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Compaq laptop +4GB flash drive + mouse $399.99

allisolm

allisolm

Elite Member
Administrator
Best Buy has Compaq CQ60-216DX SKU 9197022 with
Intel Pentium Dual Core Processor
3GB memory
250GB drive

plus
SanDisk 4GB USB 2.0 flash drive SKU 8351614

plus
Logitech LX3 Optical Mouse SKU 7843881

all for $399.99 starting 2/1/09

Page 2 of their ad available for viewing at bestbuy.com.
 
Link to specs on bestbuy.com

Intel Pentium Dual-Core mobile processor T3400 (2.16GHz)

15.6 inch WXGA (1366 x 768)

250 GB SATA (5400 rpm)

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M

DVD+/-RW/CD-RW with double layer support

3 GB DDR2 memory, expandable to 4GB

Vista Home Basic Edition


 
Specs on HP.com.

Sorry, no results searching for XP drivers. 🙁

If you're happy with Vista, this is a hell of a deal. If you prefer XP, Staple's deal, last week, for the CQ60-210US was better because the XP driver set is easily found.
 
Originally posted by: Harvey
Specs on HP.com.

Sorry, no results searching for XP drivers. 🙁

If you're happy with Vista, this is a hell of a deal. If you prefer XP, Staple's deal, last week, for the CQ60-210US was better because the XP driver set is easily found.
Click to expand...

Maybe install Windows 7 beta 1?
 
I drove 50 miles round-trip to get one of these. This Vista Home Basic definitely has to go. I am considering XP versus Win7, I'll post back here after I decide and try one or the other.
 
Originally posted by: tbogstad
hows this deal.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...56226865&ref=10&loc=01

$50.00 less and i guess about $50.00 less stuff, smaller hard drive less ram, and no flash drive/ mouse???

depends on you want or need that extra stuff or not.
Click to expand...

honestly thats probably a better deal.

you lose 90gb of hard drive, and 1gb ddr2. but given that the other one probably has mismatched ram to have 3gb (2gb + 1gb for non dual channel)... and the hard drive thing may not be a big deal to most people... i'd rather pay $50 less.


a 4gb usb thing is lik e$7 now anyway.

with these prices on low cost laptops, makes me somehat want one over the netbook i just bought (albiet, the $350 laptop has $25 shipping and tax, so its a good bit more than most netbooks cost)

 
I created the restore DVDs (2 of em), ran PC-Decrapifier, and then created an Acronis True Image backup on an external hard drive. Then, certain that I was able to restore, I started playing with it. Xp seems to be no go. I tried with two different XP cds, both SP3 Pro, one with Sata drivers slipstreamed. The install errors off very early, during the initial loading of drivers. "An unexpected error has occurred. If this is the first time you have seen this error....."

Now trying Win7 build 7000 32 bit.
 
Originally posted by: htne
I created the restore DVDs (2 of em), ran PC-Decrapifier, and then created an Acronis True Image backup on an external hard drive. Then, certain that I was able to restore, I started playing with it. Xp seems to be no go. I tried with two different XP cds, both SP3 Pro, one with Sata drivers slipstreamed. The install errors off very early, during the initial loading of drivers. "An unexpected error has occurred. If this is the first time you have seen this error....."

Now trying Win7 build 7000 32 bit.
Click to expand...

I had the same problem installing XP on an Acer laptop until I change the Sata setting in Bios from ACHI mode to IDE mode, no problem installing XP then. I don't know if Compaq have the type of Bios setting.
I have installed Win7 and dual boot it with XP and it works with no problem, all the drivers were loaded by windows.
 
Originally posted by: htne

I created the restore DVDs (2 of em), ran PC-Decrapifier, and then created an Acronis True Image backup on an external hard drive. Then, certain that I was able to restore, I started playing with it. Xp seems to be no go. I tried with two different XP cds, both SP3 Pro, one with Sata drivers slipstreamed. The install errors off very early, during the initial loading of drivers. "An unexpected error has occurred. If this is the first time you have seen this error....."

Now trying Win7 build 7000 32 bit.
Click to expand...

Vista creates a non-standard partition on the drive that must be removed before attempting to install XP. You can use Partition Magic or you can try Delpart.exe.

Partition

Delpart.exe is a genuine Microsoft tool that was included as part of the old NT 3.1 CD or Resource Kit. You'll have to put it on a bootable floppy, flash drive or CD and boot to it. Be sure you want to wipe the drive because it will do it.

The other issue is finding XP drivers for all of the hardware features in the machine. You want to be sure you have all of them before you start, or you'll be left with hardware features you can't use, such as a web cam or wireless modem, etc.

I prefer XP because the system runs faster and uses less resources than Vista, and it runs all of my software. That's why I checked to find the XP drivers and discussions about them before recommending last week's deal to my friends who also prefer XP.

If you're happy with Vista, find a deal on 2 x 2 GB SO-DIMM's to max out the RAM.
 
Originally posted by: gcy
I had the same problem installing XP on an Acer laptop until I change the Sata setting in Bios from ACHI mode to IDE mode, no problem installing XP then. I don't know if Compaq have the type of Bios setting.
I have installed Win7 and dual boot it with XP and it works with no problem, all the drivers were loaded by windows.
Click to expand...

I have encountered this problem (AHCI mode) before on notebooks, but it did NOT result in the XP installer blowing up. Instead, the XP installer came back with a message that it could not find a hard drive to install to. Did you specifically see the XP installer blow up, or did it just fail to find the hard drive?

 
Originally posted by: Harvey
Vista creates a non-standard partition on the drive that must be removed before attempting to install XP. You can use Partition Magic or you can try Delpart.exe.
Click to expand...

I have downgraded other notebooks (and desktops) from Vista to XP, and have never (until now) encountered a problem using the XP installer to delete the old Vista partition(s). I have encountered the problem with AHCI mode on the SATA controller, which is why I have an XP install cd with SATA drivers slipstreamed. But the AHCI mode does NOT (in my experience) cause the XP installer to blow up, only to report that it cannot find a hard drive to install to.

I now have Windows 7 running on this notebook. Build 7000 (the public beta), 32 bit version, installed without a glitch. All hardware is recognized (wireless, sound, modem, etc). The only problem with this is that the OS is scheduled to drop dead on August 1 of this year!
 
Originally posted by: htne
Link to specs on bestbuy.com

Intel Pentium Dual-Core mobile processor T3400 (2.16GHz)

15.6 inch WXGA (1366 x 768)

250 GB SATA (5400 rpm)

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M

DVD+/-RW/CD-RW with double layer support

3 GB DDR2 memory, expandable to 4GB

Vista Home Basic Edition
Click to expand...

Does this come with a battery and ac adapter/charger? Normally I would just assume that it does but it is not inclued in the "Whats Included" section and some of the other models they advertise have those items listed in that section.

 
Originally posted by: beach2nd
Originally posted by: htne
Link to specs on bestbuy.com

Intel Pentium Dual-Core mobile processor T3400 (2.16GHz)

15.6 inch WXGA (1366 x 768)

250 GB SATA (5400 rpm)

Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M

DVD+/-RW/CD-RW with double layer support

3 GB DDR2 memory, expandable to 4GB

Vista Home Basic Edition
Click to expand...

Does this come with a battery and ac adapter/charger? Normally I would just assume that it does but it is not inclued in the "Whats Included" section and some of the other models they advertise have those items listed in that section.
Click to expand...

Yes. That's why I posted the links to the specs on HP.com. 🙂
 
im also looking at this deal at best buy

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...oduct&id=1218048303164

all the stats are pretty much the same and the cost is the same except:

AMD Athlon 2650e Single Core Processor vs Pentium T3400 Dual Core

ATI Radeon XPress 1200 vs. Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500M


im pretty behind on current computer specs... but all my experience tells me that Dual Core is better than Single Core, but that ANYTHING is better than Intel Graphics. On the other hand, the AMD solution seems to be 64bit and may be plenty fast enough and maybe Intel Graphics have improved. Anyone have any insight they can share with me? Is one package clearly better?

This laptop will only be used for web surfing, word processing, and the occasional High Def video (this is where my concern about video cards comes in, but i know i can decode with the CPU only.) The option to play simple games would be nice, but is not necesary.
 
Success! Go to this thread, and read post number 2.

http://forum.notebookreview.co...owthread.php?p=4473164

It would appear to be a matter of getting the correct SATA drivers slipstreamed into your XP install cd. I'm still in the middle of the install, but it's looking good so far.

To beach2nd: Call your local BestBuy store, and have them check availablity. You will need the SKU number.
 
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