Customer Reviews

Compaq Presario R3210US Laptop (1.60 GHz Athlon, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Drive)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Compaq Presario R3210US is a value packed notebook computer. (You can get this particular model heavily discounted if you look hard enough) The computer has everything a student or need-to-be-on-the-go person could want. It is packed full of features such as a combination DVD/CD-RW drive, 60 Gigs of storage space, a 5-in-1 memory card reader, wireless internet capability, dedicated video card, video output/S-video ports for external monitors or presentations, stereo speakers and one of the most brilliant/beautiful screens you have seen. It is a widescreen model (15.4"). While this may not seem like much, the extra wide screen makes working on this notebook a pleasure. If you do a lot of writing/word processing/spread sheets; the extra width takes away the claustrophobic feeling that you can get from other narrower screens. I compared the screen brightness and clarity of the Presario R3210US with other manufacturer models and the Presario seemed as good or better than notebooks costing twice as much. The keyboard is top-notch with just the right amount of dampened key pressure. The unit is striking in appearance in that the keyboard is a off-cream color instead of the typical utilitarian black found on other manufacturers models. The surrounding keyboard area is in a very nice silver metalic color. I found this to be very nice as I was tired of the old school black keys and black/gray interior scheme.

While I was doing comparative shopping, I found other brands costing many hundreds of dollars more but without all the features of this unit. The R3210US is the entry level version of its big brothers which have DVD write capacity, a faster processor and more ram. Cosidering the cost difference in moving up to the higher end versions, I feel that the R3210US is far more cost effective if you are on a budget. The computer works flawlessly and has plenty of power to do your everyday tasks. The extra bonus is the DVD player. The widescreen format of the screen is a perfect match for widescreen movies. When I first got the notebook home, I ran a test on the Presario by playing the Star Wars movie "Attack of the Clones". The movie was crystal clear and sharp. The stereo sound was quite good and the DVD player interface was a breeze to use. The control buttons for computer functions are on either side of the notebook with extra connectors on the rear. The USB ports are easy to get to because they are found on the right and left sides. The notebook is extremely quiet. I could not hear the fans even when working in the library.

If there are any cons to this notebook, there are three that may or may not be of importance, depending on your needs. The first is run-time while using battery power. I was doing a writing project on the Presario and was able to use the notebook continuously for about 3 hours. This may not be long enoug for some but you can purchase a higher capacity battery (12 li-ion cell) that will extend your worktime longer. The standard battery that comes with the R3210US is an eight cell lithium ion battery which takes between an hour and an hour and a half to recharge. Some may take issue with the weight of the notebook. It clocks in at almost 8 pounds. However, I did not find this to be much of a problem. Compared to pricier models that will cost you an extra thousand or so to save a few pounds, I figure I can handle the weight. The last concern is that the Presario does not have a floppy drive. Almost all sofware is CD based, but if you still have a need to use floppies for making quick back-ups of your work or have programs that are floppy based, you will have to purchase an external drive. I bought one for less than $20 dollars and it works great with the Presario. I just plug it in after the computer boots and I am up and running.

I am very happy with this notebook computer and am very impressed with the features and price of the unit. If you are looking for a feature-packed affordable notebook computer with full multi-media functions for home/office or school, I would highly recommend that you put the Presario R3210US on your list of notebooks to check out. I would rate this computer 4 3/4 stars. Almost perfect.

(...)

The features I liked most include the WXGA+ (high definition) 15.4" screen, 60 GB HD, 256 MB RAM (mine is 512 MB), 32 MB video RAM, fast 1.6 GHz Athlon 64-bit processor, lithium ion battery, Windows XP Home, Microsoft Works, and connectivity, i.e., built-in 802.11g wireless, parallel port, VGA port, LAN port, and USB 2.0 ports. Most notebooks in this price range come with only a 15" XGA screen and a 40 GB HD, and some do not have a VGA port for electronic presentations using an external projector.

There are very few negatives. I had trouble with the network port, and exchanged it for another one. The connector did not stay in place, and the connection was only 10 Mbps instead of 100 Mbps. The new one had no problems at 100 Mbps. Also, the computer automatically changes processor speed, depending on demand, i.e., "PowerNow" technology. This is supposed to reduce battery usage. I had trouble with this, and had to manually go into the power settings to fix it. There is no IEEE-1394 (Firewire) port and no DVD burner. The AMD Athlon processor could be a bit faster, but is definitely faster than an Intel Celeron processor. The battery life could be a bit longer. If you do gaming, you may want 64 MB of video RAM. Also, Windows XP Pro would have been better than Home. These were the compromises and tradeoffs I made that worked well for me.

Compaq is backed (and now owned) by Hewlett Packard, which has a history of outstanding customer support.

I recommend the following:
1. Upgrade to 512 MB RAM.
2. Use an external wireless keyboard and mouse.
3. Get a case.
4. Manually set up the power options.
5. Get a spare battery.

(...) The fact that the processor is an AMD instead of an Intel is why the price is so low. This would be a good choice for a student, home user, or moderate business user.

I purchased this notebook a while back and chose it for potential durability. My previous notebook was a 1999 Sony VAIO PCG-F250, which bit the dust recently (hinges, drives, other wearable parts). The audio on the machine is better than what I had expected (Harman International-sourced speakers), a similar design (and AC'97 audio) is found on current eMachines (Gateway), and HP notebooks.

The drawback is the silver paint, but that's a personal opinion. The paint is definitely not durable, but better in the notebook and not on the shell casing (compare HP variant). The quality varies, some models may have ill-fitting and visible seams or others. The locking clip is made out of metal, but it is in a design where it will not be likely to break off in the first few months of ownership.

This configuration of the notebook (nVidia GeForce 4 420) is passable to do some gaming - although not extremely serious gaming, due to the modest 32 MB of RAM. The LCD is quite bright and vibrant in color, if adjusted properly.

The processor is fine, but to any power user, this configuration is left to be desired. If one wants to, look at this company's offering with an AMD Athlon 64 processor, for a real nice value.
This configuration does not have a floppy drive, FireWire (IEEE 1394), infared, or a flash memory card reader. The good side to this is that there are less things to break! It's quite spartan though. But a floppy is necessary for some things - like booting to an obscure operating system, like BeOS. The notebook design does not allow for a PS2 (keyboard/mouse) connector, nor has serial connectors - which is a cost-saving procedure. The cooling fan is not very noisy, compared to some competitors' models; however, the heat output is jokingly warm enough to warm the room that it's in.

The notebook feels sort of solid, and is at a decent weight, but the form factor makes it impossible to fit in some notebook cases but fits well in backpacks. The machine wears very well, but try not to wear a watch, the plastic underneath the silver paint is obviously black in color.

A good note to take is that this machine configuration needs much more RAM, try to get the highest availible.

The battery is another factor, although I'm connected to an outlet at school, many may want to be "free". The battery lasts a little over an hour and a half.

The Wi-Fi reception is quite strong, but there is no connector (modifiable) to attach an antenna.

As with all recent notebooks, it is not a good idea to place it on your lap, since the temperature is very uncomfortable. The unit has fans underneath also, so never put it on carpeting or other fabric surfaces, since this causes an extreme buildup of dust. (common sense)

Also, the design is quite subtle, and looks ready for business. Compared to the flashy offerings from parent company HP. Spare parts are somewhat cheaper than many on the market, but not the cheapest (batteries).

I bought my R3210US two months ago and have had zero problems so far. I'm using it primarily at home as a desktop replacement for my old p111 dell dimension, although I have travelled with it some. The 15.4" widescreen is very bright and fine for watching dvd's and general web surfing. I haven't had to call tech support yet, so can't comment on that. My only nagative is that the fan is quite loud and noticeable as it cycles on and off-but I'm getting used to it. At this price point, I don't think you can beat it.

My brand new Compaq computer still isn't working after 8 hours on the phone with customer disservice and two replacement hard drives. Save yourself alot of wasted time, buy any other brand.