Questions about buying Custom dv2000t

What speed is the RAM that's supplied with HP laptops? It doesn't say, but I'm hoping 667mhz. Or would it be better to try to resell the 512x2 sticks and get 1gb x 2 sticks G.Skill's that seem to be popular?

Ideally I wanted to get the cheapest RAM available but they require at least 1GB if you want Windows Vista Home Premium.

Also, anyone know if the APP (Academic Purchase Program) works with FatWallet Cash Back program?

Do all custom built HP laptops come with the express slot card remote? Most in store models seem to. And will I get the Vista Anytime Upgrade disc? I'd like to go straight to doing a clean install.

I missed the round of good discounts on hard drive upgrades, free upgrade to 1GB, and the $200 coupons. Do you guys think these discounts will come back soon?

Sorry for all the questions, but I've had really bad experiences with laptops. Thank you for any help you guys can provide.

 

What speed is the RAM that's supplied with HP laptops? It doesn't say, but I'm hoping 667mhz. Or would it be better to try to resell the 512x2 sticks and get 1gb x 2 sticks G.Skill's that seem to be popular?

Unfortunately, 533 and 667 RAM performs at about the same level. This is due to higher latencies on the 667 RAM, which cancels out the advantage of the higher speed.

Ideally I wanted to get the cheapest RAM available but they require at least 1GB if you want Windows Vista Home Premium.

Compare the cost of upgrading to 2GB through HP to the cost of purchasing decent set of 2GB sticks through a company like NewEgg. Don't count on selling your old RAM to determine the price, as you almost never can predict if it will sell or for how much.

Also, anyone know if the APP (Academic Purchase Program) works with FatWallet Cash Back program?

The APP discount is not combinable with other discounts, so probably not.

Do all custom built HP laptops come with the express slot card remote? Most in store models seem to. And will I get the Vista Anytime Upgrade disc? I'd like to go straight to doing a clean install.

AFAIK, that must be ordered separately, but there is an option for it in accessories on the order page.

You may get the disc...I'm not too sure.

I missed the round of good discounts on hard drive upgrades, free upgrade to 1GB, and the $200 coupons. Do you guys think these discounts will come back soon?

No one can ever predict that, but usually they do come back in a little while. With newer models soon to come, there may be some good deals around the corner...though $200 off and a few upgrades sounds like the best deal you'll see. Just keep an eye on prices, and if you see a sweet deal that benefits you go for it rather than question if a better deal will come along.

 

That's kind of odd, every review I read about bundled in 533 RAM complains about the manufacturer cutting corners.

It's $75 through HP, $100 through NewEgg, but only because HP forces you to buy 1GB if you buy Home Premium. Is the quality of the HP RAM good? I see complains here and there about random parts on their recent laptops failing.

Well it seems to be combinable with the $100 instant rebate, which I think the coupons were not.

Actually when I was first shopping for a new laptop a few months ago, I remember the remote was offered separately in the accessories page. I just re-read the "features" description and I think it's standard now on their laptops and I no longer see it in the accessories page. I wonder if the cleaning cloth is still standard? I see that on the accessory page now but it isn't mentioned anywhere else.

Any ideas on how to do a clean, bloatware free install if they don't pony up the Vista Anytime disc?

Do you mean a massive redesign to the HP series, like this glossy, piano-black imprint? Or do you mean new stuff like Santa Rosa and Wireless-N (which I find odd that Dell gives you the option for but HP doesn't)?

Also, do you find the hard drive to be easily upgradable? HP charges a bit much, but it appears they do use Seagate drives.

Thank you very much for the detailed response, much appreciated.

 

The remote is standard, at least on the dv2000t, and as of a week ago when I got mine, so was the cleaning cloth.

 

I don't think they would do a re-design of that piano-black finish on the hp's just yet. It seems to still be pretty popular. That along with the cost are the only thing the hp has going for it to me. I don't like the fact that they try to hide information about the parts they are using. Not showing you the mgz of the ram or rpm of the hard drive is shady. No other company does that. Plus the dv2000 doesn't come with a wxga+.

I'm trying to buy a 14.1" laptop and I keep coming back to this HP because of the looks and cost. For someone that is looking for a laptop that will last at least 4 years, I think HP would definately be the wrong choice for me.

 

What speed is the RAM that's supplied with HP laptops? It doesn't say, but I'm hoping 667mhz. Or would it be better to try to resell the 512x2 sticks and get 1gb x 2 sticks G.Skill's that seem to be popular?

Ideally I wanted to get the cheapest RAM available but they require at least 1GB if you want Windows Vista Home Premium.

My laptop came with PC-5300 667 ram. If you want to get 2 gigs of ram, I would just get 512 and buy 2 sticks of 1GB. Since I used the $200 off $999 coupon, instead of upgrading the ram, I just upgraded everything else and got myself a 1GB stick of DDR2 afterwards. Even though I'm not technically running dual channel, the laptop is fast enough for me.

Also, anyone know if the APP (Academic Purchase Program) works with FatWallet Cash Back program?

Since it's listed as HP Home on fatwallet for cashback I doubt it. It doesn't hurt to try though.

Do all custom built HP laptops come with the express slot card remote? Most in store models seem to. And will I get the Vista Anytime Upgrade disc? I'd like to go straight to doing a clean install.

My dv2000t CTO came with the remote and the Vista Anytime Upgrade disc.

I missed the round of good discounts on hard drive upgrades, free upgrade to 1GB, and the $200 coupons. Do you guys think these discounts will come back soon?

Back in December 06 they had free 1GB, free DVDRW, free HDD upgrade, free upgrade to XP Pro and maybe 1 or 2 more things. I recently just got in on the $200 off $999 deal. I'm sure there will be more discounts, but if you need one right away, I wouldn't depend on a discount.

Sorry for all the questions, but I've had really bad experiences with laptops. Thank you for any help you guys can provide.

 

Thank you again for all the replies.

I also want Vista Home Premium, and HP will not ship out the laptop with that OS unless it has at least 1GB of RAM.

Weird, in the dv2000t owners thread, some people reported not getting any kind of OS disc.

Actually I think they do show you the RPM of their hard drives, which are all 5400. It makes sense, I think, sense 7200 drives tend to eat battery life and HPs don't have great battery life as it is. I'm satisfied with the resolution, too, and think it works for the 14.1" screen. A lot of manufacturers cut costs when it comes to RAM, though, so I'm surprised HP even gives you 667mhz RAM. Most only give you the slower option, but it's pretty much standard all of them give you split sticks now.

I have the same concerns as you, but in my experience laptops are not really built to last. Fujitsu and Sony's, maybe, but they cost 30-50% more for similar configurations. I've had Alienware and Toshibas in the past, and they all had major problems after a year and I am very careful with my electronics. I would suggest buying the two year warranty, then purchasing the whole thing with a credit card like Visa who will double whatever warranty your laptop has if it is under three years.

I don't need one right away, I'm just anxious for it. Right now they just have free DVDRW, and $100 instant rebate. Back in december with all the free upgrades, did they offer instant rebate, too, or just upgrades?

 

I don't need one right away, I'm just anxious for it. Right now they just have free DVDRW, and $100 instant rebate. Back in december with all the free upgrades, did they offer instant rebate, too, or just upgrades?

I think there were free upgrades and a mail in rebate back in December. I think that the $200 off $999 ended up being a good deal because compared to my friend who got his dv2000t in December, I got a bigger HDD, faster processor and bluetooth for a little bit more.

 

The $200 coupon is a great deal, but I'd also keep my eye on the free/discounted upgrades as well. I just got my dv2000t and I realize now that had I been able to use the coupon that would have been AWESOME, but the freebies actually allowed me to get a lot more than I would have otherwise, for basically the same price I was willing to pay in the first place.

Since I got mine a few days ago, I have been checking in to see if the price has gotten any better SINCE the new $100 discount has been offered but it turns out no matter how I do it, it's still not as cheap as it was with all the freebies/discounted upgrades I got thrown in. (I also used the EPP discount the HP rep set up for me because I had JUST missed the $200 deal and was very diappointed by it + $10 discount coupon code I got in an email). Does that make sense?

BTW, the remote does come with the dv2000t, which I wish I would have known because I had ordered one seperately and now have to return it.

Also, I remember someone in one of these threads had mentioned to try telling the HP Rep SUPERVISOR on the phone that DELL is offering $300 instant coupons and such so you could try using that as leverage to get a special deal or whatnot--I tried it. A couple of times. Didn't work for me, don't know about anyone else.

But I went with the HP anyway and so far love it. Fingers crossed!

Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium (32-bit)
- Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo T5600(1.83GHz/2MB L2Cache)
- 14.1" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x800)
- 128MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7200
- HP Imprint Finish + Microphone + Webcam
- $50 off upgrade from 1GB (2 Dimm) to 2GB (2 Dimm)!
- FREE Upgrade from 80GB 5400RPM to 120GB 5400RPM !!
- FREE Upgrade: 8X DVD+/-R/RW w/Double Layer Support
- Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection
- No TV Tuner w/remote control
- 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- Microsoft(R) Works 8.0

 

When you ordered there was no $100 instant rebate discount? I'm trying to work out what the discount was for you compared to now:

There is a 40% off RAM upgrade which is actually the same as saying $50 off upgrading from 1GB to 2GB, so that's the same. Did you get 667mhz RAM with your custom notebook? The DVD-RW upgrade is also still in place. There is no free hard drive upgrade, but there is the $100 instant rebate offer which is worth $50 more than the hard drive upgrade. Am I missing anything? I know you have the EPP discount and the $10 coupon but I'm disregarding those just to compare other things.

Thanks for your detailed reply, I really appreciate it!

 

Also, is the bluetooth option for the dv2000t Bluetooth 2.0? I can't find any information on that.

 

I would wait for the Santa Rosa to come out, if you want an updated computer or price going down.

Bluetooth is standard.

 

When is it slated to come out?

So it's Bluetooth 1.0 or 1.1 then? No enhanced data rate?