compaq presario v2000 laptop battery review

compaq presario v2000 laptop battery review

"If you're considering a wide-screen laptop for travel, the Compaq Presario V2000 belongs at the top of your list. At just 6.1 pounds (not including the AC adapter), this compact unit is easier to carry than many competing wide-screen notebooks. Its 14.1-inch BrightView screen, an inch shorter than a standard 14.1-inch screen, should clear an airline seat back much more easily.

Be sure to shell out the extra $25 for the V2000's optional 12-cell battery. EVO N610C,It lasted 5.8 hours in our tests--long enough to see you through a coast-to-coast flight, a short layover, and maybe even the taxi ride to the hotel. (We didn't test the standard 6-cell battery.)

The V2000's bright WXGA screen is top-of-the-line. With a native resolution of 1280 by 768 pixels, it displays icons that are big enough to read easily while giving you an extra inch of width (it's as wide as a standard 15-inch screen). You'll still have to do some adjusting and scrolling in order to view two detailed windows side-by-side, but you'll see considerably more of your spreadsheets or graphics applications and their palettes on this relatively small laptop.

The keyboard is perfect, with responsive keys that depress just the right amount and hardly make a sound. EVO N620C,The underpinnings feel firm, and the layout is roomy. A lock button for the touchpad prevents the cursor from wandering as you type, and the tall rear battery forms a foot that provides a nice slant to the keyboard. The rest of the laptop is just as impressive, with a DVD burner (in our review configuration), a FireWire port, and three USB 2.0 spread out along the right side, along with a six-in-one card reader to take care of all your data exchange needs with PDAs, cameras, and other devices. The front-mounted speakers sound surprisingly loud and realistic, with volume buttons positioned at the top of the keyboard.

Plenty of sensibly located icons ensure that you won't get lost navigating the V2000's features. Icons conveniently situated around the keyboard (and in easy view on top of the case) mark side connections. Protected by grooved black panels held in by a couple of screws, the memory and hard drive compartments on the bottom of the laptop are clearly identified, too. Status lights appear on the front, where they're easy to monitor; the Wi-Fi LED glows the same pleasing blue as the Wi-Fi switch at the top of the keyboard.

When you're not on the road, the Compaq Presario V2000 (compaq presario v2000 battery )makes an excellent desktop EVO N600C,replacement when united with HP's pavilion dv1000 ( hp pavilion dv1000 battery )expansion base. The base, which serves as a port replicator and notebook stand, comes with built-in, subwoofer-enhanced Harman/Kardon speakers that rock even harder than the notebook's built-in speakers. The base also houses an internal bay that can accommodate a big (160GB) second hard drive, giving you a total of 260GB of storage if you opt for a 100GB primary hard drive. The $299 Xb2000 base includes a wireless mouse and keyboard, too.

When equipped with a 1.8-GHz Pentium M 745 processor, the V2000 zips along at a creditable clip; it earned a WorldBench 5 score of 75 in our tests--a statistically insignificant 2 points behind the mark posted by a similarly configured IBM ThinkPad T42 (ibm thinkpad t42 battery ).

With its light weight, long battery life, and easy-to-read screen, the Compaq Presario V2000 might be the perfect wide-screen laptop, especially for road warriors.

The keyboard and touchpad are among the nicest features of the V2000. The keys have a comfortable, springy feel. The widescreen design accommodates a wider keyboard layout. Above the keyboard there are several buttons: main power,EVO N410c, wireless button, and volume controls. I like the placement of these additional buttons because they are close enough that they are easily accessible but still separate from the main keyboard. The touchpad and mouse buttons work extremely well. The touchpad also has a region that serves the same function as the scroll wheel on a mouse. The only problem that I have noticed with this feature is that my right palm sometimes brushes the touchpad when I am typing and the screen scrolls a few lines. This is easily remedied by turning the touchpad off when typing long documents or when using an external mouse. The touchpad control button sits between the space bar and the touch pad. There is an orange LED that lets the user know if the touch pad control is on.

Input and Output Ports

There are multiple ports on both side panels of the computer. The left side panel contains the following ports:

PMCIA slot

USB 2.0 port

Phone line and Ethernet ports

Expansion base port (expansion base is sold separately)

VGA monitor video output

In addition to the CD drive,EVO N400c, the right side panel contains the following ports:

6-in-1 memory card reader

Firewire port

Two USB 2.0 ports

S-Video output

The front panel contains the audio output, the microphone input, the display release button, various status lights, and stereo speakers. The AC power input port is located on the rear panel. Overall, I am impressed with the input and output port options on the V2000. It is nice to have three USB ports, and it is even nicer to have them on both side panels. My only complaint with configuration of the ports is that the AC power input is not very convenient to access on the rear panel. I would rather have the AC input port on one of the side panels, and have one of the less frequently used ports (VGA monitor or S-Video output) moved to the rear panel.

Wireless

I ordered my computer with the Intel PRO/Wireless 2200 (without Bluetooth). The wireless card can be turned off directly from the keyboard by pressing the wireless button. There is a blue light on the wireless button that tells you when the card is turned on, and there is also a blue indicator light on the front panel that lets the user know when the wireless card is turned on.Armada M700, The wireless card has worked for me every time, and I am happy with its range and performance.

Battery

There are two battery options on the V2000: 6-cell lithium ion or 12-cell lithium ion. Because I was trying to minimize both the cost and the weight of the computer, I ordered the V2000 with the 6-cell battery. With everyday use, I can get almost three hours out of the 6-cell. This has worked out very well for my demands. I mainly use the computer at home,i buy the battery from the site: http://www.discount-laptopbattery.com/ibm-thinkpad-t42-series.htm , it is discount and high quality the school library, and at coffeehouses. Because I never seem to be very far from a power source, the battery life of the 6-cell has worked well for me. However, for those who need a longerCompaq Laptop Battery, battery life and are not bothered by a little extra weight, the V2000 can be ordered with a 12-cell battery (instead of the 6-cell) for an additional $25.

Operating System and Software

The V2000 (compaq laptop battery )comes with either the Home or Professional editions of Windows XP. The operating system was already installed when the computer was delivered, and the operating system disks were included with the manuals. The computer was delivered with a thin "Getting Started" manual. The more comprehensive manual is on a CD that comes with the computer.

Warranty and Customer Support

Although I was on a quest to keep the cost of this computer as low as I could, I purchased an additional warranty so that I could have a little extra peace of mind. I bought the 2 year Express Repair coverage for $99.99. The warranty information was delivered in a separate box with the extended warranty information, a warranty sticker, and mail-in registration forms. I have not had a chance to evaluate this coverage yet because I have not had any problems with the computer.

Conclusion

Although the Compaq Presario V2000 is not the smallest and lightest notebook on the market, I am happy that I bought this computer. The widescreen design gives the V2000 a significant functional advantage with little impact on its portability. Despite a few minor design concerns (the AC input on the back panel, the CD drive door, and the thickness), I would recommend this to computer to someone who wants a middle-of-the-road computer for decent price. The custom options allowed me to build a computer that suited my basic needs while keeping the cost within my range. The custom options are also flexible enough that more sophisticated users can upgrade to more powerful options. This makes the V2000 well-suited to a wide range of users.