*HP HDX18 Owners Lounge*

hey guys im getting this laptop and will be running virtual machines on it. Would the q9000 be a good option?

 

I've asked this same thing if you go back a couple (or more) pages.

What are you going to be running? I plan on running Linux Ubuntu for sure. One response I got was that the dual-core (anything 9000) runs VM's fine.

If you have the extra loot for the Quad, then by all means I'd go for that!! I am a student and have decided to go with the T9400 because I am fairly certain I will be able to run the VM's w/ no problem.

Also, keep in mind that the processor is upgradable. This I did not know. You can get the cheapest Dual-Core and then buy the Quad off eBay for around $700. HP is charging you $1175 for the same chip. So this may also be another option if you decide to go w/ the lesser processor and it does not meet your expantations.

These are all things I learned on here. And I thank everyone that helped me learn them (and save me a S-load of money!!).

I just hope I can now start helping others in the same fashion. (I must admit, building up my rep power would be nice too, haha).

 

Also, another thing is rememeber most Apps don't take full advantage of a Quad yet.

Though w/ the ability to choose what apps run on what thread or core (please note that I have no personal experience doing this yet), this might be a neat way to harness the abilities that the Quad can offer hence making the Quad that more valuable.

 

Hey thx for the help. Well i am running vmware workstation on it. i dont think the quadcore i wanted was 1175 though. im interested in the q9100, i think it was 475. i dont need an extreme. to me, if its not overclockable, there is no need to go crazy over the max speed cpu.

 

Rageman - good info - I'll give you some rep for that.

Jadan2000 - I had a lot of trouble deciding between the T9600 (2.8) and the Q9100 (2.26) also. I did a bunch of benchmarks between the two on the HDX18T and decided on the Q9100. Plus, from what I understand Windows 7 (due out this year) will take much more advantage of the quad processors without all the legwork.

If you want those benchmarks - http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=360481

They are just benchmarks, so they are not the end all be all, but the PCMark is probably the best to focus on, because it is supposed to judge real world use - not just gaming, which it sounds like you wont be doing.

 

It will fit, but not in a Brain Cell and there is NO bottom padding in the Brain Bag itself so I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a well padded sleeve.

Edited to add: I will be at the store this Friday to pick-up a Super Ego. If they'll let me, I'll snap a picture or two of the Brain Bag with my HDX18 in it.

 

Is it a height or width problem regarding the Brain Cell?

Can you ask him if he can come up with a solution for the HDX18 based on the Brain Bag?

Also would be nice if they would do the Vertical Brain Cell in the 2XL size (like the Horizontal you're getting).

Looking forward to hearing about / seeing the photos from your visit...

 

FYI, on my HDX18 with the 9300 quad, I'm seeing processor activity on all 4 processors routinely, even just browsing, via Task Manager and in Resource Monitor.

 

Got my HDX18t with the Q9300 2.53 quad, tuner, dual 7200 320's, 1gb vid last night.

First impressions:

1 Do not set up this computer if you have to go to work the next day. If you do, make sure to get the optional crowbar so that you're spouse/partner/friend can separate you from it before dawn.

2 Overall, this computer is so way way over the top in specs and in execution that it is hard to put it into words. The HDX18 is a laptop like a Ferrari is a car.

3 Screen: awesome beyond description - you have to see it. I already had a reflective screen so I know how to angle it and have no problem with it.

4 The high-def rendering of windows desktop means that I can actually read the small fonts just as easily as larger fonts on lower-resolution screens. I didn't even realize that until I was using it for a few hours and suddenly realized that I was reading everything fine without downsetting the pixels.

5 The tuner works and high-def OTA stations are awesome. And remember, I have a 52" Sony XBR5 in the same room. How am I supposed to get any work done wherever I bring this thing? The WMP interface and station-pulling seems better but the HP player looks a little better color-saturation-wise, but I didn't go to through the WMP color setup video yet.

6 The keyboard is the best laptop keyboard I've seen since the sewing machine-sized XP "portable" in 1985. I'm used to Toshiba keyboards which are my favorite - or were. Mine does have the concave curve but it could be considered a deliberate ergonomic feature - if it doesn't straighten out over a few days.

7 It has every port except serial - and coffee ports, including eSata.

8 2 320 meg drives at 7200 RPM. 'Nuff said.

9 The sound quality is outrageous, with clear spacial placement of stereo sound, conversations on talk shows clearly sourcing from left to right, distinct apparent sources of instruments in musical performances , etc.

10 The fingerprint reader works. No really. My Toshiba required so many re-reads I don't use it; my HP TX 2500 tablet's reader works well enough that I use it, but with the HDX18t's I haven't even had a re-read yet.

A few very minor negatives:

1 You've got an 18" screen and a portable computer that's not one of those super-thicks, so the screen's hinge design necessitates a trade-off in that no ports could be located at the back. This means that all connections will be sticking out of the left & right sides - an annoyance that uses desk space. I'm going to try to find a right-angle ethernet cable, and I use a USB hub anyway, but I haven't heard of any right-angle tips for the power cord.

2 Yep, I got the touchpad (apparently for the HDX16) that doesn't match the chassis design. The right design would have added something to the overall impression but the wrong design doesn't subtract much, if you know what I mean.

3 If you open the box from the wrong end (I didn't see any indication of which end was the "top" but I might have missed something), you can miss the Quick Start fold-out because when opened from the top there is a piece of cardboard "under" it but when opened from the bottom, even after all box contents seem to be removed, the brown cardboard is on "top" of the Quick Start and this makes the box look empty. Fortunately, there is a huge clue in that the short manual starts off with a page that says, "What's Next?", which prompted me to shake out the box and find the Quick Start. (I bet this is the most that has ever been written about this "issue" ).

Well that amounts to one design choice, one build-error, and one quibble - not bad.

When you have the HDX18 live and physically present, you can see how elegantly the advanced specs have been implemented and understand why it has the following it has: it's definitely a generational step ahead.

This is just a quick report, but I'd summarize by saying "HDX18t: leading edge specs, elegantly implemented.". And I would say the specs are on the ultra side of leading edge and the implementation quality is almost shockingingly suprising in its elegance..

 

Agreed mine too - well put on the review too! The keyboard issue will go away. The touchpad wont

 

Good lord - let's hope it is more a Honda in reliability.

 

Per Tom Bihn himself, there is no plan for a Vertical 2XL because it won't fit in the Brain Bag. Since the sides of the Cells are reinforced with corrugated plastic, the corners are extremely firm... which makes the Horizontal 2XL too wide for the Brain Bag. While I am sure it could be crammed in, the stress on the zippers would shorten the lifespan of the bag, and make it a PITA to get your laptop in and out.

As for asking for a special sizing, I got nowhere with my own suggestion. I have posted on their forums with a request for more "16x9 format" products but it's not as simple as just adding an inch here or there. The materials are cut from forms and patterns, then sewn by hand-operated machine to specific dimensions, all within design specs that are intended to mazimize usability and functionality. In other words, Bihn would have to design a completely new backpack to fit this class of laptop and I'm not certain that there is enough demand to make it worth his while when you consider the cost of production and R&D.

That being said, he is putting the finishing touches on a new travel bag called the Tristar that has backpack straps. I was there, with my HDX18 in my Horizontal Brain Cell, when we attempted to fit it into the Tristar. It barely fit, but he immediately began taking measurments and he led me to believe he would make sure the final design included the ability to hold a 2XL H.B.C.

Until then, the only bag option is the Super Ego.

Edited to add: Of course, you could go with a 2XL Soft Cell and a Brain Bag, I just prefer a hard case.

 

Great post CyberBeach!!!!!!!

This is really something to look forward to!

This is something I am really looking forward to as well!! Great to hear the OTA HD stations worked right out of the box.

I really am liking what I hear about the sound of this machine! I currently have a HP DV6640US (which the Motherboard just fried) and when I bought it, it had the best sounding speakers I've ever heard from a laptop.

This sounds like an even better sounding system, and I can't wait to hear what the Sub sounds like on it either!!!

 

Never seen this.

Try installing the notebook drivers from the NVIDIA website. They are more current and will play blu-ray as they are unmodded.

 

I run these two Sidebar Gadgets (you can find them on Microsoft's site, just click 'Add Gadgets'). They work great. You can keep your eye on the 4 CPUs, the memory, and the top 5 processes. It's nice when the PC goes into some sort of process and you don't have to guess what's going on (like a Live Update, etc)

 

The names would be more helpful than pics

 

did you guys just see the upgrades released? a couple price changes, but you can also get up to 8gb DDR3 and the GeForce 130m graphics card - the 9600m gt is no longer offered with the 1gb upgrade or DDR3 - now offering backlit keyboard.

Backlit keyboard is the biggest upgrade to me. I can upgrade the ram on my own cheaper. I'm not so sure about this graphics card. I couldnt find much credible information on the difference - many places said they were just rebrands with the best case being the same card with higher clock speeds than a stock 9600m gt - this thread has some interesting info on that http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=340463

 

Not a bad price for the 4GB x 2 (8GB) DDR3 upgrade. I would have expected HP to rape us more for that. On the other hand, seems like they want our blood again this week for the Q9100 upgrade. Wasn't that just +$400 (roughly) a couple of weeks ago when they had the 30% off deal? I think so, because I questioned getting that or the T9600 and they were close to the same price (yes,, I ordered another with the 30% off and got some stuff I didn't have on my current HDX18t)..

Backlit keyboard is a nice upgrade too, but the descriptions bother me...the original says "Color matched" and the backlit says "Full sized backlit". Wonder if they look the same?

 

Way too big in my opinion. I have one of those I bought for my much larger Dell XPS M2010. The HDX18t will be very loose in it. It'll be big enough to back a few overnight clothes, too!

(Nice specs on your system...that Crucial RAM sure set you back in price, though!! Too bad the G.SKILL stuff has disappeared...that was a bargain!)

 

Anybody know if the backlit keyboard will have an option to turn off the lights so to speak?

I've never used one before. I would think there would be an option to turn the backlit keyboard off.

 

I just checked the prices on the website and it would cost me around $150 more to reorder the laptop I have now with the 1GB nVidia 130M, another $50 for the backlit keyboard, another $400 for 8GB of DDR3 RAM vs the 4GB, for a total of roughly $600 more for the system I would have bought had it been available. I have until the 18th of March to start a return... and I am considering it seriously.

 

I wouldn't do it - lots of hassle and time. I think the q9100 went up significantly also (dont know if you included that). Wait 9 months and get 8gb of better DDR3 when you upgrade to Windows 7. At the same time add an SSD for your second drive.
As far as the graphics card goes, just up the clock yourself and overclock. From what I have read so far it is just a rebranded 9600m GT like you have. NVidia is know for this - it may have an increased clock speed, but you can do that on your own like many of us have. If you don't know how, let me know and I'll send you the info.
Last thing - backlit keyboard - depends on how they do it. The backlit keyboard does not say color matched, so we dont know what it looks like, and would you really use it?
All in all - you follow the reccomendations above and you still only spend about $600 and have a faster computer than the one you just described and you dont have to deal with sending it back.

If you really want to max it out down the road you could also grab a new or used QX9300 processor when you upgrade the other parts.

 

Very interesting with all the changes that HP did to the configuration of this unit. So the Q9100 is more expensive but the QX9300 is cheaper now?

Also on the backlit keyboard I am very interested to see what this looks like and feels like. I am probably guessing nobody has one of these yet considering it was just added to the configuration.

 

Actually it's a nice snug fit if you put the power brick in the zippered case and velcro it to the side. I do like the extra room though. I'm a Diabetic and I can keep my kit in there too. I'm happy with it.

 

When anyone figures out what SSD is being put in the HDX18, please post it here! That SSD/disk combo looks interesting. Certainly better than the $1400 upgrade price Sony wants to put it in their VAIO AW!

 

I am looking at buying the HDX 18 in the next couple of weeks. I'm going to be doing quite a bit of Photoshop CS3 work on this computer and need to know if the Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 2.26G with 4 gb DDR2 memory would be able to handle CS3 well without a lot of lag. Or should I consider going to the Q9000 for Photoshop. I will be upgrading the memory to 8 gig also. Any comments would be great.

 

Sorry. I figured everyone was probably using these already.

The CPU/Memory Gadget is available here:

http://addgadget.com/download/All_CPU_Meter.zip

and the Top Processes gadget can be gotten here:

http://gallery.live.com/liveItemDetail.aspx?li=681102c2-5dde-44d2-a33a-96dbff32517a&bt=1&pl=1

 

My guess is it's the Intel 160GB SSD. When they had the option before, it was the Intel 80GB SSD.

 

Ok, thanks. The Intel 160GB is not too bad, but its write performance lags some of the newer drives (like the Samsung 256 that Dell uses).

How about the 32GB Intel SLC drive for the OS and a 7200rpm data drive? That would be much better.

 

The real issue for me is that I sacrificed 8GB of RAM so I could get DDR3 instead of DDR2 when ideally I would have gotten 8GB of DDR3.

The difference in GPUs is small, although I have spent a few hours trying to nail down whether the 9600M GT 1GB comes with DDR3 VRAM or not... and nVidia's site says both DDR2 and DDR3 are used with the 130M. None of the nVidia tools can provide an answer about my own chip, so I am now lost as to what I actually have in this laptop.

 

I'm going to wait for the PureSilicon Nitro 1TB SSD due out later this year. The read and write performance (if true) is supposed to be spectacular. I'm sure the cost will be high, but I keep my computers 3 times as long as most people do because it takes me hundreds of hours of work to get my legacy apps to work with new operating systems if I can get them to work at all.

I can live with 80GB for the time being. 32GB just wouldn't be enough.

 

I just ordered also. The only thing I would change is get the backlit keyboard. I had one on the Dell that I returned and really liked it.

 

Has anybody ever had a backlit keyboard? Do they always stay on, or do they usually have an on/off switch?

 

The 9600m gt can be DDR2 or DDR3 just like you said, BUT in the HDX18t even with the RAM upgrade to DDR3, the VRAM is still DDR2. A few of us confirmed this a while back and somewhere in the last 50 pages are some screenshots of the readouts.

None of Hp's people that I talked too ever seemed to know and if you notice on the website it now says (insert video card here) "for DDR2" or "for DDR3" - it very specifically does not say with.

Never the less, we confirmed it.

As far as the RAM goes don't worry about it - it is easy to upgrade later.

 

Are the sony vaio aw hardrives the same size as the ones for this? I want to get this laptop but put the hard drives into this since the ones on my aw are a 1tb.

 

Thanks, I'll do a thread search for those screenshots. It just ticks me off that 3 weeks after ordering it, they offer 8GB DDR3. And you are right, it's too much of a pain to send it back now, but this is the second time I have bought a high-end system only to have it be replaced with an upgraded offering within a month (Dell XPS 700 to 710) and I get ticked off everytime I think about it.

 

Thats what happens- if you get a new hdx you'd only have to wait another 30-60 days for another change - thus is life in computers - check this picture

 

Wow, this is a really long thread...

Hey, everyone... I'm new here... and... for a while I've been saving up to get myself an HDX . I'm about ready but one thing puzzles me... the HDX18 has 2 hard drive slots, correct? If i buy a custom machine from HP with a single hard drive option would they make it to prevent an additional drive to be inserted in the second slot at a later time (forcing me to buy an initial double disk setup from the start)? I wanna go low for hard drive space to save money, then buy two 500gb sets in the near future... just wanna make sure I'll be doing this right though

(That also leads to my second question... does the HDX come with software to create recovery disks? Every HP laptop I've owned so far had it, but when looking at HPs website I found it was there as an optional addition that i had to purchase... for some reason it's gone now... so I was wondering if maybe its now included by default)

A lil long winded I know but I really appreciate it for everyone who bothered reading. Thanks in advance!

 

Yup. A month after I spent 3K on mine, they came out with a 1Gb Video option and DDR3 RAM. Then they added the Blu-Ray writer, and now the upgraded RAM and back-lit keyboard (and a few other goodies).

That's life on the leading edge!

 

You have to buy a semi-proprietary after market cable to add the second drive. Right now the only retailer making one is NewModus for $39.99. As of right now they are on back order for eight of them. You can see the back order status on the portal link below.

http://newmodeus.com/shop/index.phpmain_page=product_info&products_id=213

Yes, the HDX18 comes with software to create ghost like recovery disks.

 

Be aware that a recovery disk will only restore the computer to the state it was in when you received it. You would have to reinstall all of your software, updates, data, etc.. Backup software like Ghost will restore to the point of the last image created.

 

Thanks alot. The link came up with a 404 but i found it from the main site. It says mid march so I don't mind waiting.

I know... I've used them plenty of times before. I don't plan on doing much with it until I get the hard drives I actually plan on installing in it. I have a Touchsmart TX2z and an external 320 gig hard drive (as well as another 500gb... but its just been sitting there really) that has all my important stuff for now.

Another question... is there like an "extreme-super-ultra-gigantinourmous-mindblowing-worldpeacegiving" difference between dual and quad core processors? I want a really good gaming machine out of this... but if the difference isnt -that- great then I'd rather save my money, y'know...

 

Hi Guys

I finally opened up my package last night (received the box a week ago but had to leave for out of town due to a family emergency).

First of all, I'm simply luving this beast!! The Infinity display, the audio, the large screen and the Full-HD resolution.

Anyway, I have uninstalled Norton for now (made a noticeble performance difference).

I remember seeing a post from a member here about disabling some other Vista features to make the performance even better. Does anyone know what those features were to be disabled? I think Windows indexing was one of them but I don't know where to find the setting to turn it off.

Sorry for sounding like a noob but this is my FIRST vista machine in my house (I've got WinXP on my other machines in my house) and I'm still learning my way around Vista.

Is there a 'Tips and Tricks for HDX' guide here?

Thanks

Ps: Just downloaded and installed Vista SP2 Beta and it's been stable so far .

 

So I've been eyeing this laptop for a few weeks now and now that they've updated the specs, I'm even more torn.

Now, I've specced out two options and my primary goal is longetivity of the device (min 4 years). Sure, I'll game some on it, but I don't really care about being ultra l33t in that regards. I do however, expect a nice fluid reaction.

That being said, where would the bottle neck exist for now, and in the future (upgrades)
- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8700 (2.53GHz)
-3GB DDR2 System Memory (2 Dimm) - For 512MB NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT graphics

Or

- Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo Processor P8700 (2.53GHz)
- 2GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm) - For 1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 130M

Option two is the DDR3 memory and if I'm prepping for the future, it would seem that DDR3 would be exactly that. However, am I going to be held back if I up the RAM to 4 or 8 GB with the p8700? In that case would it make more sense to go the DDR2, with the GEForce 9600, and just upgrade the memory as time permits?

thanks,

 

As some others have pointed out, there is little difference between the two GPUs but there is no way to upgrade from DDR2 to DDR3 without switching out motherboards. IMO, go with the DDR3 option.

 

Oh, I understand that. I mean upgrading the DDR2 in the future from what I would initially purchase.

Thanks for the input.

 

nope, go with DDR3. The DDR3 DIMM has a different pin-out and is not backwards compatible.

DDR2 = 200 pins
DDR3 = 204 pins

 

With the refresh, I am now considering the HDX18 again. I saw one in person at a Fry's and I really don't like the Fluid design, but the price/performance is pretty compelling if you factor in a 30% coupon.

I am looking at a Q9100, 4Gb RAM DDR3, SSD+500GB disk, and GT 130M. Assuming there will be another 30% coupon in the near future, this is only about $2100-2200.

For those out there with the Q9100, how well does the HDX handle the heat? Going quad makes me nervous that I will be overloading this thing.

Thanks.

 

My Q9100 doesn't get any hotter than the T9600 I tried for a couple weeks. Although, I seemed to utilize more of the T9600 than I do the quad. 5-10% quad usage, 10-20% duo usage. I always have at least 4 windows open, plus sidebar, 4 IE tabs and background apps... I have not used for any heavy gaming, but I have done some gaming benchmarks and it never really seemed to heat up any more than the T9600. Right now its running 39C steady. I might guess that they run about the same heat because I utilized more of the T9600 constantly, but I'm not sure about that. Either way, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Thanks for the response. I was not planning on going quad, but it still does interest me. I do zero gaming, but a lot of multi-tasking. I always have Firefox (10+ tabs), Thunderbird, Dreamweaver, and Photoshop open...plus usually at least 8-10 other apps (misc MS Office, Acrobat, etc), plus sidebar and background stuff. So I think I could use the quad.