*HP HDX DRAGON Owners Lounge, Part 1*

Do you feel that the 8 GB of RAM had any impact on your gaming?

 

Good deal Yea I bought the HDX from someone on Craigslist and he said he shipped it on Saturday but I have yet to see it and the tracking number. He said it was only 1 1/2 months old when I originally talked to him about it, and it must be since the specs he put on there were not available that long anyways. The 2.8 ghz processor was available like for a month or so before they took it down as discontinued.

Does anyone besides me want to petition HP to get the 20 inch Dragon back..even with better specs? Like maybe if we could sign something electronically and also call in on the same day together maybe that will get them to change their minds? Anyone interested?

 

The ram didnt impact gaming much, because most games wont suck all that space up, but the processor was a big jump from the stock 8100 (ie 2.1ghz 3mb) and the terabyte of space (the density of the drives makes them read arge files faster) this is evident in game loading times

anyways i use my laptop for everything, and i mean everything

School - i usually run up to 8 or 10 programs, (office suite, most of adobe master cllection, while watching an avi movie in the corner, downloading torrents in the background, instant messaging, and using the internet) i noticed a much greater improvement in smoothness and responsiveness, where the old stock specs would lag, the upgrades do not, unless theres a situation where a few programs spike all at the same time (which is usually caused by me on accident)

Entertainment - I use the blue ray drive and avi files for video, use to skip or get outa sync when im watching and using said programs, but much smoother now, music, photos and gaming

these are the areas that ive noticed an improvement

any more questions?, im quite computer savvy and ive tinkered with my hdx in and out. if anyone needs help feel free to ask

 

Are you saying you opened the HDX up and replaced the 2.1GHZ processor with a 2.6 or bought another HDX? Also which exact hard drives did you get? I'm waiting to get 7200 rpm 500GB drives which from what I understand won't be available till December. One other thing I was wondering was what do you believe the 8GBs of memory actually helped?

 

Nice idea, but more than likely, the original sales numbers for the HDX20 were disappointing, and probably not enough to sustain the assy line and make it economically feasible. Otherwise, they would have kept it and possibly, updated it.

To those of us that have and/or want one, we love them, but to the masses, is just too big and heavy.

 

Unless money is no object, I would guess that 500GB 7200RPM drives will be VERY expensive when they show up. And, over a short period of time (3 months?), will then start to decline. So, a purchase in December might not be so wise.

I have read VERY GOOD things about the 2-platter 500GB 5400RPM drives. Almost, if not, as fast as a 320GB 7200RPM. And, the price right now is enough to make you smile.

Being a bit of a bargain hunter, with the 30% cashback on ebay right now (which this past weekend was INSTANT cashback, btw), 500GB WD drives are about $72 each. Two of those puppies for under $150 in your HDX!!

 

But they only came out with the top specs version like 1-2 months before they pulled it..the 2.8ghz with 8800 NVIDIA GPU, etc. Everyone seems to want it AFTER they pulled it, I mean how you do even know how it works before you buy it only after a month of people reporting how well it works? I'm curious to know how many people would do a petition..maybe no one, I'm just curious. BTW they DO consider themselves having kept it with the 16-18 inchers which I think is ridiculous.

 

Really? How could it be almost as fast as a 7200 rpm drive? You got the drives on Ebay no? Tempting..

 

The 8800M video had been out for awhile. Not sure about the 2.8Ghz CPU, but even so, it unlikely that everyone was eschewing the HDX because there wasn't a top-of-the-line and uber-expensive 2.8 CPU available.

I've never heard of lack of enthusiasm for a notebook based only on the inavailability of the top end CPU. I know you want one, but I don't care about a 2.8 vs. 2.5 and probably most people are happy spending much less on the 2.5. That X9000 chip was overpriced and under-utilized (no overclocking). And, no real interest at that point.

 

Simple. The WD 500GB drive is a two platter design. Therefore, very high density platters. High density = high transfer rates. 320GB @ 7200 is close to 500GB @ 5400 transfer rate-wise.

There is a thread somewhere on NBR where people got the WD 500GB and ran some bench's (HD Tune, etc.), and the speeds were pretty darn close to the 320/7200's. Close enough that you wouldn't notice it except for the extra 180GB you get!!!

Good enough for me!

 

After the 31 days of the Dragon sales of the HDX went up significantly, as well as sales of other HPs.

 

I've read this elsewhere, but here's one link and excerpt.

http://moblogsmoproblems.blogspot.com/2008/09/blogger-campaign-case-study-hps-31-days.html

Blogger Campaign Case Study: HP's 31 Days of the Dragon
Monday, September 29, 2008

" I'm really surprised that this has gotten more attention, but Hewlitt-Packard recently published some incredible results for its recent '31 Days of the Dragon' blogger promotion for its HDX Dragon laptop. Here's the claimed results:

Sales of the HDX Dragon increasing by 84%
Overall 10% increase in PC sales
14% increase in traffic to HP's hpshopping.com site"

Of course some of that may be attributable to the discounts going on in August (the author doesn't specify the period covered by the analysis), but the promotion was over the beginning of June.

As others have pointed out the Dragon was never marketed well with the exception being the 31 Days Promotion.

 

How are you getting 30% back on eBay?

 

live.com cashback promo.

Go to www.live.com and type in ZUNE. You'll get an ebay cashback link to click on, then read the terms and conditions. It's pretty easy.

 

Up 84%??? That doesn't really tell the whole story. If sales were really bad, and they sold 50 the month prior, and after giving away 31 of them, they sold 92 the next month, that is still dismal, and unsustainable, but is an 84% increase. Percentages are misleading.

Frankly, the Dragon is big and heavy. Even Dell's own XPS M2010 ultimately saw it's own demise, and it was a great unit too, ( if an 18lb portable is your thing.) For most people, it isn't.

I love mine, as does everyone here. But it certainly isn't everyones cup of tea.

(btw, I never heard of the 31 days of the dragon during that time, so they did a crappy job of promoting it. If anyone eats, sleeps and breathes PC's and PC technology, it's me. If they put it out there, I should have heard of it. I didn't.)

 

I agree that the increase can't be viewed out of context, but you re seeming to present speculation as fact. You can't be sure that the 84% increase resulted from the possible scenario that you painted. I just presented an interesting statistic in response to an earlier post.

 

Got a cold call from Carlos (out of the blue. new follow through or new advertising call, he was pushing a $350 rebate on HDX18), a direct HP rep doing a follow up on people that bought a Dragon. He was amazed how much I LOVED my Dragon. He stated that they had had the highest return rates of any machine they ever made,...seems it was "too big" Stated unequivably that they (HP) were never going to do a 20 in notebook again. For shame,...for shame. That's what I told him and that's what I'm telling HP again because you know they track these forums. Someone, if not HP will get my $4000 fot the next notebook I buy. I'm through with desktops,.. after this Dragon with a second HP 2408 on the side. What else could you want, unless you are ready for double SLI graphics,...be real,...be practical. Nothing trips it like this HDX20 for the time being...and it all hangs out in a shoulder bag.....David

 

No one knows for sure since HP doesn't release sales numbers. But, my speculation was just an example that made it easy to see what my point was (which was, that sales were low). Obviously, if they were selling a million HDX's the month prior and 1.84 million after the 31 day giveaway, that would be a different story.

I was just trying to put that 84% into perspective, since most would see 84% as "WOW, that's a huge increase", when in fact, it may not be huge at all.

 

If that is true, why aren't all those returns in the HP Outlet? I keep checking, and they're never there...maybe the HP employees got to take them home?

 

With all the discussion about LCD panel manufacturers, here's an interesting heads up:
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/21681/53/

LG and Sharp guilty of LCD panel price fixing
by Davey Winder
Thursday, 13 November 2008

How much did you pay for your last notebook, mobile phone or iPod? The correct answer is likely to be more than you should have done. An announcement by the US Department of Justice has revealed price fixing on LCD panels by some of the biggest manufacturers in the world.

The US Department of Justice is determined to crack down on international cartels, and that has got be a good thing for consumers the world over. Especially if it means breaking up price-fixing rings such as that which appears to have been operating in the realm of the LCD panel.


You might not have heard of Chunghwa Picture Tubes, a Taiwanese manufacturer of LCD panels, but I'm guessing the names of LG and Sharp are a little more familiar?

All three companies are said to have worked together to fix prices of the thin-film transistor LCD panels which they supplied to Apple, Dell and Motorola. As a consequence, this could have artificially raised the cost of your iPod, mobile phone or notebook computer...

(full article at link)

 

According to marketing studies, the contest (which I saw in numerous tech sites like Ars Technica, and I'm not a computer professional) drew 25,000 contestants. and a huge number of search hits specifically referencing the contest.

http://www.reputationtorevenue.com/media/

The HDX was not marketed well prior to that. It's true that the device is heavy compared to a traditional notebook, but to photographers, for example, it's nothing compared to an equipment bag.

If a future large screen laptop is envisioned, the case could be built of strong, lightweight carbon fiber The new Voodoo Envy is built of such a material. And displays will get lighter. CMO, the maker of the WUXGA Dragon screen, recently developed the world's most advanced OLED screen, a 25 inch display measuring a mere 1mm thick.

 

Very likely we won't see another large screen "notebook" like the dragon again. 18.4" notebooks aren't selling well either.

It's not just the weight, it's the form factor.

I use my HDX's as All-In-One PCs. They never leave the desk. I have other computers in the 15" and 12.1" that I use as portables.

As of the 31 days of the dragon contest, we have a winner here in this thread: Blacknight. I entered a few for the fun of it. I never "win" anything.

There's a new web wide contest running called: HP Magic Giveaway. http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/blogger-magic/

Lot's o' stuff up for grabs.

 

So does this mean all the hdx we own that are 20 inch hdx are worth something or going to retain there value through the years or the fact that hp discontinued them mean that they are obselete or no good to own anymore.

And I have to return mine for some warranty work to hp i have been waiting a month for them to send me the return box for service. But im asking is if i do send it in for the cosmetic issue (frame around lcd broke right ontop of webcam) not a biggie but whats the warranty for, are they going to tell me to replace with there new 18.4 inch version or are they going to fix mine and send it back. I know some companys that put out items like this on a global level and are quick to take them down sometimes want there product out of consumers hands and back into theres.

 

Nah they'll fix it.

As for retaining value, not likely. Well kind of for a few more months. After the next CPU/Chipset platform is released by Intel and next gen enthusiast Nvidia GPUs, it won't be worth more than $500 give or take. If even that.

Such is technology.

 

Is it possible to install the intel 2 quad core chip set into these dragons

 

Short answer is no.

Long answer is possibly but won't run at rated speed because of difference in bus speeds relative to the CPU's multiplier. Plus a BIOS update which supports the chip is also likely required.

 

I know what you mean. After owning one of these, I see it as a complete desktop replacement. I move it back and forth to work, but it never comes on big trips or what have you. I bought 13.3" for that. Even though I have a water cooled QX9650 rig sitting at home in Canada, I honestly think I'm done with desktops.

They need to market to that more I think, like an iMac almost.

 

newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136314R
[HDD x 2 ~ 250 shipped]

newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819111007
[CPU ~400 shipped]

newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231210
[Memory ~330 shipped]

 

I rarely move my system, but it works for me, the only place i need to take it, and i dont even NEED to, is my school, where they have adequate space for laptops and power outlets nearby, otherwise it is set up at home

 

Does anyone know where the "independent headphones" 1 and 2 output to?

I thought it was the front jacks, but they're on the "redirected headphones" part of the main output. The independent gives no sound when you test.

 

I was curious what its like to travel with the laptop, so I took it to work with me on a site visit. It certainly surprised the folks at the security, one lady did chirp that it cannot be a laptop until a younger male offsider told her everything about the laptop. It needs a special tray to go under the xray machine since its so big.

Lesson 1 - if you are carrying the laptop for > a few short minutes (i.e. 2-3 mins), backpack is the way to go. The messenger bag just don't cut it with 15lbs in one shoulder.

While using the laptop in the airport terminal I did get some strange looks from people since the bright HP logo can be seen quite a distance away, one passenger came from afar and asked what it was and commented how amazing it looked.

It was worth the trip but I'll use a backpack next time. Nothing is more boring after a hard day's work looking at a 14-inch crusty TV at the motel and the HDX is a welcome relief.

Oh yes, after a few weeks with the Patriot 64GB SSD, I can say there are no slowdowns whatsoever. Everything in Vista now flies. For approx. USD 200, I personally would recommend it highly.

 

Something doesn't seem right about the processor you linked to--a P9500?

That doesn't work in a HDX20. (if it does, it works at 800FSB instead of 1066 and your clock speed is now lower than 2.53).

Is this really the CPU you bought and installed?

 

I have one of those Patriot 64GB SSD's that I got for about $149 on sale a few weeks ago. I have not installed it yet in anything.

You say it flies in the HDX? Faster than a 320GB 7200RPM drive, or what did you have in your HDX prior that you are comparing it to?

Thanks!

 

What about our undying gratitude & praise?
Seriously 2.0, it wouldn't be the same without you.

BTW Thanks for the heads up on the contest.

 

Keep trying, 2.0. Your karma's ripe for a free machine.

Notice how for the new contest the same strategy as in the 31 Days of the Dragon is being utilized...a gaggle of blogsites are hosting the contest. They wouldn't have done that if the HDX giveaway had been a dud (which it wasn't).

 

"Oh yes, after a few weeks with the Patriot 64GB SSD, I can say there are no slowdowns whatsoever. Everything in Vista now flies. For approx. USD 200, I personally would recommend it highly."

Have you noticed an increase in battery life with the SSD?

 

i appologize, i purchased the proc off of some site on pricewatch, the other hardware from newegg, but i couldnt find that website again so i found that proc and posted (i didnt pay close enough attention to the proc name it was the new 1066 9400 at 2.53 [round up] sory guys!!!)

newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819111008&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Processors+-+Mobile-_-Intel-_-19111008
this is the 1066, which when paired with 1066 compat ram and mb ramps up to 1066 like the new hdx18s

 

I'm not positive, but I don't think that is possible. The chipset in the HDX20 Dragon has a maximum FSB of 800Mhz, not 1066. So, if you stick a 1066 FSB cpu in, it's going to run at 800Mhz FSB, and therefore slower than expected.

I don't think you can put a 1066Mhz FSB CPU and 1066-rated RAM in and have it run at that speed.

If you did, you need to run CPU-Z or something and check your speeds!

 

Lancorp - See my post #4079 for Benchy for this SSD

MobileArtist - There is no noticeable battery life increase. The power savings vs a normal platter HDD is very miniscule <2W, it is only noticeable on ultra low power notebooks. The HDX consumes ~30W on idle let alone 120-130W under full load.

A question for 2.0 - I was downloading the manuals for the HDX and I noticed the following chapter for the 'Wireless' document Is it possible to get 3G broadband module for the HDX Dragon?

 

I don't see a problem here. You can alway buy 3G card either in USB,express card, PCMCIA and probably in mini pcie format.

 

I'm guessing he meant is there a built-in (mini pci-e) slot and wiriing for the broadband antennas already in the HDX?

 

I spent a bit of time this morning cloning my 320GB/7200RPM drive to the new Patriot 64GB SSD, as I was intrigued by your previous posts and the "benchy's".

Two words--HOLY CRAP!

Talk about faster! Using very unscientific measurements (my digital clock with a seconds readout), here are my before and after real world timings--

Vista boot (from the instant the POST screen goes away, to the instant the login screen shows):

320GB HDD: 1min:10sec
64GB SDD: 0:40sec


Vista boot to desktop ready (from the instant the POST screen goes away to when everything in Vista is loaded in my system tray):

320GB HDD: 2min:40sec
64GB SSD: 1min:09sec !!!!

Time to start Microsoft Zune software and have it fully graphically populate the screen with album art:

320GB HDD: 0:23sec
64GB SSD: 0:10sec

Obviously, this SSD is wicked fast! Since I have a massive D: drive, I'm not too concerned about the small size of C:, but I might look into the same SSD that Patriot sells but at 128GB.

Note, too, that I my HDD is already one of the fastest 320GB 7200RPM drives, so my speedup times won't be nearly as impressive as, say, someone with a stock 250GB 5400RPM drive
or such.

Whew! I like this!

 

Yes, there's an empty mini-PCIe slot adjacent to where the wifi card is. As for the antenna hook up, didn't see any. But there should be enough room inside for a short one.

 

Aw, shucks....

 

Dear Santa,

Do I really need to ask?

Sincerely,

2.0

 

Seems G.SKILL has some competitively priced 128GB SSD's ($259 at newegg) compared to the $389 Patriot.

I wonder if the specs would be the same, as in, don't they all use the same controllers and flash memory (compared to MLC-based drives, themselves).

Obviously, SLC-based SSD's will be higher performance.

I see the much sought after Intel 80GB SSD is running about $500 now, down more than $100 from a week or two ago.

I sure wish I had this startling revelation when there was 30% cashback at ebay!!! (it's 15% now...)

 

Definitely a second on what hdx said You've helped me, us all, alot! Thanks 2.0!

 

I think you mean Dear Santa Rosa (refresh)

 

Lancorp, I messed up on the quote before, so you may have missed my question to you:

Have you tried and/or noticed ANY difference when playing a bluray movie since one is considered a "TRUE 1080P HD"?