New Compaq M2105US Owner

New to laptops also -

Got this unit this week, Office Depot deal $520 after rebates and coupon. Great unit (I think so). Added a Kingston $39 deal 512MB SODIMM. And grabbed a $14 Targus CVR200 padded slip case.

Screen is flawless , no dim spots as mentioned in some posts here. The fan is fairly quiet, may get warm on lap, but nothing to cry about.

OK, nubie question time.

A) Can the included XP HOME be blown away and XP Pro be loaded, without headaches? Are there any hidden nessassary folders, files, partitions - that will cause troubles if not there?

B) Compaq and HP websites only mention 1 DIMM slot, but there are two. It says max memory is (1) 1024 DIMM - so can 2x 1024 DIMMS be used? or just 1 ?

 

1. I don't see why not.
2. The max amount of memory is 1024MB. 2x 512MB. I'm assuming there are two memory slots. One on the underside of the notebook and one under the keyboard which will be a little more difficult to access. It should be covered somewhere in the manual. I think they make a larger 12 cell battery for the M2105US, might be worth looking into getting for more time. Good Luck.

 

Congrats on your new notebook! To answer your questions:

1. Wiping the system and loading XP Pro should not be a problem. Just make sure you download all the drivers from the web before you do so (you won't have access to the web until you load the network drivers). BUT, the only issue I can see is the fact that you need to buy XP Pro in order to install into this system. You can't use the existing COA label (product key on the underside of the unit) to install XP Pro. If you have no need for the added network and network security features XP Pro offers, then just stick with XP Home.

2. If the max memory on this unit is 1GB, then that means you can only have upto 1GB of total memory in the system. This could mean either 1x1GB or 2x512MB modules, but it depends on how many slots you have in total. It's possible one is located under the keyboard while the other is under the unit. Check to see if the one under the unit is free, if so, then that means you can have 2x512MB, if not, then it means 1x1GB.

-Vb-

 

Thanks for the replies.

The unit has 2 memory slots,both together under the unit, after removing the panel - very easy to get to.

And I already have an XP Pro , that I am not using. I may try Home out, see how it looks (never using it before).

This all started out with a 2 year old PDA, and recently adding a SanDisk 128MB CF + WiFi card. I was looking to buy a newer unit for free WiFi Hotspots. And forget paying $500 for a PDA, when laptops have come down this much.

 

Since the unit only has 2 slots and it lists it as 1GB max, then it would be 2x512MB modules. I also checked the Canadian website and it lists it as 1GB max @ 2x512MB.

If you're used to XP Pro, XP Home should generally look exactly the same.

-Vb-