HP Pavilion ZD7040us Laptop (2.8GHz Pentium 4, 512MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, 17-inch display)

by HP

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 13.3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001DB6JA
• Item model number: ZD7040us
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 21, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Wider is better with the HP Pavilion zd7040us notebook PC, featuring a 17-inch LCD screen with native 1440 x 900 resolution--perfect for editing digital video while on the road. The zd7040us is loaded with rich multimedia features, including an NVIDIA GeForce FX Go5600 video/graphics card (with 64 MB of dedicated memory), multi-format memory card reader, and a combo DVD+RW/CD-RW burner. It also features built-in 54g wireless connectivity, a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 60 GB hard drive, and 512 MB of installed RAM.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: While fairly large compared with other notebooks, the 60 GB enhanced-IDE hard drive (4200 RPM) might seem limited if you do plan on doing a lot of multimedia work. That said, it does offer ample space for documents and the software required by the typical road warrior.
• Processor:
• Processor: The 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor will come in handy for tasks such as digital photo or video editing. It also has a 533 MHz FSB (front-side bus) and 512 KB L2 cache.
• Memory: The installed 512 MB of RAM (2 x 256 MB, 333 MHz) is sufficient for starting out, but you'll want to add more memory power to take full advantage of the zd7040us's multimedia capabilities (it's expandable to 2.0 GB--2 x 1024 MB).
• CD/DVD Drive: The included optical drive is a combo DVD+RW/CD-RW writer, which features a 24x write speed for CDs. (HP hasn't provided the speed spec for the DVD+RW writer.) It's compatible with the DVD+RW format, one of two formats for rewriteable DVDs.
• Keyboard & Mouse: This notebook PC's keyboard offers a scroll bar and integrated numeric keypad. The touchpad has an on/off button and dedicated vertical scroll up/down pad.

Sound and Graphics
The zd7040us has an extra-large 17-inch WXGA+ WVA TFT display that has a 1440 x 900 native resolution for cinema-quality video playback. It features an NVIDIA GeForce4 FX Go5600 video/graphics card with 64 MB allocated video memory, which offers a relatively strong video backbone for a notebook. It offers the ability to run its native display and an external display at the same time.

It features an integrated AC'97 (Audio Codec '97) sound card that is built into the computer's main board. It offers 16-bit Sound Blaster Pro-compatible audio that runs through its internal Harman Kardon speakers.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
The zd7040us offers a good range of expansion and connectivity options, including a PCMCIA slot (32-bit card bus) for Type I/II/III PC cards and the following:

• 4 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 1 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
• 1 RGB monitor port
• 1 TV-out (S-Video)
• 1 FIR (fast infrared)
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack
• Multi-format memory card reader that's compatible with Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and Smaredia cards

It also has an integrated 802.11g wireless LAN (which is compatible with the more widespread 802.11b and offers faster data transmission rates), integrated 56K modem (V.92), and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
The zd7040us comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also includes Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents). Other preloaded software includes Norton Antivirus 2003 (with 60 days of complimentary live updates), Quicken New User Edition, Microsoft Money, Microsoft Encarta Online Deluxe, Adobe Acrobat Reader, InterVideo WinDVD SE (for playing DVD movies) and Creator, MusicMatch Jukebox, Muvee AutoProducer, and Roxio Easy CD and DVD Creator (Basic).

Dimensions and Weight
At 9.3 pounds, the zd7040us is not the lightest notebook available (as a comparison, the Apple 17-inch Powerbook G4 weighs 6.9 pounds). It measures 1.9 x 15.7 x 10.9 inches (H x W x D), which is rather thick for a notebook.

Power
The included 12-cell rechargeable lithium-ion battery weighs 1.4 pounds and has an approximate 2-hour battery life (during normal use). It also comes with a 120W AC adapter.

What's in the Box
This package includes the HP Pavilion zd7040us notebook PC, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, and operating instructions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hot and Heavy, January 25, 2005

By 

Papa Grande (Export, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: HP Pavilion ZD7040us Laptop (2.8GHz Pentium 4, 512MB RAM, 60GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, 17-inch display) (Personal Computers)

This is a great Desktop Replacement. Very capable. Good sound, Good wireless. Plays and records DVDs well. It has any feature you can think of, card reader, lots of USBs, firewire, integrated wireless. It has great graphics, nice sound. But its an expensive desktop, and as a LAPTOP: It is is huge, hot and heavy.

Another major drawback is short battery life. Usually less than 90 minutes.

I have decided that the 17" screen is not worth the weight. I have seen the 15" screen, and it is more than adequate. (17' is nice for movies though)

It puts out a lot of heat with two fans placed right where it sits on your lap. Stupid location. When you sit there with it blowing hot air on your leg, trying to balance it in a way that lets the air keep moving, you think it is "what were they smoking" stupid.

They crammed everything into the machine, but could have done a lot better in designing the ergonomics, weight, heat and battery life. Maybe HP can hire a few designers from Apple and make this right the next time.

Buy an extended service plan. I have sent mine back for repairs. It was fixed in 5 days and returned to me via FEDEX.

I would not buy this laptop again, my back wants me to get something lighter and my lap wants something cooler. But, if you don't have to walk too far, and want a good desktop replacement, it is a good machine.