BB: HP DV2418 14.1" Intel Centrino Core Duo T2450 2.0GHz Laptop

[noxidius]

Seems like a decent deal to me, need a laptop for university, and a 14.1 would be probably nice.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10090081&catid=20354&PCName=laptop%5Funder%5F799&logon=&langid=EN#

[CHINAdeals]

Regular Price:
$1,199.99
On Sale: $799.99
After $400.00 instant savings
Quantity Remaining:23

[decadent]

not bad, the battery is a 12cell so it will stick out on the bottom.

[Kodiak]

Better deal than the 2412 from FS last month. Core duo processor better than the tk-53. Same 12 cell battery.

[kryjathic]

I also saw this on BB flyer. I think it's a good deal.

[The_Madz]

i feel bad for people who bought laptops last week and got the turion instead with a small battery for the same price.

[alwaysbuylow]

Better deal than the 2412 from FS last month. Core duo processor better than the tk-53. Same 12 cell battery.

The 2412 is now $749 from FS. Same spec. except with tk-53 cpu. It is another choice if you want $50 cheaper, just a bit slower cpu.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10090124&catid=

[kevin069]

had this laptop for a couple months now and for 800 dollars, its a really good deal. looks nice and has nice specs for the price.

[InvisibleSoul]

Very good deal.

[yun555]

REGULAR price .... GMA 950 video card - already know this laptop is OLD centrino. its cpu and memory prices are dropping sharply these months

Personally I would buy new centrino pro laptop with x3100 graphics and 802.11n wireless .... perhaps LED screen, better video card with HDMI



Seems like a decent deal to me, need a laptop for university, and a 14.1 would be probably nice.

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10090081&catid=20354&PCName=laptop%5Funder%5F799&logon=&langid=EN#

[ckyu15]

FS one has a webcdam as well.

[The_Madz]

REGULAR price .... GMA 950 video card - already know this laptop is OLD centrino. its cpu and memory prices are dropping sharply these months

Personally I would buy new centrino pro laptop with x3100 graphics and 802.11n wireless .... perhaps LED screen, better video card with HDMI

personally i would too if i could get it for $800..
but.. you can't

hence why this is a good deal when comparing what you can get at this price.


FS one has a webcdam as well.


so does this one.. all new HP's have the webcam built in. .

[yun555]

personally i wouldn't buy a laptop now.

These old cpu, motherboard ... would be out of stock and disappear soon. Now in global market some NEW centrino pro laptops are already under c$1000. but we are canadian :( and have to wait for couple months.


personally i would too if i could get it for $800..
but.. you can't

hence why this is a good deal when comparing what you can get at this price.



so does this one.. all new HP's have the webcam built in. .

[mahjongmaniac]

don't forget the "bonus offers" w/ PC/laptop purchase....

$30 HP photo AIO : http://www.bestbuy.ca/marketing/laptop_promo/EN/default.asp?logon=&langid=EN

printer link: http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10087005&logon=&langid=EN


and also the BTS promo: http://www.bestbuy.ca/marketing/BTSCouponBook/EN/default.asp?logon=&langid=EN

[bcti]

Which laptops video is better 6150 or 950... is there any 50$ off 500 coupons at either store... thanks. Also how much difference in battery life between the 2... thanks again.

[lionboy]

personally i wouldn't buy a laptop now.

These old cpu, motherboard ... would be out of stock and disappear soon. Now in global market some NEW centrino pro laptops are already under c$1000. but we are canadian :( and have to wait for couple months.

if your talking about CORE2DUO,
They only offer EXTREMELY MARGINAL IMRPOVEMENT over Core Duo.
Power even in Benchmark is only about 10%. Expect less in real time.
Power save is like 7% or something.

[Tyrant]

^^^^
What he said (http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=2985).

[The_Madz]

if your talking about CORE2DUO,
They only offer EXTREMELY MARGINAL IMRPOVEMENT over Core Duo.
Power even in Benchmark is only about 10%. Expect less in real time.
Power save is like 7% or something.

the new centrino has improved upon the core 2 design and bumped the FSB up to 800MHz

there are also additional new features including the ability to turn off one core if it's not used and increaseing the frequency of the other core.

however this is not for all of the new centrinos.

in addition of course there is the new wireless N in the new "santa Rosa" centrino.

however.. there are no sub $1000 santa rosa laptops availble to consumers in Canada which makes this deal burning hot still.

otherwise the core 2 offers 64bit support that the core duo dosn't. but not like you would use this anytime soon.


someone else earlier asked which has bettery battery life.. the Centrino series has always offered better battery life than anything AMD has.

[MangoWinnipeg]

Hey guys,

Bought this laptop today, thought I would keep but idon't think so.
WHY?

keyboard!!!!!!!!!!! it's way too loud when i type. I know for a fact that if I type on it with my "sorta fast" speed, it's SUPER LOUD and people will stare. And if you're considering to bring this laptop out to do typing etc, you will get attention. If you're surfing the web, it's great.

Good screen (slightly better than my macbook), HD does click and you can hear it when you do a virus scan, has a 12-cell battery but adds another 1.5 lbs at least...bringing total to abou 6.2 lbs i'm guessing. It feels heavier than my macbook which is about 5.2or 5.4lbs?.

It's a great looking machine, but the keyboard just totally turned me off. I type reports at school often and it just generates way too much noise if i'm in a quiet setting.

FOR PEOPLE who use this at home, IT"S A GREAT LAPTOP! beautiful! maybe you guys can look at the 699$ acer.

oh yeh, the left palm area does get quite warm. The HD is located there.

[Fllay]

the new centrino has improved upon the core 2 design and bumped the FSB up to 800MHz

there are also additional new features including the ability to turn off one core if it's not used and increaseing the frequency of the other core.

however this is not for all of the new centrinos.

in addition of course there is the new wireless N in the new "santa Rosa" centrino.

however.. there are no sub $1000 santa rosa laptops availble to consumers in Canada which makes this deal burning hot still.

otherwise the core 2 offers 64bit support that the core duo dosn't. but not like you would use this anytime soon.


someone else earlier asked which has bettery battery life.. the Centrino series has always offered better battery life than anything AMD has.

+X3100 vs 950 - supposedly huge improvement.

I thought I read somewhere that the newer AMD CPUs are more power efficient though. Not sure what that translates for the whole platform.

bcti, as for 6150 vs 950, I think the 6150 wins hands down.

[EscaBoi]

Which laptops video is better 6150 or 950... is there any 50$ off 500 coupons at either store... thanks. Also how much difference in battery life between the 2... thanks again.

6150 is slightly better than the 950

[rayl]

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10090124&catid=
Futureshop also have the AMD ver at $749.99.

[The_Madz]

+X3100 vs 950 - supposedly huge improvement.

I thought I read somewhere that the newer AMD CPUs are more power efficient though. Not sure what that translates for the whole platform.

bcti, as for 6150 vs 950, I think the 6150 wins hands down.

yeah that was for desktop cpu's that tomshardware made a comparison for energy efficiency

however for laptops intel is way ahead.

well as a very simple proof.. in bestbuy for example when they have the AMD laptops with the 12 cell battery they state up to 7 hour battery life where with the intel cpu's they state 8 hour battery life.



as for video.. yeah the X3100 is part of hte new santa rosa as well and is improved.
not that you would want to use any integrated graphics to play games on anyway.

[Capt. Canada]

This is an amazing hot deal, and I don't think there will be better during the back to school sales.

I just picked this laptop up today. Had to drive to Woodbridge, because it is sold out in Toronto.

This is the 3rd laptop I bought in 3 weeks, and all HP's.( I think they look very sharp) I keep getting the deal of the week at FS/BB. And each week the deals keep getting better, so I do a return.

First I bought the 14" HP with the celeron processor for $699 @ FS. Wow, was it ever slow running Vista. The cpu was running at 100% while burning a dvd. I quickly returned it.

Second deal I got was last weeks deal @ BB. It was the 14" HP with the Athlon 64 x2 chip for $799. I have to admit that it ran Vista with most common applications at mostly 40-50% cpu usage. However the laptop ran very warm, almost an uncomfortable warm and the battety only lasted on average 1.5 hours. Which was mostly just web surfing. I was going to keep it until I saw this weeks deal.

This week I picked up the 14" centrino duo with 12-cell battery. It runs a bit cooler and the battery lasts and average of 5 hours. The cpu is also noticibly faster.

Sure you guys are talking about centrino pro's and so on, but for $800 you cant go wrong. I totally agree with everything you are saying "Madz". What else you gonna buy for cheaper? .... an Acer? hahaha.

I bought this laptop for my fiance while she is in University and I think the size and specs are perfect for the average mobile user. But in no way am I a pro in this stuff, but the flyers speak for themselves.

Not to take away from the OP's topic, but should I have purchased the warranty? The sales guy offered me 2 years for $115 but I declined. He said he was giving it to me for half price. Kinda feeling like I should have though...

[Howard]

Good screen (slightly better than my macbook), HD does click and you can hear it when you do a virus scan, has a 12-cell battery but adds another 1.5 lbs at least...bringing total to abou 6.2 lbs i'm guessing. It feels heavier than my macbook which is about 5.2or 5.4lbs?.
The product description states 2.5kg. That's 5.5lbs. Does the weight exclude the battery?

[Grimace]

Deal is carried over into this week. Except now it's $799 (same price) with $300 savings, which means they've lowered the regular price to $1099. I'll go on record by saying in a couple more weeks the regular price will be $999.

Anyway, I will still likely check one out carefully. Does anyone have any real-world pics? I'd like to see how much the battery sticks out. Is the screen really reflective? And like the poster above, I'm confused about the weight. HP's website is zero help, as well...

[Tyrant]

Deal is carried over into this week. Except now it's $799 (same price) with $300 savings, which means they've lowered the regular price to $1099. I'll go on record by saying in a couple more weeks the regular price will be $999.

Anyway, I will still likely check one out carefully. Does anyone have any real-world pics? I'd like to see how much the battery sticks out. Is the screen really reflective? And like the poster above, I'm confused about the weight. HP's website is zero help, as well...


I don't have any pics, but the battery sticks out of the bottom by about 2cm, so the laptop is tilted. The screen does have an obvious reflection, which is really only obvious if a) the screen is off, or b) you're looking at a primarily dark image. As for the weight, it's a bit over 6lbs with the 12 cell battery installed.

[Capt. Canada]

I don't mind posting pics, but not sure how to or what size to set them at. If someone gives me that info, I will glady show you different views of the comp.

I don't mind the battery sticking out a bit, cause it's well worth the extra run time. The 6 cell was pitiful...

[MangoWinnipeg]

Hey guys,

Had the laptop for a week already.

The screen is one of the best i've seen for this price range. It's SHARP and crisp. Reflective only when you are in an office light setting. Battery lasts 5 hours, full brightness and surfing web, and word processing.

This laptop looks great but because you have the INTEL graphics card, you won't get the full vista 3D effects. However, it still looks great.

But for me, i bought this just for doing Word , surfing net at the university, nothing more. Runs photoshop and illustrator great.

The weight is around 6lbs. slightly heavier than my previous macbook. But honestly, it's not that heavy. I can easily lift it around and turn it around with one hand.

My only beef is that the keyboard is loud when you type on. It's something you will not use for class I can tell you. If you're the only one typing in a small room and everyone else is writing, you'll get a lot of attention and probably wil piss people off. Definitely a lot of clicking and tapping noises.

But the laptop is only 799$, plus you get a 30$ HP all in one printer (orig. price 99$).

I compared this to the Dell vostro or dell 1420 (14") and I must say this is the cheapest if you're just using this for surfing and Word.

Comes with Vista Premium too, awesome media functions I must say.

But since it only comes with 1gig of ram, you feel the choppiness sometimes. 2gb is a must upgrade!

[mr_saturn]

I have the AMD X2 version of this laptop and love it! The model I bought is the DV2422 (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090529&catid=11520&logon=&langid=EN) for $899 and comes with 2gb of ram. I would go for core duo but to be honest, the GMA 950 is horrible compared to the 6150. I'm able to run source games (counter strike source, half life 2, gmod) at 1024x768 almost max, Dawn of War at native resolution, Warcraft 3, etc etc. I find the processor to be just fine and I have a feeling that the perceived differences between the two chips are exaggerated. I just came from an Asus A8JS with a T7100 and the difference in day-to-day performance is negligible.

The keyboard is average, I don't find it too loud.

The screen is crisp and reasonably bright but the verticle viewing angles could be better. I'm wondering what screen you guys have.

If you have the time: In device manager click on monitor and then right click on "plug and play monitor" and go to properties. Click the details tab and select hardware ID from the drop down box. This is the manufacturer ID of your panel, and some can be much, much better than others.

Mine is NVD0800 and has washed out blacks from the bottom to roughly halfway up the screen. It's tolerable until I see a screen with a lot of black (watching a widescreen movie).. Just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

[Grimace]

I don't have any pics, but the battery sticks out of the bottom by about 2cm, so the laptop is tilted. The screen does have an obvious reflection, which is really only obvious if a) the screen is off, or b) you're looking at a primarily dark image. As for the weight, it's a bit over 6lbs with the 12 cell battery installed.

Thanks for the feedback. Because the laptop is tilted with the 12 cell, is it annoying to type on (with the slanted keyboard), or harder to balance on your lap?

Actually, now that I write that, I realize that I usually put up the "legs" on the back of my desktop keyboard. Maybe a slight tilt would be ok...hmmm...

[Grimace]

I don't mind posting pics, but not sure how to or what size to set them at. If someone gives me that info, I will glady show you different views of the comp.

I don't mind the battery sticking out a bit, cause it's well worth the extra run time. The 6 cell was pitiful...

Thanks, but I found some good pics at notebookreview.com! Cheers

[Grimace]

I have the AMD X2 version of this laptop and love it! The model I bought is the DV2422 (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090529&catid=11520&logon=&langid=EN) for $899 and comes with 2gb of ram. I would go for core duo but to be honest, the GMA 950 is horrible compared to the 6150. I'm able to run source games (counter strike source, half life 2, gmod) at 1024x768 almost max, Dawn of War at native resolution, Warcraft 3, etc etc. I find the processor to be just fine and I have a feeling that the perceived differences between the two chips are exaggerated. I just came from an Asus A8JS with a T7100 and the difference in day-to-day performance is negligible.

The keyboard is average, I don't find it too loud.

The screen is crisp and reasonably bright but the verticle viewing angles could be better. I'm wondering what screen you guys have.

If you have the time: In device manager click on monitor and then right click on "plug and play monitor" and go to properties. Click the details tab and select hardware ID from the drop down box. This is the manufacturer ID of your panel, and some can be much, much better than others.

Mine is NVD0800 and has washed out blacks from the bottom to roughly halfway up the screen. It's tolerable until I see a screen with a lot of black (watching a widescreen movie).. Just wondering if anyone else has this problem.


Glad you chimed in. :) I just noticed that one was on sale @ FS for $300 off as well ($899). What caught my eye was it has 2 gigs of RAM standard vs. 1 gig for the BB model.

Question - I can't see anywhere on the FS website as to what battery it comes with (6 or 12 cell). Can you help out there?

[mr_saturn]

It comes with the 12 cell. It does add a fair bit of weight to the laptop, but I actually like the slant it gives. Like you I would bend my knees up while using other notebooks, on this one I don't have to do that. A rather large plus is that while laying on a bed or even just sitting somewhere, the battery gives a bit of clearance to the air vents. I've had to arrange my blankets in a certain way for every other notebook I've had, but this one can just sit on top with the battery providing some space.

[oakjefferson]

I just bought this from the Oakville store an hour ago because of this thread. I'm sitting here setting it up as we speak. I grabbed the $30 HP printer which seemed like a good deal. Now I'm wondering though if I should return it and get the FS model

[tanim]

you guys i bought the amd version of this computer for the same price from futureshop on august 1st.

Can i do anything to get a refund adn then buy it from best buy. Or will they only let me exchange it. I bought it 10 days ago.

[mr_saturn]

The best buy model only has 1gb of ram and inferior gfx, so go ahead and return the FS deal if that doesn't bother you. In my opinion the benefits of the Intel processor are outweighed by those two points.

[Grimace]

I'm just back from the store too.

I didn't buy it though - want to think a bit more on it. It's a nice machine, for sure, but the glossy screen has me a bit worried. I get headaches/migraines from bright lights, and the laptop was reflecting pretty much every bright light in the store right into my eyes. It wasn't a problem with just the HP though, all the glossy-screen laptops were doing it.

The other things I noticed were the lid shows fingerprints easily (not a huge deal) and on the 1-gig version @ BB, Vista was a bit choppy; an extra gig of ram (like on the FS one) would be helpful. Damn I hate Vista...


Which has me re-considering the $499 Dell 1501 deal since you can get it with a matte screen and XP. Really wanted a black case (the silver/white Dell is kind of unattractive to me) and a 14.1" laptop though for the size/weight savings...

Decisions decisions...

[tanim]

The best buy model only has 1gb of ram and inferior gfx, so go ahead and return the FS deal if that doesn't bother you. In my opinion the benefits of the Intel processor are outweighed by those two points.


My dv6402 has 1g ram as welll tho, its teh dv6402

the graphics card is better tho


what do u think if i have 1g of ram on the amd one is it then worth it to get the intel one?

[Grimace]

Well suddenly we're talking apples and oranges - your laptop is a 15.4" DV6xxx series. The one(s) this thread is about are the 14.1" DV2xxx series. They are quite different.

[argh]

Can someone link me to the FS deal?

[tanim]

Well suddenly we're talking apples and oranges - your laptop is a 15.4" DV6xxx series. The one(s) this thread is about are the 14.1" DV2xxx series. They are quite different.

ahh my mistake sorry, thanks for helping me though!

[Grimace]

No problemo Tanim!

Can someone link me to the FS deal?

Here u go:

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10090529&catid=

$100 more then the one @ best buy, but with an extra gig of RAM.

[oakjefferson]

Just got back from Heartland FS. I returned the 1gig 2418 to Bestbuy, they tried to sell me the 2408 which is the same Intel 2080 chip as the 2418, but with 2gig for $899 (same price as Future Shop's 2422 with the AMD). I went with the FS one after tracking it down as what I read told me the processor is a bit better. Now, there's a 2432 at FS that has an Intel 2450 that might be better, but it's $999 so it's a different ball game.

Either way, great bang for the buck I think for $899 on my first laptop after 3 desktops.

[EGee6]

i feel bad for people who bought laptops last week and got the turion instead with a small battery for the same price.

Why? All they have to do is return it and purchase this new one.

My gf's sister bought this laptop last week and said it's not bad for the price. Battery is suppose to last like 6 or 7 hours :-0

[oakjefferson]

My bad

the 1gig I returned was the 2418 which had the 2450 Intel. The only HP 14.1 Best Buy had was the 2408 with an Intel 2080 chip. I felt the AMD with the FS model was better then that

[WirelessCoffee]

What do you all think of this current (8/12/2007) deal from BB:

HP DV2418 14.1" Intel Centrino Core Duo T2450 2.0GHz Laptop $799.99
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10090081&catid=20354&logon=&langid=EN

plus

K-Byte 1GB 200-Pin PC-5300 DDR2 Notebook Memory on sale $69.99
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10075304&catid=20361&logon=&langid=EN


Cost: $799.99+$69.99 = $869.98+taxes

You 2gb ram, which is perfect for running Vista.

Does anyone ever buy the extended warranties from FS or BB for Laptops? They always make me feel bad like I'm not doing the right thing if I opt-out for the warranties...anyone else feel that way?

[Grimace]

They are trained to make you feel like that - the warranty is the highest markup item.

Anyway, your RAM idea will only work if the laptop is 1 gig single DIM. But I would bet that it's 2 x 512 MB (i.e. no more slots for RAM). You'll actually need to buy 2 x 1 gig, and then sell the old RAM.

[The_Madz]

What do you all think of this current (8/12/2007) deal from BB:

HP DV2418 14.1" Intel Centrino Core Duo T2450 2.0GHz Laptop $799.99
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10090081&catid=20354&logon=&langid=EN

plus

K-Byte 1GB 200-Pin PC-5300 DDR2 Notebook Memory on sale $69.99
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10075304&catid=20361&logon=&langid=EN


Cost: $799.99+$69.99 = $869.98+taxes

You 2gb ram, which is perfect for running Vista.

Does anyone ever buy the extended warranties from FS or BB for Laptops? They always make me feel bad like I'm not doing the right thing if I opt-out for the warranties...anyone else feel that way?


you can't do the 1gb add on.. pretty much all notebooks have 2 sticks of 512mb so you would have to buy two 1gb modules which you can find cheaper than at bestbuy, there was a deal posted earlier for 1gb modules less than $40. just looking at canada computers and they have crucial ram for $46
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=014086&cid=RAM.187
pop 2 of those in there and you got 2gb of memory.

however. honestly depending on what you do on your computer you may be fine with the 1gb. you can always try it out and if you find you are running out of memory then upgrade later.

as for extended warranties.. i'm not a big fan, though the chance of you using it on a laptop is considerably higher than for any other products mostly also because repairs can be very expensive.
it's all about how comfortable you are with the product but hp laptops are fairly prone to the keys popping off which are a pain to get back on.

[ab20]

i dont see how much are left....:mad:

[mahjongmaniac]

Does anyone ever buy the extended warranties from FS or BB for Laptops? They always make me feel bad like I'm not doing the right thing if I opt-out for the warranties...anyone else feel that way?

of course they "make you feel bad" ... they push for warranties b/c that's where a lotta the profit comes in...

and for FS staff, they make commission off that...

[kuqdew]

nice deal

[kuqdew]

of course they "make you feel bad" ... they push for warranties b/c that's where a lotta the profit comes in...

and for FS staff, they make commission off that...

exactly

[dealgini]

Quantity Remaining:0

All sold out! :mad:

[WirelessCoffee]

Yes you're right....it is 2 x 512mb as I checked up the details on HP.ca website.
There is another similar deal at FS

HP Pavilion Intel Centrino Duo T2450 2.0GHz (DV2432CA) $999.99+taxes

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10090029&catid=

It has 2GB, with a regular Cell battery (i think).

[Capt. Canada]

At first I thought the Turion 64 x2 was a better deal with the 2 gigs of ram, but I care more about battery performance and reliability rather than an extra gig of ram that I could just upgrade later.

AMD has to rely on different manufacturers to create a laptop. Intel on the other hand creates their own set up. They make their own processor, video card, network adapter, and chipset. Which in turn creates a much more reliable notebook. This all in one complete package together with the Centrino processor is what gives you their famous low power consumption and a lot less heat.

So even if the AMD chip is better (which I don't think it is), it can't compare to the complete package that Intel provides.

If I were you guys who bought the Turion with 2gb for $100 more, I would spend the extra $100 and get the Centrino with 2gb. Well worth it I think.

BTW, for you guys out there not sure about the 12-cell battery and it sticking out. I actually prefer it. Like someone else said, it gives the laptop's fan some clearance for when it's on the bed, etc. Heat is lethal to a laptop. Plus it gives the laptop a nice angle when it's on the desk.

One last thing I should point out, is that if you get the laptop from BB, they offer the same HP printer that FS offers for $49.99. The white all-in-one with 1.5 inch lcd. They just don't advertise it. They just advertise that crappy black one with no lcd for $19.99.

[Azxster]

FYI: HP has the accidental 3 years extended coverage for $498.

It is more than Toshiba / Lenovo / Dell , but it is worth it. Usually, you would be looking at a new replacement laptop in the final year of the period ;)

[mr_saturn]

At first I thought the Turion 64 x2 was a better deal with the 2 gigs of ram, but I care more about battery performance and reliability rather than an extra gig of ram that I could just upgrade later.

AMD has to rely on different manufacturers to create a laptop. Intel on the other hand creates their own set up. They make their own processor, video card, network adapter, and chipset. Which in turn creates a much more reliable notebook. This all in one complete package together with the Centrino processor is what gives you their famous low power consumption and a lot less heat.

So even if the AMD chip is better (which I don't think it is), it can't compare to the complete package that Intel provides.

If I were you guys who bought the Turion with 2gb for $100 more, I would spend the extra $100 and get the Centrino with 2gb. Well worth it I think.

BTW, for you guys out there not sure about the 12-cell battery and it sticking out. I actually prefer it. Like someone else said, it gives the laptop's fan some clearance for when it's on the bed, etc. Heat is lethal to a laptop. Plus it gives the laptop a nice angle when it's on the desk.

One last thing I should point out, is that if you get the laptop from BB, they offer the same HP printer that FS offers for $49.99. The white all-in-one with 1.5 inch lcd. They just don't advertise it. They just advertise that crappy black one with no lcd for $19.99.

Hehe, sounds like you've made up a lot of that "all in one complete package" placebo. AMD and Nvidia have been making stable platforms for years now, and will be just as reliable as the Intel system. One will not crash more than the other based simply on hardware.

The Intel system has a better processor, it has proven to work more efficiently with processor intensive tasks. This difference would only be noticable if you were to utilize the full capabilities of each processor (encoding video, running superpi :cheesygri).

The AMD system has a better graphics platform. If you do any gaming the difference will be quite clear when compared to the GMA 950.

There may be more heat with the AMD system, but after owning both a Core Duo and a Turion based notebook I can say that they BOTH get hot if you push them. In day to day stuff they both run cool.

[tjuzer]

Really last 8 hour?

[mintcoffee]

Hehe, sounds like you've made up a lot of that "all in one complete package" placebo. AMD and Nvidia have been making stable platforms for years now, and will be just as reliable as the Intel system. One will not crash more than the other based simply on hardware.

The Intel system has a better processor, it has proven to work more efficiently with processor intensive tasks. This difference would only be noticable if you were to utilize the full capabilities of each processor (encoding video, running superpi :cheesygri).

The AMD system has a better graphics platform. If you do any gaming the difference will be quite clear when compared to the GMA 950.

There may be more heat with the AMD system, but after owning both a Core Duo and a Turion based notebook I can say that they BOTH get hot if you push them. In day to day stuff they both run cool.

The Intel "All in one" you talk of is the Centrino platform. It IS quite good. However, don't mistake an Intel processor-based laptop as one with the entire Centrino platform. Dell for example, generally throws in their own Broadcom-based wifi cards, which are definately not as good as the Intel-based wifi cards (especially in Linux).

[Grimace]

Really last 8 hour?

No. About 4.5-5.5 hrs with real-life usage based on the notebookreview.com forum, which is really decent for a laptop (about the same as a Macbook.)

[oakjefferson]

What about the specific processors involved in these two units? Is on better then the other?

[yotle]

What is the max memory capacity can the one the Intel Centrino handle? I was planning to get 2x 2GB of RAM (4GB total), but not sure if the laptop can handle it? Thanks.

[Howard]

Does anybody know how to install Windows XP on this machine? When I load the setup disk it doesn't detect the hard drive, and I can't find any SATA drivers on the HP site.

[rkar08]

You need to disable the native SATA support in the BIOS

[HoTnickZ]

At first I thought the Turion 64 x2 was a better deal with the 2 gigs of ram, but I care more about battery performance and reliability rather than an extra gig of ram that I could just upgrade later.

AMD has to rely on different manufacturers to create a laptop. Intel on the other hand creates their own set up. They make their own processor, video card, network adapter, and chipset. Which in turn creates a much more reliable notebook. This all in one complete package together with the Centrino processor is what gives you their famous low power consumption and a lot less heat.

So even if the AMD chip is better (which I don't think it is), it can't compare to the complete package that Intel provides.

If I were you guys who bought the Turion with 2gb for $100 more, I would spend the extra $100 and get the Centrino with 2gb. Well worth it I think.

BTW, for you guys out there not sure about the 12-cell battery and it sticking out. I actually prefer it. Like someone else said, it gives the laptop's fan some clearance for when it's on the bed, etc. Heat is lethal to a laptop. Plus it gives the laptop a nice angle when it's on the desk.

One last thing I should point out, is that if you get the laptop from BB, they offer the same HP printer that FS offers for $49.99. The white all-in-one with 1.5 inch lcd. They just don't advertise it. They just advertise that crappy black one with no lcd for $19.99.

Don't mean to hijack but I'm interested in other opinions on this.

I didn't have great experiences with my last pc/AMD processor and swore I'd stick to Intel from that point on. But I went ahead and purchased one of those Dell laptops w/ AMD dual core anyway, figuring that my previous experience was just a one-off since I haven't been able to find anything out there that says AMD is unstable or that Intel is better. Thoughts?

[ckyu15]

The only bone I have to pick with the HP DV series is their touchpad.. It's very difficult to use due to the glossy frictionous finish.

[ace11]

Does this come with built-in wireless 802.11 a/b/g ?

[noxidius]

so i pulled the trigger, and bought the computer with the 10% discount, so around $720 + tax and the free printer, i like the laptop so far, but my only beef is the battery, it sticks out so much, anyone know where to buy a 6-cell or even an 8/9-cell for cheap?

[The_Madz]

Does this come with built-in wireless 802.11 a/b/g ?

any centrino marked laptop has built in Intel wireless. since this isn't the new centrino (santa rosa) it will have a/b/g support.
the new santa rosa based laptops also have n support.

besides i doubt you will find any name brand notebook that's new that dosn't come with wireless.

[Arcturus]

so i pulled the trigger, and bought the computer with the 10% discount, so around $720 + tax and the free printer, i like the laptop so far, but my only beef is the battery, it sticks out so much, anyone know where to buy a 6-cell or even an 8/9-cell for cheap?

How did you get a 10% discount on this?

[noxidius]

used the bestbuy cc..

[McLoving]

Bought this comptuer, but had to exchange it cuz the first one had a defective keyboard. However, the new computer I got did not come with a Vista CD. Should I be concerned? The first DV2418ca I bought came with the CD.

[Chocolinx]

Bought this comptuer, but had to exchange it cuz the first one had a defective keyboard. However, the new computer I got did not come with a Vista CD. Should I be concerned? The first DV2418ca I bought came with the CD.

I'm pretty sure these laptops usually come with "Recovery Disks" which is usually preloaded Vista and software.

[kr8zymike]

Bought this comptuer, but had to exchange it cuz the first one had a defective keyboard. However, the new computer I got did not come with a Vista CD. Should I be concerned? The first DV2418ca I bought came with the CD.


My wife bought this model last week.
It comes pre-installed with Vista. I don't remember what the CD was in the box, but it was not Vista. Just remember to make the recovery disks as the other post suggested. Apparantly this is their attempt to reduce Vista piracy.

[TorontoFish]

Was browsing at OfficeDepot last night and saw a Toshiba Satellite A100-VA5, with Intel Core 2 Duo T5200 @ 1.6GHz, 1 GB DDR2 ram and 120 GB HD, and 15.4 screen. It's listed at $549 before tax. What do you guys think about it, comparing to this HP deal from BB? Thanks!

[Capt. Canada]

Sounds like an awesome deal, but too good to be true. Got a link?

I don't care for 15 inch screens myself...

[TorontoFish]

But you can call them (I spoke with a nice guy called Michael). I actually bought it tonight after 3 hours of googling in the afternoon. There were still 3 left at Hwy 7 / Weston Rd. location at the time. Just ask for Toshiba Satellite A100-VA5.

[JohnF]

I can't find this laptop at any BB locations. I checked all stores in the greater MTL and TO area and none have it in stock! None available on-line either!

Why adverstise it if it is not available! :mad:

Wonder if BB gives rain checks.

[mystery]

I have the AMD X2 version of this laptop and love it! The model I bought is the DV2422 (http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090529&catid=11520&logon=&langid=EN) for $899 and comes with 2gb of ram. I would go for core duo but to be honest, the GMA 950 is horrible compared to the 6150. I'm able to run source games (counter strike source, half life 2, gmod) at 1024x768 almost max, Dawn of War at native resolution, Warcraft 3, etc etc. I find the processor to be just fine and I have a feeling that the perceived differences between the two chips are exaggerated. I just came from an Asus A8JS with a T7100 and the difference in day-to-day performance is negligible.

The keyboard is average, I don't find it too loud.

The screen is crisp and reasonably bright but the verticle viewing angles could be better. I'm wondering what screen you guys have.

If you have the time: In device manager click on monitor and then right click on "plug and play monitor" and go to properties. Click the details tab and select hardware ID from the drop down box. This is the manufacturer ID of your panel, and some can be much, much better than others.

Mine is NVD0800 and has washed out blacks from the bottom to roughly halfway up the screen. It's tolerable until I see a screen with a lot of black (watching a widescreen movie).. Just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

Hi, I got the DV2402 (AMD 64 x2 1.7 Ghz) from Best Buy:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10090166&catid=20354

(open box, so I got it for $759.99)

and my display panel is the same as yours. I find it to be a good contrasty screen.

I believe most/all LCDs will have a bit light leakage at the bottom.

I also went with an AMD setup because those GMA 950's just aren't made for gaming.

[Capt. Canada]

But you can call them (I spoke with a nice guy called Michael). I actually bought it tonight after 3 hours of googling in the afternoon. There were still 3 left at Hwy 7 / Weston Rd. location at the time. Just ask for Toshiba Satellite A100-VA5.

The price is clearly marked $897 (http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CatIds=83%2C84%2C85,4467&webid=674744&affixedcode=WW)... Michael can't be that "nice of a guy". :rolleyes:

[drunkgoat]

The price is clearly marked $897 (http://www.staples.ca/ENG/Catalog/cat_sku.asp?CatIds=83%2C84%2C85,4467&webid=674744&affixedcode=WW)... Michael can't be that "nice of a guy". :rolleyes:

I called and its sold out across the GTA anyways.

[TorontoFish]

Quote:
Originally Posted by TorontoFish
But you can call them (I spoke with a nice guy called Michael). I actually bought it tonight after 3 hours of googling in the afternoon. There were still 3 left at Hwy 7 / Weston Rd. location at the time. Just ask for Toshiba Satellite A100-VA5.

The price is clearly marked $897... Michael can't be that "nice of a guy".
Want to help, also because you have some doubts about it.:lol:

[TorontoFish]

Just realized that.;) Again, it's Office Depot. I wish I can do a PM with SBD and use several SBD coupons, if you know how, PM me please.

[mr_saturn]

Hi, I got the DV2402 (AMD 64 x2 1.7 Ghz) from Best Buy:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10090166&catid=20354

(open box, so I got it for $759.99)

and my display panel is the same as yours. I find it to be a good contrasty screen.

I believe most/all LCDs will have a bit light leakage at the bottom.

I also went with an AMD setup because those GMA 950's just aren't made for gaming.

Thanks for the reply, yeah the more time I spend with it the more I love it :)

A little calibration and the screen really pops. Now I'm just working with RMclock to undervolt it and get rid of some heat.

[xwar]

got the one from futureshop ..the HP dv2432ca, $400 bucks off for 899.99-$200 GC.

It's a pretty neat little laptop, fully loaded, 2GB ram, 160GB HD, Webcam, 5-1 card reader, vista home premium, 14.1 inch, 12 cell battery.

Video card is a bit weaker, but it does run Aero flawlessly.

It's for my sister and the only games she plays is webgames.

[Grimace]

I finally bit on it too. The extra $100 off compared to last week pushed me over the edge. :)

Nice laptop. Don't like glossy screens, but otherwise a very nice machine. One question - is it just me, or is it really difficult to get the remote out of the slot?? I have to use tweezers to grab it!

[oroo]

I also bought dv2432ca at vaughan location last night. It doesn't include Windows Anytime Upgrade CD in the box. I know all brand new hp labtops include it. can anyone who have dv2432ca reply my post whether your labtop has the CD when you open the box or not?

[torontoraptor]

One question - is it just me, or is it really difficult to get the remote out of the slot?? I have to use tweezers to grab it!

Mine is like that too. There isn't really anything you can grab on to when you're trying to take it out.

[leof]

i don't own an hp....but i suspect you simply push it in and it'll eject itself. or there is possibly a button on the right or left side of the slot.

[twoods]

I think this is the best deal right now. Only negative is the 4200 speed hard drive, I am not sure if that makes a difference.

$899 ($480 off) HP DV6428CA 15.4" AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-58 1.9GHz Laptop
Web Code: 10090089
Mfr. Part Number: GL917UA#ABL
Processor Type AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-58
Screen Size 15.4 in
RAM (Preloaded / Maximum) 2048MB DDR2
Hard Drive 200GB 4200RPM SATA
Optical Drives 8X DVD+/-RW DL With Lightscribe
Graphics 559MB NVIDIA GeForce Go 6150 (UMA)
Average Battery Life Dependant On Usage
Product Weight 3.08 kg
Audio Type Altec Lansing
Battery Type 6-Cell Lithium-Ion
Cache 512KB+512KB L2
Fax/Modem 56K V.90
I/O Ports See The Features Section
Included In Box Mobile Remote Control, Stereo Headphones
Network Card Integrated 10/100BASE-T Ethernet LAN
Other Software See The Features Section
PC Card Slots 1 ExpressCard/54
Pointing Device Touchpad
Preloaded Operating System Windows Vista Home Premium
Processor Speed 1.9GHz
Product Dimensions 35.7(W) x 3.9(H) x 25.7(D) cm
Removable Storage 5-In-1 Integrated Digital Media Reader
Screen Type WXGA BrightView Widescreen
Speakers Altec Lansing
System Bus 1600MHz

[torontoraptor]

i don't own an hp....but i suspect you simply push it in and it'll eject itself. or there is possibly a button on the right or left side of the slot.

Not as far as I can see.

[Grimace]

Ditto. I will check notebookreview.com forums when I'm back home on Monday to see if there's a easy answer; my parent's PC is too slow to open a new IE window :p

I also bought dv2432ca at vaughan location last night. It doesn't include Windows Anytime Upgrade CD in the box. I know all brand new hp labtops include it. can anyone who have dv2432ca reply my post whether your labtop has the CD when you open the box or not?

No CD.

[Grimace]

OK, I feel like a real noob now.

I guess I wasn't pushing the remote in hard enough to make it click. It's spring loaded. click once to lock in place, click again to unlock and pop out about 4 mm. Kind of like a memory card in your camera.

This is assuming, of course, that you did the step before all this: remove the black plastic dummy door that shipped with the laptop.

[oroo]

Ditto. I will check notebookreview.com forums when I'm back home on Monday to see if there's a easy answer; my parent's PC is too slow to open a new IE window :p



No CD.

Thanks for the reply Grimace. If we don't have any vista dvd including windows anytime upgrade dvd, how can we do clean windows vista installation on the brand new labtops, legally?

[torontoraptor]

OK, I feel like a real noob now.

I guess I wasn't pushing the remote in hard enough to make it click. It's spring loaded. click once to lock in place, click again to unlock and pop out about 4 mm. Kind of like a memory card in your camera.

+1 :o

[Grimace]

Thanks for the reply Grimace. If we don't have any vista dvd including windows anytime upgrade dvd, how can we do clean windows vista installation on the brand new labtops, legally?

If it's anything like my HP desktop I bought recently, there is a program in the "HP" folder in the start menu to create rescue discs (in case you are unable to re-image from the D: rescue partition). You can create these discs ONE TIME only, before this program is disabled.

I wouldn't call it a clean install though - it re-loads all the bloatware.

[KingdomCome]

I've been following this thread like a fiend. I was originally going for a Dell Inspiron or Vostro, but it is no longer an option considering the time constraints.

I am currently following this deal, looks like it is in stock:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090029&logon=&langid=EN
Looks pretty sweet! How come the type of battery isn't being show as 12 cell if it is a 12 cell?

I was also following this deal, but the 1 GB ram turned me off:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10090081&catid=20354&logon=&langid=EN#

Also following this one:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&MSCSProfile=3C79F0C7EA3162B2F92BD3A1477EAC019E2F78 5C25884CF3A93790279F884E0DE568398BE92AC5183C524815 39735B8471BEBB5F4C61CE45B09ADCDDE46D09423C26487883 FA2CC636B3A0C60CD6A04DF68C8938BF23A13259D721B41EBB 9509E3CDDE5D31E469CC6AA2D818E7A346D92857930086396F 1C&sku_id=0665000FS10090023&catid=
The 200 GB HD would have been awesome if it wasn't so darned slow. Price was also slightly higher. Screen is slightly larger.

Also checked out this Acer, battery life sucked:
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&MSCSProfile=3C79F0C7EA3162B2F92BD3A1477EAC019E2F78 5C25884CF3A93790279F884E0DE568398BE92AC5183C524815 39735B8471BEBB5F4C61CE45B09ADCDDE46D09423C26487883 FA2CC636B3A0C60CD6A04DF68C8938BF23A13259D721B41EBB 9509E3CDDE5D31E469CC6AA2D818E7A346D92857930086396F 1C&sku_id=0665000FS10089811&catid=

With the Dell Vostro, I was going for 2Ghz, 2GB ram, and TWO 9 cell batteries, total was $998. I take it 2 x 9 cell batteries last longer? But like I said I can't wait 2-3 weeks to get my laptop.


What do you guys think? These laptops are essentially the same but with little changes in them, kind of annoying at first to realize that.

[torontoraptor]

^ Check out the HP DV2422CA - AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56 1.8GHz, 160GB SATA 5400RPM, 2048MB DDR2, 14.1" - $849.99

It's OOS online but you may be able to find it in store. Pretty good deal for 2GB of RAM.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090529&catid=25314&logon=&langid=EN

[KingdomCome]

An update!

Bought the DV2432CA. 2 Ghz Core duo, 2 GB DDR2, 160 GB HD, 14.1 inches, 12 cell li-on battery.

First things first, the battery overextends, not going with the flow of the actual laptop. But from an ergonomic standpoint, it allows for a better vantage point and it seems to give space for the heat to dissipate.

Secondly, ooh-wheee, this thing gets HOT. The bottom gets hot, the left side of the palm rest gets hot and soon enough the entire thing gets hot. I've been running it at full power w/ AC attached. Will definitely need a laptop cooler. Going to confirm whether it can last 4-5 hours later on.

Thirdly, I'm getting the hang of the buttons although I am used to my desktop one. The touch screen thingie is still kinda odd, will definitely get a usb mouse.

FOURTHLY, my biggest PROBLEM(please help). First and foremost, this thing is supposed to have 2 GB of DDR2 RAM and yet when I do ctrl+alt+del to look at resources, it only amounts up to 1500 GB of ram. What is up with this? I can take a screenshot if requested. Also, the hard drive is supposed to be 160 GB, when it actually it really only comes to 140 GB due to some type of recovery program that this thing is utilizing. Completely new to this, am used to WinXP.

Other than what I have listed, things seem to be a-okay. Will need to do further testing though. Will definitely do a notebook review for notebookreview.com.

INPUT please?

[mr_saturn]

An update!

Bought the DV2432CA. 2 Ghz Core duo, 2 GB DDR2, 160 GB HD, 14.1 inches, 12 cell li-on battery.

First things first, the battery overextends, not going with the flow of the actual laptop. But from an ergonomic standpoint, it allows for a better vantage point and it seems to give space for the heat to dissipate.

Secondly, ooh-wheee, this thing gets HOT. The bottom gets hot, the left side of the palm rest gets hot and soon enough the entire thing gets hot. I've been running it at full power w/ AC attached. Will definitely need a laptop cooler. Going to confirm whether it can last 4-5 hours later on.

Thirdly, I'm getting the hang of the buttons although I am used to my desktop one. The touch screen thingie is still kinda odd, will definitely get a usb mouse.

FOURTHLY, my biggest PROBLEM(please help). First and foremost, this thing is supposed to have 2 GB of DDR2 RAM and yet when I do ctrl+alt+del to look at resources, it only amounts up to 1500 GB of ram. What is up with this? I can take a screenshot if requested. Also, the hard drive is supposed to be 160 GB, when it actually it really only comes to 140 GB due to some type of recovery program that this thing is utilizing. Completely new to this, am used to WinXP.

Other than what I have listed, things seem to be a-okay. Will need to do further testing though. Will definitely do a notebook review for notebookreview.com.

INPUT please?

The GMA 950 integrated graphics uses system memory, that is why it only shows up as 1500ish. You can change how much it uses in the bios.

The recovery partition is there and can be wiped if you want the extra space, but obviously the recovery option would be lost.

I wouldn't worry too much about posting a review at notebookreview as this line of notebooks is on its way out the door to create room for the new line. Up to you though! It never hurt to have more perspectives.

[KingdomCome]

The GMA 950 integrated graphics uses system memory, that is why it only shows up as 1500ish. You can change how much it uses in the bios.

The recovery partition is there and can be wiped if you want the extra space, but obviously the recovery option would be lost.

I wouldn't worry too much about posting a review at notebookreview as this line of notebooks is on its way out the door to create room for the new line. Up to you though! It never hurt to have more perspectives.

Interesting. I would have thought that the specs of this laptop is enough to make it last for at least a couple more years(of which I intend to).

But I will definitely write a review, partially for fun, but mostly to help at least one other person out there.

This laptop may not exactly be cutting edge anymore, but it sure as hell aint old yeller. My estimates is that it will still be good for another 2-3 years.

Plus from what it looks like no one has actually written a review on this one yet.

What would you think would be cutting edge right now?

[desi_eng]

^ Check out the HP DV2422CA - AMD Turion 64 X2 Dual-Core TL-56 1.8GHz, 160GB SATA 5400RPM, 2048MB DDR2, 14.1" - $849.99

It's OOS online but you may be able to find it in store. Pretty good deal for 2GB of RAM.

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090529&catid=25314&logon=&langid=EN

+1


I originally got the HP dv 2418 from BB (Centrino, 2.0 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 950 Intel Video Card which can only get up to ~225 MB of memory from the RAM, 12-Cell battery).

http://http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10090081&catid=20354&logon=&langid=EN

I used it for a couple of days and noticed it was kinda choppy due to its 1GB RAM and VISTA being a resource hog. Originally I was going to add 1 GB of RAM, but then I seen the DV2422 at FS. Its very similar to the 2418 that BB has, except that it offers a AMD Turion Processor and offers 2GB of RAM. It also the nVIDIA video card (which can give you up to ~600 MB of video memory).

I think im going to stick with the DV2422 b/c of the extra GIG of RAM and better video card for only $50 more than the 2418.

[The_Madz]

+1


I originally got the HP dv 2418 from BB (Centrino, 2.0 GHz, 1 GB RAM, 950 Intel Video Card which can only get up to ~225 MB of memory from the RAM, 12-Cell battery).

http://http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0926INGFS10090081&catid=20354&logon=&langid=EN

I used it for a couple of days and noticed it was kinda choppy due to its 1GB RAM and VISTA being a resource hog. Originally I was going to add 1 GB of RAM, but then I seen the DV2422 at FS. Its very similar to the 2418 that BB has, except that it offers a AMD Turion Processor and offers 2GB of RAM. It also the nVIDIA video card (which can give you up to ~600 MB of video memory).

I think im going to stick with the DV2422 b/c of the extra GIG of RAM and better video card for only $50 more than the 2418.

get this instead
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090029&logon=&langid=EN&test%5Fcookie=1

better deal IMO.
the centrino is faster than the turion for sure and remember, you can upgrade ram & hard drive on a laptop but you are stuck with the CPU. so going with slower cpu's in order to gain the ram is not always the best.

as for the Nivida being able to take 600mb for video ram... you are completely nuts. integrated video does not need more than 64mb of video ram in my opion. Video ram is used to load textures when playing games and has absolutely no performance enhancements on laptops but is rather a marketing gimmick to make you think it's faster when it's not.

besides, all integrated video cards suck anyway, so it's not like you will be gaming no matter if it has the intel or the nvidia card in there.

[The_Madz]

Hi, I got the DV2402 (AMD 64 x2 1.7 Ghz) from Best Buy:

http://www.bestbuy.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0926INGFS10090166&catid=20354

(open box, so I got it for $759.99)

and my display panel is the same as yours. I find it to be a good contrasty screen.

I believe most/all LCDs will have a bit light leakage at the bottom.

I also went with an AMD setup because those GMA 950's just aren't made for gaming.

you will be greatly dissapointed if you try to game with the nvidia 6150 graphics as well. the 6150 was just not made to play games.

[mr_saturn]

This laptop may not exactly be cutting edge anymore, but it sure as hell aint old yeller. My estimates is that it will still be good for another 2-3 years.


Oh I'm with you on this, I own the dv2422. I'm just saying that this is an outdated line. The new 2500 series will be replacing it.


you will be greatly dissapointed if you try to game with the nvidia 6150 graphics as well. the 6150 was just not made to play games.

Yes, if one were to go in expecting 7600gt level performance there would be much disappointment. With everyone everywhere lamenting integrated video, I went in expecting very little from the 6150. It has surprised me with the amount of power it DOES have, though. I can run games like Half Life 2 (or any source game) at 1024x768 and Dawn of War at native. In a pinch it'll get by, and at $849 it's a great value.

[Capt. Canada]

get this instead
http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?sku_id=0665000FS10090029&logon=&langid=EN&test%5Fcookie=1

better deal IMO.

Excellent find Madz! You are the one poster in this thread whose opinion I value. You really seem to know you stuff. I'm gonna return my laptop and pick this one up if it has the 12-cell battery. Do you know if it has one? It doesn't say. I guess I will have to call tomorrow to find out. IF it does, this is an awesome deal. Well worth the extra $100 for a gig of ram.

One more thing... When do you think the 2500 series laptops will be coming? Would it be smarter to wait till they come to get the core duo 2, wireless N, and 800 meg front side bus? Will we see prices like this for them anytime soon? IF so, I might just wait. Any thoughts?

Also, will HP, be offering anymore of the special edition white and silver pavilions in 14.1 inch screen? Right now they only offer the 15.4 version. (The wife loves the look of that one)

Cheers

[torontoraptor]

Excellent find Madz! You are the one poster in this thread whose opinion I value. You really seem to know you stuff. I'm gonna return my laptop and pick this one up if it has the 12-cell battery. Do you know if it has one? It doesn't say. I guess I will have to call tomorrow to find out. IF it does, this is an awesome deal. Well worth the extra $100 for a gig of ram.

$100 for an extra GB of RAM is not really that great of a deal.

[KingdomCome]

Excellent find Madz! You are the one poster in this thread whose opinion I value. You really seem to know you stuff. I'm gonna return my laptop and pick this one up if it has the 12-cell battery. Do you know if it has one? It doesn't say. I guess I will have to call tomorrow to find out. IF it does, this is an awesome deal. Well worth the extra $100 for a gig of ram.

One more thing... When do you think the 2500 series laptops will be coming? Would it be smarter to wait till they come to get the core duo 2, wireless N, and 800 meg front side bus? Will we see prices like this for them anytime soon? IF so, I might just wait. Any thoughts?

Also, will HP, be offering anymore of the special edition white and silver pavilions in 14.1 inch screen? Right now they only offer the 15.4 version. (The wife loves the look of that one)

Cheers

This is the one I have right now, it has a 12 cell li-on but it sticks out(FYI).

After I got rid of the Vista bloatware, it's pretty decent.

[Grimace]

One more thing... When do you think the 2500 series laptops will be coming? Would it be smarter to wait till they come to get the core duo 2, wireless N, and 800 meg front side bus? Will we see prices like this for them anytime soon? IF so, I might just wait. Any thoughts?

Cheers

BB already has a model or two, they are about $400+ more. I don't feel it's worth the extra money at this point. Wireless N is still not universal, and the new processors PROBABLY won't give you a huge advantage in day-to-day activities these lappies are meant for. For the price difference, I think the "older" 24xx series is just fine.

[Chocolinx]

BB already has a model or two, they are about $400+ more. I don't feel it's worth the extra money at this point. Wireless N is still not universal, and the new processors PROBABLY won't give you a huge advantage in day-to-day activities these lappies are meant for. For the price difference, I think the "older" 24xx series is just fine.

+1

For sure the older model are just as good as the new one. Core Duo against Core 2 Duo is hardly any difference when you compare say a 2.0 vs a 2.0. The Core 2 Duo gives an advantage of like less than 1%.

[The_Madz]

Excellent find Madz! You are the one poster in this thread whose opinion I value. You really seem to know you stuff. I'm gonna return my laptop and pick this one up if it has the 12-cell battery. Do you know if it has one? It doesn't say. I guess I will have to call tomorrow to find out. IF it does, this is an awesome deal. Well worth the extra $100 for a gig of ram.

One more thing... When do you think the 2500 series laptops will be coming? Would it be smarter to wait till they come to get the core duo 2, wireless N, and 800 meg front side bus? Will we see prices like this for them anytime soon? IF so, I might just wait. Any thoughts?

Also, will HP, be offering anymore of the special edition white and silver pavilions in 14.1 inch screen? Right now they only offer the 15.4 version. (The wife loves the look of that one)

Cheers


personally i would get the one at $799 with 1 gb of ram and upgrade it myself seeing as there are some killer deals on laptop memory right now. You could probably upgrade it for around $70 to 2 gb yourself.
this laptop i made the link for also has the 12 cell. Yes it sticks out. some find it a problem, most dont. personally i would rather have hte longer battery life myself.

the 2500 series is already out. they are in bestbuy. however they are a bit over priced at $1199 right now. They do give you a nice looking case (black Verve) i think but the extra money for the new centrino may not be worht it for most although the video card does get a boost (x3100 in the new series) i dont think it would be necessary.

the processor in the new verve is the T5250 so it's running at 1.5ghz with 667mhz FSB.
it's the most entry level santa rosa you can get.

[Tyrant]

+1

For sure the older model are just as good as the new one. Core Duo against Core 2 Duo is hardly any difference when you compare say a 2.0 vs a 2.0. The Core 2 Duo gives an advantage of like less than 1%.

I believe you're mistaking the Core Duo with the Core 2 Duo using a 800mhz FSB on a Santa Rosa configuration. The differences between the Core Duo and Core 2 Duo with the older 667mhz FSB setup are more along the lines of 10% as evidenced by this Anandtech article (http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/intel/showdoc.aspx?i=2808).

[hp dv2412 buyer]

I was looking at for a cheap laptop at first, then the HP rep. at BB sold me on the HP's. Definately way better looking than anything else out there for around 600-700. Because they were out of the dv2412 at BB, and I didn't have time to wait, I bought the dv2418 at FutureShop. Everything is the same except the processor, AMD instead of Intel.

For most people, there is no difference between the two. Both are hot, both are fast for word, internet...and some games.

These laptops are perfect for students except for three points:
1. When running off battery, screen is dimmer, and screen is very reflective, which means you see your screen and also yourself at the same time. Rather annoying

2. Battery is HEAVY. 12 cell battery could be used for some bicep exercises in lectures if you get bored. But with med. brightness screen and wireless surfing and word processing, you will get 6 hours out of one charge.

3. Takes like five minutes to load, and all software is 60 day trial. Damn Microsoft!

Other than that, it's sweet, and you will get mad respect from your peers and the glossy glossy, (Fergie style) packaging.

I recommend this one or the BB dv 2418 with the intel, whichever you can get first. Both are big pimpin on a small budget.

[torontoraptor]

I was looking at for a cheap laptop at first, then the HP rep. at BB sold me on the HP's. Definately way better looking than anything else out there for around 600-700. Because they were out of the dv2412 at BB, and I didn't have time to wait, I bought the dv2418 at FutureShop. Everything is the same except the processor, AMD instead of Intel.

For most people, there is no difference between the two. Both are hot, both are fast for word, internet...and some games.

These laptops are perfect for students except for three points:
1. When running off battery, screen is dimmer, and screen is very reflective, which means you see your screen and also yourself at the same time. Rather annoying

2. Battery is HEAVY. 12 cell battery could be used for some bicep exercises in lectures if you get bored. But with med. brightness screen and wireless surfing and word processing, you will get 6 hours out of one charge.

3. Takes like five minutes to load, and all software is 60 day trial. Damn Microsoft!

Other than that, it's sweet, and you will get mad respect from your peers and the glossy glossy, (Fergie style) packaging.

I recommend this one or the BB dv 2418 with the intel, whichever you can get first. Both are big pimpin on a small budget.

You don't have to have the screen dimmer, it will just save battery life. Every one has to dim their screen to save battery life though.

You're right about the 12 cell battery. It weighs a ton and I find that it makes the laptop a lot less portable. I don't really like how it sticks out the back either. I'm going to see if I can find a cheap 6 cell battery for times when I don't need the 12 cell.

The build quality and appearance of HPs are definitely better than anything else you can find in this price range.

[mystery]

Another happy user of an HP DV2412CA (AMD 64 X2 @ 1.7 Ghz).

Originally I got the DV2404CA from Best Buy for $799.99 - 5% due to it being open box ($759.99).

For less money @ Future Shop, $749.99, I got the exact same specs in the DV2412CA, except it has double the battery capacity (12 cell vs. 6 cell), plus I got a brand new unit.

[browna]

I was able to pick up a VAIO C140G/B at Staples on the weekend, after taking a hard look at these at $799. Just wondering how the experts think it compares to this deal.

13.3 WXGA with XBrite
Core 2 Duo 1.66
1GB RAM
Runs XP (Media Centre)
120G HDD
CD/DVD RW (DL)
6 Cell Battery
Metal casing

Clearance, and open box, and $100 cheaper then then 2418 at $697

In general, the only issue I have is the 6 cell battery, and it being open box. Things such as the remote are neat, but not required. But the 12 cell battery is impressive.

Use will be for basic surfing, DVD watching and some burning (we already have a 4 year old HP desktop) as the main computer...so the lap top will be used semi regularly.

Is the HP brand new out of the box, worth $100 more than what I got?

[pham12h]

I was able to pick up a VAIO C140G/B at Staples on the weekend, after taking a hard look at these at $799. Just wondering how the experts think it compares to this deal.

13.3 WXGA with XBrite
Core 2 Duo 1.66
1GB RAM
Runs XP (Media Centre)
120G HDD
CD/DVD RW (DL)
6 Cell Battery
Metal casing

Clearance, and open box, and $100 cheaper then then 2418 at $697

In general, the only issue I have is the 6 cell battery, and it being open box. Things such as the remote are neat, but not required. But the 12 cell battery is impressive.

Use will be for basic surfing, DVD watching and some burning (we already have a 4 year old HP desktop) as the main computer...so the lap top will be used semi regularly.

Is the HP brand new out of the box, worth $100 more than what I got?

Wow browna that is a sweet deal. The core 2 alone is nice, AND its a sony which are usually overpriced, AND hey XP.. nuff said hehe.

For an extra 70 bucks upping to 2 gigs of ram, you'll be laughing.

[m11]

i bought an HP laptop from futureshop last week, and it gets insanely hot.
has anyone else experience this?

[DFS 360]

i bought an HP laptop from futureshop last week, and it gets insanely hot.
has anyone else experience this?

Is it an intel or AMD system? Plugged in or unplugged? Could just be the battery heating up, hopefully it's not a Sony recall battery if so.

[hp dv2412 buyer]

That is the one last thing negative about the hp2412, it gets very hot. But I think all laptops do. Please let me know about the hp 2418 with the intel chip. Is there really a BIG difference in temp coming from these laptops?

[hp dv2412 buyer]

That is the one last thing negative about the hp2412, it gets very hot. But I think all laptops do. Please let me know about the hp 2418 with the intel chip. Is there really a BIG difference in temp coming from these laptops?

Can I still return a laptop if I threw away all the box and packaging?

[Capt. Canada]

I just returned the one I got for $799 from BB and there was another person ahead of me returning their HP in a garbage bag, if you can believe that.

As long as you have the receipt and the laptop looks still new, you will be fine.

[m11]

its amd turion.

do amd's heat up more than intel chips? it heats up moreso when plugged in.
i think im gona return it, not impressed with this heat.

[lionboy]

I have the Dv2412CA Laltop.

14"
TK-53 Proc.
Geforce 6150.

When I play a Video, I get a stutter once in a while.
CPU usage dosn;t spike and stays low at around 10 - 30%.
Its really pissing me off. I might just return this laptop soon.

Is there a fix somewhere?

Thanks

[Capt. Canada]

I have had both the AMD and the Intel. Intel performs much better and the fan doesn't constantly run.

[torontoraptor]

I have the Dv2412CA Laltop.

14"
TK-53 Proc.
Geforce 6150.

When I play a Video, I get a stutter once in a while.
CPU usage dosn;t spike and stays low at around 10 - 30%.
Its really pissing me off. I might just return this laptop soon.

Is there a fix somewhere?

Thanks

I get this problem too. It keeps on stuttering every couple minutes when I play video from the hard drive. Very annoying.

[lionboy]

I get this problem too. It keeps on stuttering every couple minutes when I play video from the hard drive. Very annoying.

I cant seem to pinpoint what the problem is = / .

i tried different codecs, upping video memory, no luck ...

Anyone know the speed of the Harddrive ?

anyone runing this comp on XP ? ?

Thanks

[torontoraptor]

I cant seem to pinpoint what the problem is = / .

i tried different codecs, upping video memory, no luck ...

Anyone know the speed of the Harddrive ?

anyone runing this comp on XP ? ?

Thanks

The hard drive is 5400rpm. That shouldn't be the problem though. It should be fast enough.

I've tried different media players, same problem.

Videos running off a disc are stutter free though.

[The_Madz]

its amd turion.

do amd's heat up more than intel chips? it heats up moreso when plugged in.
i think im gona return it, not impressed with this heat.

AMD's are pretty famous for running more hot than Intel's in the mobility sector.
the newer the centrino the cooler it runs. (generally)

[mr_saturn]

I undervolted my TL-56 fairly significantly, and it runs very cool now. But to be honest heat wasn't that big of a problem to begin with, I was just looking for better battery life.

The hard drive does get toasty though. I've had the battery out and stored at 40% charge (waiting for school), so the notebook isn't tilted. While sitting on a flat surface the hard drive bay gets extremely hot. With the batt in there is a little bit of ventilation there that helps.

Other than the heat I havent had any problems! Nice laptop after I nuked vista and put XP on.

[torontoraptor]

I undervolted my TL-56 fairly significantly, and it runs very cool now. But to be honest heat wasn't that big of a problem to begin with, I was just looking for better battery life.

The hard drive does get toasty though. I've had the battery out and stored at 40% charge (waiting for school), so the notebook isn't tilted. While sitting on a flat surface the hard drive bay gets extremely hot. With the batt in there is a little bit of ventilation there that helps.

Other than the heat I havent had any problems! Nice laptop after I nuked vista and put XP on.

Did you have any problems reinstalling all the drivers and stuff? I'm considering just installing a fresh copy of either XP or Vista.

[mystery]

The hard drive is 5400rpm. That shouldn't be the problem though. It should be fast enough.

I've tried different media players, same problem.

Videos running off a disc are stutter free though.

I don't have this stuttering issue. I believe there are background programs and/or services that are causing this.

Try uninstalling/disabling anything to do with Symantec and Norton.

[Grimace]

Me neither. Norton is a HUGE resource hog. First thing I did when I got my machine is removed it. Try Avast or AVG Free. They won't hijack your system.
Norton is the first virus scanner that made me think I'd rather just have the virus...

[torontoraptor]

I did a system recovery (the laptop was brand new anyways) and it got rid of the problems with stuttering. It must have been something I installed or uninstalled that caused the problem. I wish I knew what it was.

The first thing I did was uninstall Norton too. I hate that program. I have Kaspersky running on it now.

[pilotpen]

Norton is the first virus scanner that made me think I'd rather just have the virus...[/QUOTE]

hahaha! classic!

I wish the future shop one is still available! sold out everywhere in the GVR. Anyone have luck picking one up?

Is it worth picking up the BB one for $799, then adding $70 or so for an add'l gig of ram for a total of $870?

[mr_saturn]

Did you have any problems reinstalling all the drivers and stuff? I'm considering just installing a fresh copy of either XP or Vista.

Nope, none. If you head to notebookreview.com, their hp forum has threads on how to install XP drivers for the dv2000z series (amd) and dv2000t series (intel).

Is it worth picking up the BB one for $799, then adding $70 or so for an add'l gig of ram for a total of $870?

Er.. if you can find 2gb of ram for 70 bones good on ya, but most likely you'll be spending double that as the system currently has 2 512 sticks that would need to be replaced (only 2 slots).

[noxidius]

looks like you can get a 15.4' for the same price

[Grimace]

Usually 15.4" laptops are the same price or cheaper than 14.1's. Reason being people will pay a premium for a 14.1 since it has better portability.

[mystery]

Usually 15.4" laptops are the same price or cheaper than 14.1's. Reason being people will pay a premium for a 14.1 since it has better portability.

and better battery life

[noxidius]

deal is also dead, and now costs $949.00

[Grimace]

Good sales still on the DV2432 @ FS though. Still $400 off. Other DV2xxx on sale @ FS as well.

[Capt. Canada]

Well it was fun trying out these different hp's from both BB and FS. Seems to me the deals this week are worthless. I'll wait till next year. What I noticed during all these 1 gig laptops is that Vista would probably run better with 2 gigs and by next year 2 gigs will probably be the main thing.

[lionboy]

I did a system recovery (the laptop was brand new anyways) and it got rid of the problems with stuttering. It must have been something I installed or uninstalled that caused the problem. I wish I knew what it was.

The first thing I did was uninstall Norton too. I hate that program. I have Kaspersky running on it now.


I did a FRESH FRESH vista install,
and I still got the stutering. So im returing the junk tommorow!

[maisto84]

I bought the HP 2418 after seeing the BB promotion deal from this thread

i have to say, im content and happy with it, well its the first laptop i ever own

for those complaining about Vista running with 1 gb of ram isnt enough, id say im pretty content with it

first, i bought the laptop for $799 without the warranty.... i've never bought a warranty at BB or FS anything thats below $1000...

but after reading some complaints about HP with keyboards being really fragile, and the power brick overheating, i ended up buying a 2 year warranty a week after

the power brick gets rediculously hot while the laptop battery is charging..

other than that im content, '14.1 is a really good size, perfect for travelling.. although i cant really say im happy with the battery size.. lol

as for upgrading a ram, ncix has occasional sales through out the year, so rather buy my ram from actual computer shops because its generally cheaper than BB/FS

[mystery]

An even better deal, with 2gb RAM, AMD Turion 64 X2 1.8 Ghz, 160gb HD, 14.1" screen, 12-cell battery is the DV2422CA currently on sale at Future Shop for $799.99:

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10090529&catid=25314

I have this machine and it rocks!

[Capt. Canada]

Laptop deals at BB & FS are all garbage now. BB even up'ed the price on including MS Office from $50 to $130.

Guess we should re-open this thread next year and compare the deals with the newer technology.

I'll keep an eye on how HP does, cause I think they have the best design as far as looks goes and a better price point.

Also, for those of you who got the Turion instead of the Centrino... WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! HA ha ha! :razz:

Just kidding, enjoy the laptops people!

[DaVibe]

Laptop deals at BB & FS are all garbage now. BB even up'ed the price on including MS Office from $50 to $130.

Guess we should re-open this thread next year and compare the deals with the newer technology.

I'll keep an eye on how HP does, cause I think they have the best design as far as looks goes and a better price point.

Also, for those of you who got the Turion instead of the Centrino... WHAT WERE YOU THINKING! HA ha ha! :razz:

Just kidding, enjoy the laptops people!

What are you talking about, I still see a lot of good laptops out right now, including this one. Sold out, but still on the "This week's" list.

[Mystix]

Hey what programs are you guys using to undervolt the machine? I assume it will just run slower and not cause any hardware failure?

[KingdomCome]

Notebook Hardware Control(NHC) gives you the ability to under volt, although I have yet to try it out.

[AirForceElite]

Okay whoever wanted pictures here they are.
I have 2 laptops right now as you can see.
I bought the first one from Costco before my trip, and i am returning it because it costs twice as much as 1 from Future Shop with relatively same specs

I bought from Future Shop because it was on back to school mad special.

anyways specs are:

#1
$1399 from Costco...this one is being returned
15.4"
1.8 GHz Core 2 Duo
2GB DDR2 RAM (2x1GB)
nVidia 8400M GS 128MB
200GB/4200RPM Hard Drive
FingerPrint Reader
6-cell battery
LightScribe+webcam+all that crap

#2

$649 from Future Shop
14.1"
AMD Athlon 64 X2 1.7GHz
1GB DDR2 RAM (2x512MB)
nVidia 6150
160GB/5400RPM Hard Drive
12-cell battery
LightScribe+webcam+all that crap

ask me anything you want i will test it for you. (sorry but cant install any specific software like benchmarking software)
so you guys want to know anything before i return 1st one?
ike battery life, hard drive speed comparison (4200rpm vs 5400)






http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3912_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3911_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3910_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3909_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3908_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3907_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3906_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3904_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3903_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3902_resize.jpg

[AirForceElite]

few more

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3900_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3899_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3897_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3896_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3893_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3889_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3888_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3887_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3886_resize.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/AirForceElite/IMG_3885_resize.jpg

[zzjv]

Need it for dual boot with vista. Wireless and Video already in...thx

Any tips on where to go to find these easily would be appreciated.




Judgenot

[can2000]

My wife bought this model last week.
It comes pre-installed with Vista. I don't remember what the CD was in the box, but it was not Vista. Just remember to make the recovery disks as the other post suggested. Apparantly this is their attempt to reduce Vista piracy.

Mind telling how to make the recovery disks? Since the BB guy told me only one chance, and I don't want to waste the last chance.

Thanks!

Updated: Help & Support -> Backup & Recovery -> VAIO Recovery Center.