Compaq Presario R3000 Review

8/10

The R3000 is well-suited for the mobile professional or student who doesn't mind lugging around eight pounds, and the casual gamer

Buy it Now:

Highs: Internal flash card reader; sleek, durable casing; good configuration options.

Lows: Card reader lacking Compact Flash; no expandibility options for extra battery, hard drive or floppy drive; weighs over eight pounds.

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

  • patricia c
    good machine reliable stable nice features very pleased with it , only gripe is its not very upgradeable apart fron H/D and ram
  • jon
    Most Compaq R3000 notebooks arrive with a Toshiba SD-R6252 DVDCD RW that has no support or firmware drivers for it. Beware, if you loose your drivers for this unit you have to send it back to HP to replace the DVD drive with a Sony and reload the OS software.
  • nc cannon
    at less than two months, returned for defective speakers. Upon receipt from repair, the machine failed to boot and had to be returned to repair. Concept of machine good and when it works, it is neat. But there may be severe quality issues.
  • Betty
    i got my compaq for my 13th bday a few days ago. So far its been great and i just cant get enough of it!
  • Sahal
    i got this on my 15th birthday, its great! hasnt caused any problems, very stable, speakers are great for a laptop, the dvd + writer is good, very good graphics card that can run such high demanding games such as unreal tournament 4 and doom 3. And the cd/dvd writer came with a firmware upgrade. so far no problems

    GREAT LAPTOP
  • scheiler
    I have a Dell C640. P4; 2.4Ghz; 40G HD. I have had it for a little over a year...became unhappy with it after the 4th month. Just got the R3000 for my wife, beautiful machine. Responds wonderfully WITH the XP sp2 update. Sound system makes me jealous, the screen -- BEAUTIFUL!. I think i need one too!
  • Tom Reid
    Bought the R3210 with the 60Gig hard drive. Increasd RAM to 512 from the 256. Runs super, a bit on the heavy side if you're lugging it around campus. Very good on playing movies.
  • Joseph
    This laptop is great, the screen is huge, the sound is good, it's nice and light and with 3D modeling and game playing it's perfect!
  • Jay
    got mine for $857 (after student discount,$10 off coupon and $100.00 mail in rebate) some savvy shopping and help from forums got me this sweet machine(athlon xpm 3000+,512 RAM,combo drive,wirless G,widescreen and extended battery). benchmarked it with sandra ,performance similar to a P4 2.6ghz.
    I use it to code in Visual Basic,do a bunch of simulation,GIS and the regulars CD burning surfing and office.I cant complain.

    Very very happy with performance,the wirless is very strong.
    get a battery life of 4hours on "MAX battery" setting.

    ONLY CON: VERY HEAVY..,,with the brick adapter a wireless mouse and maybe a file..it is a pain walking on campus.
  • melly
    Nice looking notebook, screen big & keypad set out well. However, have wasted many $ on blank dvd +R x4, very picky machine, only seems to burn tdk without probs. No updates to Toshiba SD-R6252 burner sucks. not happy.
  • shay johns
    I just bought my r3000, and i have tried everything within the troubleshooting guide, and i cannot figure out why the two usb ports on the rom side are not working,,could someone help me?..thanks
  • Jo Ann Bul
    I was very disappointed when I realized that there was no dvd burner.
  • MajMikeW
    Mine has the AMD Athlon 64 at 3200; the super DVD/CD burner, and I got it at Best Buy for $1099 after rebates (about $300).
  • Tony A
    Bought mine from Office Depot, it took many calls and finally it is the way that I wanted it. The final cost to me was @660 and I have the 2.8 30gig,512M,dvd 2x writer,15.4 screen and wireless G with floppy, 12 cell battery and cards reader. Only thing missing is the serial port and mike. I bought the media adapter cord for the one wire out connection to my HD 65" surround sound system.
    I know that this system is superior to my work IBM think Pad and my Dell notebook for 1/3 the price.
    This is a great (abeit heavy) machine at a fantastic price if you are careful. The 15.4 screen is crisp and for my use its quiet operation, good battery life, perfect. for the family room unit to keep you away from the desk. The wireless G allows me to work outside to enjoy the socal life.
  • Karl Evans
    Hi, I was very happy with my purchase of a Compaq Presario R3000 for the first month. Suddenly after switching it on one day during the second month a RED vertical line had appeared on the right 3rd of the screen. The machine was purchased as new and I think that after such a short period of time for £1500 I would have expected a better quality product. As I am a home user a replacement is out of the question from ** World. Now I am basically paying for a repaired machine, which I could just have easily bought from a second hand shop. To say the least I am not impressed. I'm sure things like this do happen from time to time but I am getting the impression that the quality of the product is not up to much. You cant judge a book by it's cover. It was just my luck the 28 days fault/replace warranty had just run out with ** World.
  • Mary
    All of the 3 computers in my house connect via cable connection. 8 out of 10 times this computer has problems connecting while others (who have no programs running at all) can connect just fine. One of the big selling points for me was the wireless card. I have to be right next to the wireless router for it to work and even then it still doesn't. I would return this product in a heart beat if I could.
  • hitechguy
    First R3000 arrived with a failed HD. Second R3000, has had power supply, speaker, and sound card issues within 4 month. Support from HP has been very bad. I have two other compaq laptops that were good quality and led me to purchase this one and never had any problems. Do your homework on where the laptop is manufactured.
  • Bo-Bo
    Was a great laptop for FIVE months, then suddenly no power going to the unit from the adapter. Its on its way for warranty repair. Was told the motherboard needs replaced. Ohhh Boy!
  • Haylee
    Overall i am happy with the laptop. Huge screen, wireless internet, CD burner....but i was a little annoyed that there was no DVD burner, and for some reason my fingerpad turmed shiney (maybe from skin oil or something) and i cant find anything that will clean it. **If you buy one, DON'T buy it @ Radio Shack, cuz i paid $1800 for mine!
  • Taylor W.
    Great machine for college. Aesthetic features a little less than satisfying, but quality-wise, a solid investment.
  • Diana
    My widescreen is gorgeous. The speakers are the best I've ever heard-- on a laptop. HOWEVER, a lot of people feel they have been HAD because they thought it had a DVD burner. I spent a lot of time trying to burn A DVD, and even purchased burn writeable DVDs for which I can't get my money back. I'm pissed, and want my money back for this laptop. IT WAS A MARKETING TRICK: The DVD DRIVE IS CALLED a "DVD/CD RW Drive". COME ON-- that was done ON PURPOSE. Just look at all the people here who have the same comments, and who thought the same thing. GET A FREE DVD BURNER FROM HP (which is the same company as COMPAQ now).

    I give it a 2 and not a zero because of the screen and speakers. I should have deducted another point for the weight. I know people who weigh less than this thing.
  • Ryan
    I know some people are complaining because it doesnt have a DVD burner. if you know much about computers a DVD/CD-RW Combo drive is not a dvd burner .. it's a cd burner with dvd reading capabilities. I have a sony desktop that came with one, and I knew before bying the r3000 what I was getting. Also the screen is great and all features seem fine. Weight is my only issue, but it's managable
  • Techy
    I just received this laptop and so far its a champ. Yes it is on the heavy side, but what did you expect when you bought it, did you not look at the weight on the specs??? So far this laptop has been very compatiable with everything I have had to do so far. I edit videos and do allot of photoshopping in my career and this laptop has been able to do everything so far. And for those who thought they were getting a dvd burner, LOOK UP what your going to buy before you buy it, do some research, dvd/cd-rw means it has a dvd PLAYER and a CD burner , not dvd burner, anyone with common sense can figure this one out, by either doing a little research or thinking about for 2 seconds. anyway so far no problems and works great, this coming from a guy who was a computer tech for 11 years
  • jgraham
    This machine is great! It works for almost everything I need it to do. The wireless network had a few problems getting and staying connected, but this is a problem with a Windows process and not the machine. My only complaint is that when I did a 64bit Linux installation, I can't get the wireless adapter to work. Apparantly the company that makes the card, Broadcom, won't release information about it or make a Linux driver, and I can't find a 64 bit workaround. Other than that, I've got no complaints.
  • Joe
    Like someone else, my computer battery stopped holding a charge after about a month. Compaq replaced the mother board and the computer's been working fine since.

    The wireless connection is usually very strong; I've had problems with other external cards in the past--they've lost their signal gradually over a few months until no signal was left. It's been 6 months with this Presario and the wireless connection's still strong as ever.

    People are complaining about lack of a DVD burner and deceptive advertising. But, mine has a DVD burner. I've used it to upload DVD's onto my hard drive, but I don't have any blank DVD's so I was unable to actually finish the second "part" of the burning. Here's the prodct specs:

    "Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz, 15.4 in. WXGA TFT Active Matrix, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, 512 MB, CD-RW/DVD+RW, 60 GB hard drive"

    So, I don't get why other people read "DVD/CD-RW" and assumed that the "RW" part only applied to the CD drive. BOTH drives are both R&W, as written above. All in all, it's been a very good product so far...I know there's TV-out, but I'm still trying to figure out if there's TV-in...I want to try to record from TV onto the PC.
  • venkatesh
    Please sent me a quoation for latest notepad
  • Shane Bowm
    After using several other brands that lasted 3 to 6 months tops the R3000 is a breath of fresh air. I use it in industrial enviroments where its black tough case is perfect. The keyboard ir regularly blown out by compressed air to remove dirt and powdered glass and I have had no failures in its 18 month life. My only gripe is its lack of serial port (oh well they are history now anyway)
  • Torontoman
    I brought R3202 before Chirstmas at Office depot as family gift,unbeliveble price $630 when i told my friend,15.0 TFT XGA,256 DDR,Celeron 2.8Ghz(not P4),30 GB hard drive,DVD/CD-RW, but not wireless card (may be i didn't find it),the main reason i brought it is for the CD burner and the USB port for my digital camera.but i was so impressed about the outlook of R3000 big screen,nice look mouse pad and 3 USB port that gives me mouse/printer/camera together.the only thing so far is I'm not impressed about the speaker so connected my external speaker.
    above all worth to buy for family.best price vs. product.
  • HarryC
    I biught 2 Presario R3140US laptops. The Toshiba SD-R6252 DVD+RW Drive on both of them has locked up. It clicks a few times but won't read. Device manager says it's working but it isn't. I've uninstalled and reinstalled, updated the firmware etc. My son got his to work by pulling the door loose from the drive, he thinks the laser is catching on the door. HP has been no help. Just told me to do what I've already done. Guess I'll have to ship it back to them. They used to have a users forum but I guess it was too easy for people to figure out they got a trash model. Other than the DVD writer it works fine, but the writer was what I bought it for.
  • LonnyB
    Picked up an R3290US a week and a half ago and it seems to work okay. I kind of thought that it would perform a little better given that it has a 3.2GHz P4 processor, 800MHz FSB, 512MB RAM and 128MB dedicated video RAM but perhaps the 4.2k rpm HD contributes to the occasional sluggishness. Worked a little better after I disabled some of the included but unnecessary programs that are set to autorun by default.
    Am not very impressed with the included Toshiba SD-R6252 DVD burner. I really wanted a dual format drive but HP seems to support +R. Almost returned the setup because the drive wouldn't read a DVD-R. Finally got it to read a couple different -R discs. As mentioned elsewhere, it seems a bit picky about what +R media you use with it. I made 2 coasters using Memorex 8x +R discs. Finally bought a few Verbatim 4x discs and was successful. Someone else mentioned good luck with TDK discs as well.
    Built-in wireless works well. Connected easily in a hotel. The memory card ports are convenient as well. The price I paid ($1430) wasn't bad compared to other places it was listed so it seems to be a reasonably good value.
  • Steve
    When the thing is running it is the greatest thing on earth. However, it is never running. I have owned it for three months, and it has been being repaired for about half of that time. Motherboard, and power supply issues sent back under warranty which will probably expire before I ever get it back.
  • Dan'l
    I have the athalon xpm 3000+, bought 256 RAM, DVD/CD RW, floppy, 64 mb video,15.4 screen, wireless 80211.g, 40 gb hd, upgraded battery. I upgraded to 512 since buying which made it quicker (less. Wireless is great, speed and range. Screen is wonderful. Wish I'd got the 60 gb hd. I highly recommend the 3000, and would buy another. I use a usb to serial device from iogear, which works well (in answer to an earlier comment). I appreciate the ability to turn off the fingerpad.
  • Anonymous
    My hard drive powers down (spins down) every 10 to 15 seconds. I can be typing a word do*****ent, and the system just freezes until it spins the hard drive back up. I have been on with HP/Compaq (in india i suppose) with no luck. The power settings are at max/max with no timeouts. I think there is a BIOS or hard drive workaround but no one can tell me. Not much help to have the P4 w/HT when the processor has to wait on the hard drive to spin up.
  • A.Collins
    I have really enjoyed this laptopsince the day I purchased it. I am a student at Waterloo University and this laptop has gotten me through the thick and thin. I love it!!
  • criffider
    i dont know what everyone is complaining about ...the video card is a little lacking in this model ( 32 meg nvidia )

    the screen and speakers are amazing 15.4" hi def
    ive only had it for aboot ( canada ) a week now however so far my new girlfriend is is this laptop

    she may be heavy but you love her because whats on the inside counts!!!
  • Josiah
    I have had to replace the mother bored once already, and now i am doing it again, nice when it works though.
  • UniStudent
    I received this laptop as a gift. It has P4 3.2GHz, 384Mb. I think the performance is pretty good, this computer has helped me alot with university, although I have noticed it to be rather heavy though I am not complaining. The only drama that I have with the computer is connecting to a wireless network. For some reason my computer cannot find the wireless network, but the tablet pc and my friends laptop are both connected to the network. Pretty funny if you ask me. Other than the wireless problems I am exceptionally pleased with the laptop and it does everything that I require to do. ALSO NOTE: I think that a memory upgrade would come in hand when I am using Photoshop and Illustrator to do my web designs, because as we all know Photoshop and Illustrator are kind of memory hogs.
  • J Jones
    I have several systems and this is my first laptop. My reason for not getting one sooner is that I need desktop power in a mobile unit. I run 24 bit recording programs with heavy plugins and and other sound processing tools and this unit kicks but. I added the dvd burner, 60GB 5400 rpm HD, and digital bay and got it all for 1300.00. I also called back after I got it and got the current special they added for $100 back and a free printer. I am so pleased with this unit that I would recommend it to anyone need a lot of power for a good price. Go get it!!
  • TC
    I only had my R3230CA notebook since mid December and it has died on me. Won't start up!Disappointed that it would happen so early in it's life. HP should have it now and awaiting for results.

    Other than that, besides being heavy, good performance and watching movies or shows on the screen is a treat. Have the extended warranty from future shop for 3 years so I'm covered.
  • DJ Dany-D
    Read the f#### manual! That is all I can say to all those people writing/complaining about stuff they don't even understand. Guys, please do some research before slamming the product. A bit of thinking and common sense will save you some money. For those that got a lemon. Sorry! Good luck getting it fixed/replaced! Had it for a year, running solid! (Use it as mobile DJ = super heavy usage :)
    AMD XP64 3400+, 512 MB, 100GB 7200rpm Hitachi HD, DVD+R/RW/CD-R/RW Toshiba drive (generic firmware), 12 cell battery.
  • Alan
    I bought my Presario R3116EA (UK) back in July, and I can safely say that its one of the best laptops I've ever used. Its a Celeron 2.8Ghz, 15.4 WXGA, 1Gb RAM, 40Gb 4200rpm HDD, Radeon 9100IGP, LG DVD+RW version. I've got a D-Link 108Mb wireless PC-Card as well.

    I don't understand how people that have left reviews can give a product crap marks because THEY THEMSELVES DID'NT DO THEIR HOMEWORK (a DVD/CD-RW is a bl**dy combo DVD-ROM + CD-RW drive, a DVD+RW is a DVD Writer...I dunno!!!)

    My machine is performing excellently, I've upgraded it to 1Gb RAM, and the my only moan is the anti-drop protection system on the 40Gb Seagate Momentus 42 drive (it parks the disk heads and stops the PC for a sec while it restarts again) I might upgrade to the 5400 or 7200rpm version in the future, and get a 12-cell battery for it.

    The features and build quality are OK (although my bad handling has caused the area above the optical drive creak with picked up from that end), the buttons for the volume control, the screen locking clip and the disable touchpad button are all fantastic features. The screen is of excellent quality, as are the JBL speakers.
  • Fat Tony
    I just got my notebook today. It's a nice notebook, I like it a bunch. I'm a consultant, and make my living on my computer. I've had IBM, Toshiba, Compaq, Dell and HP notebooks. This has to be the better (quality) notebook that I've used so far, now, granted I've only been playing around with it for a few hours, but I can tell the unit feels solid. Price was $1,100.

    I used to be partial to IBM thinkpads, but if my feel good about this notebook continues, I'll have to start backing HP/Compaq more.

    This is a great notebook!
  • jeffrey
    cheap... needs more power..for everyday use...perfect!!!!
    cant go wrong w/ the widescreen HD
  • Colin Mc
    I bought a Presario R3000 (R3055CA), It has a 2.4 Ghz
    CPU and a 40 Gig HD. My complaint is with the DVD/CD-RW drive. While I always knew this drive would not burn DVDs, I assumed there would be an optional DVD burner available since DVD-RW is an option in newer Presarios. BOY WAS I WRONG!
    After e-mailing HP/Compaq they told me themselves that there was none available. In fact, the motherboard is no longer available, and neither is the docking unit!
    OVerall, after spending $1700.00 Canadian last Summer, I FEEL TOTALLT RIPPED OFF! Where are the options, Compaq?? Not even a floppy drive?? Come on!!
  • Lisa
    I have had my CP R3000 for almost a year now. No problems what soever. I use it every day!
    I play SIMS2 on it all the time, and don't have much problem with it becoming slow unless I have played for quite a long time. Just a re-boot and it is find again.
  • IM
    3240CA. First the hard drive failed. Since then, 2 separate power problems. I shudder to think what these repairs are going to cost me once the warranty ends.
    It's a pretty nice machine when it is working, though.
  • EA
    I prefer the power of desktops, but had to get a laptop for college. I wanted to save some money, so went with the cheapest I could find that still had some good options. AMD xpm 3000, nVidia 64MB, 60 gig 4200, 15.4" wxga, 12 cell battery. I've heard horrible things about HP/Compaq, but the R3000 has exceeded all of my hopes and expectations. I leave it on constantly, doesn't crash, no conflicts (reformatted though to get rid of all the factory-installed junk). Durable case, good keyboard, good screen. Does get a little toasty sometimes, and have to make sure to give the fan vents on bottom some room. Good power, good durability, had it for 7 months with no problems. A bit heavy around campus, but cheaper and lighter than other laptops with equivalent specs.
  • EA
    I also wanted to add no problems playing HL2, WC III with high graphics settings. UT 2004 pretty choppy unless settings are turned down all the way, but UT is very resource-intensive. Just wish I had paid for the 5400rpm HDD... 4200 causes lag sometimes. My fault, though, not Compaq's.
  • TheSpirit
    AMD chip and Nvidea grahics, great deal, but tried to use it with my infocus projector (LP430) and having trouble with the dual display (viewing laptop screen and projector at same time), can get one, or the other, but not both.. all patches, and video updates done.
    Otherwise, nice drive size 60GB, great speakers, beautiful screen, wireless connectivety (use it for testing networks)/ But alas, i agree a DVD burner would've been nice, and finding this option available anywhere is a tough one... it also has three part numbers to look for... as an easy to purchase option (not), would've been a super fantastic laptop.
  • TheSpirit
    Another note (See above reveiw), just wanted to add that playing DVD movies, presentations, has been perfect - no problems what so ever, in fact this laptop - for the money, is a super deal !
  • Phil
    My Compaq R3000 is awesome, except that it eats up the battery REALLY fast, it only lasts about an hour! Other than that, it is an awesome machine, but make sure to get at least the 3000+ processor. Also, watch for sales at Office Depot, as they often discout this machine!
  • Rashesh
    Bought 5 months ago..Performance is great...Excellent sound quality & picture quality..you just love it..Great outlook..I bought it for 1300 Au$..Its proving great value for money..Highly Recommanded..
  • Norman
    i purchased this notebook a year ago and still use it for popular games such as mohaa and counterstrike along with helping me in my working life. i also use it for overnight long term downloading and havnt had a problem yet.
  • PFC.Petrus
    im an american infantryman currently serving in Iraq this computer has done awsome and compaq deserves a heart felt thanks for making such a fine machine got mine for 900 with the AMD processor,wireless G, widescreen, Extended battery but has preformed flawlessly on the MFCS and deserves great praise for a great machine
  • Adam
    I bought my R3065US about 1 year ago, no problems with anything. 3.06 GHz P4 eats 8 cell battery fast, but that is to be expected for a straight P4. I have upgraded my RAM to 2.0GB using the latest F.43 bios from Compaq, getting ready to upgrade to a 7200 RPM HD, got the DVD-RW/CD-RW stock -works great! I m looking into upgrading the CPU to the 3.46 GHz P4-HT once I can confirm the FSB capabilities. Absolute Beast! Best computer I have ever owned or built!
  • JASON
    I CANT BELEAVE ALL THE SPEOPLE THAT ARE GOING ON ABOUT IT NOT HAVING A DVD/R-WR IF YOU WOULD HAVE PAID FOR THE TOP OF THE RANGE YOU WOULD HAVE HAD ONE, DVD/CD-RW MEANS WHAT IT SAY'S "GROW-UP" PEOPLE AS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE IF YOU WOULD OF PAYED FOR THE COVER FOR 3/5 YEARS YOU WOULD'NT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS REPAIR OR REPLACE EVEN IF YOUDROP IT OR SPILL COKE OR POO ON IT, TOTAL COVER IS A MUST WITH ANY LAPTOP IF YOU DIDNT GET IT THEN YOU MUST BE NUTT'S LOVE YOU ALL JASON THE CLEVER ONE.....
  • Mo
    I absolutely love this lap top. I have had no problems since getting it. It is great for a college student who doesn't need too much hi tech stuff and needs a resonable price range. It is a little heavy but that has not cause a problem for me yet. I highly recommend it!!
  • Ronny
    I've had mine for a month and it is working fine; I knew it that it could not burn DVDs, very happy with what I have
  • Matt
    was not happy at all with the purchase until........I purchased a memory upgrade that added over 500 megs. Now I am very happy with the notebook.
  • Ricki
    I am a proffessional wedding photographer /heavy graphics file user. This laptop can handle several huge files all open at once. I often have things uploading to the internet while I work in other programs (BIG ones like Photoshop). I did not buy it to replace my desktop but rarely use my desktop anymore. I did have to add an external hard drive recently but I shoot 12megapixel files now and a wedding can generate a couple of hundred GBs in files! (so not a concern for the average user). I never had any problem when I shot at 6mp. I've had this computer about a year and am amazingly stil pretty happy with its speed and size.

    The weight is a real bummer!
  • Omar
    Besides the Beautiful TFT Bright Widescreen, this thing is way too heavy. I just got it from Overstock.com, and right out of the box, the charger would not work. Shows you the quality of a Compaq. My brother bought an HP Dv1000, and it weighs 6lbs less than the R3000, and the wireless connection is always working, unlike the Monster.
    The mousepad is not a touchpad and the design is weak. My advice, get an Hp dv1000 and upgrade it to a brightsceen.
  • Bojan S.
    The wireless network we have at home consists of a server plus 4 computers, and this laptop and it's wireless network card always work, and was very easy to set. All the features work great, burning DVD's was very fast, and monitor/graphics card offered are very good for this price. Yes, it is heavy, but it is marketed as a "desktop" replacement, so for the professional, student, or casual user, this computer is superb
  • Janice
    I got this computer about four months ago. I was just starting my masters degree, and my old desktop was from 1998, so I figured that a decent laptop would serve my needs a lot better. I reviewed laptops for weeks before purchasing this one from Office Depot. I was sold on the gorgeous, large screen, the wireless, the card readers, and the DVD burner. However, what good is having a laptop with all these features if the battery doesn't last more than an hour? I tinkered with all the settings. I didn't use optical drives or have the volume up high. I dimmed the screen to the lowest setting, and STILL the battery gives out after about an hour. In addition, the battery's adapter pack gets VERY hot. I've also noticed that, if the laptop is on and sitting on a table, it shuts off after a while--whether you're using it or not! It's unreasonable that a laptop's power won't stay on, and I've narrowed that problem down to the cooling and heating of the laptop--if it "overheats" it simply shuts off. No warning, no preamble. On paper this sounds like a good deal of a laptop. In practice, it miserably dissappoints. I'm hoping to sell this one for whatever I can get and replace it as soon as I can--and in the end I'll probably have to eat the $700 or $800 I lost on reselling this (the difference between the going rate of this model now and the purchase price five months ago). NOT RECOMMENDED.
  • justin
    this pc is great in looks, the screen is widescreen, burnes dvds, clearview lcd, 800fsb with 128mb ati mobility radeon 9000 igp graphics card. problems are the ac adapter gets pretty hot and the first month or 2 it will over heat because the thermal paste is lacking. after that its pretty good. the battery doesnt last long but it is a good pc. very fast (if configured right) and is a good price
  • Cosimo
    Yes it seems very nice but the soundcard gives many problems, expecially the integrated soundcard Sound Max that has a latency that i never had with any other computer before.
  • The Bugman
    I bought the Compaq R3000 in Jan 2005, since then it has mainly been used in my truck to help me log the day’s events. It sits on a custom stand that I built, which has very little cushioning built in. It has been exposed to cold nights (18F) and up to so far (102F) days. The reason I express this is because of the post about an overheating issue. This has not been a problem for me. The battery life doesn’t matter since it is hooked up to a 750 watt power converter in my truck. The widescreen display is incredible for any application. The speed and smoothness of handling applications are very nice. I use several processor intensive programs two of which are Microsoft Access 2003 and Adobe CS2 both work to perfection with this laptop. If I could have rated it a 9.5 I would have. The above are the positives; the only negative thing that I can think of right now is the fact that it doesn’t have a compact flash reader. But, that’s ok I went out and bought a adapter for my card, no big deal. I feel sorry for the people that have had a bad experience with this laptop. I like it so much, at the first of the year I’m going to buy 2 more for my other technicians. Also, just a side note, I’m not just your average bugman. I own the company and offer computer help and write code in VB and VBA. Give the Compaq R3000 a try I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
  • Tamia
    I love my computer. The only problem I do have with it, is I can't use it on the road! I went out and bought the power adapter that the Compaq/HP support specialist told me to get and I still can't use my computer. I mean it will power up my laptop, but as soon as I try to run any sort of program the battery icon toggles between battery & charging and the battery doesn't last an hour.
  • Brittany
    I bought this Compaq through Overstock.com as a refurb with a different configuration. Mine came with an AMD Athlon 64 1.6 Ghz processor, 1 gig of memory, 60 gig hard drive, wireless card, 15 inch screen, Windows XP home, and a DVD RW & CD RW drive.

    Through my discounted membership price on Overstock, I paid about 750 for this laptop and added a 2 year warranty for 50. Normally I believe it was 780 or so. For this price, I am EXTREMELY pleased.

    Pros: the laptop is extremely sturdy, the keyboard is comfortable, the "mouse" is easy to work and good sized, the speakers will blow you away, wireless card works well & can easily be disabled, screen is super bright, and the ports have a good layout.

    just some neutral facts: When using the wireless card, browsing in several different screen, on AOL instant messenger, on MSN messenger, and playing music on Windows Media...I've seemed to stretch the battery to about 4 hours. It also seemed to last 4 hours ONLY using windows media. Playing a DVD it lasts about 3 and a half hours.

    cons: I knew what I was getting into buying an 8 pounder...but it really is quite a heavy thing. My apple iBook was 6 pounds and a good weight for me so I thought, hey, 2 lbs cant do too much, right? Oh it does. Also...the AC adapter is huge. My sister's 5 year old Dell weighing in at 9 lbs has half the size of this Compaq's adapter.

    Bottom Line: This laptop is a fast, sturdy machine that truely is a "desktop replacement" as stated, but is a bit heavy for those on the go.

    If I could do it all over again, I'd still buy it.
  • Samba
    Serious power issues which have gone from bad to worse. Problem that is not isolated. Do not buy this model!!

    YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. In fact steer clear of Compaq all together since not just this model has problems.
  • Michele
    It is a nice computer and considering it was my birthday gift no problem with it being free but I really don't like how it came with software to burn cds and you don't get a burner. I can see Colin's problem there are no options for the laptop but I also see the DJ Danny's point about reseach before buying. DJ could have said it nicer but hey not everyone in this computer world is educated on proper manners.
  • gusice
    I've been using my r3000 over 10 months now and gave it a pretty hard use sometimes for 8+hours. I think is a descent performing laptop providing that you have the right drivers installed and configure it properly. The pros:Nice screen and relolution,good video performance,good ram speed performance, nice DVD-CD multimedia features, very good sound quality (JBL speakers are great!), Very Good wireless conectivity.Hewlett Packard superb online help&support always available!
    The cons: A little bit on the heavy side, It overheats way too much you can fry an egg on the keyboard (a word of advice on this raise your laptop placing something underneath but taking care not to block the fan's intakes and vents, this will allow for better thermal disipation and solve the problem of overheating in my case),flimsy plastic sceen cover flexes way too much,the keyboard could be better. I would say that in general I am satisfied with my laptop taking in consideration what I payed for it.
  • blue
    I have been using it for more than a year, it's very hard working like all compaq, graphics is good, doesn't freeze, does't get corrupted, there is ABSOLUTELY no problems with the power! i use it more than 10 hours a day online on ethernet! it's just a bit slow. maybe it needs more than 256 ram maybe the CPU cash, i don't know! but it's great.
    for laptops, Sony VAIO is first then COMPAQ ONLY!!!
  • vflorin
    i have this laptop with P4-3Ghz, and ATI Radeon Mobility 9000/9100
    when i try to play games, the sistem is not working any more.
    I have installed all drivers for video chipset and mainboard.
    What i should do to play some games?
  • M Akber
    i am a college student and a have a lot of programming work ... for those of you who have ever compiled an application on MS Visual Studio.Net normal Pc's are slow but for me it works great compilation is fast and games run toowith the ATi card and the stereo speakers are good too, and the display is just great compared to some of the Dell that i have seen, the heating is an issue i am looking to buy some accessory to eliminate that.
    btw i have played halo2,Doom3,FarCry and GTA:San Andreas all on 1024 resolution and only FarCry and doom have come-up short
  • Billy
    This computer is very beastly, I am a student in 10th grade at a computer school and i take it back and to school everyday. No Problem. It's not that much of a load to carry. Also, its speakers BLAST. They are ridiculous.

    I have a question. I need to know for GTALK does the computer have a speaker built in i wanted to use it?
  • Phil W
    I have had my R3000 with the 2.8 Celeron over a year. Yes it is a heavy box but I have not had a single prob! I am an IT pro and use it several hours a day. On my free time I have played movies, burned CDs, and even loaded Unreal and Quake. All work GREAT! Only con is that it is a battery killer. The weight I can live with.
  • sherrie
    I like the laptop.

    Unfortunately, I broke my monitor, does any one know where i can get another at a good price
  • iamall
    I bought this laptop quite hastily because I needed a portable computer for my work. It ended up being useful only for text editing. Even the simplest graphic and sound editing makes it heat up and shut down without a warning. It sometimes happens even if you're not doing anything. Maybe I had too high exceptions for a modern laptop, but then again, what's good with the power if the computer crashes when it tries to use it. Using only battery power helps a bit, but the battery lasts only for an hour. This computer is the end of the word.
  • Graham
    a very nice laptop, only complaint is that the battery does not last long? have a 4.4aHr is there a largwer capacity one/
  • Vince
    this laptop seems to work fine, apart from having to reload WinXP 3 times...the mouse buttons are the worst design I have come across, they are actually glued on, and after heating up from a few hours the glue starts to melt and make the mouse buttons slip off. Although this can be avoided by using an external mouse, it goes without saying that it is very lazy engineering. Whoever designed these buttons should go back to cut & pasting in kindergarten. Otherwise the laptop is great!!
  • STUART M.
    I REALLY ENJOY MY R3000T.THE 15.4 INCH WIDESCREEN AND SPEAKER S ARE VERY PLEASING.PLAYS MOVIES WELL.GOOD KEYBOARD SETUP. I BOUGHT MINE JUNE,04 AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS.I USE THE FIREFOX BROWSER WHICH HAS A GREAT FEATURE WHICH ALLOWS THE TEXT TO BE ENLARGED TO A SIGNIFICANT DEGREE. THIS FEATURE HAS MADE A HUGE IMPROVEMENT IN MY ENJOYMENT AND ABILITY TO BE ON THE COMPUTER FOR HOURS WITH SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EYE STRAIN.LARGER TEXT SIZE REALLY IMPROVES THE COMPUTER EXPERIENCE.GREAT COMPUTER.
  • Tom
    It's Assome
  • Ren
    I am very glad that I am using Presario 3000. I am a university student and this tool really helps me to do an effective paper works and presentations.
  • Kaos
    I have been with my R3000 for a year now, and it has been flawless, dependable, efficient and overall, awsome.
    Great portable PC
  • Jason
    I bought 2 of these, one for myself and one for my brother. The DC power jack was flaky on my brothers machine after 6 months, so he received a noew motherboard. Mine failed after the year warranty. I tried to have it fixed twice...no luck. The only option is to buy a new $600 motherboard. So, my machine is toast and I am sure its only a matter of time till my brothers fails again.

    This computer appears to be a great deal....BUT you've been warned.

    I will never buy a Compaq again.
  • Bill
    I too had problems with the DC jack, after the warranty...I found if I take a small file set (Exacto makes a good set) and clean the positive pole in both the adapter and on the PC (of course you remove the battery and unplug the adapter to do this) the connection works much better.
  • Sham RK
    think you should stop drooling at the pictures and go get yourself one!

    I have been using it for over a year now and its one of the coolest laptops ever. I play a lot of games and with my AMD 64 processor, this is a show-stopper. Praises all around! Well, everything isnt perfect and there are a lot of things that can be improved, but overall I have to give it the perfect-ten!
  • Larry
    The Presario R3000 was a great machine for me until it crashed. I have worked heavily with computers (DELL, TOSHIBA, HP, etc. - notebooks and desktops) for about 18 years (hardware & software experience), and have never experienced as bad a crash as my R3000 had 3 months after the warranty expired (ENGINEERED OBSOLECENCE ? ?). Safe mode boot is not an option because the computer will not even start the memory/hardware diagnostics when I try to power up. Also very disappointed in the Technical Support responses. I will probably steer clear of Compaq/HP for future purchases.
  • Walter
    I bought this computer 10 mos. ago thinking it was good configuration for the money. Now, whenever the chip heats up because of too many apps open or cd installation, BOOM, Power if off. The service people all they know is how to give you the address for War Repair and leave you without a computer for 5 days.
  • scorpio357
    I have this for 9 months now. I was happy until my backlight was damaged. Everything works except I have to use a flashlight to see what i'm doing. Gr
  • TxGal
    Ok folks, I loved this laptop for the first few months and then started the downfall. The fan is a major problem as it runs constantly (this is still the case after repair) and you gotta love how it blows hot air on your right hand all the time. Then there's the monitor, which no longer works after 6 months. There's nothing like using an external monitor with your laptop when you've paid the luxury tax to have a mobile device. Oh and I almost forgot, the battery doesn't hold a charge either.

    The monitor, battery and fan are widespread problems with Presarios. Buyer beware. Spend a few extra dollars and get a real machine and save yourself a headache.
  • Fultron
    Drawbacks: heavy, short battery life, these models have known problems with the power supply due to poor solder joints within the unit...expect to send it in for servicing within a year (ie: get the warranty!)

    Advantages: huge screen, good speakers, enough features to meet my needs, CHEAP

    The main reason I purchased this computer was that I got a ridiculously cheap insider deal on it from HP(at the time). Otherwise I would have searched for something smaller, with a better performance record.
  • yo mama
    never buy, suckiest pc ever
  • Tara Merri
    not reliable, system board failure, fans, battery, power cord, you name it, it's gone wrong within a year of owning this piece of crap. And tech support is a nightmare as well. Look around, you can do much better for much less.
  • Lark
    I have had no problem with it. But mine has amd inside instead of pentium. Which might make a difference.
  • M Higson
    I love my Presario R3000. It has never crashed or had any faults in the 15 months I have had it. The RAM is relatively cheap to upgrade, although it comes with a generous 512GB. The only downfall is the weight of it and the delicacy of the keys. The laptop should be treated with care when being carried about. The poor reviews must've come from careless owners... these laptops are attractive, reliable, reasonably priced and highly recommended!!
  • Kb
    I recently purchased the compaq r3000, to be honest I love the computer itself but I HATE the fan.
    If you place your laptop on the bed, it wil simply shut off without warning. What is the use of a laptop that shuts off on the bed. The reason why it shuts off on the bed is that the fan gets blocked by the bed and there is no ventilation whatsoever. I will keep this laptop for the time being but I am going to replace it as soon as my semester finishes.
  • Mike
    I wish I could go back in time and not buy this laptop. The fan design is terrible. You can not set this on your lap or bed, it will overheat the chip and shut down. The fans that bring air in are on the bottom and the exhaust is on the side. (no solution, HP told us lap top is not meant to sit on lap.. go figure)Battery life is terrible. The power connector is constant problem where it plugs into laptop, always intermittant connection.. been to factory 3 times for repair. Now R/W DVD player is making funny noises and works off and on. Have had this for 1 year, started haveing problems 2mon in, stuck with it but wish i would have returned it.
  • lbc
    I bought this laptop for school, now I'm buying a new one due to the Compaq Presario's bad battery life and the loud fan. Firt of all, the battery life lasts only about an hour on a good day. So you cannot really bring this laptop to class to take notes expecting the laptop to last the whole duration of class. I don't even think that I have used this laptop without the power chord because of its nonexistant battery life. Another this that displeases me about the laptop is the fact that the fan is extremely loud. Even if I close the lidfor the laptop, the fan maintains its constant volume. I sometimes feel embarrased to take this 8lb laptop to go study with because the fan might cause a distrubance to others. Lastly, heating is definitly a problem. I feel like you really cannot put this laptop on your lap without having your lap heat up. Overall this laptop is horribly made, even though it does have a large screen and some nice features.
  • compaq suc
    The power is disconnected for no reason. It's now obsolete.
  • EA
    I wrote a review over a year ago saying how the R3000 exceeded my expectations for an HP machine, and I still stand by it. Some problems with the CD-RW flaking out (Windows wouldn't recognize it), but I think it was the ribbon cable inside (opened up the tray and pushed the cable underneath back into its socket). That was about six months ago, and no problems since. The keyboard is still good, no problems with the power supply. It depends how you use the computer, though. I travel sometimes, but most of the time it sits on my desk (BATTERY OUT OF IT - leaving the battery in all the time can speed up the natural degredation). When I first bought it with the 12-cell battery, it had about 3 hours of normal use. That's now down to about 2 hours, but Li-ion batteries do that. I leave it on literally all the time (hasn't been off for the last three months) and no problems. I do have the back feet propped up on small wood blocks though to give the fans underneath some room. Unless you leave a gap between your knees when using the computer on your lap, it WILL probably overheat, but I've never had this problem as I always leave the space underneath the fan vents open. HL2 runs great on it (in highest graphics settings 50+ fps). Just wish I'd gotten the 5400rpm hard drive... 4200 blows chunks. I got the three year accidental damage protection warranty, but haven't needed it yet.
    15.4" wxga, 60GB 4200rpm HDD, 512 MB RAM, 54g wireless, AMD athlon-xpm 3000, 24x DVD/CD-RW, all work well, fast, cheap, perfect for my needs.
  • Omri
    I have had this laptop for less than a year but I can't find my reciept to prove this so I got the extended warranty plan. I have problems with the overheating and shutdown. If a battery is plugged in I get a message that I am using the wrong battery. Tried switching batteries, didn't help. The heat has burnt out one of my memory chips and the scroll buttons on the touchpad don't work. The laptop is heavy, loud and many parts have gone bad after less than a year. I know that the model with the AMD is much quieter and doesn't overheat as often. HP has charged me $220 for a new battery which they told me to purchase in order not to get the message at boot (about incompatable batteries) that didn't work..... now that I have the warranty I have to wait 30 days before I can send it back to them for repair.
  • Jamie M.
    I own two, one is a R3000, and the power connector on the motherboard melted. It now can't be fixed. It's a write off. Nasty.
  • Stenn
    I've had mine for a year or so, never a problem. But I'm not a child trying to do homework on a bed. The R3000 is classified as a "Desktop Replacement" laptop, for use on a desk or table, when you don't have room for a full-size PC...it's not intended as an "Ultra-Light" to be used laying around on your bed. Radeon 9000 is great for 3D gaming.
    I'm happy with it..no power-problems, etc., but then I'm a grown-up that knows how to treat a delicate piece of hardware, which ALL laptops are.
  • rjeevv
    Very nice unit, great screen, but the AC power cord will no longer maintain a flow of power to recharge the battery. The problem is with the jack design, not the cord. It is dead, dead, dead. I'll probably have to spend a few hundred to get it repaired based on what I've read on the web about this common problem. Don't buy it.
  • Joannm
    I use this laptop and i'm a college student. It runs every game you can imagine.. although its kinda heavy (as i already mentioned). It is very dependable, I've had mine for a year and it has not given me a single problem...
  • sapperdoc
    this is one of the best laptops ever owned. it spent a whole year in the heat and sand of iraq and still works like it came out of the box.
  • JJ
    Had it for about a year and a half. I travel with work and wanted a "portable desktop" that could handle some decent gaming. Got it remanufactured from an online auction site for a steal. Yes its heavy, yes it gets hot, yes it will suck a battery dry, but that is what I expected for a widescreen, sturdy, full blown P4! I have been very happy with it. If you want something light, with good battery life, and don't care about heavy processor power then get a Celeron or PentiumM.
    The power problems most people are having is due to using the laptop on a soft surface (lap, bed, etc.) it wieghs over 8 pounds, any force on the plug is going to weaken the connection to the motherboard, could have been designed better, but it's something you have to watch out for. And yes this bad boy will heat a small house, but that's power baby....
  • clifton
    this laptop is the bomb!!!! what a blast. it does everything that it promise.peoples need to take classes on how to operate laptops. than there will not been as many complaints. this is a super fast machine and durable.i love the weight of it. its a mens machine.
  • AZchic
    I have worked in the IT industry for 10 years and bought this last spring. I was very happy at first - worked great, looks great - can even play complex graphic-heavy games and programs. Then about 4 months later it starts turning itself off for NO reason. Figure out that it is overheating. Even now when I have it rigged to high heaven (on lifts, fan blowing on it, battery out, etc) I still cannot run anything more intense than simple programs. No games or graphic programs at all - not even simple older low-end children's games. Horrible buy - I will never buy another laptop from Compaq/HP. Dreadfully disappointed.
  • Toast
    I bought this laptop about 18 months ago because I was sold on the screen size and gaming potential.

    I had to send it back to be serviced and I am praying it is within the last 12 months because I have a feeling it will need another trip.

    It started being unable to hold AC power when the unit was turned on, only charging when it was turned off. This meant using it in 1 hour on, 3 hours off cycles! It then refused to charge at all and when it went back to Compaq they had to replace the entire motherboard.

    It is now starting to suffer with the same problems.

    The DVD player/writer will play DVD's but good luck if you want to burn them. I have made one succesful DVD in about 20 attempts, I have now resigned myself to the fact that I only have a CD burner.

    If you are right handed you best have a good 12 inches to the right of the laptop if you plan to use a peripheral mouse. The exhaust vent produces enough heat to physically burn your hand if it is not kept several inches away. And this is only a true 'laptop' if your legs are made of asbestos.

    If I had the money to exchange this it would be gone in a heartbeat!
  • John Doe
    when i first got this computer it was great and worked fine, but now it gets hot, shuts down, cant hold battery life, and my cd-rw drive broke and wont read any cd...
  • Jan
    I've had this computer for about a year and a half, and I've already sent it in 3 times for repairs... this last time, i went w/o a working computer for 6 weeks. (The service center sent my replacement hard drive to the wrong address, then when it got to me, it was the wrong hard drive, so when I went to send in my entire computer, they sent the fedex truck to the wrong address 2 times, and then on the third time had the wrong date. Then it stayed in the repair shop for 3 weeks - after I paid $298 for repairs on a computer still under an extended waranty that i spent $108 on - and my repeated calls to find out what was going on, had me talking to people who just kept telling me: "you'll get it in 2/3 business days")I barely do anything on it besides play itunes, AIM, check e-mail, and print digital pictures, and the hard drive crashed on me. Plus yes, the battery life sucks - i can't even keep my computer unplugged for 5 min before it hibernates. Yes, it does get hot (not a "lap" top that's for sure), and it's heavy (more prone to getting damaged since it's got more inertia than the caseing can handle). I must say however, that i thought mine R3000 was pretty fast when i first got it. (of course, i paid a whopping 3,333 for it, when u can get just as much speed and power (under a different label) for much less...
  • Jon
    I bought this a little over a year ago, and have never had any problems with it. I got it for a great price too. I may upgrade the Hard drive soon, and eventually the RAM, but those are pretty cheap upgrades. For the money, it is hard to beat this system
  • tod
    i like the notebook alot. im a student and I use the notbook everyday. i had the harddrive die on me and my cooling fans are dying i can hear them whining.
  • Rino342
    I bought this notebook too. I have this one Notebook R3000. Great !
  • Kelly
    I have had this R3000 with the AMD Athlon for almost 2 years. Yes the battery does get hot, but then again, I rarely shut off my computer. I have not had a problem with it.
  • Brett
    Great at first- used it to run autocad, photoshop, sketchup without any trouble. Fan started getting very loud, computer was very hot, and starting turning off for no reason. leaned out the fans and it is quieter now, but will not charge the battery anymore. This requires a new motherboard (about $350) or the lifesaver cable ($75).
  • Vaibhav
    I am having AMD for more than 18 months and I have no complains. Everything works great.
  • Ryan
    I've had mine for over a year. I have the Athlon64 chipset so it's cooler than a P4. (Had a sony p4 and it fried itself.)

    Runs rather quiet compared to other Desktop replacements (I've had 3).

    Battery life is around 1.5 hours now. It used to be more but I've used it alot.

    Screen is incredible with BrightView. It rivals any regular TV monitor.

    WiFi is as powerful as Intel's business class adapters. Very pleased with its performance.

    CDs it comes with are lifesavers if you ever have to use them. Other companies can charge you $40 for them.

    Only complaint is the size/weight of the unit. But, that is to be expected for performance laptops.
  • Perry H
    R3000 is great!!!! Yeah sure a little heavy but it makes up in performance. As for the heat issue when shopping for a laptop i was careful about how it cooled itself so upon weighing power and performance vs heat i decided how to beat the "hot lap" issue. What i did at first was use an inverted tray on soft surfaces (even a table cloth) then I just cut a piece of 3/4" plywood to 10 inch wider and 4 inches deeper for soft surfaces. I also cut a handle in the top of the plywood so it would be easier to carry. So I guess what im saying is look before you leap the r300 was and is everything i expected to get and more.
  • LeAnna
    I have a R3000 laptop and one day I was moving it while it was one. Nothing I hadn't done a million times with my Dell. It shocked me, now the laptop won't charge the battery. The battery is fine. I was still under warranty, but HP Customer Service screwed around with do this, re-install this, then they'd send me something to try until my warranty ran out. Then they told me to purchase an extended warranty and I did ... but they still won't fix the laptop. So now I have a paper wait. The worst laptop and customer service I've ever dealt with!
  • Mark
    LeAnna,

    I had a similar problem with my R3000. I came across a website that talked about a lot of other people with the same issue with this model too - the power jack malfunctioned. Worse for me, four of my voltage regulators burned out too. I'd recommend buying a new laptop.
  • Pei
    I've had this computer for 2 years now, and starting last year the battery started to die on me, lasting less than 1 hour.. and now the AC adapter has completely failed on me and there is no other way of trying to revive my laptop when I cant charge and when the battery wont last long enough to do anything. I suggest another laptop but this one.
  • peter
    I haev had it since 1 year, and if it not plugged in, the battery lasts 20 minutes or so. Recently, the power jack broke as well. All th rest is great, but this really is awful.
  • chris
    ive had this laptop for just over a year now, over all its a good laptop, the sound on it is good quality compared to some laptop, the only problems i find is the battery life only been about 20 mins if your lucky and the wight of it, been a student i have to carry it round but after a while you get used to it. i would recomend this laptop. i find the disign of the laptop really good you dont have to go round the back to plug in any usb key etc. the screen been 15.4" is of a really high quality.
  • AitchBee
    This is a great laptop! I also have it since a year. The battery is ok, you just need to calibrate the battery.

    - Disable the low-on-power warnings and stop the laptop from going into sleep mode (I have a dutch windows XP, so I don't know how it is called in English).
    - Close all your important programs
    - Charge the battery to 100%
    - Remove the power plug

    The laptop wil eventually run out of power. When that happens, recharge the battery and do the whole process again.

    It might take al while, but after 3 runs I have improved the battery life to about 2 hours!

    A great program that can help you is BatteryMon. You can see the battery's designed capacity and the current full charge capacity.

    Good luck!
  • Aman
    Ive had this laptop for over a year now and suprised to hear about the battery life problem.After a full charge the battery lasts for about an hour twenty minutes.Thats not the best but still better than twenty minutes mentioned by Chris.My only complaint is the weight.
  • Sanjiv
    The laptop when used as a 'laptop' -continuous use 24/7 and in all environments is pretty useless. The power connectivity on the laptop side (female power input) gets enlarged on regular use and does not charge anymore. To change it you have to change the motherboard at $800 (Compaq's cost). I changed the component alone, but the laptop is complicated in assembly with all nonsense in between that it makes the task hard -but possible for $80. The component costs $12 on ebay, labor took the rest. This is a bad laptop, Compaq is earning off repairs more than the laptop. Cheaters as usual, as corporations really are. Afterall, they did recall a couple million battery packs -LOL. Lose money Compaq and die.
  • Dan C.
    The LCD screen completely malfunctioned exactly 3 months after the warranty ran out! My compliments to HP and Compaq for their well-thought-out obsolescence policy.
  • hatras
    after a year of using tbis seemingly good laptop, the power connectivity turns to nonexistant, and it will cost more to repair than buying a new and better laptop. I hate hp and compaq and will never buy anything from these idiots.
  • Russ
    There is not a faster computer for the price I assure you. Support is good if you act good. I even got a new battery after the warranty expired.
  • William
    I inherited this computer from one of my parents to head off to college with next fall. I immediately reinstalled Windows and the software, which didn't take more than a couple of hours because of this computer's speed and software suite (which is more than I can say for the Compaq desktop on which I type this review). It might get hot in one's lap, but it gets no hotter than if I were to put a hand on my desktop while running one of my most graphics-intensive games at full blast. While not as powerful as a full-featured desktop, this computer is a stable performer and has offered me few problems in my time using it. I watch movies on it all the time and run demanding software applications including detailed video games and complicated office programs. All-in-all, I'd call this one a great computer for the price.

    My only gripe about this machine is the poor battery life. I'm lucky to get more than a couple of hours out of the battery, but I'm not having any problems hooking it up to AC power.

    It's a joy to use this computer with my home network. We just installed a wireless router, and I can say that there is not a better method to share files and printers than by wireless networking simply because this machine supports the 802.11g standard.

    This machine is suited to anyone who uses a computer except the extremely demanding types who might need the power of more than one processor or of better video.
  • Heather
    The compaq R3000 is a waste of time and money. I spent over $1,100 for one and it broke less than a year after I bought it. The power port inside the notebook gets detached from the motherboard. This means that the battery will not charge and the notebook become useless after the battery runs out. Furthermore, compaq customer service is terrible. They know about the problem since this happens to most R3000 notebooks but continue to deny it. Then they tell you on top of the cost of the computer you have to spend over $600 to replace a part that is $20 that was meant to break in the first place. I am not the only one with this issue so PLEASE research this notebook before you buy it and you will find that this problem is very common.
  • Leigh
    I have had this computer for over a year now. The only problem I have had with it has been the built-in wireless card, which seemed broken as default from the factory. After purchasing a cheap wireless pc card, it wasn't such a big problem. Other than that, the heat is about the only thing you have to worry about and after making sure to clean the heat-sinks and fans periodically, it really doesn't heat up all that much. Otherwise this computer has surpassed my expectations, with the processing power of a desktop, which I use it as now. Just make sure to upgrade the RAM.
  • Roy
    I've had mine for a year now, and it's really starting to show a lot of problems. Right now I seem to be struggling with the AC Adapter, as it has stop "working". I don't appreciate having the fans in the position they're at, because for the past 5 months, my device has been overheating daily. This is a very decent computer.
  • arthur
    I've had no problems so far, but i'm still trying to upgrade the ram on this thing. It seems like once i plug in the other PC2700 512MB stick for a total of 1G, the machine just keeps rebooting... I'm not sure what to do, but i'm sure someone has seen this before (The answer is just a google away).. BTW, this little sucker runs Debian Linux like it's nobody's business. Forgeta `boutit...
  • Karthik
    My lapto gets overheated and shuts down all the time. I have the laptop fan as well as a table fan running all the time to keep that running. Too bad for serious jobs. Not even fit for browsing!!!!
  • valachus
    Had a R3000 for half a year now, a 512 mb RAM with AMD XPM 3000+ processor, works flawlessly for its specs, even survived a car crash two weeks ago (it was a 40 mph head-on collision I was involved in, the laptop was in its bag and it survived miraculously, as I did, thank Heavens).
    Now the thing that brought me to this forum and this specific thread is the fact that yesterday the touchpad and LCD screen wouldn't work anymore, i.e. the system would load up OK while the screen would remain totally dark, although in a strong light you could discern the desktop, cursor etc. Also the touchpad would not turn on. I was sure that it was a hardware issue (backlight or backlight inverter, or the lid switch) caused by the car crash I mentioned before.
    However, at a closer inspection I found out that a small plastic pin that turns off the screen and the touchpad at the closing of the lid had somehow stuck closed. I think it got stuck because I had put some papers on the keyboard, anyway, I pulled it out with a needle and now it works again outstandingly.
    PROS: nice performance, good autonomy on battery (1-1/2 hours), very rugged construction
    CONS: a bit on the heavy side (3,8 kgs), rather weak video card (32 mb Nvidia GeForce Go 420)
    It gets a 9 rating from me in view of the exceptional shock resistance it displayed.
  • Teezee
    I've had this baby for over a year, and i think it's design process was more focused on safety than perfomance...Now it only operates with adapter plugged to power source. Batt is done...Heat is another limiting factor...max ram u can up it to is 512...i wanna sell but for how much i dunno yet.
  • Dave
    THis is by far the worsts laptop baught oaabout a year ago and 1 month after warrenty went up screen when out. It wont even work if you hook it up to a monitor. Biggest waste of money do not buy this laptop.
  • Ronald
    Using it for 1.6 years it never gave a problem. It's a slow 2.8 celeron but it doos most jobs quit well. Even Photoshop and Dreamweaver. The screen is realy nice for long hours work and in general it's o.k. Battery live is short due to the desktop processor it uses. You can't exspect more livetime with a energy consuming processor! My next one will have a seperate videocard and a real laptop processor. When i bought this machine i didn't know about the differences of processors so that how Intel made it's money by selling the celerons. Now whe know better...
  • joe
    a little bulky and heavy, but works very well. I have never had a problem with this laptop. Whoever wrote the review about the lcd screen going out sounds like an uneducated piece of trash.
  • Nikki
    Nothing but trouble for me. I've had the computer for 2 years and I've had to send it in for repairs something like 4 times. I don't even know how many hours I've clocked in on phone time talking to tech people.

    I've had to get the hard drive replaced twice, the motherboard replaced twice, the wireless card replaced once, the LCD screen replaced once, and the casing replaced once. The female power outlet completely broke and fried the motherboard as well.

    If you're a student, don't even THINK about getting this computer. It's loud, hot, and heavy (I probably have ovarian cancer from having this atually sit on my lap). I was too embarassed of it to bring to class. That and it weighs over 8lbs, so forget carrying it around all day.

    I'll be selling this for parts.
  • Justin
    Had this for 21 months, bought it refurbished online. Don't know where reviewer "Nikki" bought hers but maybe it was used? Mine's been great - zero problems! I've burned CDs and DVDs, watched DVDs, used the built-in wireless 802.11b capability to surf online, made PC-to-PC phone calls -- all w/o any issues.

    It does get a little hot after 100min+ sitting on my lap, but that's b/c my legs are blocking the bottom-facing fan, leaving no air to properly cool things. Only reason I don't give it a 10 is b/c I wish the battery lasted longer (goes for about 100 min).

    And it'd be *really* nice if this and other laptops came w/ 2 power cords - 1 for the usual home for the laptop (like a desk) and 1 to float around the house w/ after the battery's 100+min run out so you don't have to return to the desk to plug back in. So you may want to consider buying a 2nd power cord, or buying a different laptop w/ longer battery life.

    All and all, great laptop!
  • Smith
    I got this funny computer for about 20 months. Hard driver was completely out of order which resulted in the loss of all my data. Battery life lasted less than 1.5hr at the beginning and now only depend on the AC adapter.
    Don't buy this computer anymore.
  • Nate
    I had this laptop for a year now and it's the best one I have ever had.. No complaints, I can do almost everything with it.
  • Manda
    i have had this laptop for 2years and i hate it started having problems with it about 6months after i got it. It wont hold a charge you have to keep pulling it in and out just to get it to charge. replaced the internal jack soldered it and all and 2weeks later started to not charge again. I really hate it for the price i payed $1500.00 and it didnt even last a year! dont recomend it dont waste your money unless you wanna waste your time and fix it every week.
  • Uli
    Got the notebook about two years ago. Worked fine and did the job, we were spared from the problems that many others are reporting.

    All of a sudden now, the battery won't charge anymore. The "Battery Meter" stays at 10% when charging and won't move. The power light goes off a few seconds into the charging.

    After reading of all the battery issues, I feel like this is the beginning of the end of that unit.

    In my job, I have been using IBM notebooks for four years, and they were not treated nicely (as opposed to the Compaq at home), but they never had a problem. Wish, the Compaq was the same, but you get what you pay for...
  • Ashley
    The computer is great- speedy, huge screen, all the right features I need (although I've always had problems burning DVDs)... But I have horrible issues with the power. I've sent it in twice for the same problem- it won't turn on. I press the power button, and nothing. Other than all this- IT IS SOOO HEAVY! I try to lug it to classes during the day or to the library and it's nearly impossible. My back is killing me half way through the day. DO NOT buy this computer for a student who needs to transport it to and from the library. I'm working on buying a smaller, lighter computer.
  • Jack
    I have to hit the power button 50 times sometimes to get my R3360US to turn on and off. Since it always has turned on or off eventually, I haven't had it in a shop and I don't know what's causing the problem. The only other thing I don't like about the machine is that it came with too big a processor and runs hot like a blow torch. I don't need that power for the things I do. Next time I will get a smaller processor. I had battery probems too. Replacing the battery, free from Compaq, fixed that problem. Other than those things, I think it's a great machine, but on the heavy side if you need to carry it around.
  • SynNav
    As mentioned before, you get what you pay for. Learn to use your R3000 wisely people. Running resource-intensive applications one after the other is going to cause problems such as battery life, thermal problems, etc. to occur. Believe it or not, the R3000 is based on power, but keep in mind this is only a laptop. Sure you got your high-powered processor, but you gotta learn how to use it in a proper manner. Moving on, I too have the thermal problem (computer shutting down when it gets too hot). BUT, I have learned how to work around this. The key is using a minimal window manager. Windows XP and its 1,096 tasks run simultaneously on your R3000 machine, causing your pc to heat up quickly. Fortunately, dual booting, with Windows XP and a Linux distribution, seems to be a great solution. Basically, play games, do video editing, photoshop stuff, and web design etc. on your Windows partition. If you just want to 'casually' surf the internet, check email, instant message, type a report, or perhaps listen to some tunes, turn to your Linux partition. I kid you not, using the Fluxbox WM on linux is a dream come true for my R3000! I rarely hear the fan and my pc NEVER overheats while in my linux environment. Give dual booting a try and see the results for yourself!
  • Dave
    I've had my r3000 for three years and had no problems with it. Only recently have I had to replace the hard drive. Initially it cost me £1200, considering how much I have abused it, I think it was money well spent. I highly recommend one.
  • Tracy
    Well, I see I am not the only one--my laptop keeps "shorting out" when the power cord is plugged in. I thought it was the cord and bought a new one--big mistake. It's the plug in the back I guess. If I get it to stay on a charge--you have to make sure a small breeze doesn't come by and it will go back to battery op again. It still holds a charge--it's just "getting it to charge" that is the problem.
  • Dale
    i have the compaq presario r3000 notebook for 10 months now and have no problems with it. i put in an extra 1gb ram and now its pure fast at doin stuff, the size or weight of the laptop doesnt bother me one bit. only thing about it is the ATI graphics, i cant find an updated graphics driver(mine is currently may 2004) great laptop, can play demanding games and has great screen. all i have left to say is that is is a supurb laptop and i only paid €900 for it. ps, plz tell me where i can get an updated graphics driver!!!
  • kate
    I had this problem also, exactly. I spent almost 400 dollars on a motherboard repair- it did nothing and I am in the process of getting a refund. Very frustrating. Battery life is short, too, maximum is around 3 hours. And, some keys fell off. Otherwise, fine and stable.
  • Alex
    I have mine for 2 years now and it is still working quite fine, excepting one or two shocks it suffered. I want to upgrade it a bit and add a bit more RAM to it as it still has 512 and most of the software I use is quite new and it can be sened that it needs more memory. Other than that, I would like to upgade the graphics card(as it is incorporated in the motherboard and I am not quite sure if I can change anything). Here is the link to some graphic drivers for the intel version, if u have the AMD micro , than go back two stepts and choose your config. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os...
  • alisha H.
    I purchased my laptop 01/2005 but have only used it 6 months. Problem is the battery is only lasting me 30 minutes before has to be recharged I was told it would last at least 3 hours. I have only used the battery twice since I have purchased it and jsut found out this problem was wondering if anyone else is having this problem?
  • Michelle
    My laptop was working well for over a year and then when I would try to plug in the laptop to charge the computer, the connection seemed too loose, so it would not charge. I even bought a new adapter from the HP site, $100+ later, after plugging in the new adapter, the laptop still wouldn't charge. Luckily I was able to return the adapter and only have to pay for the shipping costs. One the rare occassion the plug does work, I have to hold the plug at a certain angle or else it will stop charging. Not sure what to do now, either buy a new laptop or try to see if it is repairable. I certainly wish someone had told me about this before.
  • Jean
    I have had my Compaq Presario R3000 for 1 /2 yrs and it has developed a battery charging problem also...When I plug in the charger, I have to stick a nail file between the lid and base to keep the plug at a certain angle.Is there a solution to this? I see others are having the same problem but I see no "fixes"
  • muzykant
    Got this machine just over 2 years ago with the intention of using it for music production. The upside was that it was, and is, a powerful machine for the money. Any application issues I have encountered have to do with drive space and speed, not with processor or memory. A year after I bought it, the R3230US (512Mb, 60Gb, 2.8MHz P4) was still a tremendous value in terms of power. It is wonderful for everyday apps and Internet use. (Love the Wi-Fi!) I have also added a GPS receiver which I use with MS Streets & Trips. As a limo driver and traveler, this is an incredible and inexpensive tool ($100, versus $300+ for dedicated GPS 'toys'.) However, specific issues to do with music production appeared at once; others have arisen over time. (1) It has no hardware sound card. I had never heard of this, so it was not something I thought to look for. The onboard software synth has 1/4-second latency (time delay),which makes it useless for MIDI production without an external synth. An outboard sound module will always sound better and I planned to have one eventually, but I didn't expect to need one immediately. (2) The full Pentium 4 processor's max battery life is around 1 hour. This was an issue mainly because of (3) a loud hum when connected to speakers. There was no hum when running on battery, but I had the short run time. I found the solution (use a 2-prong power adapter) on a forum for one of my music apps. Blessed silence! I also like to use my machine as an (expensive) MP3 player and leave it connected to speakers 100% of the time at home, so the hum was an everyday issue. (4) Problems with AC power connector. I note in other reviews that a loose AC power connector is common. This also contributed to the loud AC hum (#3, above), as when the connection was tight there was no hum. But the main problem is that it won't stay connected to power and eventually will fail entirely and not be able to charge. This is a ridiculous design issue--a $1500 machine rendered useless because of a connector worth pennies. Shame on you, HP! (5) Primary drive "only" 4200 RPM. I shouldn't really class this as an issue. In multimedia production, you always use a much-faster secondary drive for recording and media storage. I will be installing a 7200-RPM drive in the auxiliary bay. If this doesn't do it (which will be characterized by "dropouts"--clicks and pops in recorded audio) I will know that I need to upgrade the primary drive to a 5400- or 7200-RPM unit also. SUMMARY: I give this thing extremely heavy use in the car and at home. It is on almost %100 of the time I am awake. I write and create music with it, and use it for communication and navigation in the car. Apart from the power connector, any other issues have been resolved with 3d-party hardware--pricy, but I do have specialized needs. I actually feel better about it (and upped my numerical score) after writing this!
  • art
    We've had our notebook for two years now and a few months back the connection problems started to bug us and we need to plug the cord at an angle for the notebook to charge. We thought that we're the only casualty of this probelem but apparently were not the only one. Another thing to note - the battery does't last that long. will there be anyone who will help us fix the problem???
  • pjw
    I had my presario for 18 months. Though I enjoyed the functioning ability of the computer. I had to have the jack fixed twice. Finally the hybernation button to my monitor screen went out and couldn't be fixed. I was recently talking with a friend who had a HP who experienced the same problem. While I enjoyed it's function. I paid way too much for it only to last 18 months.
  • Kerry
    While I have enjoyed my r3000 with the nvidia graphics card for two years, I could not play EQ II because the card does not support pixil shading.
    I have also begun to have charging issues due to the connection being faulty. I think the connection becomes loose after constant tugging.
  • Steven
    I have had the UB ports reset three or four times since I bought the r3000 23 months ago, this problem persists, and every noew and again during every working day the ports decide not to work, and everything that is connected to the ports, such as printer, mouse, wireless network connector stop working and I have to reboot. I have had the power adaptor replaced, and worst of all when I got the machine home, it worked fine for months then all of a sudden I had the wrong Windows software installed, and they were looking almost £100 to sort this problem out...it was sorted out byu reformatting the entire hard drive and installing the XP software that came with the machine. Other than that, I have enjoyed using the machine and it fits in well with my business.
  • Kat
    Beware all of you people having electrical problems. They WILL get worse. My presario R3000 almost burned my house down. All you people with the charging problem, BEWARE! If you purchashed this model between 3/04 and 5/05, beware. They failed to let people know what there was a recall on the batteries, but the issue is a short in the computer. Replacing the battery won't fix that. Anyone here interested in taking this issue any farther? I warn you to not leave these laptops with any power to them unattended.
  • Sten
    I have loved this R3000 for the two years I used it luggin it back and forth, to and from law school. One day, I shut the computer down and the power button remained lit, as if it were on standby, but it wasn't. Then the computer would attempt to boot up on its own, and abruptly loose all power about 3 or 5 seconds into the power-up process. After about an hour or two, it would finally complete a full boot (on it's own) and run normally until I shut it down. This problem would occur about once a month and them became more prevelant.
    After hours on-line with tech support, replacing the fan and heat sink, and having the I.T. guy from my firm take a look at it, I reluctantly chose to scrap it.

    To have a technichian open the computer, find the problem and replace whatever was wrong (which many other uses with similiar problems told me it was the motherboard) would have cost a minimum of $300-400.
    It's a shame since this one only lasted a few years, but I needed a reliable computer. I bought a case for my 2.5" hard drive and converted it into an external, in an attempt to salvage what I could.
    If it worked, I would have given it a 9, but it's hard to rate a computer that doesn't work.
  • Andrew
    I have the same trouble with the power supply that everyone else has. Pretty bad design to have the power supply fail like it does. However, the laptop did last me a full 2 years before this breakdown, so it could be worse I guess. And outside of this issue I haven't had any major problems with it.
  • Steve
    My R3000 has also started having power problems with the power jack. I didn't realize it was such a HUGE issue until I started reading through these reviews. Sounds like HP should have issued a recall. I had it looked at by a computer shop and they suspected the power jack has broke loose from the motherboard...just like so many others have experienced in here. My computer is always handled carefully, so this is nowhere near durable enough. If I can't fix this, I'll definitely be buying a Dell next.
  • Eric
    Oh where to begin. We actually bought 2 of these monsters, one for my wife and one for my daughter. My wife's computer has had battery issues from day one. We've replaced the battery but had to find an alternate route to supply power. My daughter's computer is beginning to have the same issue. Her battery won't stay charged, the power button itself has somehow broke loose and one of the USB ports has come loose. Never again Compaq, these computers are horrible
  • Brandice
    Along with most my laptop has also recently developed a jack issue. Contacted a local repairman who was going to fix it but decided not to because of all the issues this laptop has. Needless to say its going to cost me at least $300 to repair the broken jack. My power button had also broke loose ages ago and now sits crooked and doesn't always like to cooperate. Next time I'm getting a laptop with a plug that isn't attached to the mother board >.< what a headache!!!
  • Jeff
    I've run this laptop for two years now with excellent success. It has some heat issues when not properly ventilated, but Arctic Silver 5 solved that. It has withstood everything we throw at it (internet, presentations, academic use, movies, CD burning, light gaming) and deals well with shocks. No complaints!
  • Bobby
    I have had this one for a few years now. I have dropped it, stepped on it, and it still runs like new. The only thing I don't like is the heat problem. I play video game 2-4 hour at a time with no problems if it is well vented. I love this machine
  • T
    The computer no longer charges properly and cuts off after 20-30 minutes of use if the battery is fully charged. The purchase of this computer was a mistake that I hope I will not make again.
  • Marko
    This is the first computer I got..I am happy with the machine but after seeing
    faster computers I think this is OK.
  • Joe
    Not a bad machine for the more, but like Nick Have experienced AC power cord problems and also short battery life. I will not be purchasing another Compaq for my next notebook.
  • Shannon
    I do not work for hP, im actually a college student and I bought the notebook while still in high school. Have had it for 2 years without any problems. It is heavy but otherwise perfect.
  • Gary
    I've had this R3000 for almost 2yrs. I have experienced the PowerPoint problems due poor engineering. The internal soldering and configuration cannot withstand the power cords weight and stress. The external part of the port is made of thin metal, so flimzy that it cracks really easy. If have charging problems, have your port checked!! But everything else works great.......Maybe a right angle cord would off reduced metal fatigue....
  • Steve Dudley
    I started having problems shortly after purchase. Blue scree messages and continual shutdowns. Sent it back after numerous hours on telephone with tech 'support' with no better success. After more hours on the phone I have given up. I did get a new hard drive, but this didn't keep it running long either.

    A couple of savvy computer friends told me that the processor was overheating and damaging the rest of the components in the computer. I think this should have been a recall as about one third of the purchasers have had serious problems
  • rachael
    im a university student and i have had the dis-pleasure of lugging around this laptop around for two years. performance wise it has been good, but the keyboard is falling apart (ive been told its $200+ to get a new one, while other brands its less than $40) my fan makes an AWFUL noise, and my usb ports cut out all the time so i have spotty connections. may have been a good computer if you wernt going to travel with it, but since its sooo heavy, not constructed well & battery only lasts about 1.5 hours with minimum programs running its terrible for a student. i cant even take it to class with me!
  • Allison
    I've had my Compaq R3000 for about 2.5 years, and it's been nothing but stable and reliable for me. I've even dropped it a couple of times, and it withstood the impact. I did replace the hard drive about a year ago, but that was my own fault. :)



    It's a bit heavy, and I probably will go with a lighter laptop next time, but this one is still going strong for me. No battery or power-jack issues, either.
  • Mike Kelly
    Great computer,owned 2 years, works perfect,no complaints.
  • nick
    I have bought this computer 2.5 years before . Facing lot of problems like battery won't come for long time. heavy weight, heating problem. Now there is no display at all. it is a junk model...
  • Tia
    I have had this computer for only 2 1/2 years and it is now giving me lots of problems. The battery won't stay charged long and doesn't connect. It seems tohave some kind of connection problem or something. It too heavy too. It isn't very portable, in my opinion. I really am on the search for a new laptop, but it definitely won't be a Compaq. I have read several reviews from people with the same make and model and they each complain about the same issues that I am having after the 2 year span.
  • Amit
    Had to replace the hard drive after 2 years. The computer runs very hot.
  • manuel
    I've been using this model for almost a year and half now, and the problem is just its too heavy and the battery don't charge sometime.
  • Seun
    The battery doesn't last for 15 minutes if not plugged to AC power, and people actually call my system a desktop because of it's weight. Is there anything you can do about the battery?
  • ernie@rankin-group.com
    Slightly heavy, but I haul it all every day and travel a lot.

    runs great for a portable office
  • UnclePen
    I have had a recurring problem with the power supply cord not able to provide power. Even though the cord is plugged in it operates on battery until I wiggle the insert to connect - eventually the "wiggle" process doesn't work and I have no way to charge my battery or operate the computer on AC power. The first repair cost over $300 and it lasted for a year, so now I am dumping this copmputer.



    Also, several of the USB ports are not solid connections. I have had to plug a mouse into the left hand side since the beginning just to find a port that would stay connected. This machine is poorly constructed.
  • roberto
    I own a R3000 since the spring of 2004 and although all the new products around, I'm still using it as a main machine.

    During these years,I took my R3000 with me in more than 35 Countries and in hundreds of flights.

    It's the strongest laptop I ever used, once I've even spill a drink on its keyboard amd nothing has happened.

    If its 8 lbs means toughness and durability at this level and awesome quality of components.... well I hope Compaq/Hp will produce a 10 lbs replica.

    Without any doubt one of the best laptop ever produced!
  • Al Burningham
    I have a Presario R3000, I gave this Computer a poor rating because of the power jack problems. The power will go intermittent after 6-10 months of normal use. After mine went dead one day I was no longer able to go on the web either, wireless or Ethernet. It seems the program when the computer shut off crashed and I was unable to do a rollback on the software. Until it died It worked great, until Compaq/HP fixes their power jack problems I would not recommend buy any of their laptops. Although I'm not an Apple fan, American IBM compatible computers could take a lesson from Apple and use the same power jacks they use on their new units. It's magnetica and there is no tension or stress on the jack what so ever. If you bump the power cord it comes off and the computer jack is not damaged.
  • Qayoom
    I curse the day ... I Thought it is a notebook. but well i think its a Small Desktop with poorly designed heat dissipation system, as its no centrino. A huge display, very very very poor battery backup.. and weight to get your shoulders crushing if u thing u are to carry it. i upgraded it with an additional 512 mb of ram to see an enhancment in performance. well its a very good desktop and be carefull to provide enough ventilaton other wiseits board and or processor and boubd to burn
  • ed
    My compaq r3000 sucks! It recently went to a black screen which says that windows cannot start successfully and gives me aps such as safe mode to reboot in, but none work and it just reverts to the same screen
  • Nina Myers
    I've had my R3000 for alittle over 2 years and I'm running into power supply problems. Will not hold a charge, shuts down, and also has run very hot for the past year. I've read multiple consumers with the same problem and will NOT ever buy another Compaq again.
  • nouzrid
    I don't know how or where other people use their laptop. I use mine in an 18 wheeler, I'm a truck driver that runs all 48 states and Canada. My Presario R3000 is mounted on a homemade stand that is not computer friendly.

    The roads in this country will put any laptop through hell; I don't think any company puts them through that kind of test. But my Compaq Presario R3000 has been through it for 2 or 3 years. My routing and GPS software are running all the time. The power cord will come unplugged from time to time from all the vibrating and pounding it goes through. The screen is always open and all programs are running. The screen takes quite a bit of abuse and remains steady fast.

    I'm not into gaming so the quality of the flash cards or graphics card is not a big issue for me. I was looking for durability, I found it in this R3000.
  • Easwaran
    There seems to be a huge difference between the US and Canadian models of this laptop. It sounds silly but the American model seems to have a big power problem, from the pack all the way to the pin. This usually leads to all sorts of other problems.

    Fortunately I have the Canadian model - for over 2 years now and its been excellent. I've even dropped it a few times but no issues cropped up. The cd tray sometimes ejects if you knock it on the bottom but thats nothing. The only thing that bums me out is that the graphics card isnt good enough for today's games as its got only 32MB VRAM.
  • Jon A.
    I think it's a great computer. I have not had any problems with it but I hate the weight. It's very sturdy and works just as well as when I bought it 3 years ago. I would recomend it as a desktop replacement but not for a portable laptop. It's just too heavy.
  • Tiffany
    I've had a wonderful experience with this computer. It's not exceptionally fancy, but it's fast and reliable and has never failed me yet. Great for general-purpose use. I agree that the weight is a little much; I took it with me while traveling once and definitely found the weight a little bit inconvenient.
  • Daniel
    Since somebody bought it for me from the USA (as I live in Romania and here they are too expensive), this laptop gave me a lot of problems, from the start the keyboard did not work properly so I sent it back to USA to be fixed and it came back with an even worst problem at the keyboard so I sent it back and now it works, but really slow...I would not recommend it...even though it has good looks, it's to heavy and slow.
  • Mark
    Works allright though it is a bit slow and can be extremely frustrating when it crashes constantly !!!!!!!!!! Far too heavy also , would have been better off with a PC.
  • Josh
    This laptop is probably great for some people-- just not me. I wanted a machine that I could comfortably sit on my lap and work from, travel with, and take to college with me. This laptop, while extremely well priced, is a hassle to take on a plane or put in a travel bag. Not only does it not fit most generic laptop cases, it is too heavy to take on a trip. For those wanting to travel with it, it is also too tall and too wide to fit on your lap in an airplane seat (unless you fly business class and this is not a problem). Overall, if you just want to use it around the house, it's a great value and a wonderful investment. For the business traveler, the student in college, or the person looking for a true laptop, find one under 6lbs. because this machine will leave you wanting.
  • Roking
    About this laptop, I can't really say nothing else than good.

    In 4 years of use this machine has been a faithful companion of travel visiting 32 countries, often in precarious travel condition and environments that have shown how much this laptop is really the "ultimate travel machine".

    Surely, it is 20-30% heavier than most competitor's fragile products but if you really travel,its gonna save you thousands in repairs.

    The version Intel, offers the "Pentium 4 processor with a 2.8 GHz. a speed that today is still very good.

    A note for improvement to HP,is regarding the small amount of RAM memory.

    512MB is not enough and soon or late the system slows down, and (as I did) upgrading is a must. With 1GB RAM,the system is incredibly fast.

    The hard disk size is 37GB a little small for a monster machine that I'm not only suggesting, but, I would surely buy again.
  • Adam
    I have had this computer for about 3 years and would not trade it in for almost anything (maybe a Bugatti Vrenyon 16.4). It is a Canadian model so it does not have any power problems and runs great. (Nick, It is only a piece **** because you have an American model. The canadian ones run almost flawlessly) It is a little on the heavy side and I can squeeze 3 hrs out of the battery.
  • Dependable
    My machine is about 4 years old and it's still going strong, I just need to upgrade the battery because it's lossing its charge too quick, and I guess i'll be back on for another 4 years .
  • RoJo
    Have to agree whole-hearted with the other reviews I've read here. Was performing a search to see what I could find regarding the power supply problem I'm experiencing with the Presario R3000. Wham!!!! Just can't believe that the problem is as prolific as I've read. Have had the laptop for a little 2+ to 3 years. And yes, the power supply has failed to the point where it no works as AC power. At the end, when the battery did charge somewhat, it would only last for 10 minutes at the most.

    Have worked for more than 30 years in the IT industry, and never have I experienced and/or witnessed such a widespread failure at a single critical component. For shame, Compaq and HP!!! A good and practical business decision would have been to recall these units, and fix the problem... As is, as a consumer, I can no longer trust the workmanship of a HP/Compaq computer. After what I've read, don't think I'll be dropping alot of money trying to fix the problem...

    For Shame HP/Compaq!!


    RoJo
  • Nicole
    Well, where do I start??? I have only had this computer for under 3 years. Well the battery dosn't last longer then 1 hour. The CD drive won't stay shut, and where the hinges are at the top of the laptop is cracking. Also it overheats all the time. I called customer service and it will cost more to fix it then to buy a new one. I wouldn't tell anyone to buy this, don't waste your money.
  • Joe
    I don't know what all the negative comments are for. I've had many computers in my life and I LOVE my R3000. I've had it for over 3 years now. It has lasted through college. it has been my main computer and everything still works great on it. My battery still works like new. All the external (and internal)components work just fine.
  • Melanie
    My R3000 also over heats too. I have plenty of memory and have even tried reformatting several times. My screen and cd writer also went out, but during the warranty time.
  • Steve
    I've got to say, I'm relieved that I'm not the only one who hates this unit. I've had it 3 years, and I'm having serious power issues. One minute it says I'm at 100%, and 5 mins later it shuts off. The I try to use AC power, but again, sometimes it works, and other times it doesn't. I'm so thoroughly disappointed.
  • Adam
    It seems you are having the all too common with the Compaq R3000 and HP ZX5000 power jack issue. Over time the shoddy soddering job comes lose on the motherboard and the powerjack comes lose. Or the powerjack becomes too wide for the plug. There are two ways of fixing this replace/or resoder the AC Jack on the motherboard. Or you can buy the HP XC1000 All In One Media cable that has its own powerjack on it as a replacement. There are also a few class action lawsuits concerning this issue as well.
  • Craig
    My R3000 has been great for over 3 years. The deck is a little worn but other than that it's great. HP warranty people are excellent to deal with and it's well worth the approx $100 investment to cover everything. The battery problem is common with some laptops, especially if you leave them plugged in for extended periods of time which you shouldn't do. I replaced my battery when it wouldn't keep a charge and it worked perfectly again. I think the batteries are around $100 though.
  • Christine Lay
    I bought this laptop in sept 04 along with a 2yr extended warranty. I have less than 75hrs on the laptop and have had nothing but trouble. It overheats so bad you can't hold it. When I called Comp USA and HP I was told it wasn't there problem, that it was an old laptop. I found out that the extented warranty I bought was no good as it ran concurrent with the store warranty which makes no sense. HP told me that this laptop was like a tv, that as soon as you buy it it is outdated and they would do nothing about it, I should buy a newer one. I liked the style and the durability of the product but the service and warranty stink. What now?
  • Don
    Nice notebook, although a bit on the hefty side (by the way, some of you folks should not whine about the weight and just try to build muscle). The problem points on the machine itself are the volume controls - which tend to become disconnected from the rest of the computer, rendering them useless. The case is good, since it isn't painted and takes quite a bit of abuse. Touchpad should have never been painted, since it has to be painted again. The latch is quite strong and won't fail like most notebooks do. Hinges are in good shape, but have now exhibit a bit of 'give'. I did get lucky with the inverter, after a minute of figiting, it worked without another blanking issue.

    For the whiners of power supplies, they typically last two to three years. I had the stock DVD/CD-RW optical drive become unresponsive and upgraded to a DVD recording drive. Never had an issue with the power connector but using an aftermarket power supply exacerbates the poor connectivity (since the Targus did not do their research during product development).
  • Allen
    I've had my R3000 for a few years now. I wanted something beefier that could take a bit more wear and tear. So far it's done well except for :

    1) LCD - It went out in the first year. That was annoying but what was baffeling was that in the 2 calls about it with HP they didn't tell me that they had scheduled UPS to pick it up at my house. Shipping it to them was a big chore for HP. Tsk-tsk to HP on that. YOur customers have real jobs. Ship them a box & let them drop it off on their own time. When you're the ones that failed to make a product reliable, making it even more inconvienient to remedy is not the time or place.

    2) The power issue - I tore it apart assuming that I needed to soder it to fix it (somewhat common issue with lap tops) but I can't get to that part! I've got everything else pulled apart right now but that. And until I check that, I don't know if that's the problem or simply that I need to put in a new AC connector. At least if HP sold a seperate battery charger, something that's handy in general, that would be help get around the issue.

    But other than those 2 things I've been happy with it. I probably wouldn't buy another HP based on the experiences though.
  • Patricia
    I bought the American version of this laptop about three years ago and have never run into power problems like so many out there. After fully charging the laptop I can easily get around three hours of battery life. It is very heavy but it also takes abuse well with minimal scratching or damage. The only problems that I have incountered are with the soundsystem which completely shut down on me but overall it is an excellent laptop!
  • George
    I have had this computer for over 3 years now and I didn't have much to complain about it until a few months ago. 1)the Hard drive over heated and fried, so that had to be replace. 2) the battery died (typical for laptops). 3) the AC supply cord died (never dropped or damaged on my part). 4) Finally the most famous problem for this model occurred; the its connected to the power but not charging problem. Out of all the problems the 4th has been the most difficult as it requires playing and pulling and applying pressure to the AC pin so that it connects. The worst part is if you are not careful, connecting the power cord leads to the battery going from 100% to 1% charge instantly and the computer shutting off. Another thing that i have noticed is that since the power problems is that the computer really heats up especially the power pin.

    If it weren't for the crappy power supply the computer wouldn't have much negatives aside from the weight and the Integrated graphics card as it does do many things well, but having to worry about getting a charge is one thing no laptop owner wants to have.
  • Michael
    I have had the RT300 since July of 2004. Needless to say, it has not been used in the last year. It has been sent to HP three times ever time, they claim to have diagnosed a different problem and claim to have fixed it. Solutions ranging from a new hard drive, replacing a heatsink fan, etc. Yet, every time we get it back, the SAME problem persists. The wonderful random shut downs. I have spent countless hours on the phone with HP, countless hours trying to redo work that was lost due to the shut downs. HP knows what the problem is with this laptop but they don't want to remedy it in any way. Good luck trying to get ahold of any one with any influence in that company. They have layer upon layer of BS that is designed to shield their management. I am extremely disgusted with HP and will more than likely file legal proceedings. I will not be ignored.
  • Katie
    This is one of the worst computers I have ever touched. It shuts off due to over heating even when I have it propped up on books so it get's enough room to blow the hot air. And when it does this it delets all the work that i have been doing. This makes me have to save my work every 3 minutes just in case it shuts down. My battery also only last about 10 minutes and not the power cord is shot since it doesn't plug into the back of the computer anymore. It keeps falling out! How am I supposed to use this in college if I am ever supposed to get my work done?
  • Jon
    My Compaq presario has a very hard time charging. It work off AC power at all when it's running. Sometimes when it's turned off it will charge for about 10 to 20 seconds turn off for 1 second and do the same thing over and over. Then I run the battery down in about 20 to 30 minutes if i'm lucky.
  • Sarah
    I've had my Presario for over 3 years and although during the first year it was an excellent and reliable machine since then I've had major problems with it. It overheats dramatically, crashes all the time, and the battery has never charged properly (I'm lucky if I can get five minutes!) I don't think I'd reccommend it.
  • Nick
    My Presario Laptop has been a piece of work and their (Indian) customer service is horrible! No wonder it was so cheap and made in China. It has had constant issues with parts falling off all together. Now the CD drive won't work anymore (the face fell off) and the power adapter has failed. The battery was known to cause fires but they wouldn't replace mine. It's the last one I will buy, I would look at a Toshiba or another brand first. Thanks
  • Brian
    I have used my R3000 for over 3 years now, and I haven't had any problems with it. The battery does tend to be on the bad side though. I only get 1.5 hrs tops. It gets the basic things done. It even played Doom 3!!! Heating does occur, but I solved that problem really easily by putting two soft balls under it to lift it up at an angle. That way, it helps with the airflow and typing. I also keep my laptop free of temporary files and junk stuff.
  • Eric
    Compaq's customer service sucks.

    This computer has a defective power connector and compaq want the CONSUMER to shoulder the burden for their shotty construction.

    It should be recalled.

    The PC will not stay powered.

    Also the mouse buttons come off and then you are helpless.

    I recommend IBM thinkpad.

    I might also try dell's notebook but i have no experience with them.
  • Frank
    I have owned one of these for several years now as it was given to me as a gift. This is the second time I had to have the power jack soldered so I can actually use it. The battery no longer charges, so it is difficult to work with. I would not recommend this laptop to anyone.
  • Tejas
    I have had this laptop since 2005, till now, and I'm using it. It's terribly slow, with 797MHz and a rather old video card if you're looking to play the latest games. Most games before 2003 work fine, but other titles such as NFS Most Wanted and GTA San Andreas might be a little sluggish and have poor gameplay and game graphics. You can't rewrite DVD's either. No expandable battery pack either. So pretty much it is an old, slow notebook but good for those who are looking for a cheap and a laptop with just about enough speed to not make us throw this out the window.
  • Thomas Lewis
    I received this laptop two years ago as a birthday present and haven't had any problems with it, it has been fantastic with its large memory and quick processor speed.
  • Stuart Ferguson
    I have had my Presario for about 3years now, i had to get a new battery within a week now it only lasts about 20-30mins fully charged and no power jack needs soldered, And there support is total pants you get about 10 different indians then they start shouting at you in a different lanuage and cant even get google translator, i think this product should has been recalled years ago its a fire risk and a right pain in the butt also had problems with it heating up a bought a cooler and still to use stuff to tilt it so try keep it kinda cool. Apart from all i think it was a good machine when it was working smoothly - I would not reccomend any Compaq laptops go DELL the best warrentys aswell cant beat them!
  • Fred
    I bought my R3000 3 years and a half ago in the US. Since then it runs around with me in my backpack when I travel. It has now some scratches on it and even bumps, but runs without any problem. I had the power connector problem: I made it resoldered by a professional, I didn't deal with Compaq... Since then, no issues. I extendent the RAM to 1Go.

    The problem now is... its resistance!!! I' m trying to run latest games on it (yes I'm crazy) some work at low details level, some don't work at all, but I get frustrated and would like to change, and I think it is time to, but I'm attached to my R3000 and I decided to wait it to die!

    Overall, I think it was a good laptop, too heavy for sure, but it's now very obsolete.
  • John Doe
    I bought my compact about 3 years ago. When it works it's a good computer but it has been sent off to be fixed for the same reason 3 times now. The first 2 times were for overheating and now it has been sent off because the heat it stores fried the motherboard. I used to have a Toshiba Satellite 200 and it worked great, I never had any problems with it. I want to drop the compact out the window and go buy a Toshiba. Compact needs to make their stuff work, especially if it has been sent off to get fixed once.
  • Elmer Crochet
    I have owned this computer since 2004. Ever since it was new, the screen has had two burnt out pixels that are painfully noticeable to me but not worth the trouble to get warranty fix. I am on my second battery. The new battery is adequate but not spectacular. Maybe 1 1/2 hrs of duty. I had some serious overheating problems for a while but found the cause. I opened the bottom to find a double fan discharge box with heat dissipating fins. Upon removing this heat exchanger, I found the fins clogged with lint and dust. After cleaning and replacing, the computer runs quite cool.

    I find the unit very slow to boot up. Maybe because of the 312 MB memory. Planning to upgrade to 1 GB. Also having problems with the charger plug in. The power connector is giving me problems. It takes numerous insertions of the charger connector to get the computer to recognize the power source. Overall, I would give the unit 5 out of 10.
  • Tammi
    I had this computer maybe a little over a year and have had so many problems. The major ones overheat all the time and then just shuts down. fans were clean and then my screen went dark (I can hardly see) when the power cord is in and brighter when it's on battery power which I am lucky if it even last a half hour; I never use the battery! This computer isn't worth it! My husband got the Toshiba Satellite 200 and its wonderful not a problem with anything.
  • Dustin
    You see, the problem is a lot of time you never hear from the people who like their computer because they don't have a need to report anything. My Presario R3000 is great, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It has survived falls, a coffee spill, and a high speed freeway accident, yet it still keeps on running. I would suggest this computer to any person willing to lug it around (it is a little heavier than most, weighing it at 8lbs.)
  • Ronald
    I have my R3000 for about 3 years now and didn't have any problems. Because most R3000 use an Intel Prescott processor they overheat easily, in fact they use desktop processors in a laptop. That has all to do with the processor itself. The Northwood has less problems. My slow Celeron 2.8 128 KB cache Northwood never gave me overheating.

    It's for me a good solid office replacement but not really a machine to bring too much around.
  • Hugh MacArthur
    I'm on my second battery. The original one lasts about 35 minutes. When I bought the second one, I could get almost four hours out of it, watching a DVD. Now, in less than a year, I'm down to 90 minutes... won't be long before I'm down to 35 minutes again.



    Is this inevitable?



    Cheers

    Hugh Mac.
  • Tina Sansone
    I've had nothing but problems since I've had my Presario. Never had use of the battery, always had to use wall outlet. Then, the connection with powercord is horrific. And the overheating..

    Fixing to buy a new one. With all repairs on this one, could've had a new one.
  • MJ
    I have only ventured out of the house with this notebook once.....and wouldn't do it again due to the loud fan noise (over heating). I also had battery issues but have kept it plugged in ever since. HP's customer service is a joke. This machine was ok for me, but I can see where it would hinder others.



    I'm currently shopping for another notebook since this one is over three years old. I will not be purchasing a HP.
  • Diana
    I've had my Presario R3000 since 2004 and all it has given me is trouble. I don't know how many times I've taken it to the store to be fixed. The main problem is overheating. It will get very hot and just shut down - I hate this! I had to renew my warranty for almost $300 and I paid almost $2000 when I first bought it. I will never buy a Compaq product again!
  • Chris Massey
    I would not recommend this product to anyone who wants mobility, functionality, and durability. My burner had decided to shoot craps and it keeps overheating. I can't keep it on long enough to even get on the internet. I will never buy another Compaq laptop again. I am completely frustrated with it and currently thinking about trashing it. I had good luck with it the first year, but after the warranty was up all heck broke loose? It weighs a ton and is not very durable. Never again that just about wraps this comment up.
  • Michael
    The only problem I have had with this notebook is the power connector had to be replaced. Something bumped it and broke the grasping sleeve inside. Other than that, I've had ABSOLUTELY no trouble with it. I still recommend Compaq.
  • Bill
    I've done a software upgrade from XP to Vista, and since doing so, I lost all of my original/factory settings. Can someone please help, Thank you in advance.
  • Evan
    I've had my R3000 for a few years now. I indeed have had a few problems starting with the battery - the battery was eventually recalled and mine replaced. It does have problems overheating but can be fixed if you are comfortable opening the laptop up and applying thermal paste between the heat sync and your chip. Be aware that removing the casing means taking out an unnecessary number of screws.



    As far as bill's comment- the touch mouse is run by Apoint2k. Check c:/program files/Apoint/ for the .exe You can also see if it auto starts with windows by going to start->run->'msconfig' (type msconfig here) ->startup
  • Justin
    I have had this laptop since 2004. I have had some problems with it but not until about 2 years of use. I leave it on 24/7 plugged into the wall. It does get hot but if you simply install taller rubber feet overheating problem fixed. My battery died right away. I almost never used it on battery power maybe that had something to do with it. Power cord is a little touchy bump it wrong and it loses power and with no battery it gets shut down hard. Which killed my hard drive or so I thought. Bought a new 80g for 30 bucks and works great. The DVD/CD drive stopped working had to get a new one. But all these problems came after 3 years of heavy use. I am very happy with it over all other than the battery. It has taken several 4 feet drops and keeps on kicking. The last laptop I had fell a foot and was out for the count (dell).
  • Michelle McCann
    Same AC power & battery problems as everyone else, my battery no longer holds a charge & the AC power cord is held on using rubber bands, very frustrating. We are shopping for a new computer & it will NOT be a Compaq.
  • Kevin Tan
    If anyone has issue with the power plug, contact me. I will be able to get it fixed at very affordable fees.
  • Toyah
    I bought my Compaq second hand and I've had it now for 3yrs with no problems at all. My only issue now is I want to go wireless and I'm not sure if this laptop is compatible, can anyone help?
  • Ray
    I have had my R3K since 94 and use it when I travel. Heavy? Yes, but I don't use it in the plane, just at the hotel. Very sturdy. I bought a $12 USB wireless adapter and it works fine. It is not pre-wired for wireless. At least mine isn't. Just started over-heating and will prop it up higher as some of you have suggested. Battery? Yeah, I have about 7 minutes fully charged. Otherwise, no real problems.
  • Lena
    I have had my laptop since xmas2004 I use it every day so does rest of the family when they can get on it. I have never had a single problem with it. Fell off lorry dash board twice do not know if I'm lucky, but I reckon a great laptop hope I don't jinx myself now! Down side bit on the hefty side but new that when I brought it.
  • Dhanieram Deodat
    I purchased a Compaq Presario R3000 in January 2008 from an old friend. This system apparently doesn't turn on at all. I change the battery and power cord and the same thing happens. What had happen in the past is that it used to turn on and whenever it shuts down it doesn't comes on. We had to use it in standby. The other day I shutdown it and it doesn't comes on.
  • Mitch
    I bought it since 2004 August; it has been working for 3.5 years for me as an architecture student.



    The machine is almost perfect, except its weight and incapable of playing CS. It just froze when I play CS. but it runs other games perfectly.



    Demanding 3D software, such as Maya, rhino, 3dsmax, ran effortlessly on this machine before my deadline.



    By upgrading it to 2 GB ram, this machine could almost fly.
  • K. Polymers
    I purchased my Presario R3000 around spring of 07' off EBay. Like most Presario R3000 owners, I had a problem with the power supply to the motherboard. I sent an email into HP which was pretty much worthless. I read Horror stories of people spending hundreds of dollars to replace the mother board. Well, for the $9 cost of a solder iron and solder, I permanently fixed the connection without replacing the motherboard or even removing it! It just requires cutting a piece off the top of the laptop which is hidden under a plastic cover. Soldered the connecting pins and wham!! Has been flawless for 8 months with no charging/power issues!!
  • Donna
    I am a 43 yr old graphic artist and I never carry the computer anywhere. I have no USB ports alive and the power cord will not stay in. The computer is horrible. I have 2 others that have never had a problem and are cheaper brands. Please reconsider this computer.
  • Jamie Balfour
    This computer was my old, old laptop. I loved it for 5 months until it went into a mode where it kept switching off and never switched on. I now have a new HP one dual core etc. Although it has a new style (HP imprint) it does not seem to have the same kind of professional touch to it as that did. Still a terrible computer after owning it for five months.
  • AJ
    I have had my compaq presario r3000 for 3.5 years now and have had no problems great for the price at the time. Graphics are a bit lacking but I will survive
  • Doris
    The screen of my Compaq Presario went BLACK too. After reading all the commentaries I realized that I am another person joining the group of frustrated Compaq Presario users. I don't know how to FIX this problem. We have three Dell PCs at home which we bought at the same time we bought this Compaq.

    If you have any positive response from Compaq RE/this issue, please post it.

    DELL? YES! I'll replace this Presario for another DELL!!
  • Greg
    Yeah this computer is a little outdated now with a 40 GB HDD and 512 MB of memory but, overall it has been an ok purchase. But, there are a few cons:



    ON startup and during use it sounds like a Jet Engine starting up and then taking off.



    The speakers quit working where I have to put a head set jack in half way to get a sound. But if I put them all the way in I cannot use the head phones at all.



    The UBS ports work 1/4 of the time and I have to readjust them over and over for my mouse, external enclosure HDD and flash drives.



    They keyboard is a little weak and my three key broke off. And the screen has faded a lot since I got it. (This should not happen because this is an LCD not Plasma.)



    Would I ever buy another Compaq? I would have to say no. I will be going to Dell or back to Mac.



    Owner of:

    Dell M2010 4 GB

    Sony Playstation 3 200 GB upgrade HDD



    And this little sad laptop
  • Julius Manu
    I have purchased one of your products (laptop) Presario R3000 Pentium 4 and I due to some problems beyond control, I lost the sound. I need the drivers to that effect kindly show me it can be found on the net. I had gone through the available addresses on the internet. Your products are very nice.
  • Alfonso Gonzalez
    I've had my Compaq Preario R3306 since 2004 and use it every day without exception. I do travel with it from time to time and the only problem I've seen is that the battery charge will only last for about 20 minutes. Oh...one other thing, about a month ago, the wireless feature stopped working and I have to connect to the Internet by using an ethernet cable. Does anyone out there know if there an easy fix for this? The blue light indicator for wireless does not turn on anymore. Overall, a good laptop so far...knock on wood!
  • Kelly
    I have had no problems up untill recentley with my R3000- the adapter will no longer charge and the keys come off very easily- I also have a black whole forming on the tap box- this maybe from finger oils etc..tapping still works fine- having two of these laptops over the past 3 years -Ihave had to order two batteries as they will not hold charge for very long and these computers are difficult to upload video to - some additional port or card is needed to connect to your recorder- other than that I am happy with the speed- the screen, its a great laptop
  • JoeBlow
    I have been repeatedly kicked in the teeth by this computer. Firstly, the broadcom drivers hadn't been installed by the guy who sold it to me. Then, my left Ctrl key just popped out one day, not even six months after getting it. I haven't had any other key leaving me for a better world though.


    My AC burnt twice, and I had to replace it the first time, which cost about 100$ and I had it repaired the second time, for 100$ once again. After three years of regular battery use (no extensive travelling on planes or trains or whatever), the battery died on me. It SO died I couldn't even boot up my computer! Talk about crap!


    As if it wasn't enough, guess what? The AC jack was damaged because of my "abusive" use of the laptop, according to a techie. I did put it on my knees quite often. If you do that, watch it, you're being a bad person. Oh yeah, it cost me about 100$ to get it repaired.


    The screen has faded a lot. I still have decent colours though. But the main issue with the screen is that there's a double black line of dust or whatever, that comes from closing the laptop. The screen apparently touches the spot right above the mousepad, and this leaves this very annoying trace that ruins any nice image.


    This computer is very heavy, cost me a lot and I thought I was buying a gamer's machine. As Mr. T would say it, I was a fool. The cheap integrated video card isn't worth crap to run games that need a little power.


    I wish I hadn't bought this laptop. It was a black hole for my wallet, spend lots of its lifetime in a cabinet, unusable. It's also VERY heavy when you carry something else such as a lunch box, or books, or whatever. It becomes a real hindrance and I often sat there wondering if I should bring it just because it was so bulky.


    The only really satisfying thing about this laptop is its sound system. It can seriously be used as a ghetto blaster to entertain people at parties, which can be very convenient. However, don't expect miracles from the sound card. It's ok, but not any more than that.


    I'll switch to MAC next time. They're light, they last and... it's not Windows.
  • Shesh Ram Rana
    It is a nice product. I have no problem
  • Daniel
    I have had this computer since 2004 and have had lots of problems with it.

    First, the battery never lasted very long since I bought it (about 45 min. brand new).

    Second, The mother board fried twice. I don't know the reason nor does the company. I am on my third motherboard.

    Third, when I bought the computer I was having trouble burning CD's and found that many others were having the same problem. I had the company send me a new one. Problem fixed. I am on my second CD drive, but now it doesn't read anything.

    I have two options: either I can put money into a problem computer to fix the CD drive or get another computer.

    The one good thing about the computer though is that it gets great wireless signal.

    My recommendation: don't buy the computer even if someone is giving you a great deal. You will be better off getting a different one.
  • Alejandro
    I have had this R3000 since june 2005. During that time I had all kinds of problems with it. Few months after buying it, it started to crash (due to overheating I suppose). The costumer service was terrible, they took the computer for several weeks and sent it back with the same problem. I had to get used to it crashing down. Then the charger died before one year of use, and the battery lasted 15 mins at most. Now it is even hard to get it to work on ac power. I have been very frustrated with this computer. I bought a laptop that I can't use awya from a plug!!! (supposing I can use it at all).
  • Vince
    My R3430 was purchased new in January 2005 and since then, I have had no problems except for the ever decreasing performance of the original battery. Even when new, the battery only lasted about an hour and a half or so. Now, it lasts 20 - 25 minutes at best on a full charge. This laptop uses a lot of power and so, I need to use the AC adapter most of the time. Other than that, everything works like it did when new. I did upgrade with a little more RAM a year or so ago and an additional 256 MB made a noticeable improvement in speed. (Came with 512 and I swapped out one of the 256 modules for a 512 for a total of 768MB). I also got a laptop fan cooler mat since the Pentium 4 runs very hot. This laptop has met nearly all my needs and continues to perform very well.
  • Tishya
    I have had the R3000 for three years. It still works great while the power connector plug stays in place. Unfortunately, the plug is loose and is apt to fall out unpredictably. This intermittent powering has ruined the battery. I am told the only fix is a new motherboard because the connector is integrated into it. As I said, great features but shame about the power connector.
  • Michael
    I've had my Compaq Presario R3000 AMD since it came out in 2004,traveled all over the place with it in my backpack. It matters how you take care of it, always keep a book under the computer to let it vent. Never let it sit on a bed while it is running or any other soft surface. Learn how to reload computers its easy, and you can keep it like new for a long time.

    I am currently getting blue screens of death if I have too much MEDIA playing like music and videos, but its time for this baby to take a shotgun shell to the head. It's over its age limit.
  • Mujahid
    I am using Compaq presario r3000 for about 6 months. Its a good one besides the battery life (only 45 minutes when it is brand new) and has over heating problems.
  • DON HICKS
    I have had my R3000T for about 6 mths to a yr now and it has a jack problem but all i have had to put into it is the battery, so i guess i can handle a 1-200 dollar bill if it maintains its dexterity! great machine!
  • ANJUM
    I shall never recommend Presario R3000.I got its pin replaced for hundred bucks, when it stopped charging the battery. I had annoying experience with power adapter then. I bought new recommended Adapter and next day the Windows system crashed.

    One can imagine my agony. Now I have to pay another 100 to get the system revived. And who know what then. This is Presario R3000.
  • EtaYorius
    I had my R3360US since Oct 2005 with no problems at all, some say the power jack fails... but mine have not stopped working, battery is gone already only working for 10 minutes, no over heating problems if you check the heatsink each 3 months (canned air does the work) i can play most games up to 2005 and few 2006 games, i was able to run Vampire Bloodlines on this babe, Doom3, Evil Dead Regeneration, Sims2, Obscure and GTA-SA with no problems at all.
  • Stingo
    I bought this computer new back in 2004. The dvd player was replaced twice in the first 6 months but has been trouble free until now. The power cord was becoming loose and was falling out all the time. The battery is dead (to be expected after 4 years I guess) but now the machine won't take any power. I just get this weird clicking noise coming from somewhere inside the machine.

    Overall the machine has served me well and functioned as a web surfing computer in our living room. It is very heavy and I hate dragging it around with me when we travel. My next laptop will be under 5lbs!

    If anyone knows what the power issue might be, let me know!

    Also, to the other poster who said the power port thing was only replaceable with the mother board, look on Ebay, I just saw some ports on there for the R3000 for $10. They do have to be soldered on though.
  • Turbomother
    I got this back in 2004, and got one of the lower models, with 256 ram and the celeron processor.

    It was good enough back then, but now I have to say it is unsatisfactory. I have since upgraded the ram to 512, but it is still to slow.
  • Joel Juarez
    I've had my R3K since 2004 and it's taken a freaking beating. I joined the air force and i take this thing on the plane with me a lot and it gets really beat up. I have the same powercord/battery problem, but she still runs like a champ. Just a bit out of date now though.
  • Juan
    Its been 4 years working as a developer, and the battery still last more than an hour.

    I also have problems with the cord, but I manage to fix it and is working quite good now.

    Also upgraded 256Mb ram to a 678Mb, and change the DVD Rom unit to a double layer DVD burner... still all works properly- good experience with the AMD processor.
  • tdrive
    I've had the R3000 since its 1st year..the monitors crystals were the 1st to go. It has so many access points (thick spacing) in keys etc, it allows ants and dust in without much protection. I'm having to really tweak it,just to multi-task three programs at once. It gets hot quickly. The virtual memory, yuck. Furthermore, it is still here working with tape and gum, but still trying to keep up with admin type work.
  • D33Z Nuts
    Got this back in college days (2004)

    spec:
    AMD64 3000 mobile
    Nvidia vid (8400)
    512mb RAM
    Replaced the slower 5400rpm 40gb HDD with a 60gb Samsung 7200rpm.

    Pro's:
    - Able to play games (older games)
    - Still using it till this day.
    - Worked my biceps

    Con's:
    - Battery life was terrible
    - Side buttons (wifi and sound) stopped working after a few months.
    - Had to open the case to access the heatsink and clean the fins.
    - Fans to cool the video and CPU needed to be lubbed.
    - Worked on my biceps on days I wasn't suppose to.

    I would eventually make this lappy turn into a small server. It doesn't require much power to be running as a router and because it's small, it doesn't take much physical space (compared to a box).

    In terms of learning how to take apart a laptop, this one is great. But I shouldn't have to do this, and not all consumers are computer literate or feel comfortable taking it apart.
  • marius
    I bought my R3000 in 2004, it works very well, but it is a bit heavy and I need to hoover the heat sink from time to time. I have the 3.2G 2CPU processor and ATI Radeon 9000-9100 video card, 2x512 upgraded memory and it can support many games on medium settings.

    The battery was initially working for about 2-2.5 hours but now is working for about one hour on easy applications (hope I can buy a new one).
  • Atirox
    One of the better laptops I have owned. I too have suffered from the bad jack, and it turns out that the solder joint on the positive terminal gets oxidized. To repair, I simply added more solder. It's working just fine now. :) I'd prefer more memory, and maybe a faster processor, or a discrete solution for graphics, but at about an hour and a half on the original battery that came with the computer in April of 2004, I can't complain. To this day, I still use the computer.

    I should note that I did have an overheating problem, but when you take the fan covers off of them, and you pull out enough hair and lint from the heat sync to create a small dog, everything becomes crystal clear. Needless to say, I can still fry an egg on the processor.

    Stats:

    Mobile Intel Pentium 4 2.4 GHz, 512 KB L2 cache, 133 MHz quad pumped FSB.

    ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 IGP, 300 MHz core

    512 MB shared DDR PC-2700

    ATI IXP 150 Southbridge

    Analog Devices ADI1981 "SoundMAX" Integrated Audio

    Broadcom BCM4306 802.11b/g

    Realtek RTL8139 NIC

    Texas Instuments PCI 1620 Cardbus controller

    5 in 1 card reader
  • Nelson(Malaysian)
    i'm using R3000 now and i feel that screen very good and he sound system very nice... i like to watch DCI and it can makes me feel like watching live show. Th only thing i want to complain is it is too heavy to bring around...
  • Jason
    I bought my Presario R3000 in 2004 brand new it is a AMD Athlon 64 3400+ with a GB of Ram. It has been traveling with me almost daily since then with the exception of the weight it has been a great machine. I have had other laptops that have not taken near the abuse that i have put this one through. the battery life has shortened but I am still getting a good hour of life. just recently I have lost the volume control and wireless buttons on the case but that seems like a minimal issue considering the length of service this laptop has given to me. I am now passing it on to my wife as I have bought a newer and lighter laptop. I may go back we will see how the other performs.
  • sk8r4lyf
    this is a great computer i love it even though its pretty heavy
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