*HP HDX18 Owners Lounge*

Not sure. I'm waiting to be "approved" on the G.SKILL forums to I can post there for a little advice from G.SKILL. It may be the drive is bad.

It performs fast, though, so I am happy, but that big dip in performance at 65% has me puzzled...it's electronic chips...access from any point should be the same...it's not like a traditional hard drive with inner sectors and outer sectors, FCOL!!!

 

Did you notice this review posted at NewEgg for the same drive?

Reviewed By: aki009 on 1/18/2009 Tech Level: high - Ownership: 1 week to 1 month
This user purchased this item from Newegg
Pros: Fast when it works.
Cons: Drive has two problems:

(1) It generates errors in Windows, shown in the event log as "A parity error was detected on \Device\Ide\iaStor0". Once these errors take place, the system needs a power cycle.

(2) The drive has a slow erase cycle compared to other SSD drives that I have used. This makes burst writes to the drive painfully slow.
Other Thoughts: I had hoped to use this with Windows XP. No such luck. If the parity errors go away on a linux box, it'll have at least some usability. Otherwise it's just an expensive paperweight.
Manufacturer Response:.
Dear customer

we have no problem to run it under windows xp and vista, could you email us to [email protected]
we really want to know what is the problem of this drive

thank you
GSKILL SUPPORT

 

Lancorp,

You replied while I was editing my post. I copied and pasted from the HP website and there was hidden information. I accidentally edited the wrong adders and went back and revised them within a minute or two. Sorry!

The correct new adders are:

Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad Processor Q9000 (2.00Ghz) + $425.00
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad Processor Q9100 (2.26 GHz) + $475.00
Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad Processor QX9300 (2.53Hz) + $1175.00

 

No, I hadn't read that one, I had read the review under the 128GB version.

I don't think I have that problem with parity errors, though. I don't see anything in event viewer that logs a disk error, except when running HD Tune.

G.SKILL seems very responsive, so hopefully I'll know something soon.

 

You guys are killing me, which pad is the correct pad for which model?

 

The correct one is the lower left photo. They are apparently substituting the HDX16T part. They are mechanically the same but cosmetically different.

 

I called HP after I saw this post and they said there is a 21 day price guarantee. I was able to get them to reduce the price of the computer by the difference of the processor.

Hope this helps

Big50

 

Thank you, well, it looks like I got the HDX16t touchpad as well then.

I ordered mine early in December I believe...or late Nov....

 

Well I called HP Tech Support today about my HDX18-1010, as the touchpad on mine is the wrong one. They are collecting it tomorrow, so here's hoping they replace it with the right one......

 

Would you mind letting us know if you used a coupon code with your original purchase, and, if so, how they dealt with it?

 

Seems they took away the P8600 option for $25 and replaced it with the P8700 option for $75. Also The free upgrade to 3 GB ram changed to free upgrade to 320GB 5400 hard drive.

 

Hi all!

I just received my new HDX 18t at work. I couldn't wait and opened it and to my disappointment I already see a chip in the paint on the upper left corner of the frame. It's only a cosmetic issue but it makes me feel like I inherited a returned laptop

Does anyone have any suggestion what I can do about it? I haven't started playing with it yet because I'm at work but I already feel bummed about receiving a refurbished notebook rather than a new one.

 

My unit is still being built. I called them up and said that the processor dropped 500.00 and that they should be able to match it. That is when they told me about the 21 day price guarantee. When they built an identical unit online they mentioned that a coupon had been used and did it still exist? It was coupon NB8818. Luckily the coupon still exists because I sensed an excuse coming from them that they would not match it if the coupon wasn't still there. After the coupon was accepted online I waited like 20 minutes while the customer service department was trying to get approval from the operations manager. Finally they came on and said that they got approval and would credit me the difference. They said they would send me an email when the credit went through. I will let you know when and if they email me the confirmation.

Big50

 

Thanks, I learned this a little to late. The HP sales rep said I could put a second drive in without a problem, nice lie. So I have a HDX18 being built now and shipped to the states where a friend will bring it to me (I am a Peace Corps Volunteer). I have a new 2.5 inch SATA drive here, is there anything I can do to install it as a second drive? Any other issues I should know, I read that some people get the wrong touchpad? Is it a functional problem or cosmetic? I will also talk to HP about the processor price drop, as a volunteer money is precious any help and advice is more than welcome.

Bri

 

I called the return line that was on the bill about the price drop. Are you still within the 21 return day window? That would give you a good leverage on the price issue. I was able to confirm my processor credit as it was posted on my notes section of my account.

Most of the reps I talked to said that a second drive could not be installed after the fact. They said that they are not sure if there will be an aftermarket cage from the parts department at some point in the future.

Hope this helps
Big50

 

Only cosmetic.
Look at the decorative lines on the area below the keyboard.On the lower photo they match with the lines on the touchpad.
But many HDX18 owners (myself included) have the touchpad from the HDX16 model that has a different "decorative line design".

I hope this answer was clear enough.

 

Thank you so much for letting us know about this! It's very helpful.

My experiences -- they won't price match with your original coupon code if it's no longer working, and they won't price match with a new, currently working, coupon code. Makes price matching almost completely meaningless, except in a case like yours, where the coupon you used is still valid.

Congrats on the great deal. Hope you get a perfect, new HDX!

 

This computer has the most fluctuating pricing I've ever seen! It's almost comical. It would be interesting to see a line graph of pricing from the time of its introduction to now, in the max configuration with the QX9300.

 

Please elaborate on your experience and the response.

Thanks in advance.

 

My replacement was due to ship 1-26. On 1-19 I cancelled the order and then re-ordered using the 30% off coupon, thus saving almost $350. I get an email today telling me it has shipped, five days early, and two days after I canceled the order. They told me to return it, they'll have Fed Ex come pick it up and they will credit me (taking three to five days to hit my credit card) once they receive it. In the meantime, they charged me for the new order.

They didn't say to enjoy it for 21 days. though.

Never told me it was an "attempt" to cancel, either.

The new one doesn't have a restore disk, as does the first one and second, "cancelled" replacement. Good thing the first one had one, had I kept it, as I went through disks from three different manufacturers trying. Maybe I'll just copy the disk that arrives with the cancelled one, think it is an image but Img Burn takes care of that. Then I won't have to buy one.

 

That is SO WRONG. I'm sorry that happened to you.

The good news is that you can return (or exchange) the HDX and try again.

Maybe some of the smart folks here can come up with some clever ways to see if your computer is new or not.

To start, maybe check which BIOS it has?

 

First to start off, after 3 days of reading I finally finished all 363 pages. Great read, and I learned quite a bit, and I am shortly expecting my HDX 18t. Due to arrive on 1/23! It just Arrived at FedEx location in INDIANAPOLIS, IN. as of 1:24am.

One comment was mentioned how this notebook price changes so much. When I placed my order I chose the T9400 due to the $225-$250 jump to go to the T9600. I just couldn't justify that pricejump for such a small upgrade. Was bored today, checked the site and it is now a $55 jump from T9400 to T9600.

When I ordered, I did use the 30% off coupon during the HP checkout. Not sure if I am going to try to do anything yet as I want to try this baby out and see if I like it, but if I do I am debating on whether I should do a return/repurchase to get the larger chip just for the sake of having it.

My last notebook lasted me almost 5 years from HP and I am planning for this next purchase to do the same. Anyways, anyone have any thoughts? I may wait to see what happens in 15 days with pricing if anything changes but I feel somewhat torn as I wanted that T9600 chip but man $250ish to get it... Now its a not-so-bad jump @ $55.

 

I must have talked to a different one because he made at least 2 mistakes. First I told him that I wanted to add a second drive to the computer myself and he said I could do that, no problem. Then he asked if I wanted a bag for the computer and told me the HP messenger bag would fit the HDX18, which I had just ordered over the phone with him. Again he was wrong on that account as well so that is going back to HP today. So now I have a great computer on the way to me but with only 1 drive when I really wanted 2. Everything else about it is great but had I known it would have been a problem I would have just ordered it with 2 drives.

Are there any aftermarket products to install the second drive? Given that it should just be a cage and a cable I would think someone is making it? How about the setup for a different HP laptop, any idea if that might fit?

Thanks for the information on the touch pad, I am glad it is just cosmetic. That is not a big deal, though you would expect these issues to be found during quality control. It makes me worry about the rest of the computer. I am not in a position to return it to my local HP dealer as I am in a country far, far away. In fact half way around the world from HP. I hope it works out OK and doesn't have a ton of problems.

Thanks for all the help.

Brian

 

! I spec'd it all out Saturday (pretty much "fully loaded") but had a couple of questions so I left it in the cart. I was sick as a dog for a couple of days and when I went online to order today the coupon has now expired!

Oops. Now I gotta wait again for the proper alignment of the moon and stars !!! (QX9300 available, coupon advailable)

<sigh>

 

Actually while I am on the topic, what size hard drive drive does the HDX18t take? I got a 500 gig 2.5 inch drive for Christmas that I was hoping to put into the computer. Is that the right size?

Brian

 

As of yesterday the 30% coupon code NB8818 still existed. The only thing is you need to buy is an accessory like the $7.99 screen cloth. The QX9300 is listed at $1,175 so I think your moon and stars are in alignment. Keep in mind that the NB8818 coupon is set to expire on 1-25-09.

Big50

 

Thanks Big50! Just got a 195.00 credit on my order thanks to this post . Now I just have to hope my laptop (which should arrive on Monday) shows up with no issues. ***crosses fingers, toes, etc

 

Thanks for the post, I called HP Sales and said that I thought the price had dropped since I bought it and asked them to check. It had dropped $200 and they credited that back to me without any questions. I had used coupon NB8818 which I think has expired by being used over 1000 times. They didn't even ask about the coupon they just gave me the credit. I appreciate the help.

Brian

 

It's great to hear that they were cool about giving you credit without checking the coupon code.

 

i have a quick question. Can you hook up two computers using a USB cable to transfer data like pics and the like?

 

An HDX18 with the Geforce GT 130M video card is coming. I've got one in testing right now along with an HDX16 with the same card.

 

Targus XL617 fits perfect.

here is the link http://www.targus.com/us/product_details.asp?sku=TXL617

 

Well trying to explain the problem was a nightmare, HP UK Technical Support up to its' usual standard I explained that the touchpad design didn't match the outer surface; the lines didn't match up with the keyboard surround; and finally that the HP Imprint finish wasn't correct. The HP support guy still had no idea what I meant. He eventually asked whether the coloring was wrong! Better than nothing I guess. The notebook was collected today, maybe up to 10 working days before I get it back, hopefully with the correct touchpad..... Will let you know.....

 

how does that compare to the current cards the HDX currently ships with?

 

Isnt the GT 130M just a rebranded/renamed 9650M GT? Still a considerable increase over the cards offered but not a radically different option. Or am I totally off here?

 

I found this off of our glorious website www.netbookreview.com through a search.

NVIDIA Launches GeForce 100M Series
BY: Kevin, NotebookReview.com Editor
PUBLISHED: 1/8/2009




NVIDIA just announced three new mobile GPUs based off the 100M series, the G105M, G110M, and the GT 130M. Each GPU offers a significant performance increase over the older chipset it is replacing, with the G105M being quoted as 55% faster than the 9200M GE, the G110M being 35% faster than the 9300M GS and the GT 130M being 17% faster than the 9600M GT before it. The new 100M series with NVIDIA CUDA technology will also support number of applications that make use of the multiple processor cores for more than just 3D graphics, in areas such as game physics and accelerated video conversion.

They follow it up with some charts.

I guess we will see.

Big50

 

Thanks Big50, guess I have to go back to do more research, I had originally read that it was just a rebranding. Ahaha, the first of many things to come to make me feel like I want a better option in my laptop and it isn't even here yet (although granted neither is the GT 130M as an option.) Sigh, the techno train keeps rollin.

 

Yes, I can comment with confidence that this is a good bag as I use it EVERYDAY....

 

Yes the early HDX adopters have just been hit with why we love and hate technology so much....

 

That is unfortunate to hear.

That goes back to a question I had about what HP does with returned laptops.

I believe Lancorp replied and said it was highly illegal...

I'd bet that it was NOT a returned laptop and just a lazy assembly worker that woke up on the wrong side of the bed and knicked your laptop during assembly...

 

Maybe it's like BUTANEBRI said, it's expired because of the number of uses. Even with an extra power supply, the site is responding, "The coupon you entered has expired."

I'm not giving up. I placed the order that was canceled by HP back in the first week of October, and I've been watching HP's site and this forum diligently ever since... but maybe I need to be even more diligent...

 

I spoke with HP support last night about the same touchpad issue. I did get the tech to agree there was a problem, however, he said that the touchpad is built into the computer and the only way to swap it out was the report the touchpad as defective and send it in for replacement (my HDX18). He did caution me that if I chose to go this route, there was no gurantee that I would get the matching HDX18 touchpad or another mismatched HDX16 touchpad.

 

Seems like HP comes up with something new right after a 30% off coupon. Maybe they will add a better GPU option for the HDX this time.

 

Has this already been posted:
Hard Drive Caddy and Cable for HP HDX18 (for 2nd HDD bay only)

http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=213

 

is your up/down speed just slow or mine seriously fast? I get 12500 down and 1280 up

 

Mine is a mobile connection, see ISP is Sprint with an EX720 expresscard.

 

I thought this coupon code expired on 01/18/2009

 

I haven't noticed it posted. My HDX18 should arrive soon so I may have to check this out. Thanks.

 

Worked for me too! Funny part is, I was only shooting for a $144 credit - the difference between my ordered system with the coupon and the new price with the coupon. But, the lady got back on the phone and said they could not do it with the coupon code, they have to go by the difference in retail price which she apologized for only being $195. I guess she didn't realized i was arguing for less!! I did have to threaten to return the system at first though, when she said it was not a valid phone coupon.

 

Can someone with the correct HDX18 touchpad please post a picture of it, as I feel a complaint to HP may be on the cards...... Here's mine of the wrong one anyway