Techie Reviews

Personal reviews of computers, computer accessories and other techie related stuff.

Review of HP Pavilion zd8000

This was the computer I had originally purchased with travel in mind (Mistake #1).  Actually, I was talked into it by a salesperson after I found out that the one I wanted was sold out at every store I checked (Mistake #2).  Don’t get me wrong, it is a great computer, but it is best described as a ‘desktop replacement’ with limited travel, by limited I mean room-to-room, primarily because of its weight - a whopping 10 pounds (give or take an ounce or two).  I didn’t read through all of the features (Mistake #3), so I bought a computer that had a lot more bells and whistles than I really needed.  For instance, it is a complete entertainment center and can function as a TV (external tuner and remote control included), DVD, Stereo, and is great for gamers (so says my kid).

One feature that caught my eye was the full-sized keyboard with number pad, a rarity for laptops. It has a plenty of slots and ports around the edges, so I never find myself having to switch plugs. It’s loaded with four USB ports, PC Card slot, along with connections for audio, FireWire, an external monitor, and S-Video. An additional flash card reader works for Secure Digital, Memory Stick Pro, Multi-Media Card and Smart Media. Online capabilities include Gigabit Ethernet, a built-in V.92 modem, and Bluetooth and 802.11b/g.

 

 

 I have to say that my favorite feature about this computer is the 17-inch wide-screen, with fantastic color and resolution. It has a large touchpad with its own on/off button. Speaking of buttons, above the top row of keys are buttons for speaker volume, and an on/off switch for speakers, quick launch buttons for the DVD/Media applications and an on/off switch for the Wi-Fi. The Harman Kardon speakers are along the front edge and sound great, in fact they are the best I’ve heard in a laptop so far. The performance is solid and powerful, with its 3.6GHz Pentium 4 processor, 1GB of 400MHz memory, and a 5,400rpm 80GB hard drive.

 

 

So what are the negatives? Aside from the weight, which may or may not be a drawback for some, I would have to say that the fans are quite noisy and that it runs fairly hot (a good hand warmer in the winter). The AC adaptor is the size and approximate weight of a brick!  In addition, the battery life is just about nil – one and a half hours, tops. I have also had battery issues and have had two replaced in just over a year.  I would like to mention here that HP’s service and support have been excellent. The replacement batteries were sent in a matter of a few days and I did not have to wait on ‘eternal hold’ for a service representative. Each time I called, the HP representative was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, one of the reasons I have purchased so many HP products.

 

 

I haven’t even scratched the surface of what this computer is capable of, but since I’ve had this computer a just about a year and a half, I’ve tried to be brief, and knowing that most of you will be getting a newer model with updated specs.

 

  

SkinIt, SkinIt Good!

Ok, so I had Devo on the brain! Anyway, for some Christmas gifts, I bought a laptop Skinit for a geeky friend of mine (meant that in a good way, of course), and another one for my kid’s hand-me-down iPod, to give it a fresh look. Both gift recipients were very happy with their skins, and neither had any problem applying their Skinit - I watched them do it in just a few minutes. The laptop skin was not the same team as the SkinIt New York Rangers Laptop Skin shown in the picture below, but it gives you an idea of what it should look like.

The material is a 3M product that provides a thin, but tough protective layer to your techie gear, preventing surface nicks and scratches. You can skin your computer, laptop, cell phone, mp3 player, printer, router, etc. - there are even skins for that Guitar Hero guitar you got for Christmas! There are an endless array of designs to choose from - Sports - NFL, Collegiate, MLB, Music, Art, Cartoons - or design your own.

They are custom fit to your laptop - and for you Mac users, the skin even has the Apple logo cut out to perfectly match that glowing piece of fruit on your screen’s lid! As with the laptops, the skins for the iPods are custom fit for each generation of the player - the one we bought was for the 3rd generation iPod with the 4 round buttons. It looks like the SkinIt Florida Panthers Ipod Skin pictured below, just with the 4 holes cut out.

There are easy-to-follow instructions that come with your Skinit - if you take the time to read them and follow their advice, you will have no problems. Just remember that when installing, you need to take it slow in order to avoid bubbles. If you do happen to get a few (as we did with the iPod) they work out easily by gently pushing the bubble towards the end of the skin.

(I purchased this product and the opinion is my own. If you click on the link to the product and end up making a purchase, I may receive a small commission. You may click here for this site’s Disclosure Policy)

  

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