*HP HDX18 Owners Lounge*

live.com has their normal "stores" that offer various percentages cash back (like the ebay deal).

Right now, hp.com is 5% off. Just go to: Live.com stores search

and click on the HP.com logo to save an additional 5%.

Back when I bought my QUAD CORE, it was 20%!! Imagine that now!!!

 

Wait, is shipment and built date the same thing? Mine says to be built by 19th. Does that mean they start building it on the 19th or it should be done by the 19th meaning I should get it pretty soon!!

I forget what kind of shipping I got. I know it was free shipping, but not sure if it was 2 day shipping...or the slow 5-7 day shipping?

Anyways, yeah TG is 27th, so I will make sure I don't get any gravy on my HDX!!!

 

do you think that 20% was a mistake just like the $250 option for the quads?

20% IS ALOT!!!!

 

Nice system! Just a suggestion, though, is that you could save some money and have the same performance by getting the 1TB (500GB x 2) drives and scrapping the T9600 and getting the T9400 instead.

The reason I say this is, the speed difference between the T9400 and T9600 is only 10%. As the T9600 is the "top dog" Core2Duo right now, the cost is higher than the performance gain (price/performance ratio). As a general rule of thumb 10% speed increase is just where one can even start to detect a difference. For the extra $250, IMHO, that's not money well spent.

Get the dual 500GB drives (faster drive performance than dual 250's) and some extra RAM, and you'll have a faster system than the one you ordered with the T9600 for the same price.

(and, let's call our past tirades "water under the bridge"...I'm truly just trying to give you some sage advice so you can change/reorder if you choose before it's too late)...

 

Yes. It is slated to SHIP by the 19th. And, when I ordered my two 18t's, I ordered one FREE GROUND and the other TWO DAY, and they both got here at the same time! So, I don't think it makes a difference.

 

Is there any benefit going with two HD vs one? The most intensive app I use is Photoshop, but I thought of going with more RAM and using it as a ram-drive. One downside is the the entire palmrest is going to get warm (vs just the left side for one drive config).

 

Since the '18t doesn't support RAID, there aren't any performance advantages. But, as a "future-proofing" measure, ordering two drives gets you that CADDY that you need for a 2nd drive.

If you order just one drive, no caddy, and probably no chance of adding one later unless a 3rd party manufactures one. Either way, the cost would be about the same, so why not get it now!

And yes, both palmrests will be warm, but at least that way, there isn't such a noticeable difference between the two! That's why I notice it now is because one is cold and one is warm!

 

That's how my old 9700t was when I ordered duals. Both palmrests were warm, when I ordered the DV7t I only went with a single drive, and the temp was very noticeable. I eventually returned it, but would definitely always recommend dual hard drives. Plus on my 9700t, when you reformat the one drive your second is untouched. I always copy what I need to my second drive so my first drive with windows can be reformatted any time I think it feels clunky and slow.

 

Or maybe it does make a difference but they saw that you ordered the 2 day and figured they throw in the other one with it? Interesting enough....

But this is great news! The 19th is next Wednesday! if they can beat that, then we would be getting our HDX's very very soon!!

I could definitley wait 1 week...I thought I would be waiting 2-3 weeks!!

 

Can you guys give me any 7200RPM drives from newegg or tigerdirect that i can replace my HDD with when i get it?

I'd like to stick with Seagate but I'm not married to it so if you guys know of any good drives, I'd like to order it now so I can have it ready. or maybe I can just go to Best buy and pick one up although they tend to be more expensive at retail stores...

also, what is the best way to copy everything over to the new drive? I don't have any HDD cloning software like norton ghost...do i need to purchase one?

Or should I order the Vista Ultimate recovery disk for $16 and do it that way?

thoughts?

 

Highly unlikely. The days of humans actually having anything to do with processing orders, or even worse, making a logical decision to help the consumer, as you described, is highly unlikely. It's all computer driven.

I just think that as everything comes from China via Air anyways, it just continues using Air service once it hits the US.

 

Go with the Vista Ultimate recovery disk. As soon as your '18t ships, the email they send you has the serial number of your unit in it. At that point, order the DVD...it should arrive about the same time as your '18t.

320GB 7200RPM Seagate's on ebay for $106.98. Use the 25% live.com cashback, makes them $80, shipped, no tax. Can't beat that deal! Look for item #260313821308.

 

You're right, what was I thinking....human compassion? human support....nonsense!!!

 

Ok thanks, I'll take a look. If I can get a 250GIG I will since I don't really use the main HDD for any storage. I have an external 1 TB that I use for everything...I just want the speed of 7200RPM!!!

I hope it isn't loud!!

 

I own an HDX9000. The Svideo connector in the rear of the machine does not seem to output a signal, and the Nvidia card does not "see" it, with an output connected or not. I've tried HP techs, they tell me to install latest driver, but still same. Any ideas???
Thanks

 

Could someone please explain how HP's price protection works to me?

I ordered my HDX18t on Oct. 19th with two coupons; a notebook instant rebate (-$200), and the SV3204 code (-$217.35). I received the laptop on Oct. 29th. I configured the same notebook today and with the 30% off coupon it come out a little over $100 cheaper.

I tried calling HPs customer support and was told that the SV3204 coupon had expired. I kept trying to tell them that I used the new code to arrive at the cheaper price, but they couldn't get it to work on their end. It kept only giving the instant $200 rebate. She told me I could return the computer and order a new one with the new coupon, but I don't really want to wait for a new one to be built and shipped. And so after being told the same thing a few times I just gave up.

Is there something that states you can't get a price protection if coupons were used in your order? I couldn't find anything on price protection on HPs website.

 

vistabad, between a 250 and 320, if it has the same number of platters, go with the 320 (assuming 7200rpm).

I ended up cancelling my order of yesterday... and reordered this noon, and cancelled that when I saw the 30 off LOL. Man, I'm not sure why my card isn't declined yet since I must be charged for all of them still.

I gave up on the dual HD, I usually use an external HD, the last one I had was a 750GB, the next one I get will be the 1.5TB, and I don't like the warm palmrest. I am amazed you can put 1TB in a laptop though. I went with T9400 and BT and everything else basic and got an extra power adapter. My dead (screen) 18T revived today (I use it everyday with external monitor), but I still hear the hum before the lights come on, which doesn't sound normal, anyway, hopefully my new build gets to me before I have to return the old one. I think I will leave the laptop and screen on the 18T on all the time now lol.

 

The way I see it, you need at least ONE hard drive, and if one side is warm and the other is not, then, to me, it's more noticeable than if both are the same temp.

It certainly isn't HOT, at least on my current HDX18t with a 320GB/7200RPM drive. It's not really that annoying at all.

 

I did do that. I have been following this forum for a few days. That is also why I didn't upgrade to the 4gig mem, and also only got the dual 250 hdd. I still don't understand what I did wrong to get the price i got... I do appreciate you trying to help.

 

Ok well since i have pulled the trigger with the 30% off today. The dockingstation and something else have already shipped and per fedex website are due on the 12th. The HDX18 itself is still in processing. So we might get them faster than I thought.

 

So what are your specs and what did you get it for?

 

it's people like you that use up all the coupon credits!!

I pray that I do not get a faulty screen, i would really begin to question if there is any QA at all at HP if that happens....

I think you are better off with your new order anyways, you are getting it cheaper than before and you'll probably get a much better machine this time. Maybe your current laptop is just a lemon?

BTW, what does HP do with the returned laptops? I'm sure the serial# gets assigned to you when you bought it, do they erase it and just resell it as new to another customer?

If the price difference between the 320 and 250 isn't that large, sure, I'll go with the 320 as you suggested but I don't even know what you mean platters?

 

with everything listed below the price came out to 1966.21. That is after the 675 off with the 30%:
HP HDX18t Premium Series customizable Notebook PC

· Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium with Service Pack 1 (64-bit)

· Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor T9400 (2.53 GHz)

· 18.4" diagonal High Definition HP Ultra BrightView Infinity Display (1920x1080p)

· FREE Upgrade to 3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) from 2GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm)

· 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT

· 500GB 5400RPM SATA Dual Hard Drive (250GB x 2) with HP ProtectSmart Hard Drive Protection

· Webcam + Fingerprint Reader with HP Imprint Finish (Fluid)

· HP Color Matching Keyboard

· Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth

· Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer

· HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner

· 8 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

· $20 OFF Microsoft(R) Office Home and Student 2007

· Norton 360(TM) - 15 Months

· HP Home & Home Office Store in-box envelope
Oh and it was the free shipping ...5 to 7 days, but the dockingstation and what not shipped 2 day when I set up 5 to 7 day shipping.

 

That's really not a bad price because you loaded it up. It's more loaded up than mine so I'd say you had a good deal with $675 off...

You can buy yourself another cheap laptop for $675!!!

For me, I only saved $480 but I plan on buying the HP 24" monitor which goes for $469...so the savings alone buys me that monitor....

Glad you pulled the trigger, it took me awhile to do it, I was lurking around these boards for 5 weeks before I finally made the purchase today and I'm glad i did since the deals were better...

Are you going to get the G.Skill RAM for $50 and upgrade to 4GIG's?

i am going to do a 1 week burn in test before I swap anything out, I just want to make sure everything works fine......

 

I am going to order the memory and hard drives tomorrow. WHat is the memory that everyone was talking about on newegg? I tried to find it in the previous post butt there is a lot of info to go through, plus how can you tell which hard drive or are all HDD the same? What is mean is is there a particular model for the HDX18? I know there is for the memory. Just not sure what is recommened for the memory and Hdd for this monster.

 

Oh and what would be a good wireless rougter for this thing? Sorry my spelling sucks.

 

I believe this is what everyone is talking about.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231156

I haven't yet looked into the HDD but I will soon...

I have a Linksys WRT-150N at home. It works great with Vista...no issues whatsoever....I paid $100 for it last year. I don't think they make it anymore though....

This one is refurbished.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124318

 

I believe this is the HDD to get. I trust Seagate...Western Digital second and Maxtor last...

This one is 320GIG's for $99.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148336


The 250Gig is $89 so for $10 more you might as well get the 320Gig...


If I am wrong on this can someone correct me?

 

Is the Linksys WRT-150N better than a Netgear? Just asking as I have never heard of the Linksys. Thanks for the other info I really appreciate it. I find it really funny that I have to go to my companys rival to get a decent computer that I can afford. So al lthe help I have gotten off this forum I really apreciate from everyone.

 

Something is funny there...I got the same system today, minus the Lightscribe, HDTV Tuner, Office H&S 2007, and Norton, but PLUS the 1TB (500GB x 2) and paid $1483. Your additions only add $212 after the 30% discount, minus $100 for your lesser hard drives, so your system should only be $112 more than mine.

Also, did you notice HP charges $129 for Office H&S2007 on the first page of configuring, but also offers it on the second page (Accessories) for $99?

In any case, your system comes to $2192.00 - 30% (657.90) = $1535.09. And you paid $1966???? Somethings wrong. That's a HUGE difference.

 

You say you are from Texas so I assume...... Dell?

How could you not have heard of Linksys? they have been around forever...they were bought out by Cisco..hmm....3 years ago?

I used to like netgear back in the days when 3com and bay networks were the only players in town...

I think netgear is below Linksys but that's just my opinion....

 

WOW huge difference!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Okay, quick question, someone mentioned a few posts back that they forgot to add Live discount to their deal (today)...I thought that you couldnt get Live Cash if you used any other coupons/discounts...?

If I can get 30% off and then Live (cashback), its getting ordered tonight!

 

Agree about the water under the bridge thing...

And I do understand what you're saying about the processor and the hard drive thing. However I hate dealing with HP's cancellation policy and unless something huge changes between now and 2mor I doubt I'll be canceling and reordering.

What do you think is faster though? the 1TB 5400 rpm (500 X 2) OR 640G 7200 rpm (320 X 2)?

And I do plan on upgrading the memory/RAM...

Also keep in mind that I ordered it because of the coupon. If HP puts up the Quad Core again and it's at a decent price (a coupon wouldn't hurt either) I'll probably return this laptop and order one with the Quad (and probably take your advice regarding the processor).

 

my only complaint so far is there seems to be excessive flex of the numberpad part of the keyboard area even compared to my dv9700. Otherwise this is a beautiful if monstrous notebook.

Haven't had a chance to crack it open yet and install the 8 gigs of ram and 500 gig HD I bought yet. still have to clone the drive that's in there now.

Sound is much better on the HDX18 compared with the DV9700, but I will have to test it a bit more as there was a touch of static when I first booted it, could have been a driver issue that was fixed after updating because it hasn't come back again.

The palmrest is MUCH cooler on the HDX18 compared to the DV9700t, but I'm running a zalman notebook cooler on it so that might very well have something to do with it. The Zalman will work with this notebook. The notebook overhangs some on each side, but the legs of the notebook sit firmly on the cooling pad.

Overall I am very pleased. Now to settle in for the long wait on a 3rd party HDD caddy. (sigh).

 

I got 20% off just a few days ago via the live cashback. Just have to wait for it to get credited now. It's in "pending" status.

 

The scratch disk feature of photoshop will benefit from a 2 hdd configuration, speedwise.

 

Yes, I gathered that, but I want to put scratch on RAM. Or maybe I'll just do Photoshop on my Quad desktop instead, since that is hooked up to the 30".

 

What link did you use to get the 20%?

 

Well, cancelling an order you just placed is much faster and easier than calling to setup a return, which is what you implied you might do, as you stated you ordered an HDX18t to see one in person, and if you don't like it or the QUAD comes out, you're going to return it. So, it sounds like you've already set yourself up for dealing with their returns department!

Obviously, you have to do what you feel comfortable with, I just wanted to put my 2 cents in that the T9600 is overpriced for what you get (mainly because it's their fastest CPU), and thought you could put some of that money into bigger/faster hard drives and take what is leftover and put it into RAM.

My experience has shown if you call to cancel before it starts to be built, the HP reps are much quicker to cancel and get off the phone (especially when you tell them you've reordered a better system). If you wait until it's in production, then it takes longer, because they don't want to cancel an "in-production" unit, and they start offering credits in order for you to keep it.

It no big deal to cancel now if you just ordered yesterday. But, do what you feel best with doing. That's whats so great about advice!

Enjoy.

 

You can't complain unless you've had an HDX (Dragon). Now, that you can call monstrous!

I still contend that the HDX18t runs very cool on the bottom-side and a cooler pad is not necessary. I've never used a cooler pad, but it just seems so inconvenient, plus adds to the noise (my HDX18t fans are constantly going off and on).

 

Could someone please explain, the concept of the 2 hard drives. Is one hard drive for the OS and the other one used, as an extension?? Or, are they mirrors, with the same information on both. Performance wise, would 2 - 250g/5400 hard drives perform better, than 1 - 320g/7200 hard drive?? I already have an external hard drive, so I really don't need another drive. Lastly, if I ordered 1 hard drive and replaced it with another, would I use the Vista Recovery disk, on the new hard drive?? Or, shopuld I ghost the old drive?? Once I've got the hard drives figured out, I'm going to order. Thanks .. I hope my ramblings make sense.

Al ..

 

Well, in the HP HDX18t, two drives are merely for storage, as the computer does not support performance configurations like RAID 0 (striped) or RAID 1 (mirrored) drives. So, the 2nd drive is basically a "D:" drive. But as a portable, isn't it inconvenient lugging around and setting up an external drive? Personally, I'd prefer it to be built into the unit. Not to mention, that 2nd hard drive caddy (bracket) is not included when you only buy the PC with one drive, and they are not to be had after the fact (at least right now).
So getting two drives now is like future-proofing insurance!

 

Any impressions on how the second hdd affects battery life?

 

As previously mentioned the 2nd drive is for storage.
If you purchase this model and intend to use two disks I would highly suggest buying the 18t with 2 drives from the OEM. The pricing for the hardware to install a 2nd hard drive is below.

496889-001: Rubber Cushions - $24US
496890-001: Screw Kit - $27US
496891-001: Cable Kit - $60US
496880-001: Enclosure & Bracket - $120US

Ouch. I only bought one disk and I'm regretting it.

You could use the second hard drive to setup for your default virtual memory disk or if you use Photoshop set the additional disk for your scratch disk. Its suppose to give an additional performance advantage.

I like the 2 disk setup because I will keep the OS and all programs on the first disk and all my data (move your documents folder over) on the second disk. This way if I have to do an OS reinstall I have all my data.

I've also been playing with the idea of getting an SSD drive for my OS and a 500GB drive for my second disk.

 

Lan .. Thanks for answering. Let me get this straight. The C drive (1st HDD) would have everything on it. The D drive (2nd HDD) would be additional storage. If this is true. Can I change the 1st HDD, to a 320G/7200 HDD, without changing the 2nd HDD?? Or do I have to change both HDD's?? I'm thinking, that a 7200 rpm HDD should perform better, than a 5400rpm HDD. Or, am I wasting money, changing to the faster rpm HDD.

Al ..

 

What about the hard drive comparison...?

 

Yes, 7200RPM drives are performance drives, and are faster than their 5400RPM counterparts. But here is where it gets confusing--because of factors like number of platters and platter density, sometimes, a 5400RPM drive will be faster than a 7200RPM drive! For example, a 500GB 5400RPM drive will be faster than a 200GB 7200RPM drive, and that is because the data bits are packed tighter on the 500GB drive, and the drives head can read more data at any given time on a denser platter.

But, in general, and especially when the drives are the same size, 7200RPM is faster.

And you can change either drive to whatever you want without having to mess with the other.

 

According to TomsHardware looks like the Seagate 320GB 7200RPM drive has it above all the rest.

Surprisingly, the 500GB drives are quite a few notches down the list.

(Looking at average READ and WRITE performance charts)...

 

Thanks...I understand what you're saying about the processors but at this point if I do decide that Quad core isn't worth it I think I'll keep the config I ordered and then just replace the memory and the hard drives with those beasty Seagate ones and whatever people agree upon is a good RAM option.