I don't leave home without it. (UPDATED!)
Written: Dec 12 '00 (Updated Mar 31 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: 14" TFT screen, decent sound, 8 MB M-1 3D AGP graphics, excellent Tech support.
Cons: Heavy, short battery life, relatively slow processor, small Hard Drive, runs VERY hot.
The Bottom Line: This is a 2 year old system. I wouldn't pay more than $800 for it used, since it does need a bunch of upgrades, like CPU, RAM and Harddrive.
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| toast822's Full Review: Compaq Presario 1675 (108882-003) PC Notebook |
UPDATE (3/31/2002):
I upgraded the system with a K6-III+ 450 MHz (overclocked to 500 MHz with the Central Tweaking unit), for a 185 % speed increase!!! Anything to breathe new life into this system and to avoid the $2000 for a new one!
Also has repair and solder back on power connector and replace battery.
Read a report about these procedures at http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze2t52g/1675.html
UPDATE (11/04/01):
Gotta love ebay: I found a 20 GB hard drive there for $120. It is a Fujitsu, and it is a bit louder than the stock drive, but 20 GB is plenty of breathing room. Since the drive was a OEM drive (i.e., there was no documentation or file transfer software), I had to completely re-do the entire OS. The Compaq Restore CD's work fine, but can seem a bit intimidating for an inexperienced user (then again, an inexperienced user would not want to open a laptop to install a new hard drive). The restore process took about 2 hours, because it not only installs Windows 98 but also every bell and whistel that orignally came with the computer, such as Works, Quicken etc.
In exploring the computer's insides further, I discovered that the internal RAM is removeable in the same as the external RAM, so I found two 128 MB DIMM's on ebay for $25 each. I installed them, and the computer rrrrraaaaaaannnnn rrrreeeeaaalllllyyyy ssssslllllooooowwwwwllllllyyyyyyy. Norton Benchmark went down from 110 to 74. I tried various permutations of RAM configuration, and after doing some online research discovered that the BIOS of this model cannot handle more than 128 MB of RAM. That means you should not install Windows XP on this computer (since XP runs best with 256 MB or RAM).
Another review of this laptop laments the bad video connection in this model. This has started to happen with mine, but I discovered that a quick flick to just the right sweet spot on the bottom left of the monitor makes it reappear.
The original review:
WHY DID YOU PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT?
I travel for a living, and I wanted a laptop that had a large screen, worked well with MS Office 2000 and NetObjects Fusion 4.0 and was speedy enough to run a few games. I looked at the Compaq 1200-XL111, but the screen was small (13") and blurry, and a HP Laptop that had a DVD player (but I cannot remember the model number). None of the other system I looked at could support a 1024x768 screen resolution. I found the 1675 refurbished at a computer show, and it was exactly what I was looking for.
There was a problem with the video hardware that popped up immediately: Games crashed, the system locked up, and Windows 98 windows did not display correctly. I was on the phone with Compaq tech support for 1 1/2 hours. They finally agreed to repair the system; picked it up the next day and I had it back in 2 weeks. They replaced the CPU, the motherboard, the HD and the CD ROM.
The power adapter also threw a spark and died, but Compaq Fed Ex'd me a new one in 2 days.
Ever since the repair, the computer has worked perfectly. I have the feeling that the problems I had with the system were due to improper refurbishing rather than a flaw with the computer itself. Compaq's tech support was excellent.
The outfit (MICON in Livonia, MI, stay away from them!) I got it from was a tad shady. They sold me the system as a 500 mHz AMD K6-2, not the 380 mHz it actually is rated at. I never found out if they over clocked the system or actually upgraded it to a 500 mHz, but when I got it back from Compaq, it was equipped with the original 380 mHz CPU. Every contact I had with Micon, they defended themselves by closing with the statement: "that would be a bad business practice". Sounds to me like they knew that they were running a poor business.
4/4/01 New comment on this issue: Since the warranty has expired, I opened up the laptop and had a look inside. The original 500 mHz K6-2 was installed, but it was clocked down to the stock 380 mHz. I played around with the dipswitches, and found the 500 mHz configuration. All the old problems appeared again, so I progressively clocked it down to 400 mHz, where it runs fine. I also got a DVD player on ebay (for a mere $35!), and installed it with little difficulty. DVD's run amazingly well.
WHO WOULD BENEFIT MOST FROM USING THIS PRODUCT?
Travelers, students and anyone wanting a solid mobile system. The 1675 is supposed to come with a DVD drive, but the one I bought was refurbished, and I saved $200 by forgoing the DVD drive. So, if you got this computer with the DVD, you could watch movies on the road!
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS PRODUCT OVER THE COMPETITION?
My mom has a Compaq 1200-Xl(something) laptop, and she loves it. I figured I go with what I know, and it was a good decision.
The biggest selling point for me, other than low price, was the 14" TFT screen, the 64 MB ram and the ATI Rage Mobility M-1 8 MB graphics adapter. Though it does not support all the Glide accelerations, most games that require a 3D video card will work on this laptop, esp. if the game is a few years old (like Quake 2, MechWarrior 3, Flight Simulator 98 or Battlezone).
The biggest drawback of the 1675 is the short battery life. The battery only lasts about 1 1/2 hours (2 hours if you only use Word or Excel and shut off the HD), even though it is a Li-Ion battery. It may have to do with the fact that, again, I bought this system refurbished, and the battery was not conditioned properly from the beginning. It is rated at having a 2 - 4 hour battery life, but those ratings always seem to be inflated.
The 4.3 GB Hard Drive is too small for today’s workloads, and could use an upgrade.
The system also runs REALLY hot. The bottom of the laptop at the memory expansion port is too hot to touch after about 45 minutes. The cooling fan runs pretty much all the time. I guess this is a problem with every laptop, but this is my first one, and I was surprised.
The system is also quite heavy: It weighs in at over 8 1/2 lbs with all the accessories. The computer itself weighs 7.1 lbs with the battery.
WHICH ACCESSORIES WORK WELL WITH THIS PRODUCT?
I use a Netgear FA-410 TX PCMCIA network adapter, and I upgraded the memory to 128 MB (a must).
I also have an airplane/car AC power adapter, which is essential. Many airlines (US Airways Airbus 319/320/321/330, United's newer airplanes and American's newer airplanes) have in seat power ports, which require this special adapter.
WHICH DON'T?
I could not get the game "Star Wars Force Commander" to work.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
toast822
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Location: Arlington, VA
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
I'm just a regular guy who loves toys. BTW, that's me on the left!
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