Poor Ergonomic Design, Other Problems

After months of research, I bought this computer when the price seemed right ($700), mostly based on its good reviews, because it seemed to incorporate all the features I needed for a semi-replacement to my aging desktop.

I have had several laptops and this rates lowest, despite its sleek look and large screen.

I had hoped the unit would double as a DVD viewer at times, the main reason I went with the 17" screen. However, the sound set at highest volume is not loud enough to be heard from more than about 4 feet away, and even then, the audio quality if poor.

The DVD tray vibrates alarmingly when started and takes a lo-o-o-ong time to load.

The weight does not seem an obstacle in the beginning. That is, until you pack your padded computer bag -- vital especially with such a large screen surface -- with the hefty charger, much less a spare battery. This puts the total weight at about 10 lbs., which should keep your chiropractor busy if you choose to carry it on your shoulder. (Even  more

Great value

Just received mine today and the first impressions are good. The laptop is bulky and a little heavy which is to be expected since it sports a 17' screen, but otherwise is a great system. The screen is very good; bright and with a clear display. The 4GB memory and the graphics card are more than sufficient for most purposes. The laptop is really quiet and I tried the webcam and the speakers and they too are impressive. I think that the full sized keyboard is a great asset. Working on it is easy and the large bright screen really helps. All the ports & slots are on the sides but I didn't find that much of a problem. If you don't intend to carry the laptop around on your shoulders for a long while, just to the office & back, then this is a very good system.

Nice machine...if you like Vista

This is a very nice computer. The large 17" screen is glossy and high quality, which my nephew who uses an Apple noticed. The memory and graphics are sufficient for most uses, but don't buy this model if you plan on using it for a lot of graphics-intensive games. Also, don't buy it if you plan on downgrading to Windows XP. Of course you can downgrade if you are willing to invest the time and effort of finding and installing third-party drivers, but HP does not support XP on this model. I would give a rating of 2 or three stars to the whole package (Vista+the computer) only because Vista makes it run as slowly as my five-year-old laptop did on XP. I give the computer on its own a rating of 4 stars, and if you take into account that you get what you pay for it probably deserves 5 stars.

I made the decision to buy this model because it fit my budget and Amazon was able to get it to me quickly. Although I was disappointed that I could not easily downgrade to XP I am satisfied with it as low-end  more