Compaq Presario 705US Laptop (1-GHz Athlon 4, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)

by Compaq

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 12.4 x 1.6 inches ; 6.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005QERT
• Item model number: 470023-551
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 5, 2002

Product Description

Amazon.com

Designed with an emphasis on business use, the Presario 705US offers a comprehensive feature set at a price that won't hurt the bottom line. Boasting a 1 GHz AMD Athlon 4 CPU, 256 MB of RAM (expandable to 384 MB), a 20 GB hard disk, and a combo CD-RW/DVD-ROM (6x) drive, this system will fulfill most any portable PC need. Also included are a 56K modem, a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet NIC, and a 14.1-inch, active-matrix LCD with 1024 x 768 resolution. The installed operating system is Windows XP, Microsoft's new operating system that combines the stability of Windows 2000 with better support for peripherals and games. This system is also easily portable, weighing in at just 6.39 pounds with a height of 1.64 inches.

Product Description

Compaq Presario 705US Notebook (1-GHz Athlon, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great business replacement, not for gaming, October 14, 2001

By 

Christine (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compaq Presario 705US Laptop (1-GHz Athlon 4, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive) (Personal Computers)

This is a great computer, the only flaw I can find is in the graphics card. If you want a laptop for gaming, this is not your laptop. (For serious portable gamers, try a Dell 8100 with a 16 or better yet a 32 MB NVidea Graphics card) If you want a nice reliable, speedy, desktop replacement, then this is the computer for you. The Athlon chip combined with the 256 MB of memory makes for a speedy response time. The screen is nice and clear and the keyboard is quiet. Overall, the computer is a great choice!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Few Peeves, But Worth It Overall, November 26, 2001

By 

Omar Y. (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compaq Presario 705US Laptop (1-GHz Athlon 4, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive) (Personal Computers)

I wanted a laptop that was relatively compact, had a one gigahertz AMD processor, at least 256 megabytes of memory, and a DVD/CD-RW combination drive. This laptop had them all. I purhcased it a couple of weeks ago, and in terms of the laptop I was looking for, I couldn't be happier. Two peeves, though.

One is that I was duped into buying another computer that didn't have independent video memory (this computer's video memory, while a generous sixteen megabytes, is "shared" with--or taken away from, to be more precise--the computer's main memory, a problem I've encountered with my two previous desktop purchases), so while the computer is advertised to have 256 megabytes of memory, only 240 of them can be used for other applications. ("Only" 240--what am I saying? My previous computer had only 128!)

The other is that in order to type in special characters using the integrated numeric keypad, I must hit Fn + NumLk, then the keystrokes required, then Fn + NumLk once again to turn off the keypad in order to again be able to use that part of the keyboard normally. Other computers allow the user just to type Fn and the required keystrokes without all the NumLk business, but this one suited my needs best, so I chose to overlook the flaw. I am reminded of it, however, every time I type up a French composition and need those accents. Sacré bleu!

A more trivial annoyance is the row of Compaq "EasyAccess" buttons, which are not that easy to access at all (they are located in a narrow space between the keyboard and the screen--if you want a better of idea of how they look you can find a bunch of useful photographs at bestbuy.com), and the volume ones did not work (it had seemed) for the first week I used the computer. Finally I figured out that the EasyAccess volume buttons don't work like television volume buttons, the ones you can hold down--these ones can only be pressed once every second or so for them to respond. I usually opt to adjust the volume instead using the (excellent) Windows software. Also, the EasyAccess buttons (which include technical support, e-mail, Web search, and Windows Media Player buttons) all surround the computer's power button, so I generally don't use them for fear I might inadvertently shut off my computer.

Short battery life is another problem--mine runs out after only an hour and thirty minutes, not even enough to watch a full DVD movie. Not good for portability, but since I don't travel that much, I'm fine--for now (I think).

So aside from all that, the Compaq Presario 705US Notebook is a solidly built computer with a stable operating system, and both are a breeze to use. While I occasionally look at other notebooks with a tinge of envy, I keep reminding myself how little I paid in comparison to how much I got, and when I get home, I turn on my notebook, turn up its incredibly sonorous speakers (they really are good speakers) to full blast and get lost in the digital music library that, so far, the included Windows Media Player and I have managed to keep organized.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love mine. Definitely a best by Compaq., December 18, 2001

By 

Ben Hulscher (Tacoma, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compaq Presario 705US Laptop (1-GHz Athlon 4, 256 MB RAM, 20 GB hard drive) (Personal Computers)

I bought this computer from Best Buy and am quite happy so far. I have viewed several DVD's (no problems), burned about 20 CD's, and play games constantly. This notebook is great. My only big complaint is the battery. It only lasts about 2 hours, unless I am using the DVD/CD-RW drive, then it is much shorter. The speakers are wonderful, never heard such great speakers on a laptop. I had to buy another mouse when I am at home, but the touchpad is much better than others I have used.

Things I really like about this notebook:
- Speed: 1 GHz. I use this notebook as my desktop replacement.
- Hard drive space: 20GB is huge for what I do.
- Little scroll button: quite helpful.
- Speakers: JBL Pro are absolutely the best.
- Combo DVD/CD-RW Drive: more convenient than swapping like Gateway.

Things I dislike:
- Little buttons at the top of the keyboard: Can't figure out how to change what they do.
- Windows XP: Takes a while getting used to compared to Windows 98.
- The stupid sticker that came on the screen: A bugger to get off, I still have a little stickiness on the screen.
- The stickers advertising AMD and Windows XP on the corner of the keyboard: I have scratched my arm several times.

That's about it. If you are going to be near an outlet most of the time, this is the laptop to get. Or if you don't mind spending $100 on a car adapter or another battery, still the best machine for your money.