Questions on operating systems

I am planning on buying an HP Pavilion zv6000, but I heard that the only way to install an operating system on it is with an HP os disc (I have a brand new, unused Windowns XP Pro disc at home that I would like to install.) If this is true, is their any way to get around this. I normally buy every new Windows os when it comes out and I don't want to be unable to do this. Also, is their any other setbacks I should know about when purchasing an HP? Thanks in advance.

 

Thats not true, you can install any operating system you want. I have seen people running Linux on the zv6000, so installing Win XP Pro with your own CD should not be a problem.

 

Great, thanks. So there is no sort of "lock" on HPs? I can do whatever I want?

 

There is a lock on the WinXP OS CD that HP includes with the notebook, limiting it to use on HP machines. That's probably what you're thinking of.

 

Yes, you can do anything you want with your own OS...but as brian mentioned the OEM disc provided by HP can only be used on HP machines. Actually the nice thing is that HP provides you with a clean version of Win XP without any of the preinstalled junk(this is on another disc). Many manufacturers(Gateway, Dell) do not even include a restore disc and expect you to burn the discs yourself

 

Would you turn me away from HP if I wanted to use this notebook for gaming?

 

zd8000 is your best best for an HP notebook/gaming right now.

 

I saw your post in the gaming section, with your budget I dont think there are many options in that price range which are gaming machines. Probably you can get a Dell 9300 with the $750 coupon. Of the 4 you suggested the zv6000 is your best option for gaming.

If you want something under $1000 for gaming I would suggest a desktop rather than a laptop.

 

Well I have a decent desktop, but the main reason I'm buying the laptop now and with such low budget is because I'm cooped up in a trailer in the middle of a desert all summer. No room for a desktop. ;/ I think I'll probably go with the zv6000. However, I'm looking at this Asus Z71V. http://www.jncs.com/php/notebook/index.php?id=nb-as-z71v
I'm not sure if the graphics card is included though, because it isn't an option below.

 

The graphics card is included but OS is optional. Never heard of Jncs though.

 

Like I said, I have an unused copy of XP Pro sitting at home, so I'd rather not buy the OS if I don't have to. JNCS is listed on the "Where to buy" on the ASUS website, so I'm not worried of them being illegit. Now I just have to decide between Asus or HP.

 

If you'd like to help me decide:

HP Pavilion zv6000 - $999
AMD Athlon(TM) 64 3200+ (2.0GHz/512KB L2 Cache)
128MB ATI RADEON(R) XPRESS 200M
512MB DDR SDRAM (1x512MB)
60 GB 5400 RPM Hard Drive

Asus Z71V - $1165
1.6Ghz Pentium M Model 730J 533FSB 2mb Cache
128Mb nVidia Geforce Go 6600 (MEP43) PCI-Express Video
512mb (2x 256mb DDR2-533 Module)
40GB 5400rpm IDE

 

Definately :asus:

The 6600 is much better than the 200m is ever gonna be! and graphics card is what's going to matter when gaming.

 

Thanks.
That's 3 for Asus, 0 for HP. I'm gonna have to take your advice. Thanks again for all the help in making my decision.

 

If you want a gaming laptop get a Dell Inspirion 9300 with $750.00 which has the Geforce Go 6800. I had the Dell Inspirion 9300, but I return it because I do not play games, and I do not like the keyboard, so I brought Compaq x6000 Intel 640 3.2 GHz Ati x600 with Compaq rebate, Academic Purchase Program, and FatCash. With Dell’s keyboard, I would hit the keyboard bezel each the spacebar is pressed. Both the Dell Inspirion 9300 and Compaq x6000 are about the same price. Dell 9300 is the best for gaming. Compaq x6000 has a better keyboard and multi-tasking abilities, but bad battery life, however, my laptop is plugged in 99% of the time.

 

What sort of games do you want to play, i have probably played them on the ZV6000 and i can tell you whatever u need (FPS, Quality settings, etc.)

 

I play mostly FPS games like CS, Battlefield, UT2kx, and Quake 3a, but I am also hooked on Ultima Online which is an MMORPG (the first one actually.) UO is 2D, so graphics isn't an issue there. I just want to be able to run most popular FPS games at ease.

 

S,

If running the lastest FPS games on the market is what you're going to be doing, get the Asus. The graphics card is far superior to the ATI X200M video card. The ATI would probably be too slow to play the lastest games in a years time.

-Vb-

 

So, HP includes an actual XP-only recovery CD now? Do they do that with all their Pavilion notebooks, or just certain lines? (I'm wondering about the ze2000t in particular)

I think that's a great idea; I'm just surprised they haven't offered this in the past. My current HP, a 5 1/2 year old N3290, only came with restore-to-factory-condition CDs. I would've liked to have Ghosted the hard drive with "factory-condition-but-only-with-Windows" CDs. So is this HP's normal practice now? Thanks.


F

 

I think they offer actual HP disc's on all their products(laptops), because the 2 laptops(r3000, V2000) I owned both had full Win XP disks.

 

You say you won't have room for a desktop, but for $1000 you could build a really smoking microatx box with a solid graphics card and processor and it wouldn't really take up much room at all. Just a thought in case you can't find what you really want in a laptop.

 

Sorry; what do you mean by "actual HP discs"? Do the "other" discs (which I figured were also "HP discs") only install XP? I thought maybe they were discs that wiped the HD, but installed correct drivers.

Or would a plain MS XP disc(s) simply install a clean XP (no other programs), and the system automatically detect the correct drivers?

Sorry; still running Win98SE (very stably though). Thanks.


F

 

Sorry, I should have made my point more clear. They provide a plain Win XP disc and another disc containing the drivers & the pre installed software(installing this is optional)