Compaq Presario R3000 Review

Compaq's R3000 series of laptops offers several AMD and Intel processor choices and a host of configuration options making it a lineup of notebooks suitable for all types of users.

Summary

Compaq’s R3000 line of Pentium 4 notebooks is a solid performer with good looks and good features. While lacking some of the bells and whistles of other "multimedia friendly" competitors, its minimalist styling is both sleek and functional.

Backed by Compaq’s one-year limited hardware warranty, the R3000 series offers a host of configuration options and add-ons. With integrated ATI Radeon 9000 graphics and integrated Broadcom 54G wireless, the R3000 is well-suited for the mobile professional or student who doesn’t mind lugging around eight pounds, and the casual gamer who doesn’t need the highest settings in the latest games. Its powerful JBL Pro speakers, DVD and CDR/W combo drive and 15.4-inch screen make this an excellent choice for multimedia use as well.

At over eight pounds it certainly isn’t the most portable laptop available, but the weight compares favorably to competing products. If you’re looking for a sturdy laptop that is somewhere between ultra-portable and a desktop replacement, Compaq’s R3000 line, while not being flashy or innovative, is a good choice.

With the laptop PC marketplace flooding with both ultra-portable solutions and heavy desktop-replacement notebooks, some of the best deals can be found in the mid-sized category.

Take Compaq’s Presario R3000T platform for instance. The company offers the R3000T series with a 15.4-inch screen and a number of configurations that can keep it below the $1,000 price range or over $1,300. With integrated flash card readers, a host of optical drive options and good battery life, the R300T series has a lot to offer a wide range of consumers looking for a portable computer that won’t break the bank, or their backpack straps.

The R3000 series features a sturdy black plastic exterior and a silver interior finish.

Features and Design

While Compaq offers the R3000 series with several different configurations, our test machine for this review featured an Intel Pentium 4 processor at 2.8GHz and 512MB of PC2700 DDR memory. Our 15.4-inch widescreen model also included a 40GB Hitachi 4200RPM hard drive, ATI’s Radeon 9000 integrated graphics processor, and an internal Broadcom 802.11b/g mini-PCI card. Compaq sells the R3000 series with Microsoft’s Windows XP Home operating system or, as our system was configured, with Windows XP Pro.

The 15.4-inch WXGA TFT wide-angle screen runs at a native 1280×800 resolution. Compaq also offers the R3000 with WSXGA+ (1680×1050) and WUXGA (1920×1200) options, as well as a new "Brightview" version of the WXGA screen, which is supposed to offer a higher contrast image.

Smooth rounded corners give the black and sliver R3000 a sleek look that has proved to be quite durable over a few months of use. The top and bottom of the computer are black plastic with the center portion, including the keyboard and hand rest, finished in a thinner-feeling silver plastic. The bottom of the casing features solid rubber feet in each of the four corners and ridges throughout, presumably to help with heat dissipation.

Opting for a different design than some other laptops, Compaq has placed most of the expansion ports and interfaces on each side of the machine instead of at the rear. Those annoyed with having to turn a computer around or awkwardly reach behind it to plug in a USB device will appreciate Compaq’s design choice here. The only interfaces at the back of the computer are the legacy devices