Compaq Presario X1040US Laptop (1.50-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB, DVD+R/RW/CD-RW Combo Drive)

by Compaq

Product Details

Product Manual [20.97mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 13 x 10 x 1.3 inches ; 6.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 11 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000D8HNM
• Item model number: DM774A#ABA
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #18,516 in Computers & Accessories (See Top 100 in Computers & Accessories)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 12, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Though its raw processor speed may initially seem somewhat average, Compaq's Presario x1040us will easily handle most typical leisure or professional mobile tasks and even many 3-D computer games and high-end 3-D graphic design programs. In fact, the unit is not only more powerful than many bigger, bulkier portable computers, but also better equipped too. For a compact, capable and full-featured notebook, you can't do much better than the futuristic Presario x1049us.

The secret behind the Presario x1040us 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 the unit is an Intel Pentium M processor with a seemingly middling 1.5 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 (expandable to two full GB), an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 graphics card with a generous 64 MB dedicated video memory, and an absolutely massive 80 GB hard disk.

Eminently portable at just 14 by 10 by 1.3 inches and 6.5 pounds, the Presario x1040us nevertheless features a variety of desirable amenities, including a surprisingly spacious 15.4-inch widescreen WXGA display screen capable of 1280 by 800 resolution, a pair of JBL-designed speakers, an 88-key keyboard with touch pad and scroll bar, and a state-of-the-art DVD+R/RW/CD-RW optical drive through which you can burn and play audio CDs and write home movies to long-lasting DVD media.

Communication options include a 56K dial-up 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 for those times when you can't or don't want to plug in. To ensure top-notch connectivity, the unit features an IEEE 1394 FireWire port 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, an S-Video TV-Out, and an SD/MMC digital media slot for memory cards from high-tech devices such as digital cameras.

From the Manufacturer

Discover the joy of being mobile and having access to breakthrough performance and integrated wireless connectivity. The Compaq Presario x1040us notebook has everything you need for a productive life on the go.

• do more on the move with IntelCentrino Mobile Technology, which combines the 1.5 GHz Intel PentiumM processor with power-conserving features and integrated wireless connectivity
• get easy wireless access with the integrated Intel Pro/Wireless 2100 802.11b wireless LAN (Wi-Fi compliant) and Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
• see clearly with the stunning 15.4 inches wide screen that offers viewing angles 33 percent wider than standard displays, plus provides greater contrast, sharper images, and truer colors
• watch DVD movies and create multimedia presentations with the advanced ATIMOBILITYRADEON9200 graphics processor (up to 64 MB dedicated video RAM)
• view photos and data files with the integrated Secure Digital (SD) memory card slot
• make connections with digital cameras, scanners, and photo printers using the IEEE 1394 FireWire port or three USB 2 ports
• run favorite applications using the 512 MB of DDR SDRAM (expandable to 2048 MB; 2 by 1024 MB)
• carry less and go longer with extended battery life and a lightweight (6.5 pounds) 1.30 inches thin, sturdy design for life on the go
• experience excellent sound when listening to CDs, MP3s, and Internet radio with the DVD+R/RW and CD-RW combo drive and internal JBLPro Performance speakers
• work smarter with the preloaded software, which includes Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition, Works, Outlook, and Money
• surf the Web with the included three-month trial dial-up service from AOL

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good one by Comapq, February 4, 2004

By 

Zaher Yabroudi (NY, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compaq Presario X1040US Laptop (1.50-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB, DVD+R/RW/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

Shipping & Delivery:
I ordered this notebook from Amazon.com and I received it in 3 days even though the delivery was through Super Saver... good job Amazon!
I received the package in an intact condition, the package contained the following:
1. The Notebook
2. AC Adapter + Cord
3. Telephone Cord
4. Notebook Battery
5. The following CDs (WinXP HE SP1 - Recovery & Driver CD - Money 2003 - Norton Anti Virus - Works 7.0 -- Sonic DVD - AOL Internet Offer CD)
6. Win XP CD Documentation, Notebook Documentation, and Rebate coupons

Experience:
The pc is great, good performance, good price, and sleek design (not as sleek as the equivalent Toshiba or Sony though, but definitely better designed compared to thesister-model from HP, the company that currently owns Compaq). Encarta Online, Acrobat reader and other software were preinstalled.

80GB hard disk is huge, however, it operates at 4200rpm speed, which is relatively slow, I recommend "splitting the HDD" by creating another partition of say 40GB, this will increase the access speed of the hard disk, and you may safely store your personal data on the second partition (you can do that using Partition Magic, or using FDisk and then reinstall the OS if you're an advanced user).

SD Card Reader is also a good idea, since I don't have to use my digi-cam's cradle anymore... oh and one important thing, I had an issue with the SD card reader a week after I got this pc, where it (the notebook) just froze every time I tried to read/write onto the SD card. I contacted HP Support and we had a couple online-support chat sessions, HP reps were very friendly and tried to help, but unfortunately non of them was able to solve this problem... later I discovered that installing some updates from (Recommended Updates) section in Windows Update site caused this issue. See, Microsoft develops an update batch that will be published under (Recommended Updates) until it's fully tested to comply, and that's when they move it up to (Critical Updates), therefore, I suggest that when updating your OS, install (Critical Updates) and only those updates that you really need from (Recommended Updates) such as (Media Player 9, Windows Messenger 4.7, etc.)

I personally recommend this notebook. Good luck in making your correct buying decision.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Features, May 23, 2004

By 

M. Fidanboylu "mfidanboylu" (Ithaca, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Compaq Presario X1040US Laptop (1.50-GHz Pentium M (Centrino), 512 MB RAM, 80 GB, DVD+R/RW/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

Good laptop packed with nice features..
+ The screen is especially crisp and bright.
+ Touchpad can be disabled by a button.
+ Volume MUTE button (crucial when your laptop starts playing windows startup music in the library)
+ Nice speakers
+ Nice performance for everyday use. (I could rip high quality wmv from my digicam at realtime w/o any dropped frames)

Here are some minor moans:
- Definitely not a gamer's laptop (although you can play most games if you set quality to low).
- The 'switch' that senses the laptop is closed is placed (awkwardly) right next to the power button. So it is quite easy to hit and cause the laptop to go to standby (I like the laptop to go to standby when i close it).

Only major moan:

- The CD Drive. The drive that comes with this laptop is good except for two things: 1. It does not write to DVD+RW media rated at 4X and above. It is highly unlikely to find a DVD+RW disc rated at 2.4X (which this drive *requires*).. 2. It does not recognize some brands of CD-Rs. Up to now, I only had problems with Memorex Black CDR's.. I was quite annoyed since these CDRs are really high quality.. I presume it is the black coating that is the problem since there is no problem with Imation silver CDRs and Memorex DVD-Rs.

It seems that both of these problems can be solved with a firmware upgrade, which brings me to another issue. This laptop does not have a floppy drive. Therefore, firmware updates are tricky..(sony suggests using a USB floppy drive which is just ridiculous)..