Compaq Presario 2720US Notebook (1.2-GHz Pentium III, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)

Amazon.com Product Description

At 11.02 by 12.99 by 1.65 inches and 7.9 pounds, the Compaq Presario 2720US is not the smallest notebook on the market, yet that may be precisely the reason Compaq can offer such a capable computer at such a reasonable price. If you appreciate the power and performance of a top-notch notebook and can handle its slightly above-average size, the 2720US offers a lot of bang for the buck.

The unit is particularly well suited to multimedia applications. Its large 1,024 x 768 15-inch, active-matrix viewing screen ensures you'll get the most out of the movies you can play on the system's integrated eight-speed DVD drive. Its subwoofer-enhanced JBL Pro Audio speaker system delivers impressive output whether you're enjoying a Hollywood blockbuster or listening to a compilation CD you've burned on the built-in, 16-speed (write) CD-RW drive. And although its 8 MB ATI Radeon video card won't effectively render the latest and greatest 3-D animation programs or games, it quite comfortably runs most any other entertainment or business application.

Driven by a reliable 1.2 GHz Intel Pentium III processor with 512 KB of Level 2 cache for improved data retrieval and Intel's battery-conserving SpeedStep technology, the 2720US is faster and more economical than many similarly priced notebooks. Compaq has matched this chip with 256 MB of 133 MHz SDRAM memory (upgradeable to one full GB) and a substantial 20 GB hard drive to fashion a solid nerve center that should satisfy all but the most demanding users. A 3.5-inch floppy disk drive offers support for older, smaller programs and quick data backup.

The 2720US sports enough ports to accommodate virtually any form of expansion and exterior connection, including two USB ports for plug-and-play peripherals, an S-video TV-out port for television output, a single parallel port for devices such as printers, an external monitor VGA port, an internal 56K modem and 10/100 Mbps Ethernet network connection, an IEEE 1394 digital video port for digital camcorders, and a QuickDock connector for ultrafast hookup of additional accessories.

The keyboard section offers 88 full-size keys, an array of one-touch e-mail and multimedia controls, a four-way Internet scrolling tool, and a touchpad. To help get you started, Compaq has installed the Home Edition of the Windows XP operating system and an assortment of helpful Internet and informational utilities.

Product Description

The Compaq Presario creates the perfect balance of exceptional performance and lightweight convenience in a multimedia notebook. Its innovative design packs everything you need for the ultimate multimedia excitement. Breeze through your most demanding programs with an amazingly fast processor, generous cache and high-performance graphics. Watch your multimedia applications spring to life with the large display that features brilliant, lifelike colors and striking contrast. The Presario is the perfect all-in-one complement for the go-anywhere enthusiast who insists on the ultimate quality and performance that only comes from Compaq.With dual optical drives and dual battery support, The Compaq Presario 2700 series is the most complete mobile solution ever offered. These notebooks feature speedy Intel processors, a high-resolution 15" TFT display and JBL Pro speakers. True desktop performance with a bold design!

Customer Reviews:

This hardware will give you a headache.......2003-07-31

This notebook has a lot of great features (that is...if the notebook actually works properly). After less than a year of consistent use, my notebook's hard drive crashed. I learned a great lesson from this...NEVER EVER purchase a Compaq computer. I've had the most difficult time with Compaq's tech support. It's very hard trying to convince them something isn't a software problem, but a hardware problem. After Compaq supposedly repaired my notebook the first time, they sent it back to me in non-working condition. Clear your calendar and be prepared to spend many hours and days on the phone with Compaq tech support. After numerous conversations, with what felt like most of Compaq's tech team, they replaced the hard drive for a second time. Too bad they couldn't get it right the first time around. Oh...the problems didn't stop there. The individual at the Compaq repair center didn't even reseal my notebook before sending it back to me. I was "fortunate" enough to have all of the factory settings still installed. To my delight, this meant another phone call to Compaq tech support. So now, after using my laptop (which is on its 3rd hard drive - sad for such a young notebook), my computer is making strange noises. Apparently the hard drive hasn't been fixed, after all. All of my complaining has fallen upon the deaf ears of Compaq personnel, but please take this as a lesson learned and stay away from Compaq hardware. Here's a tip; if you purchase this notebook, make sure you purchase a great backup system!!

A decent notebook.......2002-06-05

The notebook is overall good.

But there are things to be desired:

1. The 15" screen can only do 1024x768 natively. 1400 x 1050 like 2701, 2710 and 2715 is much better. Besides, 8MB SDRAM is too small for dual monitor in case. The ATI video card seems decent with OpenGL stuffs but mediocre with DirectX.

2. Only one PC card slot available and it's there with the build-in DVD ROM. Practically means you don't have much room for expand or using a card with antena simultaneously while in need of changing DVD (this notebook has no Wireless built-in).

3. Unlike SONY rivals, this one, doesn't come with movie software even though a 1394 port is available.

4. XP home edition home networking expect you have all XP machines or at least a DHCP and DNS server. Connecting with NT4 machines in your own domain with static IP is difficult to get right and run smoothly. Don't even think about built-in internet sharing for heterogenous systems. :-(

5. As CNet review pointed out, the shining surface may be a problem of later and it's really hefty.

6. Even before CPQ and HP merge ( a very very bad thing), the support is not something to be always counted on. For example, a yellow paper hinted that there may be something you need to do before first charging the battery, but you don't have a printed user guide for that. It's not even mentioned in the user guide in the documentation CD! The user forum comments doesn't seem to make much sense either. Anyway, I think one just need to calibrate battery during the first use.

An excellent Desktop Replacement.......2002-05-30

The Presario 2720 US is a lot of bang for the buck and shows very careful design from Compaq. Beginning with the basic case, the screen itself is thicker than on most notebooks in order to protect the 15-inch XGA screen from damage. This type of thoughtful design shows through the rest of this excellent desktop replacement.

The Screen itself is very crisp and clear. DVD movies look great, and are can be seen by people next to the screen as well, not just the person sitting dead in front of it. The Native XGA resolution allows you to view full page documents easily without making you strain your eyes. The integrated DVD drive is fairly quiet and conveniently placed on the left side.

The 1.2 GigaHertz Pentium-III M processor is for some odd reason even faster than the 1.7 GigaHertz Pentium IV processors in some of the newer notebooks. Thanks to Intel's SpeedStep technology, the processor steps down to between 750 and 866 MegaHertz when it is not plugged into save battery life. This lets you use the 2720 as an extremely capable desktop replacement when plugged in, or a reasonably fast notebook while traveling.

This is not the lightest notebook to travel with, but the weightsaver can be placed in the CD-RW bay to reduce the weight by about a pound. The only downside is that the CD-RW is the only built in removable storage device since like many new notebooks, the 2720 does not come with a floppy disk drive. But that same bay can also hold an extra battery (for close to four hours of battery life), other hard drive or various other FutureBayII modules.

All in all, this is a great buy and should satisfy almost all business and home laptop users.

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