Compaq Presario X1030US Laptop (1.40-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive)

by Compaq

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 14 x 10 x 1.2 inches ; 6.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000D8HSI
• Item model number: DM773A#ABA
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,928 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 5, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Though its raw processor speed may initially seem somewhat average and its 3-D graphic capabilities aren't quite powerful enough for the latest computer games or high-end 3-D graphic design programs, Compaq's Presario x1030us will easily handle most typical leisure or professional tasks, and it won't break the bank or your back while doing so.

The secret behind the Presario x1030us is Intel's new Centrino technology. Centrino refers to a triumvirate of interconnected elements -- an Intel Pentium M CPU, an Intel 855 chipset, and an Intel PRO/Wireless 2100 network connection -- all of which work hand-in-hand to make your notebook fast, lightweight, battery-efficient and wirelessly connected.

At the heart of this unit is an Intel Pentium Centrino processor with a seemingly middling 1.4 GHz clock speed. Being a Centrino processor, however, it also sports one full MB of Level 2 cache to greatly improve speed in frequently accessed applications. Compaq has added 512 MB of 266 MHz DDR SDRAM system memory, an ATI Mobility Radeon 7500c graphics card with 32 MB dedicated video memory, and an adequate 40 GB hard disk.

Comparatively portable at just 14 by 10 by 1.24 inches and 6.5 pounds, the system nevertheless features a variety of desirable amenities, including a versatile DVD-ROM/CD-RW optical drive through which you can burn and play audio CDs and watch your favorite movies, a surprisingly spacious 15.4-inch WXGA display screen capable of 1280 by 800 resolution, and an 88-key keyboard with touch pad and scroll bar.

Communication options include a 56K modem for low-speed Internet and email access, a high-speed RJ-45 LAN connector and integrated Intel Pro/Wireless 2100 802.11b wireless LAN. To ensure top-notch connectivity, the unit features an IEEE 1394 FireWire connection for quick data streaming with external peripherals such as digital camcorders, a trio of fast USB 2.0 ports for other plug and play devices, and an S-Video TV-Out.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb machine, it is all I can ask for in a laptop., November 14, 2003

By 

sf "toomuchresearch" (Gaithersburg, MD United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compaq Presario X1030US Laptop (1.40-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

Like I said, this is all I could ask for in a laptop. the battery life is great. The centrino processer is faster then a pentium 4 (of which i've had 2 previous). Size is great. I would wish for a higher resolution display... but this one is good, if high res is needed an external moniter can be bought. Overall tihs is the best, of four, laptop I've owned. You can actually play games, which you can't on most laptops and run graphics intensive programs.

All in all, a very good choice.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars nice addition to the compaq productline (now a HP company), February 8, 2004

By 

"goodguycy" (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Compaq Presario X1030US Laptop (1.40-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

This is the first laptop I have ever bought and i must say i am definitly very pleased with it. Of course, i would have liked a 1500mhz or 1600mhz intel pentium M processer as oppose to the 1400mhz but upon using it i'd say the 1.4M is plenty fast. I did some research into this new centrino processer and this is what i found:
1. A 1.4 Pentium M is equivelent to a 2.1-2.2 Pentium 4
2. A 1.5 Pentium M operates slightly faster than a 2.4 P4
3. The Centrino processer provides up to 5 hours battery life
So all in all, i have to say that im happy with it. Not to mention i bought mine on ebay for $1150 total cost which is a steal compared to best buys price of $1400 plus tax. So as long as you buy one for under $1200, you're getting the best bang for your buck in my opinion. good luck!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great laptop for a great value!, May 2, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Compaq Presario X1030US Laptop (1.40-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 40 GB Hard Drive, DVD/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

First of all, I was in the market for a widescreen laptop, so other widescreen laptops were the only ones I compared this to. Second, I bought X1030US refurbished direct from HP Shopping.

Overall, the laptop has a very appealing design and is right up there with other laptops in style, such as the Sony line of laptops. The widescreen display is just candy for your eyes and great for many applications, especially browsing the internet.

The system specs were plenty for my taste, enought to do everyday activities and once in a while a strenuous one, like play games, run CPU taxing programs etc. The HDD size is plenty, though you really only get around 33gb after the OS is installed and etc.

I have not yet ran the computer off the AC adaptor, but the few times I did take it off the power, I really like the feature that tells you (approx.) how much time you have left to run the laptop on the battery. The battery life is great compared to my last laptop. It seems to calculate to over 4+ hours.

Another great feature that I love is the wireless internet. However, it does some weird things when I turn the wireless off and then back on. It finds my network, but won't connect. I just restart the laptop which isn't a big deal. I leave the wireless on most of the time anyway. The button to turn it off and on is a great feature as well.

The feature that I must say I like is the fact that the fan, about 90% of the time, does not come on! My last laptop ran the fan all the time, but this laptop apparently can handle it without running. It's so quiet I don't know if it's on or not. It also usually runs only at around 600Mhz. I rarely see it reach the 1.4Ghz mark. The firewire port is a handy feature, but I really wished they included the 6-pin style rather than the 4-pin. I would really like to try out the infrared port too.

So far I have been very impressed with Compaq's laptop. It's thin, lighter than my old laptop (Gateway 400 series) and it's amazing because it's bigger than that laptop. The speakers are not too good, but it's tolerable. Of course you're not going to get Klipsche quality speakers, but they do their job.

The only other problem I've had is that I haven't been able to burn a CD on the laptop yet. It does have a CD-RW drive, but my software doesn't recognize the drive. I have used Easy CD Creator and Nero, but it can't find my drive. Strange.

One last pet peeve are the stickers that come on the laptop. :) I've tried to get a couple of them off, but they just won't come off!

Overall, you can't beat what you get for the price. I've compared it to the Dell Inpiron 8600, eMachines, HP, and Gateway and the only other close competitor for me were the widescreen series for Gateway. The lower price pulled me to this laptop and I don't regret it!