The PaqBook – The Compaq Presario V2617TS
Wednesday
Jul 19, 2006
No, it’s not Manny Pacquiao‘s latest book. It’s what I’m naming* this newest gadget of mine, the Compaq Presario V2617TS. It’s sort of my take on “MacBook.”
I’m sorry to say I had to retire my Thinkpad 390E (look it up–it’s a really really dated model, but that tells you how hardy ThinkPads can be) since it could no longer keep up to my requirements. I do hope it’s now in good hands.
The V2617TS is not top-of-the-line but it sure is a good deal for the price I paid. And it’s good enough for my needs as a writer, pro-blogger, occasional gamer and wannabe-photographer. SRP was PhP 35,950 but I got a discount of PhP 5,000 for paying cash, bringing down the price to PhP 30,950 or approximately US$ 580 (I think this is the price listed online at the Complink website).
It’s a Celeron-M model inside the V2000 form factor, so it looks just like the higher-end V2000 Centrinos and Core Duos, save for some differences which you would only see on closer inspection (and which non-laptop enthusiasts won’t know about anyway).
Yes, it’s teh sexy!
The specs
* Processor: Intel Celeron-M 370 (Dothan core): 1.5 GHz, 1 MB L2 Cache, 400 MHz frontside bus
* Memory: 256 MB DDR (upgraded to 768 MB)
* Chipset: Intel 915GM Express
* Graphics adaptor: Integrated Intel GMA 900, up to 128 MB shared video RAM (dynamically allocated by OS)
* Screen: 14″ Widescreen XGA TFT LCD (very very bright!)
* Hard drive: 40GB 4200 RPM
* Optical drive: Combo drive (DVD-ROM, CD-R/RW)
* 10/100 LAN, 56Kbps modem, two 2.0 USB ports, RGB out, S-video out, one Cardbus slot
* Weight: 2.31 Kg
* (OS not included in the package)
I’ve always leaned towards the big brands (such as IBM, HP/Compaq, etc.) and that was my first priority in looking for a new laptop. There’s something about the design of these branded laptops (design meaning not only the style but the overall concept and construction) that gives them an edge over ODM or other BTO laptops. Firsthand experience tells me ThinkPads really are built like tanks. Compaqs and Fujitsus live forever, too. And Macs never lose their sex appeal.
Yes, I know I could have bought something else not badged with the “big brands” but with better specs. But I’m a design freak. What can I say?
And then, of course, you’re paying extra for the after-sales support and online firmware updates. Got that concept from fellow laptop junkies** from Cooltoyz. So what you lose in sheer specs you make up in being sure your laptop’s in tip top running condition.
Celeron?
As for choosing Celeron-M over Pentium-M (which runs the Centrino platform), it’s a matter of price. The Celeron-M is every bit as powerful as the Pentium-M all other things equal (save for L2 cache), but the major disadvantage is battery life, since Celeron-Ms always run on full clock speed. So I usually only get maximum of 2.5 hours on a single charge.
The lowest-priced Centrino V2000 would cost me twice. Go figure.
By the way, I have a knack for pronouncing “Celeron” with a hard C (like K) as in “Celtic.” I don’t know why. Just sounds cool, perhaps.
Photos
Again, pictures speak louder than words, so I’d suggest we go mosy over to my Flickr site for photos of the PaqBook. Here are some thumbnails. You can also hover your mouse over the thumbnails for some descriptions (if you don’t want to view the larger image).
A full review is in order and shall be posted onto bLaptops once finished. For the meantime, here’s a peek into how it feels to go wide (screen) and my review of the Samsonite Inventure laptop backpack I recently got for the PaqBook.
*Corsarius has his Corsarify.
**Trivia: I used to run my BBS on a 386SX Toshiba Satellite. That was in 1995.
Updates, as of June 2007
If you’re interested with the V2000, be sure to check these out:
I was able to have my V2000′s front bezel, LCD and CPU fan replaced at the tail-end of warranty period. Since the new LCD enclosure had WiFi antennae, I was also able to install an internal WiFi mini PCI card.
Also, I decided to protect my touchpad and palm rest with frisket film, since after a year’s use the V2000′s paint had already faded due to contact with my sweaty, acidic palms and fingers.
Recently, I saw low-end V3000 Compaq Presarios (the V3120TU) selling for about the same price I bought my V2000 last year.
Some words of advice
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Comments
Corsarius
July 19th, 2006 at 3:42 am
whoa! di ka nagkukuwento — you already had a new baby since the blogging workshop?! hehe, congrats! corsarify, meet the paqbook. be nice to each other
altec lansing speakers? cool, man.
that gives me an idea…if i have the time, maybe i can guest-write for bLaptops, for my BYON model? hehe.
J. Angelo Racoma
July 19th, 2006 at 3:55 am
Heheh. I sort of hinted about it on “bMonitors”:http://www.bmonitors.com/articles/fun-with-widescreen/ . I wanted to get a full review out first. But I’m kind of stuck at 50%. So preview muna.
J. Angelo Racoma
July 19th, 2006 at 3:58 am
As for guest writing, sure! Not my blog, though (it’s under “David’s”:http://phoenixrealm.com care), but I think it would be all right.
Mikey
July 19th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
2.5 hours?! I’m running a celeron too but only get one hour of battery life– TOPS. When you say 2.5 hours, do you have other peripherals activated? (i.e. WLAN card, IR, etc?)
jong
July 19th, 2006 at 7:13 pm
hehe. nice. astig talaga yong itsura nyan. hehe
J. Angelo Racoma
July 19th, 2006 at 10:08 pm
@Mikey, try minimizing watching porn DVDs, maybe you can reach at least two hours!
Okay, scratch that. Actually I max out at 1.5 to two hours with regular use. 2.5 is without WiFi and with lowest brightness and with minimal load. Here are some suggestions for squeezing out as much juice from your batteries:
* Add RAM – so your OS won’t have to swap to the HDD as frequently.
* Decrease system color – change your system color from highest setting to a lower one (or the lowest one), say from 32bits to 16bits.
* Minimize the number of running apps.
* Minimize watching of pr0n DVDs. Do this when plugged in.
* Turn off the ports you’re not currently using, like IR, Serial, Printer, etc. (wait, does anyone still have serial and parallel ports these days?). You can do this via the BIOS setup.
Anyway, Pentium-M systems don’t have the problem of always running at full speed, since they have the SpeedStep chip onboard. That’s why they’re more expensive.
@Jong, thanks! Yes, it looks very nice.
rodney
July 22nd, 2006 at 9:26 am
I recently bought one last week at pcworx in gilmore. It is priced at Php30,950.00. Honestly, I really like it. Now I can write my reports and finish my work even after office hours. Not only that I can watch my favorite movies in a widescreen set-up. And I have tell you, upon seeing my laptop, most of my officemates have decided to buy one.
vance
July 22nd, 2006 at 11:53 pm
nice for business related purpose… anyways, for me though i would have waited until i reach around 50 – 60 k, hehe, and get a toshiba laptop with duo core processor and dvd writer, thats just me. well aside from toshiba, I could also get a 13″ widescreen macbook in US not here in Manila so expensive like 20k more fronm the original price..
One thing though that I don’t like with the laptop it doesnt have a built-in wifi, btw is it really 4200 RPMS? not 5400 RPMS?
Joey
July 24th, 2006 at 6:49 pm
“The Celeron-M is every bit as powerful as the Pentium-M all other things equal (save for L2 cache), but the major disadvantage is battery life, since Celeron-Ms always run on full clock speed.”
I have an Asus A6R with a Celeron. It came with a utility, Power4 Gear, that throttles the CPU down to about half when in battery mode. For surfing and working with Office documents, the CPU slowdown isn’t really noticeable. Since you’re using a Compaq, maybe you can try a universal utility similar to that called SpeedswitchXP from this site: http://www.diefer.de/software/sswitchxp151.exe.
Migs
July 25th, 2006 at 10:19 pm
Yes, low end laptop drives are 4200 RPM.
J, did you add a PCMCIA WiFi card, like from your old laptop? I think the lack of onboard WiFi is why they discounted this unit.
J. Angelo Racoma
July 25th, 2006 at 11:54 pm
Migs,
I initially intended to add onboard WiFi via mini PCI. Apparently, though, the V2617 (and most Compaqs) have very strict device whitelists and the BIOS won’t accept the Broadcom card I tried to install (computer won’t boot up and gives a “doesn’t support this WiFi card” error message). AND the V2617 doesn’t seem to have internal wireless antenna(e), something that even low-end ODMs do (I stuck the Broadcom onto my dad’s Neo Q-Note M360 instead–anyway, it was just lying idle around the house so no loss on my end).
Sigh.
Anyway, Cooltoyz offered to add an Intel pro 2200 (or is it the higher one) and two internal antennae for about PhP 4k. Pwede na. I’d have to part with my laptop for three days, though, and it would most likely void the warranty since the laptop would have to be opened up in order for the antennae to be installed on both sides of the LCD (“most likely” because the unit doesn’t even come with warranty stickers–something I find great since I can add stuff as needed, such as the stick of RAM I stuck in after I made the purchase).
It’s one thing lacking on this model. So I have to contend with using an external WiFi card. But hey, that’s P30k for a Compaq V2000. Fair enough.
J. Angelo Racoma
July 25th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
Rodney, it’s great to see other people are appreciating the V2617!
J. Angelo Racoma
July 25th, 2006 at 11:57 pm
Vance,
If I had P60k just lying around the house (or in my pockets) then I’d go for a higher-end unit–most likely a MacBook, which some direct importers sell for PhP 64k. Either that or I’ll get a higher-midrange Thinkpad.
Mmm. Thinkpad.
J. Angelo Racoma
July 26th, 2006 at 12:00 am
Joey,
Thanks for the link. Great email exchange, btw. When can I publish the comments you sent?
Anyway, according to the Intel chipset identifier, the V2617TS does, indeed, use the i 915GM/910GML chipst (most likely the 910GML, since it’s a Celeron-M) and not the 855GM chipset “as the PC Corner website indicates”:http://www.pccorner.com.ph/products.do?action=showproductdetail&categoryid=0&productid=3077 (and as PC Corner sales/tech people insist in our IM/email inquiries).
J. Angelo Racoma
July 26th, 2006 at 12:01 am
BTW, Rodney, why are you working after office hours?
You should use your laptop for fun stuff (or for working on personal or extra income-generating projects).
Lex
July 27th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
NAAAAAAAAAX DUDE
OK yang notebook. What they say about branded gears is the hardwares must conform to the brand unlike generic wares practically any hardware will fit depending only on the mainboard.
Had you asked me, I’d recomend NEO cause I got one and its doing good at a cheaper price for a greater hardware
J. Angelo Racoma
July 27th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Lex, well, the hardware (the Broadcom mini PCI) actually fit on the board, but the V2617′s BIOS won’t accept it. I think it’s more of a branding issue rather than a compatibility one.
randy k
July 30th, 2006 at 1:02 am
hi sir,
gud day.
im going to buy the same laptop next week. recently, a friend of mine said something about the compaq dvd/cd drive. according to my friend compaq dvd/cd drive doesn’t read generic/cheap cd (brand-less cds or cd’s being sold in cylinders), it only reads imation/3m or any branded cds. just want to now your opinion on this sir if you won’t mind.
second, do you have any heating problems with your laptop? (after using for several hours)
thank you for your reply.
God bless!
qtconcepcion
July 30th, 2006 at 1:52 am
hello stranger =) la lang… ive the same baby tas i was wondering how long its battery life is… whew. thank god. found ur blog very useful..told me everything i had to know.. hehe
J. Angelo Racoma
July 30th, 2006 at 8:51 am
No problem on my end. Maybe it’s an issue with some older models.
It does get warm, especially when plugged in and charging, but not really hot. I have no problem with using it on my lap for a couple of hours or so.
J. Angelo Racoma
July 30th, 2006 at 8:53 am
I get 1.5 to 2 hours on regular use (web browsing via WiFi). I recently installed a “CPU throttling utility”:http://www.blaptops.com/tips/undervolting-your-laptops-cpu/ that lets the computer run at lower clock speeds when CPU demand is low. I’ve yet to see if I get any significant battery life improvements.
randy k
August 1st, 2006 at 8:45 pm
thank you for your reply j.
i just got mine and i found out that i have to install/setup everything from scratch (drivers,OS,etc…
oh my! anyways, i love doing the techie stuff. thanks again guys.
God bless!
randy
J. Angelo Racoma
August 1st, 2006 at 10:41 pm
Randy,
That’s what’s ironic about Windows XP. Ubuntu 6.06 detected everything, from the sound to the graphics adaptor, and even the MSI PC card WiFi adaptor I’m using. With Windows, you still have to install the drivers!
This might help: “Presario 2617TS Driver set for Windows XP”:http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=1849791&os=228
J. Angelo Racoma
August 1st, 2006 at 10:46 pm
By the way, I read that there was a time the V2000 Presarios used the Intel 855GME chipset, and then they shifted to 915/910. Maybe that’s why PCCorner lists the V2617 as having the older 855.
randy k
August 3rd, 2006 at 11:05 am
hi J.
good day.
thank you for your support. regarding the chipset, i really don’t know exactly what’s the difference between the two. i hope mine is using an updated chipset.
do you know any bugs with the 855GME or the 915/910 chipsets?
re the driver link:
thank you. i have already downloaded the drivers but i’m still reading the set up tutorials on their website.
i’ll keep you posted. oh btw, i’m from cebu. i’m teaching in a local univ here.
thanks again j. God bless.
randy
randy k
August 3rd, 2006 at 11:09 am
oh, i just want to know your opinion about my plan to have the ram upgraded to 1GB.
is 1GB too much? or i just go for 512mb?
thanks j.
randy
J. Angelo Racoma
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:42 pm
Hi Randy. You can try using the “Intel chipset identification utility here”:http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=861 . Most likely it’s the 915gm/910gml.
“Here’s what Intel says about the 915″:http://www.intel.com/products/chipsets/915gm/index.htm :
“And here’s an independent review from MobilityGuru”:http://www.mobilityguru.com/2005/05/11/intel_915gm/index.html . It’s an upgrade over the older 855. I believe some other brands being retailed cheap these days are still using the 855.
J. Angelo Racoma
August 3rd, 2006 at 3:18 pm
“is 1GB too much? or i just go for 512mb?”
I’d say 512mb should be enough for casual computing. However, I do agree that with Windows XP, you can never have too much RAM–this means it’s best to get as much as you can!
Do keep in mind that the video card would eat up to 128mb in this case (though Windows usually allocates only 10mb when you’re not doing videos or 3d games). If you can afford the extra 512mb stick, then good–that makes it 768mb. If you can afford an extra 1gig stick, then even better.
Joey
August 3rd, 2006 at 4:31 pm
Just to chip in my two cents.
For normal day-to-day usage, you won’t notice much difference between the 855 and the 915. It’s when you try to do some gfx intensive game that you might notice some improvement. no hardcore games here though. Besides, the 855GME is a DirectX 8 chipset, while the GMA900 do offer some DirectX 9 support. The ATI 200M is better in this regard as this is fully DX9 compliant allowing you to run Windows Vista Aero Glass.
Since you already have a 256MB that came with the PC, you can just add another 512MB to make it 768MB. 128MB of that will be shared with the IGP, so you are left with 640MB… still plenty for Windows given that WXP needs 512MB minimum to run smoothly. That’s the best compromise you can get given that you’re not running the memory in dual-channel mode so no need for same capacity pairs.
Ardie
August 3rd, 2006 at 8:29 pm
Hi there i’m using compaq m2511 is very cool and ok naman sya there’s no problem I used my compaq 2.5 to 3 hrs, question meron bang bluetooth na built in un? i know some other compaq there’s a
bluetooth built in, I think my compaq there’s no bluetooth i guess, anybody using a smart bro wifi? mabilis ba un?
J. Angelo Racoma
August 3rd, 2006 at 9:48 pm
Hi Ardie. The M series is good too. I purchased one back when I was working at dotPH, after quite a long selection process (we had foregone more expensive machines). It was the least expensive Presario at that time, at PhP 45k. It was a Celeron-M 1.4 (Banias core, I think) with the usual 256MB RAM, 40GB HDD, but this time with internal WiFi. My only gripe with the M series is the size! It’s a 15-incher, which is more than what I would be comfortable with.
Anotehr gripe with 15-inchers is the screen resolution. You’d think for that size you should already have higher than 1024×768, as with IBM ThinkPads (15-inchers usually come with 1600×1200 or so).
As for Bluetooth, I’m not so sure. Do check the specs with http://www.HP.com.
Regarding Smart Bro, it’s definitely a no-no. Smart Bro sucks! Do check out “the Smart WiFi Chronicles”:http://www.smartwifiorg.ph for horror stories.
Ardie
August 3rd, 2006 at 10:07 pm
hi there J. Angelo Racoma tnx for the reply and i’m satisfied with my compaq M series and I dont have any problem yah it’s 15 inch the screen but is ok for me, I think ur from maginhawa right? by the way i’m from teacher’s village and tnx for giving me info about smart sucks bro wifi hehehhee.
randy
August 3rd, 2006 at 10:39 pm
thanks a lot j for everything. thanks too joey.
i really learned a lot..tc
randy
Joey
August 4th, 2006 at 2:08 am
Much better than maxing out to 1GB memory, I will highly recommend a switch to a 5400rpm hard drive. There is a very perceptible improvement between that and the kit 4200rpm drive. The jump to 7200rpm from 5400rpm wouldn’t be that great a difference though, except in benchmarks.
As an analogy, the jump from 256MB to 512MB will be more perceptible than from 512MB to 768MB and even to 1GB. Windows really need at least 384MB as the barest minimum to avoid too much swapping to the hdd as the OS loads, same as with applications too. It is only when you begin opening multiple (and we’re really talking multiple) windows and memory intensive applications that you will need 512MB or better.
J. Angelo Racoma
August 4th, 2006 at 2:21 am
Thanks for the contributions, Joey (sorry I wasn’t able to reply to your earlier comment).
I do agree. At any rate, I don’t think people would be using these laptops for serious gaming, anyway. That’s why “Corsarius opted for something with discrete graphics!”:ccrux.corsarius.net/2006/07/02/new-laptop-for-the-corsarius/
What’s great with the 915GM/910GML chipsets is that they now let the operating system (or maybe it’s just Windows) dynamically allocate RAM to the video. In contrast, the 855 chipsets always allocated the maximum available by default. This means the graphics chip will only eat about 10MB minimum from your RAM in normal circumstances.
However, the tradeoff is some performance loss due to the need for the to process this dynamic allocation. But still it sort of cancels out–in the long run, it’s better not to give an entire 128MB (or 64MB, as with the maximum of the 855 chipset) of RAM to video when you don’t need it anyway when you’re doing casual surfing or office apps.
Sigh. This comes with half a day’s headache of reinstalling software and transferring files, unfortunately. Heheh. But if you have enough RAM and the system doesn’t have to swap as much, this won’t be noticeable, unless you’re doing some photo/video editing perhaps.
Still, a fellow laptop enthusiast told me this when I asked him about bus speeds and hard drive RPMs:
He would rather go for higher capacity anytime.
So he’d rather go for 786GB RAM at 333MHz (as in my case) over having 512MB at 400MHz (My 512MB RAM stick is a PC3200 – 400MHz, while the original 256MB is a PC2700 – 333MHz, which makes them both run at 333MHz).
And he’d rather go for an 80GB hard drive running at 4200RPM (is there such a thing?) rather than a 40GB one running at 5400RPM.
I run several Firefox windows with dozens and dozens of tabs each. Makes the extra RAM worth it (or maybe that’s why I’m so unproductive).
Cheers.
J
Ardie
August 4th, 2006 at 2:25 am
I upgraded the memory of my compaq m2511 before 256mb now 768 I added 512mb and the video card is 128mb, my compaq is become faster and now I can play now need for speed most wanted the graphics is so good…
J. Angelo Racoma
August 4th, 2006 at 2:32 am
That’s great, Ardie. So you play NFS on your Presario, eh? BTW, is that a Centrino or a Celeron?
Hmm. This is the second most popular post to date, in terms of comments (second only to the PayPal4PH post).
Ardie
August 4th, 2006 at 2:51 am
it’s celeron m dothan… it’s good and also I played red alert.. and guys there’s a new release battery for compaq it will take the battery life to 10hrs that is the 12-cell lithium check on the hp website for details..
Joey
August 4th, 2006 at 3:03 am
Hi J.Angelo! I don’t know much about tags so I’ll just answer directly:
I beg to differ with your friend on the hdd as much as I agree with him on the RAM. You won’t notice ANY difference running a 333Mhz stick as opposed to a 400Mhz one simply because the faster spec’d memory will still be taking the speed of the bus even if it’s capable of running faster. In this case your money’s better served by adding on capacity rather than higher specs.
On the other hand, a 5400rpm drive will always be spinning at that speed… so you’ll always be getting the benefit of the faster drive spin. For laptops, 5400rpm is the sweet spot for system drive, as 4200rpm is just too darn slow. What is it good for then? They are just perfect as mobile USB hdd or for those portable media players. You hit the law on diminishing returns going to a 7200rpm though… as they are too darn expensive for the slight increase in performance.
J. Angelo Racoma
August 4th, 2006 at 5:05 am
You’re probably right, Joey. Memory would only run as fast as bus speed, and frankly the performance improvements are marginal, unless you’re doing high-end processing. As with the hard drive–since apps load from the hard drive, you would probably notice slower program startups with slower spinning HDDs.
ardie
August 8th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
hi there ask ko lang pwede bang upgrade ung motherboard ng laptop
like compaq m2511 celeron m 1.6 pero when i saw at the mall same lang sila ng style ng laptop ko
difference is pentium m un possible ba un?
J. Angelo Racoma
August 9th, 2006 at 5:23 am
Hi Ardie. I do think you can upgrade a laptop’s motherboard, but that would be quite difficult and expensive. Perhaps a few years into the life of a laptop, you could–when you already have a lot of aftermarket spare boards for sale on eBay or laptop shops (mostly salvaged from broken laptops, I think).
And it’s most likely that you wouldn’t even need to upgrade your motherboard. If your concern is upgrading to Pentium-M, then that would be easier.
The M2000 series looks the same as the V2000 but it’s taller (and hence bulkier). Some other differences:
* It has a 15-inch screen at a 3:4 aspect ratio (non-wide).
* The M2000 doesn’t have a touchpad switch.
* I think your model has a built-in card reader (SD, MMC, MemStick).
* Some models have more USB ports (I only have two).
* Some use JBL Pro speakers (mine uses Altec Lansing).
memo
August 9th, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Very positive review… yes it has a sexy look but wait… looks r not that important when your battery dies on you… yes that’s the biggest flaw of the Compaq brand … and the after service here in manila is like one star rating. (Very bad) remember that the priority of the service center here in manila is still there banner brand HP. Been using Compaq for several years and like I said the battery will kill you, because you cant use a generic one … the original battery cost over ¼ of the laptop. I think Toshiba would be the better investment … or if you go for budget viper by ACI of UK would be ok.
J. Angelo Racoma
August 10th, 2006 at 3:10 am
Hi Memo. Of course, looks are not that important, but overall design is–I take it from a usability perspective. Do you have a bad experience with Compaq batteries? I do think EDP sells aftermarket batteries for different brands (bought my old Thinkpad a great 3-hour batt a few months back). Also, valuepc.com.ph is capable of repacking any kind of battery (he’s the resident laptop battery expert here in Manila)
Ardie
August 10th, 2006 at 3:20 am
where can i find a store selling of battery for compaq presario m2000, need to know if ever i need to buy a 12-cell lithium i think the battery hours if 10hrs? i guess when i saw on the hp website.tnx
J. Angelo Racoma
August 10th, 2006 at 3:28 am
You can try Silicon Valley, TCA or Complink. I’m sure one of these are HP/Compaq distributors (I remember getting in touch w/ the marketing office for an M2000 when I was canvassing for a laptop for dotPH).
If you need to have one imported from the US, you can ship via Johnny Air Cargo. Have HP ship the batt to the NY JAC office, and the NY office will ship it here. They have a branch at SM Megamall, I think. “Here’s the branch directory.”:http://www.johnnyair.com/locator.htm
Ardie
August 10th, 2006 at 3:44 am
so you still awake, tnx for the info… and just wanna ask how much would the cost for the battery of compaq m2000? what is the model again of your compaq? question if i’m using everyday my laptop and get charged not every hour but every 3 hours becauce we know that the life hours of our compaq is 2.5 to 3 hrs right? and is it possible to damage my battery? because i’m downloading some movies and mp3z that’s why i left my laptop on for the downloading…. tnx so much.
Ardie
August 10th, 2006 at 3:47 am
By the way did u try to buy something using johnny air service? how long it will take? and how much for the service charge? do u have any idea how long will it last the battery of our compaq presario laptop? tnx….
J. Angelo Racoma
August 10th, 2006 at 3:53 am
Well, you caught me during my peak problogging hours. Anyway, the batt costs $179 at “the HP store”:http://shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/product_detail.do?product_code=PB995A , or $129 after the $50 rebate. That’s about PhP 6.5k after rebate. Ouch!
My Presario is a V2617TS.
“I have a post on bLaptops about Li-Ion tips.”:http://www.blaptops.com/tips/battery-care-tips-for-laptop-users/
As for JAC, I haven’t tried it myself, but that’s what the company I used to work for used for US-to-Philippines parcel delivery. I would think the 12-cell batt would last 4 hours on a Celeron-M or Sempron based Presario and about 6 to 7 hours on a Centrino or Turion based Presario.
michel
August 18th, 2006 at 7:53 am
i’m planning to buy a laptop and i’m torn between presario v2617ts and v1119. i honestly don’t know anything about laptops so i’d like to ask which one is a better choice? Thanks!