zd7000 - A few questions

I am trying to decide between an HP zx5000 and the HP zd7000 and I still have a few questions that I haven't gotten sufficient answers for yet, and I am hoping someone here might be able to help.

1) Is the screen of the zx5000 sharper than the zd7000 (the viewable angle of the zx5000 looked better in Best Buy)

2) Are the temps for these machines about the same? Does going with a Mobile Pentium 4 instead of a Pentium 4 chip make the machine any cooler? Also am I right that you can't really set this on anything but a hard flat surface as the fans are on the underside? (cannot use on a bed, your lap, thick carpet, etc?)

3) Is it dumb to go with a WUXGA screen if I don't go any higher than 1024 x 768 resolution? Is the picture any better?

4) Hyperthreading ... is it better to get a notebook with this ability? Some people say that it can decrease performance w/ apps not written for it. Is it better to have it in case I want it later and just disable it now or is it a waste of money in the first place?

5) Is Windows Media Center worth it and what kind if picture quality do you get through the breakout box?

6) Is the Nvidia GeForce FX Go5600 128MB and decent card or is the Radeon Mobility 9600 64MB one a better choice? Is there any talk of HP offering the Radeon Mobility 9600 128 card or any Radeon card in the zd7000 series?

7) The zd7000 lists the 54g Wireless Lan option while the zx5000 says "Integrated 802.11g wireless LAN...am I to assume that with the zd7000 you need a PMCIA card for a wireless connection?

8) Is the zd7000 awkward with the way the keyboard/touchpad seems off-centered? I understand it isn't actually, because there is also a numeric keypad though.

I sometimes play games on my PC (mainly FPS games) but not near what I used to (I also have a desktop PC to game on. I probably wouldn't do it much but it is nice to have that capability. I like the TV Tuner ability of the zd7000 although recording programs isn't a big deal as I have a TIVO for that. I hardly ever travel so a heavy laptop doesn't bother me much. Screen quality is important, and want one that will be easy to read . Sorry for the huge aomunt of questions but I sincerely appreciate any advice or help. THANKS

 

FYI: When i ordered my zx5000 directly from hpshopping.com i called and they were very helpful about answering my questions when making my decision on what would work for me. I would suggest that you give them a try and see if they can give you the info your looking for to make the choices on building that laptop that fits your needs.<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by Anchordog

 

1. I thought the zx5000 as a little sharper, but the huge screen on the zd7000 more then makes up for it.

2. I am not sure about the temp of zx5k, but the zd7k temp would be caracterized as very warm (not hot. It could sit on your lap without burning a hole through your leg. At ten pounds it might break your leg from shear weight, but I guess that is why it's classified as a desktop replacement.

3. I would recommed against the WUXGA unless you like squinting at microscopic words [xx(] The zd7k has a perfect screen for viewing webpages and word processing.

4. I have hyperthreading and have not experienced any decreased performance.

5. I wanted the media option, but didn't get it for money reasons. I have a dvr at home and it does the job that I would want XP Media to do. You can always get a usb/firewire tv tuner down the road if you want.

6. I hae teh 64MB GeForce for my zd7k and it works well on all of my programs and games so far. I would recommend upgrading it if you can afford it. I don't think there is any chance of HP going to Radeon anytime soon.

7. The wireless lan for the zd7k is internal so you don't have to have to use up any external slots.

8. Besides the screen the keyboard is my favorite part of the computer. I love the number pad and hte non-cramped keyoard layout. THe mouse pad is a little touchy and your palms tend to rub it a bit. It does have a disable button that you can use if you want to use an external mouse (recommedned).

I personally would recommend the zd7k with all of the uses you talked about. THe huge sceen and the keyboard is the diffrence maker in the decision (in my opinion). I have had mine for two weeks now and love it. I never use my desktop any more. If you have any more questions about your decision aks away. If you end up getting one of them keep in touch and let us know about your experience. Good Luck

HP zd7000 :: 17" WVA WXGA+ (1440 x 900) :: P4 3.06 GHz with HT :: 512MB DDR :: 64MB GeForce FX Go5600 :: 54G Wireless :: 60GB 5400 RPM HD :: XP Pro

 

Thanks for the detailed response. I have been leaning more towards the zd7000 anyway but I figure the more knowledge beforehand the better.

 

also check out http://zd7000forums.com/

HP zd7000 :: 17" WVA WXGA+ (1440 x 900) :: P4 3.06 GHz with HT :: 512MB DDR :: 64MB GeForce FX Go5600 :: 54G Wireless :: 60GB 5400 RPM HD :: XP Pro