HP COMPAQ NC4000 P4-1.6GHZ 40GB 512MB XGA 12.1 6CELL LILON BATT XPP (HP (Hewlett-Packard)-DG987A)
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Display
| Display size | 12.1 inches |
| Maximum resolution |
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| Display type | Active Matrix LCD (TFT) |
Networking
| Included network card |
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Not Much RAM for Multitasking
The more RAM your laptop has, the faster programs will run and the greater number of windows you can work in at one time. If your needs are simple and you rarely do more than two things at once on your PC, the relatively modest amount of memory that comes installed in inexpensive laptops will be enough. Today the standard amount of RAM shipped in most PCs is 2GB. If you like to multitask--say, you want to launch a search for a file and start backing up data to a disc while you watch a news video--you need more memory.
Good for Doing Work on the Run
The small screen and light weight of this laptop put it in the ultraportable category. Ultraportables lack many of the features of larger laptops; they also have fewer ports and connections and sport smaller keyboards. Though the screen might be bright, its compact size will frustrate people who need a lot of space to work on big documents such as spreadsheets or desktop publishing files. Also, the smaller a laptop, the slower it tends to be; fast processors usually generate more heat than an ultraportable's thin case can dissipate. But many ultraportables offer outstanding battery life, and you can't beat the convenience of a PC small enough to stow in a backpack. If all you need is a way to surf, whip out e-mail, and do mainstream work on the run, an ultraportable may be perfect for you.
Low Maximum Resolution Limits Screen's Viewable Area
A screen resolution of 1024 by 768 is also known as XGA (Extended Graphics Array). XGA became the de facto entry-level standard for most laptops around 2000, since it's easy to read and great for getting mainstream work done on small screens that have a 4:3 aspect ratio. Today, however, 1024 by 768 is a low resolution that limits how much you can see on screen at once. Wide-aspect laptops with screens of a 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio have introduced resolutions that display more picture. The most common entry-level resolution is 1280 by 768 or 1280 by 800, aka WXGA (Wide Extended Graphics Array). Screens ranging in size from 10.6 inches to as large as 17 inches can have a WXGA native resolution, which provides about 25 percent more screen content than a display of 1024 by 768 does.
Windows XP Installed
Currently Microsoft's Windows XP operating system remains an option for sub-$600 mini-notebooks (also known as "netbooks"). Although it debuted back in 2001, XP is still popular among many computer users, especially in businesses that have standardized on the OS and have no desire to switch to the 3D-heavy Vista. XP introduced a lot of the useful built-in applications we now take for granted, including the ability to burn CDs, as well as Remote Desktop, which lets telecommuters connect to another XP computer across a network or the Internet and access their programs and files. This streamlined operating system should run fine on this notebook.
Be Wary of Battery Life Specs
Take the battery life you see advertised for any laptop with a grain of salt. Why? A few vendors still use unrealistic testing parameters in order to report the longest battery life possible. For example, a "tested" laptop simply might be turned on, with the screen brightness lowered to the darkest level, and allowed to run down without anyone touching it. When the laptop undergoes typical, everyday use--say, with the screen brightness turned up to a readable level and with the user working in several applications or playing a CD or DVD movie--its battery life could be much shorter than a vendor's claims.
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
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Reviewed by: NicholasMacer
Strengths: small, light, native SD reader, great screen good power, esp. with upgraded RAM
Weaknesses: No disk drives, gets HOT on your lap, volume insufficient to hear music or DVDs well, only one usable USB slot.
Overall: The biggest problem with this device is the lack of a disk drive of any kind. No floppy, no optical drive. IT has an SD card reader, but not many programs are sold on SD cards... There is an optional USB drive available, but this has two major drawbacks:1) With only two USB ports available, using one for the CD drive leaves only one for all other devices.2) Setting up and taking down a USB CD drive every time you want to move the computer takes away greatly from its portability, which is the main reason to get such a tiny computer in the first place.I have however come up with an elegant solution to both problems simultaneously (See pictures below). Using about $3 in Velcro strips from the local drug store, I mounted the optical drive and a USB hub to the back of the screen, allowing me to just shut the lid and move, but also to leave them at home if I want the computer to be extra light. It is important to remember when doing this, that the optical drive should be mounted top down onto the monitor so that when you are using the computer and press the open button, the disk is facing you. Otherwise you would need to close the lid every time you wanted to change disks. Other then that, possessing power, video graphics, everything is up to specs, and about as good as anyone should expect from a workstation laptop. I don?t recommend playing halo on this thing, but I did load up Max Payne and Crimson Skies, and both of those were as pretty as on my desktop game station. So for what essentially amounts to a portable workstation, this device meets and exceeds expectations in my book.
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