dv6000t Current/ Prospective Owners Lounge

To anyone who has purchased a DV6000T with the Geforce 7400...

How is your battery life looking? I'd like to avoid getting the 12-cell because it sticks out, but if the 6-cell cannot give me more than 2 solid hours of battery life, I don't think I have any other choice.

Thanks!

 

For the extra battery does someone have a picture I could see of it I am curious to see how it looks and how much it changes the way the laptop sits

 

I have the go7400 and with wifi on I'm getting about 1% battery per minute, you do the math. It is not that good. but still I am plugged in most of the time so I don't mind it that much.

 

Hey, I'm all ready to pull the trigger and order a DV6000T, but now I'm hearing that Microsoft and the various manufacturers are going to start offering Vista upgrade coupons starting 10/26. I was wondering if anyone who has ordered one from HP recently knows if 1) HP is offering the coupons, and 2) If yes, are they going to provide coupons for people who order prior to 10/26 but the notebook's not built until after 10/26 (current build date listed for the one I configured is 11/2.) I've sent these questions to HP customer service also, but haven't heard back. I know it's only a week til 10/26, but I'm beginning to need a new notebook sooner rather than later.

Thanks-

 

I want to get one of these units, but have one important question that surprised nobody mentioned.

How does music sound on the headphones, is it loud enough?

 

Thats a trick question coz it also depends on the quality of headphones.

Anyway, the sound is awesome I have a Altec Lansing headphones.

For a change the sound from the laptop speakers is clear and loud!!!...better than 70% of laptops out there.

One of the reasons nobody talked about sound on this laptop is coz all are very happy with it...

Anyone disagree??

 

I noticed today that my screen (I didn't get the brightview) has one dead pixel. Is this something I should be concerned about? Is it justifiable to send it back for replacement for one dead pixel?

 

The very first thing you need to do as soon as you get the laptop is to use "Dead Pixel Buddy" sware and check for dead pixels..

Anywway..not to worry...talk to the HP rep immediately and ask for a replacment screen..see if you can have your say on the replacement screen...ask for AUO, LG Philips displays...they are of high quality and they might also have the Non-Brightview versions from these manufacturers...

Wish you luck!

 

Well, I got a response from HP today regarding my question. HP is not currently offering Vista upgrade coupons and sales support doesn't know if they will be offering them in the future. Then they told me that their notebooks will come pre-loaded with Vista once Microsoft releases in 2007, but that wasn't what I was interested in.

 

I'm playing with options for the 6000 as well. They look awesome and while the 6-cell battery might be short-lived the main holdback is the lack of a stronger GPU. The 7400 would do but I'd rather have something a little more ready to handle a game like Oblivion.

 

Howdy fellow 6000t owners.

I just received mine, and am happy with the performance. However, I seem to have a display problem I wanted to run by folks for feedback.

I have the GF GO 7400 and AUO LCD. There's an odd appearance to solid colors that I can't find the cause of. The problem is most obvious when particular colors are displayed - the best example is the background behind menus. A screenshot is attached. In the screenshot there is some mild artifacting from the jpeg compression, but what you see in the light area is essentially what I see on screen.

The other strange thing is that when the desktop is set to a solid color, there appears to be a faint pattern to it..it almost looks textured.

If I hadn't owned dozens of other laptops ranging from the obscenely expensive to the low-end budget variety, I'd think perhaps this is just how laptop LCDs are...but I know better. =) I've tried several Nvidia drivers, so I'm pretty sure it's not a driver issue.

Has anyone experienced this or similar display oddities?

I am prepared to send it back for service..but I just waited 3 weeks to get it so I'll not be happy. What's the average turn-around for warranty repair? Would they consider sending a replacement and let me use this until it arrives?

Sorry for the load of questions! =)


EDIT: I just looked at my screenshot from another computer and of course there's no sign of the issue...I should have known it might not be captured.

Anyway, if anyone is experiencing dv6000t display weirdness I'd love to hear about it. I'm currently in the process of trying to arrange for warranty repair.

 

Just one question....my 6 cell battery is runnin out really fast on my laptop...isnt there anyway that i can set my cpu speed slower like the ACER Laptop.....lookin forward to hear from you guys...thanks

 

Guys, i am thinking about to buy this notebook and i have 2 questions.

1) Battery - how long does 6 & 12 cells work?
2) GPU (Nvidia) - i am not a hardcore gamer and the only game i play is HL2:CSS. Will it run ok(and what about Vista and gaming in it)?

 

Hello everyone I am back again!

I will try and answer most questions here but I won't list them under names so just read through, thanks.

As far as the Go 7400 card troubles go try to update all graphics drivers, if that doesn't work I suggest you to return it and get another, as it's likely the LCD itself. If you want to return it they will make you return it then give you a refund, after which you will have to place another order then wait for it to arrive from Shanghai. Thus it will most likely take 3-4 weeks, so try and see if they will just repair it, but if they repair it, they might not fix it properly, good luck.

For extra battery life on your 6-cell turn the LCD down using the keyboard to a brightness which you feel comfortable with and is still useable however bear in mind that the lower you go the more battery life you will have, also if you aren't using the wireless or bluetooth if it has either, turn them off aswell. Another tip is to right click the desktop, then click on the screen saver tab, followed by power options. Select a set of options that will fit your needs for power, if you still need more life out of your Lion, download RMclock Utility which has been posted way back in this post, and configure the processor to use less power and go into a C4 Deeper Sleep State. Either that or just buy a second 6-cell or 12-cell battery


The 6-cell that I have depending on what the settings are will get 2-3 hours which would make the 12-cell get approx 4-6 vairying on your settings once again as listed above.

The GF Go 7400 graphics card easily handles Oblivion, HL2, FEAR, Runescape aswell as CSS. Those I have all tried while some you will want to turn the graphics settings down alittle for speed (FEAR) they will work perfectly fine on the GO 7400. My friend has a Go 7200 in his dv6000z notebook and it plays Oblivion flawlessly.

As far as Windows Vista goes the 7400 will run Vista Aero and the dv6000t will run Vista very well as I am running RC1 on it as we speak, however expect the final version (I hope) to be much smoother than previously releases ofcourse.

I was hesitant myself about such a mid-level GPU especially when considering Vista but I can put your minds at ease that it is better than I had thought, the 256 MB VRAM is plently.

Lastly, HP cannot disclose information directly about the future Vista Upgrade Certificates, because if it promises them and they don't happen or something changes they will be F'ed. I can assure you that if you purchase a Vista Capable or Premium Ready PC (when they come out) that you will get a certificate or atleast a discounted upgrade.

Hopefully I have answered most if not all questions for the time being, I will check back every so often to see if there are any additional ones.

Take care,

-Aaron "Airman"

 

Summiter,

I received a display (manufacturer: AUO) that presented the same issue. I was reluctanct to return the PC, but after a few days I decided I couldn't ignore it and returned it. I got one with an LG-Phillips (LPL) display and it's gorgeous.

I remember seeing another post from somebody with the same issue.

I hope that enough people return their PCs for defective displays so HP stops using AUO as a supplier. Their displays are definitely below par.

 

Software Provided

I'm planning on buying the dv6000t and I'm noy 100% sure what software is provided as part of the purchase price. I know what I can order and I know there are trial programs as well as other programs, but not sure what they are.

Thanks for any input,
Wes

 

According to HP shop it's:

HP Photosmart Premier v6.0
HP QuickPlay Direct v2.1
QuickPlay for Windows v2.1
Symantec Norton Internet Security 2006
Microsoft Windows Media Player 10
Microsoft Money 2006
Real Rhapsody
Muvee AutoProducer 4.5
Sonic Digital Media Plus 7.0
Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.x
Microsoft Works 8.0
Intuit Quicken New User Edition 2006
Microsoft Office Trial 2003
Play HP Games by Oberon Media

And you can add some in customization area.

 

I got mine laptop today and got the AUO LCD and i experience the same problems like other people here.
Astra32 says it was manufactured in January 2005, pretty old.

Can LPL and QDS owners check which model of the LCD they have?

You can check it with Astra32 software:
http://www.astra32.com/download.htm

Thanks.

 

Chapaev

Thanks for your quick reply; did you actually find those programs on your
dv6000t?

Wes

 

I live in Russia, but this notebook isn't shipped to my country - so I will ask my friends in US to buy it for me and transfer it.

How should they test this notebook, cause when it will be transfered to Russia - I wouldn't be able to return it.
1) Display (dead pixels, LCD quality)
2) GPU
3) Other hardware

Any software or methods?

 

I just joined the Owners Lounge

I ordered a dv6000t with the following:

Genuine Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005
- Intel(R) Core(TM) Duo processor T2050 (1.60 GHz)
- FREE Upgrade to 15.4" WXGA BrightView Widescreen!!
- 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7400
- HP IMPRINT Finish + Microphone
- 1.0GB DDR2 SDRAM (2x512MB)
- 80GB 5400 RPM SATA Hard Drive
- FREE Upgrade - 8X DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
- Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network
- No TV Tuner w/remote control
- 6 Cell Lithium Ion Battery
- Microsoft(R) Works/Money
- System Recovery DVD w/Windows XP Media Center
- 2 year HP Express Repair Extended Plan
- HP Photosmart C3180 All-in-One

Based on what I read on this thread I also requested the QDS Screen

Thanks for all the input to this thread which helped me make my choice,
Wes

 

I just receieved mine today mornin ...It has a wierd display.. from above posts i checked it has an AUO display...i know i will return it...do i repair or retuen it...I would also love to have the vista coupon..will they return it?

which screen is better lg or qds with brightview?

 

I just returned my 6000t. It had an auo display. How do i get them to give an lg display when i order a new laptop? Should I get brightview or no?

 

You can call up and ask when you order, but I dont think you can choose the screen manufacturer. It is just luck of the draw.

 

Cancelled Order Then Reordered.

Yesterday evening I ordered a dv600t and at the end of the transaction I asked are there any deals or discounts I forgot to ask about. The answer was NO. Last night I debated whether I should have ordered the T-5500 rather than the T-2050 processor. This morning when I went on the hp web site to see what a T-5500 would cost, I saw the notice about the free Visa Upgrade. I called customer service and they wouldn't allow me to have the coupon, they said it only applied after Oct 26, 2006. So, I cancelled my order and at the same time reordered with the upgrade processor. So my delivery has slipped one day, I now have will get the coupon.

Wes

 

Thats so weird...I have AUO display and it is just "spectacular"..looks like you got a bad one of those...these are on par with LG philips and QDS.

Anyway...good luck man !

 

yea, my AUO monitor looks just as good as a quantas or phillips

 

I have concluded that the patchy/grainy effect I was seeing on my dv6000 is a characteristic of the video I was watching and not a problem with the screen. I went to Staples and played the same video on all of the HP laptops they had (w/AUO and LPL panels) and they all exhibit it. It was less noticeable on the LPL screens, but you could still see it if you looked close. A word of warning to people thinking of trading in their AUO laptop in the hopes of getting one back with the LPL panel: check one out at a store first and make a comparison... While the colors on the LPL screen on my dv5000 looked a little more "smooth" and appeared a bit more saturated, the screen was several levels -dimmer- than the AUO screen when on full bright. I adjusted them both and had to tap the AUO screen adjustment down about 5"clicks" to make it appear the same as the LPL when it was on full-bright. I also thnk the AUO screen is much more sharp.

 

i received my dv6000t last monday, and i have the AUO screen, and it looks awesome in my opinion, and everyone who's taken a peek at my comp has been very impressed overall as well. so far im loving the laptop and i don't think i could have made a better choice for the money i was able to spend. i was especiialy happy when it only took 3 days to get from shanghai to hawaii with standard shipping. i appreciate all of the information i received from reading this forum and will continue to check back...

 

I just got my dv6000t. I have an soundblaster audigy 2 zs which goes into a PCMCIA slot I believe (not sure of the name). There's some slot that this fits into but not all the way. So does this computer not have the right slot for the soundblaster?

 

Hey all,

Just got my dv6000t today. The power cord has to be *just* right in the computer; it switches to battery power after the breeze from a butterfly's wings hits it. It's rather dissapointing. Anyone else have this problem? They want me to mail it for repairs. How long with this take?!? Other than that, I think it's a awesome computer!

 

i had that problem a couple of times, until i realized that i hadnt pushed the thing all the way in, coould that possibly what you're doing? it chould click into place...once i do that, i almost have to wrestle with it to get it back out

 

I don't think so because it goes in a little bit, then I wrestle it in a bit more, but it simply refuses to go in all the way completely and I don't get a new hardware found so I'm pretty sure it's not all in (on my older dell it went all the way). So anyone know if this actually is a PCMCIA slot?

 

CONFUSION

I believe there is some confusion between raine's latest post and the posts from bluewind 89 and gummiworm.

bluewind 89 is having problems with pushing in a sound card while gummiworm is having problems with pushing in a power cord. raine's answer could fit either of the two problems, but I thought it was answering the power cord problem. What problem is the post answering?

Wes

 

wrahn - thanks for trying to clear this up!

 

Oops. I guess raine was referring to the power cord issue?

 

Anyone know if the FireWire Port on the DV6000t is 400 mbs/s or the 800mps/s ?

 

Hi again,

Just got home and tried pushing the power cord in with some force. It did click in, and is now perfectly tight! It's so different from the Dell I was using that I didn't even think to push that hard. Thanks so much for your help raine!! It's also funny that HP support wanted me to send it in without suggesting that I give it a good push. Well, now I'm happy that I get to keep this sweet new machine!

 

sorry, i didnt even see the post about the sound thing, i was refering to the powercord. i was at work when i was reading everything so i was probably a bit distracted. sorry about the confusion.

 

Awesome - I'm glad it worked out for you. I so wanted a dv6000t, but I've moved on. Briefly, here's how things went:

Ordered on 10/9
Received on 10/20 - noticed display problem
Called tech support 10/21 and went through their silly scripted troubleshooting, including re-installing OS
Called tech support 10/22 since the issue was still there, as expected. Was sent a box to return notbook for repair
10/24 sent to HP for repair, and I included printed screen shots of the issue and a typed letter with details.
10/27 received back from "repair". It was returned with someone elses paperwork stating no problem found.
10/27 called HP "support" - had a heck of a time communicating with the support person in India. Call lasted 45 minutes before I finally asked for a case manager. During this frustrating process, the support person tried to sell me an extended warranty (which I already had) and kept asking if HP could send me advertising. Case manager said I should call HP Shopping and return it. I called HP Shopping and had to re-explain everything. Salesperson said they would email me shipping label within an hour (still haven't received it 8 hours later). Sales person also tried way too hard to get me to re-order over the phone.

In the end I was disgusted with the experience and decided to order a Dell.

I'm not anti-HP at all...the dv6000t was quite a work of art (except for the display problem). However the experience had me so frustrated, and the Dell was available within 5 days, so that's the route I took.

I'm pretty sure I'll never order from HP again..

 

It is fw 400

 

raine can you check your screen manufacturing date?

The AUO screen is ok when the room has light but is horrible in the dark.

 

Two questions:
1) Can anyone confirm whether the dv6000t has a PCMCIA card slot or not?
2) Can the computer run without the battery put in- with just ac power?

 

shlem, it says it was manufactured in january 05 as well.

i use it in the dark all the time, and i really don't have see any problems with it.

 

1) no, it has an Express Card slot
2) yes it will run fine on AC without the battery in it

 

The viewing angle is really narrow, that's what i see

 

Thanks for the reply summiter. One more question:

I have external speakers (logitech z4). What are my options for connecting them to the laptop besides pluggin them into the headphone jack? Because they sound rather soft and crappy that way.

 

Guys, I am not personally buying notebook. Can anyone describe those issues with display so people who will buy notebook for me could check it?

2summiter, can you send me to my e-mail [email protected] those screenshots?

 

I dont think the AUO is that bad..I kept it at an 95-100 deg angle and it was great. I replaced it because i wantd the vista deal

I agree

 

I am replacing mine because I want the Vista deal also. At first, I didnt think it was that big of a deal, then I realized the Vista upgrade costs $150 and I could get it for free if i just went without a notebook for a week. Plus I am getting a better display and maxing out my configs.
Now my pc has the max of everything HP offers, only wished the 6000t came with a better graphics card.