great.

So now, it doesn't seem like I have to lug around that big heavy power brick. I will, of course, do a bit more experimentation, maybe load up a game and see how the 8800GTS draws power, but I think I'll be OK with the Kensington as my travel adapter!

So, I'm happy as a clam right now. Gotta finish loading up my nessary apps, move about 60GB of music to the D drive and fire up ZUNE and see how those speakers rock!

Thanks to everyone for all the feedback and tips up to now!

ps. I forgot to mention that I have another Dicota bag coming for the HDX...should be here tomorrow. I'm currently using a "modifed" Dicota bag for the M2010 and it's OK for basic protection.

 

congrats!

Seriously, thanks for this info. I was meaning to buy a watt meter to test things out. Being green, I had made educated guesses as to how much the HDX drew. I wasn't far off. But to have the exact figures is priceless. Of course it'll draw the most if charging the battery and playing such games as Crysis or COD4 at the same time.

Anyway, thanks again for the valuable info. May your HDX serve you well and be trouble free.

 

No problem. I am going to run off battery for a while and let the battery drain some. Then, I'll power off the Kensington and see what it draws powering the unit and charging at the same time. There is so much headroom, that I don't think I'll have any problems.

I'm not much of a game player (except for occassional C&C3) but if it starts to reach the maximum of the Kensington, I'll know to use the brick for those times.

Looking at it right now, with Wifi on and screen brightness on high, it's at 51W.

 

This could be very good news. Pulling that brick around to work and back is really annoying. (Especially if you don't have a bag. lol)

We just need it to stay under 90w.

 

Update on the Kensington for those interested...charging the battery while running the HDX draws upwards of 90-100W, even with high CPU, it doesn't seem to change much...

I don't think it would be wise to do too much intense gaming with the Kensington, but for everything else, I think it might fit the bill.

Also, there is a Duracell clone of the Kensington, rated at 130W. Not sure if
the Kensington is really good to 130W or Duracell did something to theirs to get 130W, but the two look identical. Even the cords and tips are the same.

 

Rumba,

I installed the SP39330.exe file you referenced, but after installing it, I do not have that IDT control panel in my control panel (I looked under Additonal Options).

How else can I get to the IDT control panel? Right now, I just have the basic Vista sound controls, and to be honest, playing some great MP3's in my Zune software isn't blowing my socks off! I've got no way to manipulate the speakers. Also, is there an equalizer anywhere?

 

Hi everybody,
I am really proud owner of a new 'loaded' hdx. Proud and elititist, I should say, because this is the only forum about HP HDX that I found, and that means elite nowadays. I bought the Hdx as a desktop replacement ( you lost Apple!) after choosing between Mac and Hp. I've been using an HP NX9440 for 1 year now, Vista ultimate, that ran flawless. Now the 17' NX looks like a scared puppy aside the HDX, . But the Beast has some issues, I guess:
1. The first time (after the HP registration) it started there were errors with IE...
2. Windows Ultimate updated the QL buttons, no more bass/treble. Rolled back the drivers...
3. The soft touch EJECT button Never worked...
4. The so called mega protected and mega hidden Recovery partition was scre***d (without warning) when I tried to transfer some settings and files from the previous laptop using vista special tool. Is there any tool that I can recover the recovery partition ?
5 Some drivers posted on HP site are not for my HDX, though I used the detection process with IE ( it identifies correctly my HDX). I wonder what will happen when I need more drivers.

Kinda slow start ....

 

THE DRAGON APPEARS TO HAVE DISAPPEARED

I just checked hpshopping site. The HDX is no longer listed. We have been waiting since January for HP to adopt Intel's Montevina chipset on the Dragon. Someone called hpshopping just yesterday and got a confirmation that the HDX is not going away anytime soon and that it was their best seller. That hpshopping rep added that they usually get internal email months ahead advising of a phase out. Many parties I know are going to be very upset. I for one am.

2.0
All the information that we obtained from hpshopping is not worth a penny.

 

Rumba:
Thanks for the link. Though not the full blown version with the X9000 processor and 400GB 7200 RPM HD, 4GB RAM, Blu Ray writer, True HD screen, etc...

 

Random thought: Anyone try to find a way to control the fans through software?

 

Wow! That was fast! I just took delivery on an obsolete, discontinued relic!

I guess when HP offers 30% off something, that mean the end is near for that item!

 

On your #2 suggestions, where are you talking about? Where is "Shared Mode"?

 

Sound icon in the control, 3rd tab.

 

One quick question--I see in control panel there is a Silicon Image SATA applet, but it shows nothing is connected. Is that the controller for the eSATA port?

I also see the Intel Storage Matrix Manager (RAID) software is factory installed. Why? I didn't think the HDX supported RAID...

 

Ahh...OK, thanks.

 

OK, I rolled back the driver, and reinstalled the SP39330.exe. No errors during the reinstall, and rebooted.

Looking at the driver details, I now have version 6.10.5929.0.

Still, no IDT control panel icon in Additional Options.

I checked the Shared mode setting, it was set to CD Quality. I changed that.

I looked for the IDT x64 control panel file, and found it in the C:\Program Files\IDT\WDM. It appears the IDT folder is nothing more than the setup/install folder for the IDT software. The identical contents of this folder also appear in C:\Program Files(x86)\IDT...

I double-clicked the CPL icon and the control panel launched. Nice looking.

The problem is, none of the speaker tests do anything. I enabled the SW speaker, the FL and FR (which were already enabled). The individual speaker "Speaker Test" buttons do nothing, and the main speaker test button does nothing.

Makes me think that I am not running my audio in any sort of HD or high quality mode if the HD Sound control panel doesn't even work.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

Don't use that one, it completely removes the sub, no matter what you do. Go back to the official version (5510). I went through this trying to get SupCom's audio working and ended up going back because no sub or controls. I really don't think that driver is for our variant of hardware.

 

Now I'm confused, because Rumba mentioned a few thousand pages ago, that the SP39330.exe worked on his and made his audio sound fantastic--Deep bass, etc...Now you're saying that this version breaks the subwoofer?

With the official version, is there an IDT control panel? The one that comes with the new driver does not work when the old driver is loaded (some message about the correct audio component could not be found).

I just want to be sure my audio is working in the best possible mode (especially the subwoofer, because on my M2010, the subwoofer is anemic..)

 

I'm POSITIVE, I didn't notice right away, but finally I went to play some music and it sounded off. Sure enough, no sub at all.

The official driver is good for everything I've done except SupCom, and that's their fault because Forged Alliance works fine.

I even do recording work with asio4all and it works fine. Unless you have a noticeable issue, I'd say stay with the original.

 

I rolled back the 5929, and it reverted to a Microsoft driver 6.00.000.

That isn't right, so I looked in the SWSETUP folder under drivers/audio and found and installed the IDT driver there.

Wound up being 5607. I tried the x64 control panel and just got a message that svchost.exe stopped responding, so I figure it doesn't work.

It's too bad that there isn't more control over the audio. I'm used to using the Creative MB Advanced software to "turn on" the advanced audio features on many Dell's. Full-blown equalizer, DSP, Surround, etc., all at your fingertips. I bet it would make the audio system in the HDX really shine!

I think the subwoofer is working in mine...not too sure. I can't feel it in the desk it sits on, but the HDX itself is vibrating a bit, so it must be.

 

...thanks mate. Ive just downloaded that sp39330 and installed it. It doesnt seems as loud as the Sigmatel drivers however it has more settings. Having said this i now have the treble and bass controls which the Sigmatel audio drivers do not provide you. Under c:\programfile\idt\wdm if you click on the idt64mp1 icon you get a spectrum anylizer which is a cool tool. As far as my speaker tests are concerened they all work well. Another thing i noticed is that the audio formats available with the idt drivers are not as many as the ones the sigmatel drivers provide.

 

I did see this, but I'm 100% sure it cut out my sub. Hand on the sub, and I felt nothing playing some old ODB.

 

...does the IDT audio software have its own control panel??

 

Bloody shame, that.

They kept the picture on the front page, but removed the 20.1 from the description. Guess they'll remove the picture by the weekend.

The last of the 20 inchers. RIP.

 

I figured out how to get it working. But here's the rub...

I have 2 HDX's. So I compared the one with the original driver and the other with the "rumba" driver.

The original (default) driver has louder sound and better bass in games and WinMedia.

The "rumba" driver has no bass in games, tighter though less punchy bass in WinMedia, better fidelity(depening on how you set it), but isn't as loud overall as the original driver. Using the control panel EQ, setting everything to +15 max, you still don't come exactly close to the original driver's loudness and what's more, at those levels, you lose the fidelity - making it sound worse than the original driver at 100 vol max.

The other problem with the "rumba" driver is that HDMI is labeled as out VIA HP dock. Whereas, the original driver has it right - out via digital device (SPDIF). This must be why Blackknight had problems with it.

Also, with the original driver, you just install it, adjust your bass and treble to your liking - maybe slap on some 12db bass enhancement, and it's all good.

With the "rumba" driver, whether you install over the original driver, or do a fresh install, you have to perform several settings. First, you have to configure the speakers to 5.1 but uncheck the center and surround speakers. Then you have to uncheck full range. This is how you get the bass to work in windows. Then you need to use the control panel and adjust bass management and set cutoff to 100hz. Then you want to adjust the sound to studio. Then if you want to recapture some of the loudness of the original driver, you have to adjust the EQ to at least +10 across the board.

But when you go to play a game, since games do recognize your sound equipment, you lose bass and fidelity. Tried it with C&C Zero hour, COD2, COD4. All flat, muffled sound. Tank battles in C&C sound like party snaps going off. With the original driver, it's like playing with a rumble pad.

Anyway, I'm going to look into this SP1 issue. I haven't had a single issue with the original driver. But then again, I'm rolling with a clean install of Vista.

 

RE Subwoofer
Go to http://www.ymec.com/products/dssf3e/
Download trial version (free) and use the signal generator at low freqs to test the subwoofer, that's how I found out mine wasn't working. Without subwoofer you won't hear below 100-110 hertz. With subwoofer you will hear all the way down to 40 hertz (at least with these 65 year old ears). It is very hard to tell b listening to just music (again with these 65 year old ears. Use the signal generator....DAvid

 

I'm running the newest drivers, to which link was provided by rumba. I'm starting x64 control panel from c:\program files but after pressing speaker test button there is no sound ? I can hear sound in winamp, games, etc.? Is speaker test button working for anyone in that control panel?

 

That's definitely possible as there are variants to the STAC 9271.

But if you have 2 HDX's, that's the best way to determine. I find the bass to be tighter on the same material. But that's likely because the sound ins't that loud with the new driver. When I lower the volume on the HDX with the original driver, the two mostly sound the same.

I tested with Jimi Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary", Bebel Gilberto's "Baby" & "Cada Beijo", and Sarah Vaughn's "Lover Man" (Jazzelicious remix).

I give the original driver a nod for "Wind Cries Mary." Not only does it reproduce the bass better, but gives it a richer hall effect. Also for "Lover man." Bass kicks when it should. Reverb adds to the undertone mix of old school sample with new school vibe. As for "Baby" your driver pulls out the guitar better as it doesn't get lost in the bass. It's a toss up for "cada Beijo" because the original driver slaps the bass which adds to the song's dance rhythm while your driver smooths it out allowing the guitar to come through richer.

But then there's games to consider. So it's a compromise. I'll play with it some more later to see how best to set it up so games can deal and get more volume and punch out of the bass with the newer driver.