Retro! Anyone still using R3000?

Is anyone still using their R3000 series laptop? If so where do you get your updated drivers, if any? I know it's an oldie but since it was free and I have a new baby it's the best I got for a while My techie at my former job couldn't figure out why it wouldn't work. I told him it was the jack and he said "Oh well" and gave it to me. I am doing some upgrades like adding 1-2GB of ram to it, adding a new wifi card, battery, and bigger hdd. Runs great with a new XP install. I know it ain't for gaming. That's why I have 3 other PCs for that purpose. My wife, son, and eventually my daughter all game with me and my clan. But doctor's appointments, trips, etc can be boring and this helps.

 

I have a zv5000 which is the HP version of that laptop. Trust me DO NOT install a new wireless card. The card will have to be from HP for it to work and it probaly all ready has the best card in it. If you put in another card it will tell you to remove the unsported wireless card.

 

You can get drivers from HP's site but the newest there are from late 2005 if i'm not wrong (my roommate has one and I fixed a couple of times lately). Run windows update and you should be able to get the newest drivers for the hardware. I don't know what hardware you have in yours but this one here has a good video card and after some tweaking Heroes V runs OK.
As for the jack issue - this is the bane of this notebook and there are only two solutions - manual re-soldering of the jack to the Motherboard or, like I did, buy an expansion base and power the monster through the extension port on the side.
which processor do you have in yours?

 

I have found many updated drivers away from HP's outdated page. I was just hoping others have found something I haven't. When I get around to building my web page I will have to post them up. As to the non-HP wireless cards, you have to modify the BIOS but you can get them to work. I have the integrated ATi 9000 IGP for video, so gaming is rather limited compard to the discrete 9600 cards. Resoldering isn't hard if you have a little experience with it. Just keep up with the screws(like 80 of them). You can find someone with a soldering station like a radio repair shop, TV shop, etc. that can do it. Just break down the board for them. Shouldn't cost more than $30 usually.

 

My system had a jack problem too. I just bought this http://cgi.ebay.com/350821-001-Syst...VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247
That board has an ati radeon 9600 64mb card on it and your current setup has the heatsink location for the card you just need a thermal pad for the card and your all set. That is the exact auction i bought mine so hes reputable.