More functionality?

OK here's the deal. I absolutely LOVE my HP dv5000z, hands down. I'm in the process of making it my primary computer so it'll be ready for university, and that involves putting some nice programs on it and moving my personal files over.

However, I seem to have so much potential for functionality for the notebook but I don't know how I should use it! It may sound weird, but here's an example. I have a 6-in-1 card reader, an S-video port, a firewire port, a free PC card slot, an Expresscard slot, and 3 USB ports that I never use. I do use the card reader for my SD card occasionally, but I feel like I should actually use some other features.

Can anyone suggest anything?

 

I actually feel the same way about not using my laptop to full potential. I have hookeed up the svideo to my tv b4, didnt care for the picture quality. Sometimes I will use card reader for digital camera card, but not often. The only thing I almost always use is one usb port, for an optical mouse. I will watch this thread as I am interested in other options as well, will probably add a sound card in the future, have heard good reviews about one in particular, cant remember right now which one.

Also I would like to get an external 7200rpm Hard drive with firewire hook-up for my video editing addiction, I mean hobby.Problem is I dont feel like spending any money as I just dished out a grand for this thing 2 weeks ago.

 

I was going to try the S-video connection but I don't have any of those cables. I only have the one-pin TV cables. I don't have any interest in optical mice. I have one for my desktop but when I get a mouse for my notebook it's gonna be wired. There's a USB port on the right side so that will work quite nicely.

I was thinking about getting a Bluetooth dongle but I'd never use it! What kinds of things go in the Expresscard slot?

 

Hm, getting functionality will definately cost you some money. You can get a TV tuner for the expresscard slot; bluetooth dongle if you have a PDA or a mobile to sync with. I use my SonyEricsson GSM as a remote thru the integrated bluetooth and now I can watch movies on the laptop thru the TV and be comfortably seated 10 meters away from the computer. I also use my mobile phone as a modem when I'm somewhere out with the notebook (bluetooth again).

If you are stationed with the notebook, a usb keyboard, mouse and an external LCD display will help you preserve the laptop. I use mine extensively and its keyboard is starting to wear- it is shiny and glossy at certain areas (touchpad, keys FJDK, space, left shift...) and no treatment of the plastic will restore it.

A cooler will also utilize one of the usb ports and keep the notebook healthier and safer.

 

Its always better to have features they you'll never use than needing features that you don't have..

The most I've ever equipped on my laptop is when I'm playing StepMania using a Playstation controller hooked up to my laptop which is hooked up to the TV:
1 USB Optical Mouse
1 USB Playstation -> USB Adapter
Playstation controller hooked into USB Adapter
120 Watt (externally amped) 2.1 Sound System (hooked into Headphone jack on lappy)
Power Connector (you didn't think I'd run all this off of batteries did you?)
Ethernet
And of course, the S-Video to hook it all up to the TV
That's the most I've ever used at one time..

But even all this leaves a lot of stuff that I'm not using (CD-ROM, 6-in-1, ExpressCard, etc. etc.)

www.stepmania.com

 

z5sharp, this might be off the question, but hows the speed on your dv5000z?
Anyways you should maybe get a TV tuner card so then you can go anywhere and have TV and also record TV shows.

 

I'd suggest a fast SATA hard in a SATA enclosure. Then you can get a SATA cardbus card for your laptop. I have done this, and now have full speed SATA for my video edditing.

 

The speed of my dv5000z is great. In my signature you can see it's 2.0 GHz, 1GB RAM. The processor is fast but I think what's more noticable is the 5400RPM hard disk. Are you thinking about getting a dv5000z?

 

Yeah im deciding between the dv5000z or the dv5000t now. I know for a fact the people on these forums would say get the core duo with the nvidia graphics card, but im not sure if I can afford that much computer, even with the student APP. I want to makes sure if the AMD chips are worth it.

 

Well the card that comes with the t model is better than the one on the z model but if I were really into gaming, I'd still be unsatisfied with the t model. I'd get a more high-end gaming notebook. Up to you, though.

 

I am not a hardcore gamer, and I dont play HF:2. Primarily its CS, Starcraft and Halo. Many people have said the Ati 200M can handle these games ok. The graphics is not as important for now.

So hows the Turion when it comes to multitasking? On some other forums, some people have been able to lock up the Turion's with the ML-37 and ML-44 so is this fact or not?

 

I've never locked up my ML-37 but then again, I'm extra careful about spyware and all sorts of malware. On my 1.2GHz HP Pavilion 7950 from the year 2001, I can still use it without having it lock up. On the other hand, my friend's 2 year old Dell Dimension locks up like every day. I guess it sometimes depends on the person using it.

But basically the Turion is a great processor. I couldn't be more happy with what I got for the price.

 

Thanks for the answers towards the dv5000z. I was about to purchase a dv5000z, but now the v3000 and the dv2000 came out, and they look pretty nice, especially the compaq one.