Hardware

Gain your freedom for less money with a Presario laptop

By // July 18, 2006, 8:44 AM PST // billdetwiler

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  • Specs: Intel(R) Celeron(R) M 370 (1.5 GHz) 14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x768) Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900 ? Celeron 512MB DDR SDRAM 60 GB 4200 RPM Hard Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG WLAN 400MHz front-side bus High-speed 56K data/fax modem 10/100 Base-T Fast Ethernet interface 1 PCI I/II PCMCIA slot 2 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) 1 headphone-out 1 microphone-in 1 SVGA port Firewire 5.21 lbs P.S. Ignore the desk clutter ? I've been busy!

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • The case is sturdy enough for everyday use, but it is still delicate enough that you wouldn't want to drop it or sit on it or something. And I would not take this on a camping trip.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • The Presario V2000 has nearly a full-size keyboard with a good size touch pad for "mousing" around. Much to my surprise, the keys on this laptop are not mushy.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • One key feature of the Presario V2000 is the wireless connection button (the blue button). When it is lit it means a wireless access point is detected. The button toggles wireless detection on/off. The other buttons control the volume and mute the sound ? easy access to buttons like that is a plus.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • I like the big touchpad and the big left, right buttons. The button on top turns off the touchpad, which is handy when you are pounding out a heated reply to your insurance company.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • The microphone and the headphone jacks are in the front, which is very convenient. The Presario V2000 has a decent pair of speakers in the front also, but I invested in a nice pair of headphones myself.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • On one side you have two USB ports, a Firewire port, and the DVD / CD-RW drive.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • The DVD drive and the software that came with it work very well, but I am concerned about the drive's tray ? it is very flimsy.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • The other side houses the PCI I/II PCMCIA slot, another USB port, the Ethernet and Modem connections and the SVGA port. You can see in this photo where several of the laptop's optional features would be located if I had chosen to get them. The options include a memory card reader.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • This is a look at the screen, which is gorgeous and is dubbed the 14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen by Compaq. This photo does not do it justice ? trust me, it is fantastic. It is easily the best feature of this laptop model.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

  • This is a snippet of the Compaq shopping page for the Presario V2000. The $649 price is what I paid at Best Buys, only I didn't have to go through the rebate hoops because it was all instant savings that week. For the money, I'm not sure you can beat this laptop. Sure there are more powerful portable computers, but not at this low price.

    CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

Specs: Intel(R) Celeron(R) M 370 (1.5 GHz) 14.0" WXGA BrightView Widescreen (1280x768) Intel(R) Graphics Media Accelerator 900 ? Celeron 512MB DDR SDRAM 60 GB 4200 RPM Hard Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG WLAN 400MHz front-side bus High-speed 56K data/fax modem 10/100 Base-T Fast Ethernet interface 1 PCI I/II PCMCIA slot 2 Universal Serial Bus (USB 2.0) 1 headphone-out 1 microphone-in 1 SVGA port Firewire 5.21 lbs P.S. Ignore the desk clutter ? I've been busy!

CNET Networks, Mark W. Kaelin

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By Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and Tech Pro Research and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop supp...