did anyone buy the hp dv4000 yet?

i was wondering if anybody could give me some of kind of review about. trying to decide between hp dv4000 and sony vaio fs550.

 

I purchased mine a few days after they were added to hp's webpage, but it wont be here until April 15th.

-jason

 

i heard that also about the sony fs550. it is a little overpriced for what you get. the hard drive is slow also. i am leaning toward the hp dv4000. let me know how it is when you get it in april.

 

The Vaio FS550 has a very bright screen, but I hear it appears washed out and that the battery life is mediocre.

 

The performance should be similar to the DV1000 since the main difference appears to be just the screen.

Dell Inspiron 6000
1.6 GHZ Centrino (Sonoma)
WUXGA 15.4" WS
512 MB RAM
60 GB HD
Wireless B/G
DVD/CD-RW
9 Cell Battery x 2
Mozilla Firefox Browser
Targus TL Deluxe Notebook Case
Targus Gravity Notebook Backpack
---
Palmone Tungsten C/WIFI

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by dev9907

 

Ok, so my laptop shipped early on the 1st and wasn't due to ship until the 8th. Unfortunetly, it was delayed by customs in a fedex facitity 8 hours from my house. I called them up to see what the deal was and no one has any clue how long this ****'s going to take and that it's some kind of "paperwork issue." Needless to say...I'm pissed.

-Jason

 

I ordered a dv4000 for my DH on March 12th with an expected ship date of the 26th (according to costco.com). However, there was a hardware part delay and now the order is held up because of international customs paperwork...

Apr 6, 2005 12:51 AM Shipment exception INDIANAPOLIS, IN Regulatory agency clearance delay
Apr 5, 2005 8:27 AM Clearance delay INDIANAPOLIS, IN
3:27 AM Shipment exception INDIANAPOLIS, IN Regulatory agency clearance delay
1:55 AM Clearance delay INDIANAPOLIS, IN
1:55 AM Clearance delay INDIANAPOLIS, IN
1:46 AM In transit INDIANAPOLIS, IN Package available for clearance
Apr 4, 2005 2:54 PM Departed FedEx location ANCHORAGE, AK
1:17 PM Arrived at FedEx location ANCHORAGE, AK
10:17 PM Picked up SHANGHAI CN Package received after FedEx cutoff
Apr 3, 2005 6:50 PM At local FedEx facility SHANGHAI CN
Apr 2, 2005 11:07 PM At local FedEx facility SHANGHAI CN

I'm a little annoyed too. Can HP offer any compensation for this at all? I haven't bothered to ask yet, but was curious if they are willing to throw in any freebies or discounts.

 

Man that sucks, but it looks like your laptop is in the same batch mine is. Good news is that they got released by customs tonight. Hopefully it will be here by friday!!

 

Wow! Nice ending to my story -it's been delivered! Yay!
In the span of 8 hours this morning it went from Indianapolis to West Palm Beach and has arrived to its final destination. Hope you've received yours too!

 

That's awesome man! I woke up this morning and looked at the tracking and it was like "Delivered." I was freakin' out; I went downstairs and there it was. I love this thing!! I can't believe it got to you in west palm so fast, a lot of people must have called them about the delay so they just overnighted everything. I was all mad at hp but now I think they're great!! Ok now to play with my laptop some more!!


-Jason

 

Hey guys, congrats on the new laptops. I just happened to stumble on one at Office Depot this week and really liked it. I am going to law school so i need something light I can carry and was looking that the Compaq V2000. However, I'd like a little more power.

So once you get done playing [ ] let me know what you think about carrying around a DV4000. I was really impressed with it and I liked the layout, so give me a report.

Thanks! [ ]

 

I too am in the market for a dv4000. Could any of the recent owners out there tell us anything about fan noise? How loud it is, and whether or not the fan runs constantly?

I've recently tried a zv5000 with an AMD64 processor. Everything was great except for the constant high pitched fan running. It kept the machine running cool, but interfered with concentration during productive time spent on the laptop. I'm hoping this sort of issue doesn't happen with the dv400 models.

 

Yeah, I'm looking to buy in the next couple days as well.

This laptop is a Somona centrino right? So that means it has a PCI express slot, but the web site does not offer an upgrade for a better video card? Would it still be upgradeable like installing memory?

Thanks,

-Victor

 

I'll try to post a mini-review for the laptop with pictures in the next day or two. [ ]

FYI Victor, yes, the dv4k has the option for a sonoma processor - the 1.6 & 1.73 GHz on this model are sonoma. Video is integrated and, I'm pretty sure, can not be upgraded.

 

Hey,

Thanks for quick response. I'm going to get the system no matter what right now. In comparison to price vs. performance it's probably one of the best (with the student discount). I'll be using it for mostly school, a little gaming (WoW if it'll run, if not just some Warcraft 3:TFT), and other various computing. There is something a little weird about the pricing though on configuring the system though. Is there a difference between the "Intel GMA 900" and "Intel GMA 900 - Pentium" that is listed on their web site. I looked on intel's web site and found nothing that demonstrates the kind of architecture. Is Compaq saying that I must get the GMA 900 - Pentium if I chose the centrino option? I'm assuming because there are different motherboard's for the Celeron (which I will never touch) and for the Centrino. $25 difference between them.

Besides that, I'm looking foward to your review. Can you run CPU-Z (http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php) for your review too. I want to see what the real FSB is. Just because the site lists 400 MHz, when Somona's are able to achieve 533 MHz. Same relating concern about if it's Somona you should be able to run DDR2 RAM.

Sorry if it sounds a little anal rententive. Whew.

Thanks!

-Victor

 

I played with the dv4000 at Frys this weekend. The mouse pad was a little stiff but overall the unit seemed pretty nice.

I am a little confused about the 8x Dv-Rw drive. When you configure the unit at hp.com it says it has a 4.7 gb capacity. When you look at the specs of a preconfigured one(like the dv4030 that office depot has) it says 8.5. It is an important point because the 8.5 would mean it has dual layer capability. Anyone know if they just messed up on the website or are they really short changing folks that configure a notebook.

Also, hp.com is a lot cheaper than using the configure to build computers at best buy and circuit city. Don't bother with them until they actually stock it.

Finally, Are there any recent buyers of the dv1000 or dv4000 that purchased a 5400 rpm drive.....are they quiet?

 

Hello all,

New forum member here.

I ordered the Compaq V4000 when they had it on sale last week (extra $100 over the dv4000). I ordered one with a 5400 RPM drive. I will be sure to let you know how it is. They said it would be built by May 2nd, but I just got a notice that its on the FedEx Delivery Ramp in Shanghai. I would expect it here tomorrow.

 

I e-mailed hp about the issue over dual layer dvd burner support. As I suspected the build to order models are being shortchanged ...single layer. The retail models have dual layer. I guess this is why they ae throwing in for free the dvd burner when you configure to build.

From e-mail.
Thank you for contacting the hpshopping.com Sales Center.

Please accept my apologies for the conflicting information that you have referred to on our web site. The Pavilion dv4000 series is currently not offering a double layer optical drive. The ready to ship models (HP Pavilion dv4040us Notebook PC, HP Pavilion dv4030us Notebook PC) are currently offering double layer optical drives.

If you are interested in discussing the features of these systems or would like to place an order, please contact our sales representatives at your
convenience using the number listed below.

Too bad as the retail models seem to be more expensive and don't offer the extented life battery.

 

So what do the new owners think? Does anyone have the Compaq V4000 yet? I'm considering it as well, I like the silver better than black.

 

I got my Compaq v4000 yesterday. First off, the pictures do not do it justice as to how large the screen feels when you are using it. That widescreen with BrightView is so awesome.

The next thing I noticed is, since I ordered the 12-cell battery instead of the 6-cell, the battery sticks out the bottom but it provides a nice tilt forward. It probablly raises the back end about 1/2 in. off the table.

As for the silver, thats the other misleading thing about all the pictures. The inside is silver, but the outside of the screen, or the top when its closed is black with a silver Compaq logo embedded in it. It looks nice.

The speakers are great, the DVD player response time is nice, and the relative speed of everything is pretty good.

The hard-drive and fan combine to produce a slight hum/white noise, but nothing too annoying.

Any other questions I can answer about it, let me know.

 

My main question is about portability. I would need to bring it to classes every day, so how do you think the V4000 would be for that?

Thanks

 

No remote with "configure to build".

Besides not getting dual layer support with the dvd unit you also don't get the remote....only on retail units. HP.com told me it was an option for "configure to build" but can not find that option. fyi.

For me the customized units are cheaper but not if I am missing important stuff.

 

UMichFan,
You said the fan and hard drive are not too loud. Which drive did you get? Do you think the extended battery is worth the bulk?

 

hey guys,

im new here, but ive used this website for quite a while. i got my dv4030 about a week ago and i like it a lot.

first off, the fan noise is not too bad. comes on everyonce in a while, but not often. im a pretty intensive computer user--i record music and use dual monitors. the dv4000 take pretty much everything i give it.

i built my own desktop, which runs at 2.53 ghz and has top of the line hardware (from a few years ago, mind you). this laptop is noticeably slower for normal tasks, but not by much. i know this is a VERY subjective comment, but i suppose it may be meaningful for some of you.

i was having a hard time deciding between the fs500 and this, but what made me choose the hp was that it had 100gb (at 5200, while the fs is 4200 i believe), a more preferable digital media slot (not only memory stick), 4 usb ports (maybe even too many), and better speakers. of course the remote and quickplay features were an added plus, but i dont really use them. i think its noteworthy the inclusion of the expresscard slot, which i dont believe are being made at the moment. obviously this laptop is ready for the future.

the screen is pretty nice. i prefer the sony's, since it is quite a bit brighter (but its actually so bright its somewhat overkill) and has better viewing angles. The hp's screen does not suffer as badly from the viewing angle issues i found on the dv1000 (which is the main reason i didn't buy it...though i wanted a bigger screen anyways), but i do find the screen looks somewhat washed out. i could probably fix this with the included gamma program.

what else...? the keyboard is pretty nice, but i dont really care about the styling around the touchpad buttons. it looks kind of...ugly, though i did get used to them. the speakers are OK, but what do you expect from a laptop. definitely not as nice at the harmon kardon in my old hp laptop.

as for portability: i am a student and size and weight is VERY important to me. due to this, i wish this laptop was smaller. the fs was the perfect size. this is not to say it is not portable. i have been walking with it every day since ive gotten it and it is by far in no way heavy. i guess you get what you want (as i wanted a big screen).

lastly, i haven't done any benchmarking, but may in the future.

in conclusion, this is a very nice laptop. i definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a somewhat powerful, large-screen laptop. basically, it's the dv1000's bigger brother--with a far superior screen. hope this helps!

 

I would recommend getting one with a dedicated video card. Though you may not HAVE to have one, i think it would be the best way to go. from my experience with the dv4030, when all im doing is extended desktop, my memory usage is amped up quite a bit.

 

My daughter is heading off to college this summer and we are in the market for a laptop for her. She is planning on pursuing an architecture degree and they recommend a separate, dedicated video card. We really like the features and price of the Pavilion dv4030, but it has the integrated video. We are wondering if she will really need the dedicated video card. The software that they us is Autocad, and per their website, there is no requirement for dedicated video.

What do you all think? The alternative is to go with the Dell Inspiron 6000 which can be configured with a dedicated video card. Thanks for any input.

 

Sorry for the late reply. Been really swamped at work. Anyway, I got the 5400 RPM 60 GB drive.

As for the battery, I was concerned at first. But the extended life is definitely worth it. Especially because we don't have a lot of 3 prong outlets at home, so in order to move around the house, the long battery life is nice.

The other thing the battery does, is lifts the back, so the keyboard is slightly angled up like a PC keyboard and it helps airflow around the machine. While I haven't had any heat issues, its good to have the machine raised a little.

For portability purposes, the V4000 is wider than I expected (don't ask me what I expected [ ]). But without the battery it is pretty light. Even with the battery its lighter than my old machine.

 

I was looking at buying the DV4030US at office depot for $1199. My concern had to do with the fact that it is configured with dual DDR PC2100 256 MB ram running at 266MHz. When I contacted HP they told me that is the fastest RAM available because of the motherboard design. I don't get it, why design a product that should be capable (Sonoma platform)of running a 533 DDR2 memory (advertised as such)when in actually it can only run 266. Has anyone had a chance to compare the HP DV4000's against the Dell 6000's running DDR2 memory

 

I just got a dv4030us from bestbuy. I was wondering if anybody was experiencing a similar problem to mine. Sometimes my down arrow key doesn't seem to function. Its very erradic and sporadic, so I don't know exactly what to do with it. It just seems to fail every now and then. Like once in ever 30 or so clicks. Everything else about the laptop is great, but this one key problem is a worry. So if you have dv4000 could you check this out?

 

Dear college Parent,
It really depends on how much money you want to spend. But either way, you will want a dedicated graphics card. Integrated just isnt powerful enough. Post your budget range, and I can help you further.

 

at first i had bought the dv4030,, here in canada.. and it came with ddr333mhz ram not pc2100

but i have then upgraded to the dv4040

and that too has pc2700 ram

 

also forgot to ask....is the HDD speed 4200 RPM vs a 5200 RPM make a difference for someone who is doing regular student work (net/pics/music/"light" games/and word processing)?

 

Im just about sold on buying the dv4000, but i am wondering while looking at the specs on HP's website and looking at Office Depot's the optical drives are different (i think). can someone please tell me if a DVD+/-RW (Office Depot's computer) is the same as DVD+/-RW/R & CD-RW Combo w/Double Layer Support (HP's website)???? I dont really care about burning dvd's as much as i do about burning cd's

thanks all
anthony

 

twon: The dv4030 that is sold in US stores such as Best Buy and Office Depot is, to the best of my knowledge, always equipped with the dvd double-layer drive. At least, that's what I got and that's all I have seen advertised.

For simple tasks, a slower hdd will make little difference. Of course, die hard users will disagree, but when it comes down to it, you will barely be able to notice the difference between hdd speeds if you are only using it lightly.

DEV9907: I had a hard time deciding between the fs and the dv4000. I ultimately chose the hp since it had a bigger hdd (100 gb) and a longer battery life--as well as a remote control!! However, the fs has a BEAUTIFUL screen that is probably the brightest notebook screen I have ever seen. It is almost overkill. Anyways, it all comes down to personal preference. I do wish the hp was a tad smaller, more like the form factor of the sexy fs.

 

twon01

If you have a chance, ask the sales person to see the outside label by the box. I did that and saw it indicated "double layers feature."

Hope this may help.

 

thanks guys! but im still a little confused...double layer support means that it will write to both CD's and DVD's, correct? Also, while looking at HP's website i dont get a remote control with my unit (only if you buy it in a store...???) Anyways thanks for all the help and putting up with all the questions

anthony

~checkrides are like a woman's skirt, short enough to make it interesting, yet long enough to cover it all~

 

thanks sensation!

~checkrides are like a woman's skirt, short enough to make it interesting, yet long enough to cover it all~

 

twon: no, double layer dvd support means that the drive can write to double layer dvd's. it is a rather new technology enabling you to put around 8 gigs on one dvd. however, double layer dvds are quite expensive.

The remote control comes in (i believe) all US versions sold in retail stores. You have to buy it separately from hp for $15.


dev: I am working on the review right now, and it mentions the fs as well. what it comes down to is the price (or at least for me). both devices have similar screens (the sony's is a lot brighter, though), both have the same dvd drive, and both are about the same size (well, the sony is somewhat smaller). I chose the hp since it was $50 more, a brand new device instead of a few months old (im a loser), had a bigger harddrive (100 compared to 80gigs), a longer-lasting battery, and the quickplay feature which i rarely use anyways. also--and probably most importantly--my father owns a computer-supply business and he has more problems with sonys then with hps. but that is a very subjective statement.

hope this helps!

 

not sure how it is in the states here in canada
the dv4030 comes with no dual layer dvd writer but comes with light scribe..

the dv4040 comes with a dual layer dvd writer " nec 6500 "

great machines.. i will prepare a review with lots of nice pictures.

 

So if anybody is interested, I ended up returning my DV4030us back to Bestbuy. The down arrow key was definitely not responsive and functioning at all times. So I exchanged the unit out and got another DV4030. There is actually some differences between the units. The spring mechanism used for opening the laptop on my previous unit was much tighter. I had to always hold the bottom of the laptop down when opening the unit previously otherwise it wouldn't open. Also, I don't know if other people can confirm this or not, but I swear on my previous unit I hardly ever heard the hard drive. On this new one I hear the hard drive chugging away now when windows boots and when opening programs. On the previous one, I couldn't hear the hd so I always looked for the blinking blue light on the front of the laptop. Also, the fan comes on a lot more on this new unit. Another weird thing is CPU usage is extremely high above 60% and all I am doing is typing this post. I swear my old unit never ran the fan this often and didn't use this much CPU. Can anybody confirm this? It must be in my mind and I am going crazy!!! Also, the screens apear to be different. The previous unit must have had more of the glossy brightview stuff coated on it. In bright light it looked thick and you could definitely see diagonal lines on the screen in bright light only. Kinda like when you put too much varnish on something. So another annoying thing about this laptop is in my opinion the keyboards suck! So the previous one had a problem with the down arrow key. Sometimes it wouldn't work sometimes it would. The latest unit everything works, but the left shift feels like its broken and definitely sounds like its broken. It feels like its going to fly off everytime I use it. Its also definitely a loud keyboard...solid, but loud. Besides all these little annoyances its still a great laptop. I think its solidly built...only time will tell though. I like how all the ports(USB, ethernet, phone line,etc.) are lined with metal. I also I am actually getting use to the touchpad. The scroll feature is tough to use, but I am starting to get the hang out it.

 

thanks for all the input. i ended up buying the hp dv4000 because of the faster hard drive, the good student discount and the memory card reader. i ordered the dv4000 about two weeks ago and i already recieved it. intially they told me it wasnt going to be shipped until may 11th but i got it last week. that was a great surprise. i love it so far. the only thing i work about it the glare on the screen. it is a lit bit more that i was anticipating but i think i will get used to it. other than that it is great. no dead pixels and the screen is a great size. my specs are 1.73 pentium m, dvd drive, 80 gb 5400 rpm hardrive, brightview, 6 cell battery and three year warranty. it came out to $1550 with the warranty and student discount. that was a pretty good price! and so far so good

 

How do you guys get a student discount from HP? I know you can get it for some laptops, but I didn't know it was available for the dv4000.

 

heres the link

http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/epp/app_start.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1623332784.1115177016@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccchaddeiedmimhcfngcfkmdflldfjk.0&jumpid=re_r329_search/internal/hps_education

if that doesnt work then you can just go to hpshopping.com and type in "academic purchase program" in the search area.

 

Got my configured-to-order dv4000 a whopping 9 days after placing the order. Glad I didn't take the bait on FedEx 2-day shipping, it was here 3 days after being built in China!!

Great experience with it so far. Next comes all the work of tweaking it the way I way and getting files off the desktop...

Thanks to everyone for their advice and insight about this model!

 

whats best place to get a good deal on hp notebooks? i am looking to buy hp pavilion dv4000.
Costco has it for $1299 1.73GHz Intel Centrino, 15.4" screen, 1GB mem, 80GB HD, DVDRW, 6.5 lbs. I am not sure how much of a better deal I could possibly get elsewhere. This pretty much the configuration I am looking for

Dell publishes coupons regularly and its see on sites like edealinfo.com. Does HP/Compaq have such patron sites for me to work out a better deal?

I would really appreciate your tips

thx