HP Offers Top Notch Warranty & Technical Support
Written: Mar 21 '01
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Pros: Great screen quality; great support and warranty.
Cons: Limited software included.
The Bottom Line: This is a great notebook, and exceptional customer support.
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| DGodesky's Full Review: HP Pavilion N3190 |
We've owned this model for 14 months; it is simply a great notebook computer. HP has proven that their willingness to provide free technical support goes well beyond the call of duty. Unlike others, HP doesn't cut you off after a year, but allows reasonable assistance to continue well beyond 12 months.
At the end of this description I will explain that this unit developed an unusual noise, which, after three returns, HP wasn't able to fix. BUT, HP replaced the unit for free with a new, upgraded model!
Most all notebooks perform about the same. This unit's disk drive space is adequate, RAM at 64 might seem low, but doesn't seem to inhibit performance. The CD-ROM is noisy; lots of spin time to get up to speed. The touch pad is the type that responds to both a click and/or a tap; the Sony models, and some others, don't respond to taps. It has clean and neat styling, doesn't look like a toy and has a solid, but not too heavy feel. Great sound quality.
HP loads an adequate, but not great suite of software. They give the MS Works suite, not the MS Word/Excel business or other suite. If you've used Works, you'll know that there are some limitations on portability of those files, so you should plan on getting at least an upgrade to Word 2000.
Our unit developed a buzz/hiss noise when recharging. We returned it three times, each time at no cost to us. While the service marked the paperwork as if the problem was duplicated and fixed, in fact it was never fixed on any return. The most important part of this experience is that the HP help line was always there, quick to answer, polite and responsive. I learned that HP subcontracts for their repair services, and they are working on improvements. The bottom line was that HP has a policy - if it's not fixed after three returns, you ask for the problem to be "escallated" and they give it to a group that replaces the unit; that's exactly what they did for us, and since then, everything has been great. AND! they replaced it with a Pentium III, 128 Mb RAM unit, which had a significantly higher retail price vs. this model! You can't ask for better service than that.
Bottom line -- at work and home, I deal with about six different notebook companies, and service is the most important feature. If you like the look, feel and style, the performance will always be about the same, so go for service if you want long-term satisfaction. HP is proving themselves worthy of high praise on service.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 2000
Operating System: Windows
Processor: Intel Celeron
Processor speed: 401-500
Screen Size: 14
RAM: 64
Internal Storage: CD-ROM
Hard Drive (GB): 13-20
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Epinions.com ID:
DGodesky
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Location: Maryland
Reviews written: 74
Trusted by: 5 members
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