HP NC8230 release?

the design of the 8230 is so zen
i own a coffee house in austin and i have to look at
silver notebooks all day(apple & dell)
my partner has a powerbook and he is a apple freak
the other day he dropped it off the bar
you know what it works great! but case is all bent and keyboard came out
not bad but i have to look at apples all day and they are starting to look genric
mclassic i check on my notebook every day(why i dont know)
let me know what ram you get
thanks

 

djiiii, you guys are really going to make me buy this. I used to have an x1000 that stared going bad about a week before running out of waranty and it was quite the hassle with hp to settle the case. I'm still tempted by the nc8230 and nw8240 though. why the hell is the nc not available with the x700. I'd really be all over it in a glimpse.
Congrats to those who already ordered, keep us posted .

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mofunk

 

Hi karlth or Anybody else:

I posted the following question a couple of days ago. I appreciate your help. Thank you in advance.

Thank you your info. By the way where(which country) do you live? If you are in the U.S. the adapter you have will be the one I will have if I dociede to go with this.
Also, could you be more specific about the size and weight? One more question. is it a 3-pronged?

Thank you.

Michaelmorio

 

The power adapter is dual voltage so I guess it is the one sold in the US as well. I am not sure of course as I bought me machine here in Iceland.

The adapter is probably around 200g in weight and as for the measurements they are 12cm in length, 5cm in width and 3cm in depth.

 

For those of us that have ordered the nc8230... we'll have to be patient as Intel confirms there exists a shortage of Sonoma-based CPUs: http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=22222

 

A question to the nc8230 owners (specially acain as an ex-IBM user):
if you read the new T43 review, you will see this part named "It's the Little Things": it's the extra little things that you love about your machine. Fn + F7 to select the presentation mode. Fn + whatever makes your machine funny for example... [ ]

And my question is: Does the nc8230 offer it's user such things?
...not the funny feature point ofcourse... [8D]
And another thing, can you create new Fn customized functions?

Thanks

 

zeec:
Yeah, I read that T43 review with interest.

I would be more excited about those "little things"
if IBM could get a few more BIG things right, like:
-- no %#@-ing firewire?!? Come ON!!
-- where's the hi-res 15" display? (coming soon?!)
-- is an X300 the best they could do?

OK, so Andrew is pretty clearly smitten with Thinkpads
and I am becoming a bit biased toward this HP nc8230.
If one is really taken with the Thinkpad form factor,
reputation, and little extras, then I don't
think this nc8230 will be so thrilling as to convert
the devout. But if the latest Thinkpads come up short
for you in some way or another, or if you're getting a
little tired/bored of the whole Thinkpad scene, then
these HP business machines could be just the ticket.

In my case, I probably would have gone with a T43 if only
-- they included firewire
and
-- they were a little sooner to the party (I got tired
of waiting to see if/when they'd offer a particular
model that had the specs of interest)

But now that I have the nc8230, I'm going forward with it
and so far I am not regreting that decision.

In the name of full disclosure, I have extensively used
a T23 and an A20p. I have not used the latest T4* thinkpads.
I have never used a Thinklight. I have never had to deal
with IBM or HP service (knock on wood...).

The things that I will actually miss most about Thinkpads are:
-- the trackpoint buttons (see my previous posts)
-- the keyboard (it's quite good on the nc8230, but the Thinkpad
keyboard is probably a bit more comfortable)

As far as "little things", I would say that this nc8230 has
enough of its own little niceties to compensate for those it
does not share with the Thinkpad. More specifically:
-- these blue LEDs are just plain cool-looking
-- there is a "presentation mode" button that I haven't used yet
-- there is an "info" button that will apparently let you do
various things (I haven't used it yet either)
-- there is a button for turning of the WLAN (and bluetooth)
which I *have* been using
-- 3 USB ports (compared to 2 on the T43)
-- Secure Digital port (which I now use frequently)
-- Bluetooth (which I have tried with my phone. very nice)
-- there is a minimum of crapware pre-installed on the box
-- ambient light sensor (too dim for me, but may be useful to others)
-- 1 legacy serial port (which I probably won't use; note: there is
no legacy parallel port, like the T43 has)
-- there *is* a "Windows" key (I don't use it, but others might)

OK, so what ThinkPad "little things" are missing?
-- Thinklight. Yeah, that could be nifty. Oh well.
-- Fn-space for zoom. Hmmm, I doubt I'd use it
-- Dedicated kybd buttons for Forward/Back. No biggie, I'm quite
used to Alt + left/right arrows

As with Thinkpads, there are key combinations for switching
between LCD vs. ext. monitor modes. There are key combos for
adjusting LCD brightness. The nc8230 also has some sort of
hard disk shock protection, but I don't know much about it
(or how it rates to IBM's version).

I am trying not to make an argument for the HP nc8230, except
for the small part of me that wants to believe I'm such a savvy
consumer. Just trying to be complete about the pro's vs. con's.

-- Adam

 

mclassic- if i get my hp with dead pixel(one that bugs me)
do you think i can return it with the 30 day warranty?
what cpu did you get and why
my system cost more than yours
i think the nc8230 is 1.1 front 1.35 back
google nc8230 spec for the size

 

mofunk, if you get your nc8230 with a dead pixel I would definitely return it. After all, your system is custom built and is supposed to be tested before shipping. I know if I get mine with a dead pixel, HP will definitely hear about it and I will return it.

I got mine with a 1.86GHz CPU. I didn't see the need to pay an extra $100 for the 2.0GHz CPU. I think the 1.86 CPU should be able to handle everything I'll use it for.

I also didn't get a wireless card in mine because I have a spare Intel 2200 Mini-PCI card laying around. And, I got a 40GB 5400 RPM drive, because I have a 7200 RPM drive laying around as well.

My system came out to $2028 before tax. It was initially $2053. But, HP dropped the price by $25 on the DVD/CD-RW drive the day after I ordered. I called them about it and they gave me a $25 credit.

Anyway, here's the configuration I got.

1.86GHz CPU
Windows XP Pro
512MB DDR2-533 RAM (switching to 1024MB RAM 512x2)
128MB ATI Radeon X600
DVD/CD-RW drive
Bluetooth
40GB 5400 RPM HD (switching to 60GB 7200 RPM drive)
WSXGA+ display.

What spec did you get? The 1.1 front dimension sounds very nice. I thought the back was 1.2. But, 1.3 is cool with me.

 

Does anyone know for sure if you can use the DVI of the docking station with the nc8230? My experience tells me that if you don't have a DVI on the laptop itself, you cannot use it on the docking station either.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by ThomasN

 

acain, the nc8230 doesn't have a serial port? I thought it had one on the right side next to the DVD drive. This is based on what I've seen in photos.

 

One small correction to my post above...
The nc8230 does NOT have a serial port. I was
looking at the VGA port and mis-counting the
number of pins.

-- Adam

 

Hi all

I am wondering what you think of the NC6230 versus the NC8230. I know the basic screen size and weight differences. My main concern is screen quality and how much this may or may not differ between the two models.

I purchased an nc6230 which had XGA display and it was terrible. The pixel size is so large that things look fuzzy to me. I am returning it and will be hit by a 15% restocking fee....I am toying with the idea of getting an NC6230 with SXGA or an NC8230 with the same or better resolution. Weight is a factor. In terms of chassis they appear to be pretty similar. The NC8230 also seems to be a bit more expensive

Any feedback on this would be welcome and appreciated

 

mclassic: Sorry, my brainfart (twice!)
Yes, there is a serial port next to the optical drive.
And there is a VGA port on the back. Sorry.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Tommi
There has never been DVI ports on HP nc/nw laptops, but the docking stations have supported DVI output.
<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

Even with those models and not only support for the ones with DVI output on the laptop itself?

 

acain where is the full review and pictures - i have been looking for good photos (need something to look at for the next 2 weeks)
centerfold would be nice (all spread out)
mclassic my spec
2.0GHz CPU
Windows XP Pro
512MB DDR2-533 RAM
128MB ATI Radeon X600
DVD/CD-RW drive
Bluetooth
60GB 7200 RPM drive
WSXGA+ display.

are you going to change out the touchpad
i was hopping i would like the 3 button layout
what do you know about the ram is it DDR or DDR2?

 

Sorry, been pretty busy and haven't gotten around
to finishing the full review. Might happen soon.
In the meantime, a new day-job has dropped a 15"
Powerbook G4 in my lap, so I am very confused.
-- Adam

 

Acain - does the LCD on the Powerbook seem dimmer than the display on the NC8230? I really like Powerbooks but the displays always seemed dim, so I was curious to know your thoughts.

mofunk: my NC8230 arrives tomorrow and I'll be writing a full review for LaptopLogic.com - I'll be happy to post the link once it's uploaded. the unit I'll be evaluating is a pre-built 1.86ghz, 64mb X600, 802.11bg, 60gb 5400rpm, 512 DDR2 400 (I plan to test the RAM to see if it's really 533 or 400 as HP says).

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mofunk

 

Well, I've only been using the PowerBook for an hour or two,
so these are just initial impressions...

I've put the PB next to the nc8230 and tweaked the brightness
on each one in various ways, to find:
1. when both are auto-adjusting brightness using the ambient
light sensor, the PB is brighter (and as I've mentioned
before, the nc8230 is generally too dim with that turned on)

2. with manual brightness control, the PB initially looked more
dim (with the default brightness) than the nc8230.

3. when I maxed out the brightness on both the PB and HP, the PB now
looks brighter than the nc8230. maybe a bit "crisper" too (somehow), but
it's sorta apples vs. oranges given the two different resolutions
(1280x854 on the PB vs. 1680 x 1050 on the nc8230)

So there's no hands-down winner yet. Though I suspect that
with proper settings, the PB screen might look somehow
"better" to the majority of viewers. However, I think I prefer
the look of the nc8230 screen, though I can't articulate exactly
why. Certainly, the higher resolution is a good thing for me,
functionally speaking.

Their viewing angles look to be about the same.

In 'steady state' with AC power, the nc8230 seems to run its
fan more often. But when the PB fan does kick in, it is
more obnoxious (more of a grinding than a whirring). Dunno
yet about how they compare on battery power.

And of course, I am beside myself with rage over the omission
of a trackpoint (eraser-head) pointer on the PB. And only
one touchpad button?!? Get real. The thin arrow keys and
lack of dedicated PgUp/PgDn/Home/End keys has me frowning too.

The backlit keyboard on the PB looks less cool than I thought
it would. Gimme a couple of blue LEDs over that any day.

The PB feels heavier, though it has a slightly smaller
footprint/volume. And the PB case feels more sturdy than
the HP, though the nc8230 case is no slouch.

-- Adam

 

I received my NC8230 today and it's terrible! the screen is completely 'crystalized' (not sure what the proper term is - it literally looks like there are millions of tiny crystals in the LCD). I also didn't care for the keyboard, which was too noisy for my taste. and the fan seemed to run constantly - not a terrible sound but still annoying.

Karlth mentioned that the NC8230 he saw had a very "sparkled" appearance, even more so than the NX8220 he bought, so I am assuming that my unit was defective? not sure. his post is here:
http://www.notebookreveiw.com/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=14469

when I removed the cover over the memory slot, I was expecting to find two slots, one with 512 and the other empty. instead, I saw only one empty slot, which I can't figure out. is the 512 soldered to the motherboard?

 

Sorry to hear that you're disappointed with your nc8230. I wonder what's up with the crystalized screen. Have you contacted HP about it? If I get a screen like that, I will definitely return it.

As far as the memory, check the bottom to see if the other memory panel is on the bottom of the system. I don't think the memory is soldered.

To find out specifically where the memory unit is located, go to the HP web site, go to the nc8230 product page, look for manuals and download the HP nc8230 maintenance guide. That will tell you everything about the system inside and out.

Let us know what you decide to do with your system.

 

After working with the NC8230 for about three weeks, I have to say that this is absolutely the best laptop I've ever used. My previous laptop was a Compaq EVO n600c (very nice for its time!), and I've worked with Thinkpads, Dell Latitude D600s and D610s. This one blows them all away.

Everything that has been said so far is accurate, including the LCD brightness, trackpoint button placement, and wrist scraping LEDs.

The NC8230 battery life is simply amazing! After watching a 2 hour DIVX movie, the battery gauge still read over 60% full!

The LCD is beautiful and bright, though noticably dim on battery power. I wasn't bothered by this at all however, as my eyes could make the adjustment.

The laptop is fairly "top heavy", such that the LCD seems to be weigh more than the base -- a bit odd when carrying the laptop around in the open position.

In any case, HP did a great job with this baby!

 

wow – just when I find this model to be generally good – then this one!

murphyja, can you kindly give us more feedbacks on the unit (specially the LCD)? Thank you.

I guess I really have to wait for some more reviews (from mclassic and mofunk) to have a good feel about the nc8230. Still excited about the 8230 though.

 

I've just got my nx8220 and I have to agree with jaber. This laptop is the best laptop I have ever used.



The only thing I really don't like is the very exposed dock connector on the bottom; even the other HP laptops I’ve used had a little slide to cover it up when not in use.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by jaber

 

Jaber, Ovek, what type of display did you get with your system?

 

WSXGA+

I don't know if it’s relevant to the 'crystal' screen issue, but when I first got mine it had tiny bits of plastic stuck on the far left and right of the LCD. The only way I could get them of was by rubbing the screen really hard.

 

oh man, that is sweet. Very sharp looking system. Please post a pic with the lid closed. Thanks!

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by murphyja

 

mclassic: my unit had the WSXGA+ display, which appears to be standard on HP's pre-built units. I played around with the display settings but the problem with mine appears to be an LCD issue. judging by karlth's comment, where he saw an NC8230 with this problem next to an NX8220 that did not suffer from this issue, I am left to assume that it is a defect.

FiloD: aside from the LCD issue and my personal dislike for the keyboard (which you can disregard since this is a matter of personal preference), I actually like this laptop more than many others I've used. the materials and build quality seem top notch (close second to T-series ThinkPads), and I really like the weight and thinness of the unit. The mouse buttons did bother me - I found that my thumb kept hitting the space just below the left trackpoint button - but an external wireless mouse (see Explorer, Intellimouse) provides a quick fix.

after talking to HP, I decided to return my NC8230 and order a ThinkPad T43 2687-DDU with the following specs:
P M 750, 512MB RAM, 60GB 5400rpm HDD,
15 SXGA+ IPS Flexview (1400x1050) TFT LCD,
64MB ATI Radeon X300,
CD-RW/DVD-R Multi-Burner,
Intel 802.11a/b/g wireless(MPCI), XP Pro, 3yr warranty

the price was $1949, slightly less than the $2113 for a comparable HP, but I'm also getting a FlexView display, which is supposedly brighter and sharper than standard displays, and the ExpressCard/54

two things I'm giving up are the X600 and firewire, which doesn't bother me since I don't plan on doing any gaming and don't mind buying a Firewire card (perhaps a firewire expresscard?)

I'm disappointed to be going back to black with IBM, but the display was just impossible to use and the keyboard/pointing device ergonomics put the nail in the coffin.

 

I wonder what those bits of stuff on my screen were then? [B)]

 

I bought a Sony FS570 a week ago. The fan constantly turned on, sometimes very noisy, like my old Dell Inspiron 3500. When I polayed the game, the screen freezes sometimes. I so reget to pay extra to get such a below-avarage notebook.

Today one of my client carried a HP 8230 to the office. I didn't see any screen problem. The design is cool and very thin for such a powerful notebook. I am trying to pursuage my boss to buy one for the office.

 

i would return the sony if i were you
even the low spec hp nc8230 would be better than that
thanks for the picture ovek
that looks great!

 

jabber, Ovek – thank you for your posts. Now I can dream again of the nc8230

Murphyja – I hope you will have a better luck with the T3 this time.

Ovek – can you post some more pictures and some initial impressions? What specs do you have? I noticed that you have the nx8220. Is it possible that this may not have the lcd problem that was experienced by murphyja, or 8220 and 8230 are using the same lcd? (just curious)

 

mclassic/and to anyone who have any suggestion – I start to configure the nc8230 and along with a budget, I have to make some choices….

I do not play games but if I buy a laptop, it will also be used for playing some games by my son. For me, it will mostly be large/multiple spreadsheets.

Given the choices below which will you take? (I really do not have a good idea of what the memory and the video card do…so need some help)

a. 64mb video + 1024mb memory, or
b. 124mb video + 512 memory

Thank you.

 

FiloD,
The 1024mb ram would make more of a difference for you right now, but I would go for the 128mb video instead. Reason being, it will be easier (cheaper) to upgrade your ram sometime down the road than it would be to upgrade your video. My advice makes sense only if you will have some extra $$ for the ram upgrade in the future...

Murphyhja,
Have you looked at the T43 266889U? It comes with an 80MH HDD, and you can get second stick of 512MB 533 RAM free if you go to the 'Add Options' tab. $1967. Not bad for an extra $18.

They had 31 in stock yesterday, but today there is a 10 day backorder.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by FiloD

 

mtnmasher/mclassic – thank you. That is very helpful. I can always buy the add’l ram later.

 

FiloD my specs are:

2.0 GHz Pentium M
1024 MB DDR 2 (533 MHz)
80 GB Hard Drive (5400 rpm)
DVD+/-RW
WSXGA+ TFT
ATi X600 / 64 MB


I'll post some more pics later today...

 

mtnmaster: thanks for the IBM tip - I actually saw that model for $1749 (just search 266892U on ibm.com) but unfortunately it lacks a DVD writer which I need (and IBM charges $300 for it if I buy it later).
after realizing that I have a friend at IBM which qualifies me for the EPP price, I called back and ended up paying $1499 with free 2-day shipping!! It shipped today from Hong Kong so I should see it on Monday.
IBM also offered a model with a fingerprint reader and a PM 760, but it added $400 to the price which didn't seem worth it. I plan to upgrade to the 7k60 and 1gb of RAM which seems like better spent $.

 

mclassic - they pushed my order back to the 29
on the phone they said that they had the bottom case in
but the 128vcard is still on order(what is up with that!)
i think that i might call and try to get a free two button touchpad
shipped with my order
due to fact that there are no other notebooks that i want i will be
waiting for this one(when ever that really is)
are there any nc8230 owners out there with a 128v-card?

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Ovek

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by mofunk

 

Here are all the images of the nc8230, which I've come across so far:

http://www.alexia-media.com/nc8230/

When I get mine, I'll be posting some pics. If you have some pics to share of your nc8230, email them to me asantana (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks.

 

My company purchased me a Dell Inspiron 5150 last year and the thing finally dumped. The infamous overheating issue has fried two motherboards and now they want to replace the HSF because Dell believes that is culprit.

So to hell with Dell. I'm looking for a new laptop. I have also looked at Toshiba Tecra S2 and IBM T42.

I've read through this board and am very intrigued by the nc8230. What do people think of this notebook compared to the other three.

Also, I'd like to get a 2nd battery (spend 70% of my life on airplanes). The HP has two: Primary ($100) and Travel ($140). What is the difference between the two?

Thoughts, feelings, emotions??

Excellent resource and thanks!
Ski

 

murphyja,
Sorry for the OT, but what is a 7k60? PM760?

skijackz,
There are three kinds of batteries:
1) Primary battery - You pop out the primary battery (3 hand operation) and pop the new one in.
2) Internal battery - You remove the DVD/CD player, and slide the battery into its place.
3) Common Travel Battery - Kind of like a docking station. It is wedge shaped and snaps onto the bottom of the unit. It elevates the back of the unit, but does not interfere with the DVD player.

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>
skijackz,
There are three kinds of batteries:
1) Primary battery - You pop out the primary battery (3 hand operation) and pop the new one in.
2) Internal battery - You remove the DVD/CD player, and slide the battery into its place.
3) Common Travel Battery - Kind of like a docking station. It is wedge shaped and snaps onto the bottom of the unit. It elevates the back of the unit, but does not interfere with the DVD player.
<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'></font id='quote'></blockquote id='quote'>

Definitely don't want the travel battery. Thanks for the info.