Don't buy HP laptops...

Ok, so I'm really p*ssed right now. My laptop is being a piece of sh*t. It's an HP Pavilion ze4600, just so you know. So, in late November, my laptop broke and wouldn't turn on at all, no matter what I tried. So in December I finally had enough free time to take it to Be$t Buy where I bought it and had a 3 year warranty on it. Now this isn't my first time having this happen. My laptop stopped working about 6 months ago, and at that time it was barely over 1 year old. Now this time it was about 1 year 8 months old. Still, not that old so it shouldn't be breaking like this. So anyway, I took it to Best Buy and they sent it to HP. A month later I finally got it back. Turned it on. Onboard sound was broken, and wireless signal was PATHETIC (1/5 bars about 8 feet from router, won't connect at all from another room where it used to work) . I've tried it on 2 different distros of Linux as well as Windows XP SP1 and SP2! Nothing makes it work. So today, I find out that the wireless signal is so bad that it's only going at 1 mbps, which is REALLY sad since my actual internet is 6 mbps downstream. Then I find out the retards at HP replaced the mobo with one from a Compaq Presario 2100, which explains the Compaq logo at the POST screen. Knowing that, I try a BIOS flash. That adds a couple of options to the BIOS screen, but does nothing to fix my wireless/sound problems. The most surprising thing is that this laptop is still under 2 years old! I'm going to take this damn thing to Best Buy today and have them exchange it for something with a Dothan. The moral of the story, even though HP's customer support speaks English, that doesn't mean they know anything of what they're doing... I'm never buying an HP laptop again.
End rant...

I know how to fix your wireless problem. Those dumbasses at HP and compaq don't care for detail and that's why it's got a weak signal.

The pig tails for the antennas are swtiched. It actually matters which wire goes to Aux and main. This is because one antenna is in the lid of the machine and the other on the bottom of the chassis.

I got nothing for the sound problem...

HP and Compaq have tier service if you get their business laptops you'll be living on easy street but if you have their mainstream stuff you're in service hell.

was about 1 year 8 months old. Still, not that old so it shouldn't be breaking like this.

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There is no set time for when a computer "should" start breaking down - be thankful all ths is happening while under warrenty.

I can certainly say i have never liked Compaq at all and HP a little more so, but now, neither on and i really dont see why anyone should bother with the company with such better options out there.

I've learned to avoid all things HP, Acer, Sweex, Qtek and Packard Bell (yes, those are still in bussiness here!)

Acer, HP and PB laptops having terrible battery life and being heavy and ugly, sweex and qtek routers and PSU's breaking down every second day of the week.

Want a decent laptop? get a benq

Well, since I'm not about to open up the laptop to fix the wireless problem (I'd probably end up breaking it even more, as well as voiding the warranty), I've typed a letter listing the problems with the laptop, steps I've taken to test that the problems are due to the hardware and were caused by the technicians at the factory, and requesting an exchange with another brand of laptop. If it doesn't work, then I'll just remind them that they'd be permanently losing a customer...

I have a ze5517ea laptop under 3-year warranty that was just plain instable. Random BSOD's, sent it back twice and twice it got returned with a sheet saying 'fault not reproduced, upgraded BIOS and system software' while the problem remained. I finally took it apart myself and discovered two things; a magnet that's supposed to be at the end of a wire (to suppres interference) was hanging halfway upon all kinds of mainboard components (solderpoints) and there was this aluminum-like metallic sticker just dropped somewhere also making contact?! After I removed these things and applied AS5 to the CPU it has never chrashed again. They simply never took the time to take it apart. Later on I upgraded the Mobile-P4 2.3Ghz/400FSB to a 2.8Ghz 533FSB and have been happily for a year now. I'm typing this on it right now!

Then there's my business laptop for work; a nc6000 with 1.6Ghz Pentium-M Banias
- Random BSOD's...
- The replacement laptop was fine but unfortunatly got stolen from my company car...
- This week I received a new nc6000; both batteries don't charge zo HP support is coming over once more...

In a nutshell, 3 out of 4 brand new HP laptops I've worked with weren't ok right from the start!

My Girlfriend has a ze4900 and we havent experianced any problems with it so far except for one... When the laptop is off and you go to boot it, you have to remove any USB device (even a keyboard and mouse). If you dont it wont boot and you have to remove the battery to restart it. Other then that the signal strength isnt the greatest, but its not bad but definatly not as good as my iBook.

HP currently holds the lowest score in my rating database... (stickey up top)

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=364838

I learned to avoid HP back in the origional celeron days where a freind and I owned one and they bolth broke down constantly... eventually I ended up taking the whole system case and all (nothing salvageable cause it's all worthless) and taking a baseball bat to it...

Well, I just got back from Be$t Buy, and it turns out the antenna for the wireless card weren't plugged in AT ALL, but that still doesn't fix my sound problem, so they sent it back to the factory AGAIN. Turns out that one of the times it was sent back doesn't count since they didn't replace any hardware, but if there's a problem with it after it comes back, they'll replace the whole thing. Me want Dothan

I never had a problem with my compaq r3460us, but last month the battery was giving out and only lasted about 45min, too it to compusa wher I have the extended warranty, they in turn sent it in to hp where they returned the laptop a week later having done nothing and now the battery only lasted a half hour, so I took it again to compusa and stood there for a half hour showing the compusa tech what was going on, the laptop got sent to hp again where this time around the battery was replaced and the odd thing is that it holds more power then the one before.

I don't understand, how smart does a person has to be in order to know that a computer going into hybernation when the battery meter tells you that you still have 75% left is not normal and needs a battery replacement, but all in all I've seen worst support (abit).

Hmm HP for me seem to be hit and miss, my parents HP has lasted 6 years of 24/7 use with only a HD, optical drive, and fan(not needed but done anyway) replacement. However I have seen other HPs that sucked it up completly the first six months of use. So I would say they definetly are hit and miss.

I've learned to avoid all things HP, Acer, Sweex, Qtek and Packard Bell (yes, those are still in bussiness here!)

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Funny how 2 of those are in Top 5 brands by number of units sold, it also seems that its really more of the ze series. I had a ze4300 and it is defently a wrong laptop for anyone who doesnt sit at home puniching in Word on their laptop(even than, the keyboard is awful). Ive had one laptop from the business department of HP and its like a whole new company, the nc, nx and etc series semmed like they have their own support line, and the build quiality is much better that of the HP home line.

I'm using an Compaq Presarios v2000 and it hasn't given me any problems yet, but I do leave it plugged in all the time right next to my gaming rig. I hope it never has any problems. The only thing wrong with it now is that one of the little rubber feat came off in my backpack. Other than that, so far so good.

I should really upgrade the ram to 1gb though.

yeah hp is crap now just like compaq. my buddys compaq laptop is dieing after 5 months. thing overheats so bad 20 min it turns its self off on a chill pad. but i told him to make his own pc for 1/2 the price but way better but he thought the compaq was good lol.

my ex gf has a hp laptop. it looks nice. i give you that. she' hasn't had any problems with it yet. so adono, mebbe its just bad luck? i think its fine buying a laptop.

for the people who think acer is crap, i have an acer 3003wlci. Its been half a year now and it runs perfectly fine
i bought it for $760
athlon xp 3000 m - fast.. gotta give you that.
80gb 5400rpm - no data corruption
dvdrw - nice drive..
15.4" - no dead pixels its easier on the eyes than my 17" lcd
802.11g - performs better than any of my pci cards..ridiculous.. loll exact opposite of yours.

soo yeah, sure its a little big and they all use the case, but i guess in the end it makes it cheaper to produce. and plus, its sleek. i like it. and the weight doesn't really bother me. it stays on a surface most of the time and its just a portable entertainment system for me.

Acer are OK - my laptop is 2 years old now and has just to have its hard disk replaced, i went for a 60GB to replace the old 20GB. It's chunky and the battery is on it's way out now but overall for a cheap laptop it's done well. (1353XC)

Not seen many issues with HP or Compaq laptops where I work - only complaint I've had recently is that Compaq now supply the manual on CD.

So... your new Laptop doesn't start. You check the manual.... how?

Maviryk said:

I'm using an Compaq Presarios v2000 and it hasn't given me any problems yet, but I do leave it plugged in all the time right next to my gaming rig. I hope it never has any problems. The only thing wrong with it now is that one of the little rubber feat came off in my backpack. Other than that, so far so good.

I should really upgrade the ram to 1gb though.

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I don't know if you already does this but you should remove the battery if the laptop stays plugged in most of the time, because with my lappy, it used to stay plugged in with the battery in, but after 9 months the battery started to die, thankfully hp replaced under warranty.

Avg said:

I don't know if you already does this but you should remove the battery if the laptop stays plugged in most of the time, because with my lappy, it used to stay plugged in with the battery in, but after 9 months the battery started to die, thankfully hp replaced under warranty.

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Oh, didn't know that, thanks for the tip. I have the basic HP warranty + the Best Buy warranty (they'll replace the battery after the HP warranty is up). I thought that was only necessary if it tries to constantly charge the battery and reverse some of the polarity? I know not to leave my phone plugged in all the time... but I kinda like walking over to the living room w/o plugging my battery back in... I've only had this laptop for 3 months, we'll see what happens in another 6.

I really like my HP laptop.. I haven't had any problems with it at all. My only complaint is that the fans are loud.

smekta3 said:

Funny how 2 of those are in Top 5 brands by number of units sold, it also seems that its really more of the ze series. I had a ze4300 and it is defently a wrong laptop for anyone who doesnt sit at home puniching in Word on their laptop(even than, the keyboard is awful). Ive had one laptop from the business department of HP and its like a whole new company, the nc, nx and etc series semmed like they have their own support line, and the build quiality is much better that of the HP home line.

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Our company uses the 'nc' line, 2 out of 3 brand new nc6000 business laptops had defects...